By Chief Mass Communication Specialist Bill Steele, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Brown
SILVERDALE, Wash. – A 2012 Pittston Area High School graduate and Pittston, Pennsylvania, native is presently engaged in a critical mission for the security of the United States: deterring nuclear war.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Santana, a sonar technician (submarines) is serving aboard one of the world’s most advanced ballistic missile submarines, USS Nebraska. Based at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor in Washington, not far from Seattle, USS Nebraska is one of 14 Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines in the Navy’s fleet.
As a sonar technician (submarines), Santana is responsible for detecting, tracking and classifying contacts while underway.
“I help keep the ship safe by searching for contacts and keeping the dangers of collision or unsafe conditions out of the question,” Santana said.
Santana draws from lessons learned growing up in Pittston.
“Growing up, I was taught to cherish what you have,” Santana said. “It's important to make the best of what you have with what you've got.”
The Navy’s ballistic missile submarines, often referred to informally as “boomers,” serve as undetectable launch platforms for intercontinental ballistic missiles. They are designed specifically for stealth, extended patrols and the precise delivery of missiles, and they are the only survivable leg of the nation’s strategic nuclear forces, which also include land-based missiles and aircraft.
As long as nuclear weapons remain in the hands of potential adversaries, the nation’s nuclear forces provide a safe, secure and credible deterrent to the threat of nuclear attack. The Navy’s continuous at-sea deployment of submarines like USS Nebraska provides the ability to mount an assured response.
As effective as the Ohio-class submarines have been over their decades-long lifetimes, the fleet is aging, with the oldest submarines now more than 30 years old, well past their planned service lives.
A new and effective successor is critical to national security, and the Navy is well into the process of designing and fielding a more advanced ballistic missile submarine, which will provide the necessary sea-based nuclear deterrence into the 2080s and beyond.
Submarine sailors are some of the most highly trained and skilled people in the Navy. The training is highly technical, and each crew has to be able to operate, maintain, and repair every system or piece of equipment on board. Regardless of their specialty, everyone also has to learn how everything on the submarine works and how to respond in emergencies to become “qualified in submarines” and earn the right to wear the coveted gold or silver dolphins on their uniforms.
"The men and women from across our nation who volunteer for military service embody the fundamental values of honor, courage and sacrifice that are the bedrock of our Republic," said Rear Adm. Blake Converse, Commander, Submarine Group Nine. "They protect and defend America from above, below, and across the world's oceans. The entire nation should be extremely proud of the hard work that these sailors do every single day to support the critical mission of the Navy and the submarine force."
“The brotherhood and fellowship you develop in such a small area, getting to know everyone, it gets intimate at times, but it's more the sense of security of knowing that the guy next to you can save your life that makes submarine life special,” Santana said.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Santana and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes, one that will provide a critical component of the Navy the nation needs.