From the shore, the sonar technician tracks a submarine that is thousands
of miles away from his base. "It's just amazing," says sonar technician
Jason James. He is currently based in Millington, Tennessee. "By looking at
different lines, you can watch the equipment and follow everything the submarine
is doing."
He tracks the submarine's exact location. "I can see how fast it's
going, if it turns left or right. I can see what equipment he's got on,"
says James. "I might be in Washington state and tracking what the sub is doing
in the middle of the Pacific."
While working on shore, tracking submarine movements can be exhilarating.
But James says nothing can beat actually working out at sea. "Being at sea
intensifies the feeling," he says. "You're suddenly in their playground.
It's only more important that you find that other submarine."
James still remembers when he found his first threat submarine. He had
only been in the navy six months and was startled by the discovery. "I suddenly
got one, and knew that it wasn't supposed to be there," he says. "Lives
were at stake. It was a very important find."
He says locating that sub and reporting its presence made him proud to
do his work. "I held my chin up a little higher," he says.
Brad Browne is a sonar technician. He also enjoys working on a ship. As
a technician, he spends hours trying to fix sonar computers and machinery.
He finds it rewarding when he solves the puzzle.
"I see first-hand the results of my work," he says. "When we find a submarine
or sail into port, I know that it's because I fixed that system that
we're able to do it. To know that I can help 230 other people on the
ship succeed, well, that's a satisfaction that sitting in a cubicle would
never bring me."
Browne says that the crew spends many hours training on the warship. "Being
a warship, we have simulated battle problems that we use for training," he
says. "These situations make us learn to work as a team and train us to react
in ways that will save ourselves and our shipmates."
Learning to get along with other shipmates and work in close quarters is
important. It can be an enjoyable part of the career. Browne says these friendships
go beyond working hours. "You meet people from everywhere and make friendships
that last a lifetime. The comradeship is something you won't find in
the regular working world."
Working at sea can mean long hours, shift work and living in cramped quarters.
"But if you're at sea for six months, you don't spend the whole
time out there," says James. "You pull into different ports and see and experience
many different cultures."
Wanda Tobin is a sonar operator. She says that she enjoys this aspect of
working on a ship. "I enjoy this work because of the travel," she says. "You
get to see exciting things that few other people get the chance to."
Tobin says that the opportunities for women in the navy are
only getting better. "There are big opportunities for women in this field,"
she says. "They're trying to keep women in the navy and are giving them
more benefits and advantages. The quality of life we can enjoy is getting
better and better."
Nonetheless, months away from home can be trying. "The long hours and the
times away from family can be difficult," she says.
Browne agrees that time away from family is one of the more difficult parts
of the job. "Being away is one of the hardest things, but the feeling when
you get home, when your ship slides through the mouth of the harbor and you
see your loved one on the pier waiting for you, well, there's no feeling
like it in the world."