Comments on: Mutiny

By: Jeff Lee

Jeff Lee — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 05:48:10 +0000

I experimented as a kid with cigarettes and chewing tobacco, but left the stuff alone from age 16-23. The turning point came when I got to my boat. The boredom of watchstanding and monotony of submarine life in general got me smoking and dipping on a regular basis. Deployed military life involves a lot of sitting around and waiting, and cigarettes and dip help pass the time.

I don’t use tobacco regularly anymore, but every time I’m in a situation where I’m sitting around bored, I want a fix of nicotine.

By: virgil xenophon

virgil xenophon — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 03:14:56 +0000

Remember Gen “Black-Jack Pershing’s WWI msg to the homefront higher HQ?: “Send tobacco! As much of it as fast as you can!. It is more important than food, blankets, bullets or boots!” The steadying, self-medicating effects of tobacco on troops under fire and the stress of combat should never be underestimated–and I’m not even a smoker.

By: fastnav

fastnav — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:13:14 +0000

As a Brit once told a friend of mine…

“You know why the American Navy is so good? Because the rest of the world has beer and you’re pissed off about it.”

By: Grandpa Bluewater.

Grandpa Bluewater. — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:14:50 +0000

All the technology on modern subs is top notch. Kind of a tradition.

Trident. From those of us who care enough to send the very best.

By: Niall

Niall — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 15:03:47 +0000

That’s really interesting. That means that air cleansing technology on modern subs must be top notch.

What about booze? I was onboard a Russian frigate in the Black Sea once, and half the crew was drunk, and the other half was hungover. And this wasn’t after shore leave. That’s when I stopped worrying about the Russian military.

By: fastnav

fastnav — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 20:55:49 +0000

Smoking IS allowed on submarines, as is chewing tobacco.

We limit it by only allowing it in certain spaces, and a certain number of people at a time.

Other countries, not so much. I’ve heard on Turkish subs the limit is one person per space smoking at a time.

and back in the day you could smoke anywhere, anytime on subs.

By: Niall

Niall — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 16:34:03 +0000

I agree with you on this one. I don’t think the people proposing this have any idea what kind of “stress” is relieved by soldiers’ cigarettes. Perhaps we could parachute these bureaucrats into Afghanistan, and let thetrm go on a few patrols. They’d be smoking in a week.

Question: Is smoking allowed on submarines? I would think not, but I’ve been surprised before.

You know, I travel the world on business. No other country is as hypocritical about smoking and drinking as the US. And, after coming back from Russia or Japan, I’m always amused to hear that we have a “drinking problem” or a “smoking problem” in the US. We have no idea.