But you had to know somebody who knew somebody and I knew the YN there and I knew he was retiring so I put my orders in for that in four years. Because YN's didn't get SRB (selective reenlistment bonus) millions of them got out. So knowing I was probably next, they offered me San Juan.

As she was the first Flight 3 boat, we would have had to go back to sub school for a year to familiarize ourselves with bow-plane operation, different weapons systems, etc. Then, the crew would go to the ship yard to watch her built, ride the simulators and then basically just be available for all the PR stuff like breaking the bottle of champaign on the nose, commissioning ceremony, etc. The boat would then head San Diego for fleet acceptance trials as SD was the base with the most Flight II boats.

After making sure the gear worked, the boat would have been permanently based in SD. I'd have about a year left and most of that would be two month trial patrols here and there. Once the boat was fully integrated (fourth year end) I'd be transferring off and then the boat would slip into it's normal WESTPAC pattern (five to seven month patrols).

No, she wasn't a commission build. Just a normal member of my fleet.

Cheers,



Don