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Anyone
familiar with PCU Virginia (SSN-774) and its capabilities would
agree that it is a technological marvel. The first of a new class of
fast-attack submarines, this model of innovation is the beginning of a
new era for the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Force.
Complementing
the impressive machinery and advanced technology within the steel hull is
an equally outstanding crew, which has been dedicated to preparing Virginia
to join the world’s greatest Navy. As the Virginia’s commissioning
date of 23 October fast approaches, the crew is more ready than ever to
demonstrate to the world their ship’s breakthrough capabilities and its
7,835 tons of quiet diplomacy.
Welcome
Aboard
Like
Sailors on other ships, Virginia’s crewmembers come from a
variety of backgrounds and had a number of reasons for joining the Navy
and the Submarine Force. For MMFN Toros Asadourian and EM3 Joseph
Gehring, being a part of the Virginia’s crew offers them a
unique welcome to the fleet.
“When I
was in ‘A’ and ‘C’ school, I requested orders to come to Virginia,”
said Asadourian. “Since I graduated near the top of my class, I was able
to choose where I wanted to go, if that choice was available.” In his
third week as a Virginia Sailor, the New York City native joins
“A” division, where he will work on the submarine’s mechanical systems.
“It feels pretty good being a crewmember here,” he said. “No one before
us has done anything with the new types of equipment we have aboard.”
Gehring,
a nuclear-trained electrician’s mate from Tampa, Florida, echoed
Asadourian’s comments about learning to use Virginia’s new
technology. “It’s neat training ourselves how to use this equipment. The
basic theory is the same, but the technology is new,” he said.
Although there’s a
heavy emphasis on meeting Virginia’s commissioning date,
Asadourian said he does not feel any pressure to perform at a higher
level than would be expected of him anywhere else “There’s a great demand
to perform well everywhere,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what command
you’re with.”
The
Challenge of Middle Leadership
Middle leadership
anywhere offers a variety of challenges. It requires balancing the need
to be a good leader to junior Sailors with being a good follower of the
senior leadership. It takes attentive listening and strong communication
skills to translate assigned tasks and missions into coherent directions
so that junior Sailors can play their part in accomplishing what’s
required. Two Virginia crewmembers who have done that
consistently well are EM1(SS) Kevin Garner and ST2(SS) John Parcel. A
native of Des Moines, Iowa, Parcel has been onboard for two and a half
years, and Garner, who hails from Atlanta, Georgia, has been aboard since
the beginning. Both are adamant about remaining onboard and seeing Virginia
through to her commissioning. As Parcel put it, “It would be terrible to
do all this work and not see the reward.”
And Virginia
offers many rewards. Before they even put on their Virginia ball
caps, Garner and Parcel knew that coming here would be an exciting
experience. “I was serving aboard USS West Virginia (SSBN-736)
(BLUE), and I was up for orders,” said Garner. “I chose to come here
instead of going to shore duty.”
Parcel seized his
opportunity after a chance meeting at a San Diego Submarine Ball a few
years ago. “At the Submarine Ball, I ran into Vice Admiral [Albert]
Konetzni [then Deputy and Chief of Staff, U.S. Atlantic Fleet], and we
discussed possible career opportunities in the information technology field.
He suggested I go to the Virginia. The next day I called his
office, and now here I am,” said Parcel.
Garner said that
being a crewmember onboard the first of a new class of submarine presents
challenges that others might not face. “We need to make sure our systems
are ready to be tested and our divisions ready to train,” he said. “There
are a lot of issues to keep in mind, and for this crew, the learning
curve is very steep. We’ve had to learn how to use pieces of equipment
that weren’t even built yet, and it took a lot of effort to keep people
apprised of what was going on.”
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