By Electa Berassa Navy Office of Community Outreach An Eatonville native is serving aboard one of the Navy's nuclear-powered guided missile submarines, living and working at a Navy base in Kitsap County. Fireman Frederick Baumann is a machinist's mate on the USS Ohio, which is based in the Bremerton area. Machinist's mates are responsible for high-pressure components, hydraulics, and a wide variety of plumbing. "I enjoy working with my hands, and my job allows me to do so,GÇ¥ said Baumann, a 2012 graduate of Eatonville High School. USS Ohio is 560 feet long, almost the length of two football fields. The submarine is 42 feet wide and weighs more than 18,700 tons. Powered by a nuclear reactor, it can reach speeds of more than 23 miles per hour. It is one of the Navy's four Ohio-class guided missile submarines. They are designed to carry the Tomahawk cruise missile, which is launched while the submarine is submerged and undetected and is capable of striking targets hundreds of miles inland. Ohio-class submarineshave a very high operational availability due to an innovative crewing concept. Each submarine has two crews, Blue and Gold, which alternate manning the submarines and taking them on patrol. This maximizes the sub's strategic availability, reduces the number of submarines required to meet strategic requirements, and allows for proper crew training, readiness, and morale. Baumann serves on the USS Ohio's Blue Crew. As a sailor with numerous responsibilities, Baumann said he is learning about himself as a leader, sailor and a person. "It has given me a lot of incentive to work hard,GÇ¥ said Baumann. "We all work as a team GÇô like a brotherhood.GÇ¥ With approximately 15 officers and 140 enlisted comprising the submarine's company, jobs are highly varied ' everything from washing dishes and preparing meals to handling weaponry and maintaining the propulsion system. Rear Adm. Dave Kriete, commander of Submarine Group Nine in Bangor on the Kitsap Peninsula, praised the "professionalism and skill of our sailors. These men and women, whose mission is often unsung because of its discreet nature, represent the finest characteristics of our nation's military. Their families, friends and the entire nation should be extremely proud of what they do every day.GÇ¥ Baumann said he is proud of the work he is doing as a member of the Ohio's crew. "Less than 1 percent of the population gets to see the things we have,GÇ¥ said Baumann. "I enjoy the people and working with all of the equipment. I also like that I can take all the knowledge I've achieved wherever I go.GÇ¥ In addition to the USS Ohio, one other Ohio-class guided missile submarine is homeported in Kitsap County, along with three Seawolf-class submarines and eight Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines that are all assigned to the U.S. Pacific Fleet. The Navy is developing a follow-on submarine to replace the Ohio-class, which will begin to reach the end of their service lives in the late 2020s. The new submarines will remain in service through the 2080s, according to Navy officials. Navy submarines conduct a variety of missions that can include engaging enemy vessels in the sea, launching missiles at targets on land, providing a platform for SEALS to operate from, and conducting intelligence and surveillance around the world. Because of the demanding nature of service aboard submarines, sailors like Baumann are accepted only after rigorous testing and observation that can last several months.
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment