Here we talk to Jonny about his time on a Vanguard Class submarine, and what it means to the people who serve on it to deliver the Continuous At Sea Deterrent (CASD).
"It's easy to forget that CASD isn't just an operation, it isn't just lumps of steel; it is people, with very real stories and very real lives."
What does it mean to you to have delivered CASD?
Jonny: "It's an immensely proud experience. I still find myself welling up with pride when I talk about or reflect upon my career. I have to remind myself that very few people in the world have ever done what I have.
"Our nation has delivered CASD since 1969. We always have a submarine on patrol protecting our interests and providing the ultimate safeguard.
"That I played my own part, however small, in that will always stay with me, and nothing can take that away. It's easy to forget that CASD isn't just an operation, it isn't just lumps of steel; it is people, with very real stories and very real lives.
"Those memories stick with me as much as any of the others, and with good reason, for they are just as much a part of CASD as anything else."
"Deploying for months on end with very little contact with the outside world and the constant presence of danger; there is no choice but to work closely together."
Tell us about your experiences on a Vanguard Class submarine
Jonny: "The one standout memory for me is the camaraderie. The bond between submariners is probably the strongest anywhere in the military. Deploying for months on end with very little contact with the outside world and the constant presence of danger; there is no choice but to work closely together.
"Several occasions of this really stand out to me, but one of the most notable was during my second patrol. The way the entire Ship's Company came together to create a Christmas celebration, complete with roast turkey dinner, carol service (hosted, and indeed featuring a solo, by yours truly) and inter-mess games afternoon was truly remarkable.
"Our bond as a crew was that strong, and unlike anything I've witnessed anywhere else."
How do you approach the challenge of maintaining the submarine while on patrol?
Jonny: "You can definitely sense the professional excellence of everyone on board. The Submarine Service prides itself on maintaining the highest professional standards, and nowhere is this more true than on deterrent patrol. Here, there is little scope for outside support, or option of returning to base and the only spare parts are those you carry yourself, so everything must be operated, maintained and repaired to the highest order.
"During the same festive period talked about earlier, this quality was admirably demonstrated by my team. We suffered an issue with part of our equipment, and had to diagnose and manage it efficiently as a team. That we were able to do so, and continue the deployment with as minimal an impact as possible was testament to the quality of our training and engineering standards.
"This problem and the way it was managed will always be one of my abiding memories of my time on board, perfectly encapsulating all the positive aspects of the Submarine Service."
"I'm an avid player of the table top roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons, a habit I picked up whilst on patrol, putting me in an extremely small minority of people who've actually played the game underwater!"
How do you cope with the day-to-day pressures?
Jonny: "You have to try to maintain a sense of normality. It's easy to imagine that being in a steel tube with 150 other people for months on end deep under the surface of the ocean is about as far from normal as it's possible to be.
"However, what always struck me was just how mundane we managed to make the day-to-day business of being at sea, delivering CASD. That's not to downplay or belittle the jobs we were all doing, but rather to highlight the fact that we were all so highly-trained and capable that we were able to also live relatively normal lives in addition.
"For example, I'm an avid player of the table top roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons, a habit I picked up whilst on patrol, putting me in an extremely small minority of people who've actually played the game underwater! It's a truly great reflection of just how ordinary we could make life on board seem at times that we were even able to have proper 'downtime', never mind being able to immerse yourself in a fantasy realm for a couple of hours every Sunday afternoon!"
