USS Alabama commander shares about life on a nuclear submarine: ‘We’re always ready’

The commander of the USS Alabama nuclear submarine doesn’t hesitate to make a nod to the state for which his ship is named.

“I tell my crew that our motto is ‘TIDE’ – a play on Alabama’s Crimson Tide,” he says. “T stands for training, I for integrity, D for deterrence and E for excellence. And excellence isn’t only technical competence, it’s also being fit – physically, morally, mentally and spiritually.”

During a “namesake” visit to Alabama, Commander Paul Reinhardt and two of his crew members shared information about their boat to re-establish ties between the ship and the state for which it’s named.

“Our primary role is to serve as a safe, credible and reliable deterrent to enemies of United States interests,” Reinhardt told Birmingham employees of Southern Nuclear during an information exchange about nuclear energy.

Designed for stealth and the precise delivery of D-5 ballistic missiles, “The ship’s sole mission is strategic deterrence, and many people believe the reason we haven’t had another world war is because of strategic deterrence.

The ship’s crew, which is based in Bangor, Washington, totals 168 men (three of whom are from Alabama) from 39 states and Puerto Rico. “There’s something special about this crew,” Reinhardt said. “I know them all, plus their families and their children. They have pride in their work, and they’re known for having the cleanest boat on the waterfront.

“The USS Alabama has been in service for 31 years,” Reinhardt pointed out. “It’s 565 feet long, and if it was stood on its end, the ship would be taller than the Washington Monument.

“An average patrol is about 80 days at sea,” he continued, “with each crew member serving a six-hour watch each day for two weeks straight. An average day is made up of work, eating, training, administration and working out. The only time a crew member is alone is when he’s in his rack,” which is about 6 ½ feet long by 24 inches high with a curtain for privacy.

“When we’re out, we have very limited communication by email with our families. And when we’re on a primary mission for weeks at a time, there’s no communication at all.”

Reinhardt, who’s originally from Virginia and whose wife is the daughter of Alabama U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, has captained the ship for 18 months and been a member of the Navy for 19 years. He said the most junior members of the crew are the ones responsible for driving the $2.5 billion ship.

“Driving the ship is about reaching and maintaining depth. The closer we are to the surface, the more we’re affected by the weather. In the winter in the Pacific, there can be 8-12 foot waves, and you have to fight their suction forces.

“We can travel at speeds greater than 25 knots at 800 feet below sea level, but the faster we go, the louder and more detectable we are,” he said.

“Working on a submarine, especially an older one, is hard. It’s challenging. But our crew is up for it. We’re always ready.”