Undocking a Submarine

I didn't realize it at the time, but this was perhaps my first experience with formal project management. The "project" was the first time our submarine was put back into the water, after an extensive overhaul that included cutting holes in the hull and taking apart almost every internal system. Any oversight could cause machinery damage, or worse yet, flooding.

It was my collateral duty to become the "undocking officer." Today, I would call that the project manager of the undocking project. The Navy used a series of "checklists" for important events. For example, before getting underway, each department completed an "underway checklist", and before submerging, a "diving checklist."

These checklists were sequences of events, often extremely detailed, down to checking individual valve positions. They were in the format of "48 hours prior, do the following..." and then "4 hours prior, do the following..." They were not unlike the countdown you became familiar with for rocket launches.

As the undocking officer, it was my role to create these checklists. Beginning several months before the event, I studied existing procedures, visited ships that had recently undocked, and interviewed members of our crew. From that, I was able to assemble a detailed checklist that began weeks before the undocking and continued until the very morning.

When the day came, we actually delayed for about an hour because one department had not completed every task. When the Captain and I signed off on their completion, we were assured the risk of the event was minimized, and proceeded without incident. The Commanding Officer later awarded me the Navy Achievement Medal for my efforts and results.

Today I would use a detailed Gantt chart in Microsoft Project. There are times now, I must admit, where I hearken back to a "simple checklist."

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	I didn't realize it at the time, but this was perhaps my first experience with formal project management. The "project" was the first time our submarine was put back into the water, after an extensive overhaul that included cutting holes in the hull and taking apart almost every internal system. Any oversight could cause machinery damage, or worse yet, flooding. It was my collateral duty to become the "undocking officer." Today, I would call that the project manager of the undocking project. The Navy used a series of "checklists" for important events. For example, before getting underway, each department completed an "underway checklist", and before submerging, a "diving checklist." These checklists were sequences of events, often extremely detailed, down to checking individual valve positions. They were in the format of "48 hours prior, do the following..." and then "4 hours prior, do the following..." They were not unlike the countdown you became familiar with for rocket launches. As the undocking officer, it was my role to create these checklists. Beginning several months before the event, I studied existing procedures, visited ships that had recently undocked, and interviewed members of our crew. From that, I was able to assemble a detailed checklist that began weeks before the undocking and continued until the very morning. When the day came, we actually delayed for about an hour because one department had not completed every task. When the Captain and I signed off on their completion, we were assured the risk of the event was minimized, and proceeded without incident. The Commanding Officer later awarded me the Navy Achievement Medal for my efforts and results. Today I would use a detailed Gantt chart in Microsoft Project. There are times now, I must admit, where I hearken back to a "simple checklist." Home t Feedback