That is what I was saying, but since I guess I didn't spell it out all long and drawn out like you did then there might have been some confusion. And I like how you make it sound so glorious to be on a sub. If you hadn't said you pulled into foreign ports I would have thought you were a boomer fag, because I don't know of any boat that had JO's in a 4 section rotation in the engine room. I loved being on a boat, it was the greatest job ever, but it was not near as "fun" as you make it sound.
And you never have 50 couples because one guy always holds out.
Look, life on a fast attack submarine is probably the worst quality of life out of any job in the Navy. You and I know that. We also both know that the level of talent and intelligent conversations that take place are also tops in the Navy and probably all of the military. The point is, if I am going on deployment, I am very happy knowing that I can have provocative conversations on a daily basis. Is life tough? Yes. Do people get on your nerves? Everyday. But you have 149 other guys going through the same rough experience so you have support when needed.
Did you have the opportunity to stand Officer Of the Deck on the surface or submerged? Bringing the submarine up to periscope depth? The feeling of being in control of a multi-billion dollar warship while conducting missions to vital national security? The sense of responsibility during your watch is such a rewarding feeling. I call that a lot of fun. I received the same sense of accomplishment as EOOW while fighting casualties. You cannot tell me that you did not enjoy kicking ass on a drill/real casualty that you trained so hard for.
I hate the term boomer fag. Those guys have their mission and they do it well. The negatives are that your mission is to punch holes in the water, you rarely travel to a foreign port, and you have minimal tactical training compared to fast-attack. The positives are that you have a much better quality of life and a very structured schedule.
As for the 4-section, it is actually becoming quite common. Captain's understand that the benefit is huge. With 18 hours off, JO's have more time to study, train, and do their jobs. The morale of the JO's also skyrockets. With so many JO's on board, why wouldn't they be 4 section?