Russian Submarine Visit

On 14 May and 13 June 2002, the cadets achieved the singular distinction of being the very first US Naval Sea Cadets to go aboard a (now ex-) Soviet submarine. Juliett 484, a decommissioned cruise missile diesel-electric submarine that is now the property of the Saratoga Museum Foundation, had recently arrived at the Port of Providence. Not yet open to the public, the Juliett served as a stark reminder of why the United States Navy is vital to the security of the nation. Aside from chipped paint and some rust here and there, the boat itself was in remarkably good condition - in many respects it appeared that the crew had just departed. While Juliett 484 is one of the largest non-nuclear submarines in existence, it still presented a challenge to the cadets due to the very close quarters and narrow passageways. The fact that while we were touring the interior spaces aboard the boat we also had to work around a film crew from National Geographic that were aboard made things even more interesting.

When viewing the photographs of the interior of the vessel, note the caps on the cadets - they were reversed for safety reasons, since the bill limited their vision as they moved from one compartment to another. This was also a working visit for the Cadets - their task was to provide critical commentary to the Saratoga Museum Foundation personnel now working aboard the submarine to prepare it for public access. Observations on safety issues, ingress and egress problems, and habitability improvements were provided to the Saratoga Museum staff by the Cadets.

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