Each Fleet Ballistic Missle (FBM) submarine has two crews, called Blue and Gold, of about 140 officers and men each. While one crew mans the ship on patrol, the other crew is at its home port, undergoing refresher training, taking leave, breaking in new crew members, and in general getting ready to go back to sea.
Each crew is made up of the highest caliber of men. Originally the main source for FBM personnel was from within the Navy. For the most part the training required was only that needed in the specialized Polaris field. But with the steady demand for more and more men as the Poseidon submarine fleet has grown, most now are new recruits and are the very best men our nation can make available.
A special recruiting, program for qualified high school graduates guarantees technical training and operational experience in the FBM weapon system field. For men directly concerned with Poseidon missiles and the missile launching system, schooling can run more than two years. To be able to maintain and operate the equipment, a man must be thoroughly familiar with the basic theory and fundamental physical principles involved. A student must grasp the basics of
digital computers, inertial theory, computer logic, transistor theory, use of testing devices and so on. Much of this kind of training is available outside the Navy only at the college level.
The goal of this highly specialized training is to have the technician fully ready for his assigned responsibilities the day he becomes a Poseidon submarine crewman. On patrol, an FBM submarine is literally a world unto itself. There is no calling for outside help. The submarine must be – and is – self-sufficient.
