Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. (December 23, 2023): In this photo by MC1 Cameron Stoner, Information Systems Technician (Submarine) 1st Class Macon Kirk, assigned to the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Washington, embraces his family during the boat’s homecoming just before Christmas. The Washington is returning from a lengthy deployment of over 37,000 miles that included diplomatic visits to Scotland and Norway.

Nicknamed the “Black Fish” after the Native American word for the Orca, the Washington spent the most time “on-station” than any east coast deployment on record, six months under the waves.

Life aboard a fast-attack submarine certainly isn’t for everyone. Deploying for months at a time with little or no contact with home, let alone fresh air, is hard on Sailors and families, especially during holidays,.

When they put to sea, Sailors enter a twilight zone of endless routines, eighteen hour “days,” and virtually no contact with home. On a boat like the Washington, space is at a premium for the 120-person crew. Sailors are stacked  three high and often must share bunks with a fellow crew member who is on duty. One’s only privacy comes from a thin curtain and a small locker for personal belongings. The crew must constantly be ready for various “casualties,” such as fires or flooding, and they sleep and work in shifts. A “day” underway lasts 18 hours split into three six-hour shifts, one each for training, duty, and sleep.

Living inside this bubble can be stressful for both Sailors and their families back home. It is especially gratifying to have these brave mariners’ home with their families just in time for the holidays.