LINN — Los Angeles-class nuclear Navy submarine USS Jefferson City Cmdr. A.J. Franz and two junior officers recently presented career options through the U.S. Navy and discussed the differences between nuclear power uses with second-year State Tech Nuclear Technology students.

Franz is in command of his fifth submarine as a veteran of almost 23 years. “I freaking love what I do,” he said. “I’ve been on all nuclear power, because that’s all that we’ve got.”

Joining Franz were Lt. (j.g.) Maya Solis and Fireman Ashton Millard, who considered studying at State Tech before joining the Navy.

Solis is the sub’s assistant weapons officer. “She is in charge of my torpedoes, Tomahawks, cruise missiles, sonar systems, and fire control systems that generate the targeting solutions,” said Franz. “Besides that, she’s also a nuke, because every officer on board a submarine, except for the supply officer, is a trained nuke. She also stands watch back in the plant as the engineering officer. Maintained shutdown as the engineer on duty is actually a more challenging job, in many ways.”

Solis also serves as the sub’s scuba diver. “If any of the guys were to fall overboard while they’re handling lines, she has to go save them,” said Franz.

Millard is responsible for maintaining and operating hydraulic, pneumatic, seawater, and freshwater systems, the emergency diesel generator, life-support systems, the electrolytic oxygen generator, and the systems that scrub the carbon dioxide.

“So, Ashton is an enlisted sailor, and Maya and I are officers,” Franz noted. “What’s the big difference?”

He explained that the enlisted route is suitable for those who enjoy working with equipment and maintenance. “You don’t need a bachelor’s degree on the sailor’s path,” said Franz. “They’re the ones actually going in and doing the maintenance on our instrumentation and control equipment, whereas Maya sits at the desk behind them, verifying conditions. Officers are responsible for the administration, the training, thinking about what’s coming up, making sure our sailors and the technicians have everything they need, all the resources to be successful, so they can actually operate the ship.”

A nuclear mechanic or electrician aboard ship also works on electrical distribution systems, but all Navy personnel are war fighters, Franz noted. “Maya will be in charge of driving the whole submarine, tactics, and positioning it so we can execute our mission, something that maybe a sailor wouldn’t do,” he added. “So that’s kind of the difference between sailors and officers.”

All Navy submarine personnel are at least certified basic firefighters, and many are certified advanced firefighters. Franz noted that crews don’t use standard firefighting gear. “We’re getting the new predator masks that have the infrared overlay on them,” he said. “That’s gonna be pretty cool.” 

Franz told the class that the Callaway Nuclear Plant only has about eight openings a year for students interested in a career there. However, the State Tech class has more than eight students. “The math doesn’t check, so what do you do? And, maybe you want to leave Missouri. Not that Missouri isn’t great, but there is more to the world.”

Franz suggested that students could complete their education, earn an associate’s degree, and enlist as a nuclear sailor because they would have nuclear training. Attending nuclear power school for additional training would be easier because students would have already gone through the State Tech program.

“Patriotism matters, but so does money,” said Franz. “I’m just gonna make the assumption that, since you’re in a nuclear program, you would want to be a nuclear sailor. If you were to come in as a nuke, you’d get a signing bonus.”

Bonuses range depending on entry level and education. As a junior sailor, Franz noted, the Navy provides a barracks room and three squares a day at the galley. At E-5, sailors are required to move out of the barracks and live downtown, but the Navy provides a tax-free housing allowance, which fluctuates depending on the market. Paid health insurance is another perk. “It’s a big deal,” said Franz. “I never had to pay for health insurance, so I don’t really know how much it costs, but it doesn’t sound like it’s cheap.”

Franz told students that when he fell down a ladder and snapped his leg in half, the Navy took care of everything, including three surgeries. “I got some good government steel in this leg, stronger than ever, and got back onto the ship and kept on going,” he said.

Another benefit is the GI Bill, which pays for college.

Officers are required to have a bachelor’s degree, which would be made easier after obtaining an associate’s degree from State Tech.

After completing nuclear power school, sailors undergo prototype training on a reactor down in Charleston, S.C. “You go out to the fleet again, you’re going to have a ton of background, so you’re probably going to qualify really fast, get a lot of responsibility, become a petty officer,” said Franz. “It’s going to be awesome. And then at the end of your kind of four-year stint, you’ll say, ‘Hey, what do I want to do with my life?’ You can decide to get out and take that experience into the world.”

Franz provided an example of a sailor in the Navy for six years; he’s 25 years old, and going to work at a new plant, starting as a Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) earning $150,000 per year. “That’s because he had that Navy experience on his resume, and there’s actually an entire industry of headhunters,” he added. “Their only job is to go and find submariners to hire them. They know that if you’re on a submarine, we hold ourselves to very high standards. The ocean is constantly trying to kill us, right?”

Alternatively, that sailor could decide to remain in the Navy. “You can stay in the Navy and be an old guy like me someday, talking to people like you,” Franz quipped.

He told the class that for those who serve on a submarine and decide to leave the Navy, the best option is to transition out from shore duty. “It’s just easier,” he said. “You could finish your education if you want.”

He praised State Tech’s campus and programming. “This is maybe one of the coolest places I’ve ever been, just seeing all this and thinking of the hands-on training you’re getting right now,” said Franz. “And if you did choose to go Navy following this, I’m just telling you that you’re going to start so far ahead that your opportunities and potential are already way higher. I think that’s really cool.”

There are two kinds of ships out there — submarines and targets. “If you don’t like the idea of going underwater, we have nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, so you have the opportunity to stay above the waves,” said Franz.

When Franz talks about submarines, he uses a car analogy because most people understand it.

Franz explained that the U.S. Navy has different types of submarines, including the Los Angeles Class, Virginia Class, and the Seawolf.

He described the Los Angeles Class as a ’67 Mustang, a classic, American muscle car that requires TLC. “I’d put us up against anybody else out there in the world,” said Franz. “We have new submarines. The Virginia Class is like the Tesla of submarines.”

“On my submarine, Maya says, dive to 500 feet, and a young man like Ashton pushes down on a hydraulic control stick that sends a hydraulic signal to the stern planes,” Franz said. “The ship pitches down, and he levels off at 500 feet.”

On the Virginia Class, operators are called pilots, who enter a depth and the submarine responds. “You see World War II movies where you have the periscope; that’s what we have,” said Franz. “We have an optical periscope. It’s literally mirrors, you know, the sun, and your eyeball. The Virginia Class has a photonics mask with fancy cameras on top. A person like Maya would be sitting there in a chair looking at a screen, which is cool because it has like an overlay of infrared and color and everything else with an Xbox controller.”

There are only three Seawolf subs. “This was developed back during the Cold War to take out a Soviet threat that never materialized,” said Franz. “They are awesome, and really expensive — a little bit of overkill, just like a Maserati. So we got three of them, but we took a bunch of tech that we designed for this thing, and then we put it into the Virginia Class at a lower cost.”

Ballistic missile submarines can fire intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), a very effective deterrence. “No one knows where they are except the people on the submarine,” said Franz. “They’re just kind of waiting to get the word that hopefully never comes if they have to launch their missiles to devastating effects. At a little over 18.5 tons, the sub has approximately 7,000 tons of displacement.

The US Navy retrofitted the four oldest Ohio Class submarines to conduct diver operations for SEALs and to carry a large complement of Tomahawk missiles.

The Columbia Class is the Navy’s new ballistic missile class submarine, with an all-electric drive and a lot of new technology.

Nuclear power used in submarines is generated by steam turbines for both electrical power generation and propulsion. Thermodynamic feedback depresses the temperature of the primary, which results in denser fluid. When the water in the primary is denser, a positive reactivity insertion is created, resulting in more power to meet steam demand. Franz said changes occur frequently, depending on the mission demands of the propulsion plant.

The Callaway Nuclear Plant is a land-based reactor that generates steady power.

So, why the Navy? “Why not just stay here?” Franz asked. “We have oceans. Oceans are cool. It turns out, 90% of commercial traffic comes via ship. He who controls the sea controls the economy; controls everything. Maintaining a free and open ocean is one of our guiding principles. The United States Navy promotes prosperity. Security deters aggression and protects the American way of life.”

Serving in the Navy has benefits. “There is a world outside of Missouri,” said Franz. “It’s not as good, but it’s pretty cool. You get to live by the ocean in most of these places, which is pretty neat. I’ve lived in Connecticut, Washington, D.C., Charleston, S.C., San Diego, Calif., Bangor, Me., Washington state, Pearl Harbor, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Guam, where he is currently stationed.

He also spent time in Perth, Australia. “That place is awesome,” said Franz. “My wife visited me there. It’s like Southern California, except for kangaroos, but with really good food, good adult beverages, with wineries and vineyards everywhere. The weather is awesome.”

Franz told students that the Navy supports family life. “I’m married and have three kids, a high-schooler, a middle-schooler, and an elementary student,” he said. “So, can you have a family and be in the Navy? Yes, you can. I’ve taken my family to Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Manila, South Korea, and Japan. There are a lot of really great opportunities because you’re there, and also some really great scuba diving.”

Franz noted that life on a submarine creates a closeness like that of a family. “You’ll also never have a family like you will on board a submarine,” he said. “I think sometimes it can be hard going from that intense teamwork, family kind of situation to all of a sudden being a civilian. The number of people who care about you in an intense way is going to rapidly drop. Many say this is the first time in their life they’ve had that number of people care about their well-being and how they’re doing.”

One of the best pastimes for Navy personnel is the swim call. “It’s like 3,000 feet deep where we’re swimming,” said Franz. “It kind of gets in your head; it’s a little bit awesome.”

However, he said it’s not accurately portrayed in film, particularly with the idea of shark watch. Franz alluded to an episode of “Myth Busters,” which tested the ability of a round from different weapons to penetrate water. He said lighter rounds disintegrate on impact. “So, if you were to shoot at a shark, how effective would that be?” Franz asked. “Sometimes, we do things that make people feel better, but actually aren’t effective.”

He added that many sharks don’t care about swimmers, in his experience. “There are friendly sharks,” said Franz. “We dive with them.”

For those who are not necessarily interested in a Navy enlistment, Franz said there are plenty of civilian options. “If you want to do something of service for your country, the Navy needs talented people to conduct submarine repairs in the shipyards,” said Franz, adding that welders, electricians, and pipe-fitters are always in demand. “We need everything in our shipyards right now to build and maintain submarines.”

Visit buildsubmarines.com for shipyard job options, or www.navy.com to explore service.

According to State Tech, the average starting salary of a graduate from the Nuclear Technology program is more than $50,000. Even though new nuclear power plants are not currently being built, existing plants are safe working environments that’ll be running for decades, and there’s an aging workforce with not enough replacements ready to go.

State Tech’s Nuclear Technology program is one of the very few in the country, so graduates are highly sought to work in any of the 99 nuclear power plants or reactors across the nation. Students learn from instructors who have worked in the field, and have the chance to gain real-world experience through paid internships with potential employers. And as a graduate, students will be prepared to earn a National Academy for Nuclear Training certificate.

“Clearly these gentlemen are passionate about their noble chosen profession and expanding their ranks,” said State Tech President Dr. Shawn Strong. “Not everyone is cut out for months at a time on a submarine. Our Nuclear Technology graduates work in healthcare facilities, research facilities like Los Alamos, and nuclear facilities around the country, including our own Callaway facility. The Nuclear Technology program boasts some of our highest salaries with graduates typically making six figures shortly after graduation.”

He added that it appeared the industry was on the downturn a few years ago and the program’s numbers were down. Dr. Strong noted there is a new buzz around the industry and increased student interest with 30 first-year students starting this fall.

In the program, students can choose between specialty options in Radiation Protection and Reactor Operations. Adjunct instructors are Bill Jessop and Dewey Thompson.

To learn more about the State Tech Nuclear Technology program, visit https://statetechmo.edu.