Westampton Native Serves in U.S. Navy’s “Silent Service”

By Alvin Plexico
Navy Office of Community Outreach

GROTON, Conn. – A Westampton, New Jersey, native is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard USS California, one of the world’s most advanced nuclear-powered submarines.

Seaman Samuel Scott, a 2019 Grand Rancocas Valley Regional High School graduate, joined the Navy one year ago.

“I joined the Navy to do something different,” said Scott. “I wasn’t mature enough at the time to go to college. I wanted to get a head start in life.”

According to Scott, the values required to succeed in the military are similar to those found in Westampton.

“Growing up in New Jersey, I learned the importance of keeping your head low,” said Scott. “Keeping a low profile and observing what’s going on before you say anything is important.”

Fast, maneuverable and technically advanced, submarines are some of the most versatile ships in the Navy, capable of silently conducting a variety of missions around the world.

There are three basic types of submarines: fast attack submarines (SSN), ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) and guided-missile submarines (SSGN).

Fast attack submarines are designed to hunt down and destroy enemy submarines and surface ships; strike targets ashore with cruise missiles; carry and deliver Navy SEALs; carry out intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions; and engage in mine warfare. Their primary tactical advantage is stealth, operating undetected under the sea for long periods of time.

The Navy’s ballistic-missile submarines, often referred to as “boomers,” serve as a strategic deterrent by providing an undetectable platform for submarine-launched ballistic missiles. SSBNs are designed specifically for stealth, extended patrols and the precise delivery of missiles. Their design allows the submarines to operate for 15 or more years between major overhauls. On average, the submarines spend 77 days at sea followed by 35 days in port for maintenance.

Guided-missile submarines provide the Navy with unprecedented strike and special operation mission capabilities from a stealthy, clandestine platform. Armed with tactical missiles and equipped with superior communications capabilities, SSGNs are capable of directly supporting combatant commander’s strike and Special Operations Forces requirements. Each SSGN is capable of carrying 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles, plus a complement of heavyweight torpedoes to be fired through four torpedo tubes.

Serving in the Navy means Scott is part of a world that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.

“The Navy is important to national security because when we go out to sea, we deter aggression,” said Scott. “We also help other countries, who are our allies. For our adversaries, they don’t know where we are underwater, so that’s a major deterrent.”

With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.

“What our undersea forces accomplish every day is vitally important to our nation’s defense,” said Vice Adm. Daryl Caudle, Commander, Submarine Forces. “Our Submarine Force is a critical part of global maritime security and the nation’s nuclear triad. Every day, our submariners are at the tip of the spear, forward deployed and ready – from the depths, we strike!”

As a member of the U.S. Navy, Scott, as well as other sailors, know they are a part of a service tradition providing unforgettable experiences through leadership development, world affairs and humanitarian assistance. Their efforts will have a lasting effect around the globe and for generations of sailors who will follow.

“This is a big deal because not many people do this,” added Scott. “It’s crazy to be aboard a submarine. It’s a lot of hard work, but I love what I do. Serving in the Navy is honorable because you’re doing something bigger than yourself. You don’t think about yourself. You think about other people. This experience builds character while learning responsibility.”