OTD in 1942, USS Barb (SS-220) departed Groton for her first war patrol, during which she played a vital role in the Allied invasion of North Africa, Operation Torch. Prior to the main assault, Barb conducted critical reconnaissance off the coast of Morocco and covertly delivered a team of scouts equipped with infrared beacons to mark paths for the incoming invasion force. Aboard the boat for that first war patrol was Paul Golden "Swish" Saunders, a young Gunner's Mate and Barb plankowner, who amazingly stayed aboard for a whopping 12 combat patrols! CDR Eugene "Lucky" Fluckey recognized his capabilities and appointed him Chief of the Boat. During the 12th war patrol as COB, Saunders helped engineer and then co-led the the 8-man team for the famous train sabotage mission, the first assault landing on the Japanese home islands of WWII. The train they destroyed was added to Barb’s battle flag, seen below being held by the landing team with Gunner's Mate, COB, and Commando "Swish" Saunders on the far left.

Today was my first day seeing a freeway sub

OTD in 2020: STRATCOM testing expeditionary logistics capabilities via UAV UNREP with the Defender of Freedom, USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN 730). Jackson, America's oldest boomer, won the Omaha Trophy that year after testing several different UNREP methods.

"Ghost Shark has teeth now." - @PatConroy1, Australia's Minister for Defence Industry. The @ausgov and @Australian_Navy confirmed the payloads that our Ghost Shark extra-large autonomous submarine carries: sea mines, logistics caches, and air-launched effects for ISR and strike. Ghost Sharks are rolling off the production line. Payload testing is active.