Shawano native serving on nuclear submarine

A 2012 Shawano Community High School graduate and Shawano native is part of a select crew, protecting and defending America aboard the U.S. Navy’s nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Mississippi.

Seaman Cody Rogers is a sonar technician aboard Mississippi, one of the Virginia-class submarines based at the Navy base in Pearl Harbor.

“I like working with the crew. We all come together to make the sub work. We’re like a family of nerds,” Rogers said.

Mississippi, commissioned in Pascagoula, Mississippi, in 2012, is longer than a football field at 377 feet and can sail under the waves at more than 30 mph.

Mississippi, like all attack submarines in the Navy’s fleet, can carry out an array of missions on the world’s oceans.

“The Navy’s attack submarines are at the forefront of the nation’s war fighting capabilities,” said Cmdr. Tory Swanson, commanding officer of the Mississippi. “Our primary missions include hunting enemy submarines and surface ships, launching cruise missiles at enemy targets far inland, and covertly delivering special operations forces to the fight.”

Because of the demanding nature of service aboard submarines, sailors are accepted only after rigorous testing and observation that can last several months. The crews have to be highly motivated and adapt quickly to changing conditions.

“Life on a sub is hard work and long hours but very rewarding and challenging,” Rogers said.

The training is demanding, as the crew needs to be ready to respond to any kind of situation that might arise while at sea and endure long periods of time submerged deep below the surface of the ocean.

“While Mississippi has some of the most advanced technology in the world, submarining remains a people business at the heart,” Swanson said. “Well-trained, well-disciplined professional sailors are what bring the ship to life. When we go to sea, each of us entrusts our lives to the actions of every other crew member. This requires an extraordinary amount of trust in each other.

“Those who wear the gold and silver dolphins signifying ‘qualified in submarines’ have demonstrated that they embody these high standards of personal integrity, accountability and responsibility. Working with people like this is why I became a submariner in the first place.”

The rigorous nature of submarine service is challenging, but Rogers said he enjoys it and believes it makes the crew tighter.

“Serving my country and being part of something bigger is very rewarding,” he said. “I enjoy the problem-solving, trouble-shooting part of my job. It’s a big responsibility keeping the boat safe from collisions with other vessels as well as listening to dolphins.”

Being an attack submarine sailor has meant spending a lot of time away from his friends and family, but Rogers believes in the work he is doing.

“I look forward to deployments because we get to stop at exotic ports and see the different culture of the world,” he said.