All military submariners will mourn the 14 Russian sailors who died on Monday. Operating near the Murmansk citadel of Russia’s Northern Fleet, the Russian submariners died after apparently inhaling toxic fumes.
The global submariner community is a very special one. Long an elite cadre of highly skilled sailors and daring commanders, all submariners are aware of their shared vulnerability. Operating deep below the oceans, survival can never be taken for granted. If a crew member makes a mistake, everyone has a big problem. If equipment malfunctions, everyone has a big problem. If you hit something and a hull breaches or fire ensues, everyone has a big problem. If another military detects you, the mission and crew’s lives are at immediate risk.
