SNOB – Submarine Legend
SNOB FAQ (Frequently asked Questions)
| What is a SNOB? | An unofficial, but touching custom exists amongst the Nuclear Power plant personnel (Nukes). It is a ritual honoring a Nuke who has completed his enlistment, and is leaving the boat. Specifically, the 'outgoing' Nuke shares a beer and some artifacts with the next-shortest nuke (or, in other words, the Nuke who will leave the Navy next). The honors are split between the outgoing man and his replacement. The title SNOB is passed, which stands for "Shortest Nuke On Board." |
| Who can be SNOB? | There are few rules about who can become SNOB, and I don't know if they vary from boat to boat. On Tunny; The SNOB must be approaching his honorable discharge, completed his initial enlistment, and cannot have ever re-enlisted. |
| How long will I be SNOB? | The duration of reign varies by how rapidly men are leaving the boat. Some guys are SNOB for months, and others for days. Generally, a SNOB Hopeful will know the line of succession expected until he will become SNOB, sometimes accurately reciting the SNOB lineage in either direction, "After Jordan then Scott will be SNOB, then Marky, then Lenny, then Billy then me..." etc. Or, by the ability to repeat who the SNOBs were before him. It can be more comforting than counting "Days To Go" (another measurement of your Naval service), "I've got 1041 Days To Go until I get out." |
| What are the benefits? | The privileges of being SNOB are not very structured. His authority is limited to those individuals who voluntarily submit to him, generally "those who wish to be SNOB someday." The SNOB may sit anywhere he wants to in the Crew's Mess, and makes movie selections for after watch entertainment. There are several mementos passed down from one SNOB to the next. The greatest honor in becoming SNOB is the support from your buddies that it's OK to leave the Navy, in spite of the pressure from the Command to re-enlist because the job market is so tough, etc etc |
| Can you give an example? | Yes! I became SNOB when Dan Carlson left the boat, on May 30, 1993. The ceremony was also attended by my family. See my SNOB Ceremony pictures, below. I turned over SNOB to Scott Bauck in August, 1993. Happily, I obtained photos of Corky's SNOB ceremony! (Thanks, Vinnie!) These photos are also below. |
My SNOB ceremony (Dan to me)
Please enjoy a few photos of my SNOB ceremony, as outgoing SNOB Dan Carlson was leaving the Navy and I became SNOB at a Mexican food restaurant in Hawaii.
Baucks, Jordans at SNOB dinner
Attendees Billy Ruiz and Sean Draper
Dan Carlson’s departing speech. Corky wonders if he will ever become SNOB.
After six years of Naval service, I receive the coveted SNOB pin!
Another SNOB sacred heirloom – the SNOB coffee cup, which has remained unwashed for years, and must always.
And the final act – Drink a full beer from the filthy SNOB cup. I was particularly awe inspiring, since I killed it in one gulp.
Chad Miller’s and Corky’s (Taras Perales) SNOB ceremony (x to Chad and Corky)
1995, Prior to WestPac – Chad Miller (left) and Corky (right).
By succession, Chad should have been SNOB first – but their departure dates were modified to accommodate the ships schedule – and now they will leave the Navy on the same day. To extend Corky’s reign as SNOB, Chad graciously agrees to share the honors, so they will jointly become SNOB.
Co-SNOB Corky drinks his way out of the Navy, and is now one step closer. The belt buckle rests at the bottom of the filthy SNOB cup.
Corky makes a mess of himself for a good cause. He has the SNOB belt buckle in his mouth
