“Away the SNOOPIE Team away,” calls the announcer over the loud speaker. 

Some Sailors may wonder what the small, spotted cartoon character has to do with the U.S. Navy. Others may let the words go in one ear and out the other, but what most Sailors may not know is when the Ship’s Nautical Or Otherwise Photographic Interpretation and Examination (SNOOPIE) team is called upon, that one task takes precedence over any other responsibility. 

“As photographers and videographers, it’s our job to transit to the highest level on the ship, get our gear ready and start recording the contact in under five minutes,” said Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jessica Paulauskas, assigned to the SNOOPIE team aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). “It can be challenging sometimes depending on where we are in the ship, but the sense of duty when called upon by the Tactical Actions Officer (TAO) brings me pride in my role on the team.”

SNOOPIE is a team comprised of Sailors who are charged with collecting information on surface and air contacts that come in close proximity to a U.S. Navy vessel.

“We are summoned by the TAO or the bridge whenever there’s a contact of interest and in a certain vicinity of the ship and we’ll determine whether the contact is friendly or an enemy combatant,” said Intelligence Specialist 1st Class Michael Whitt, SNOOPIE team lead aboard the Lincoln. “We then provide the TAO and the Officer of the Deck the information they need to properly assess what the vessel’s intentions are and also whether we should send aircraft to investigate or if it’s just a standard vessel that doesn’t pose a threat to the ship.”

Photography and Videography are the two types of information gathered when the SNOOPIE team is called away. 

The requirements for photography are to determine where the location of the unidentified vessel is in relation to the ship, what flag the ship is flying and what weapons systems and personnel are onboard. 

Videography shows the foreign contact’s relation to the ship. As the video zooms in on the contact, it identifies the type of vessel, weapons onboard, size, speed, direction of travel and any flag(s) being flown.

“The information is gathered through multiple classified and unclassified reporting options,” said Whitt. “Visual authentication will help determine what country the contact is from, what type of arms they may have onboard and help identify the platform to give the TAO and the captain options.”

The need for timely and accurate information is absolutely critical in regards to the Navy’s visual information mission. 

“As a Navy and especially a carrier strike group, we are ready to respond quickly and poised to fight and win decisively from the sea and air with unprecedented maritime combat power,” said Paulauskas. “For that reason, we also need to be ready to respond to any information or narrative battle we may come across.”

Once the information is recorded, the team has less than an hour to upload the evidence, export the recordings, classify the final product and inform the proper personnel of the events that took place. 

According to Paulauskas, the recorded information can go anywhere in the world, including all major news channels and even on the desk of the president.

Now, when Sailors hear “Away the SNOOPIE team, away” they will no longer envision the black and white dog, but instead will see their shipmates spring into action, rushing to the top of the ship to keep a watchful eye on the seas.

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