Detect, track, and classify.

"We detect the sound with our ears, we track it through our system, and then we classify it," said Sonar Technician (Submarine) 1st class Andrew Whitson, a Trident Training Facility instructor at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay. "Is it machinery noise, a surface ship, a warship, submarine, or environmental noise? What is it? Our main duty is to find this out."

Sonar technicians play a large part in the Navy. While there is much information about surface sonar technicians, submarine sonar technicians (STS) must be more discreet in the information they release.

"Everything we do is pretty much classified," Whitson said. "That's why you will not find much written about us."

STSs are responsible for undersea surveillance and safely navigating the submarine. Originally known as the sonarman rating, STSs had humble beginnings.

"It was essentially putting sound out in the water, and just hoping to God it came back to whatever direction you were pointing your sensor," Whitson said. "It was very basic then, and was used a lot during World War II and the Pacific battles for ranging of targets before firing."

Whitson said now STSs sit in a dark room with not much room between the five people who share the space. They each have headphones on, listen, and watch the screen. Based on what is displayed on the screen, the STSs formulate a picture in their minds of what it means.

The priorities of an STS are extremely important for the safety of the submarine and her crew.

"We detect and classify the contacts, and provide a solution to the contact management team," said Sonar Technician (Submarine) 1st Class Lance Hudgins, a Trident Training Facility instructor. "We develop a contact picture based off the raw data we receive."

Whitson said their watches are between six to eight hours with one operator rotating every one to two hours.

"The broadband operator's job is eyes on the screen, head phones on, and constantly search 360 degrees around the ship," Whitson said. "He doesn't stop. If he hears something, he will put a tracker on it so we can send the data to the control room."

Whitson gave a brief description of the broadband noise.

"The background noise of the ocean sounds like white noise," he said. "Imagine turning the lights off, turning the air conditioner down to about 60 degrees, and staring at a screen with green and black lines."

STSs are trained to pinpoint a variety of sounds over broadband noise. Often, they have to distinguish between animal, environmental, and mechanical noises. Their training requires the STSs to review publications based on history, which provides them with recorded data. Based on the data, STSs are given the knowledge to distinguish sounds.

"We listen to the sounds," Hudgins said. "When we hear those mechanical sounds, we use formulas that we can look up. We use sound, speed in water, and time difference."

STSs also use Doppler to distinguish how far away their contact is. The closer they are to a contact, the louder the sound is. As soon as they move away from the contact, the sound diminishes.

Whitson said one of the very first things they learn is how sound works in water.

Like many rates in the Navy, STSs face their own unique challenges. Technology is constantly advancing, yet some technology they use dates back to the 1950s and 1960s.

"We have technology that is being produced today that we are using," said Whitson. "So you have to gap 50 to potentially 60 years of technological equipment, and be able to employ and fix it. It's a challenge."

Overall, STSs are a very unique asset to the Navy, especially in wartime operations.

"Our data and our analysis are critical to putting weapons on targets," said Whitson. "Under water, we are a critical portion to actively and accurately employing weapons on threats."

Importantly, STSs share a sense of comradery. They are looked upon highly, and are constantly depended on for the ship's and crew's safety.

"There are a lot of people in the Navy who are really smart, and are really good at what they do," Whitson said. "I get to work with some of the smartest people in the Navy. Sitting in a room with five guys, you develop a close-knit friendship and bond that goes past co-worker."

For more news from Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga., visit www.navy.mil/.