Submariner Virtually There for Baby's First Cry
By MC2 Ronald Gutridge
COMSUBPAC Public Affairs

Release Date: 9/8/2011

(PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii) – With today’s advanced technologies in communication, there are still some places on earth that are difficult or near impossible for people to communicate with one another. One example is on a U.S. Navy submarine. But if it’s in support of a shipmate, a Sailor will find a way.  

While the Virginia-class submarine USS North Carolina (SSN 777) was at sea Aug. 22, Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Felyncia McNair, the wife of one crewmember was admitted to Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) in labor. Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Michael Bagley of Naval Submarine Support Command, (NSSC) Pearl Harbor, was notified of this and went to work on contacting North Carolina. This was not an easy task and time was of the essence. There is no cell phone service when you are on a submarine. E-mail was also out of the question, not enough time. No problem for Bagley because he knew how to make contact.

Bagley asked the NSSC Command Duty Officer to keep an eye out for North Carolina on chat. Within minutes contact was made and Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (SS/SW/AW) Timothy Dolan, Submarine Independent Duty Corpsman on board USS North Carolina, was notified about his wife.

Bagley also contacted TAMC labor and delivery to get status on Dolan’s wife and was transferred to her room. She answered the phone and reported that she was doing well and had all her family with her. Bagley let her know that he was on chat with her husband and that's where the conversation began.

“All too often in our line of work, Sailors have to sacrifice the important events and milestones in their family's life for the success of the Submarine Force and the Navy,” said Bagley. “It truly was a privilege to be part of this member being ‘present’ at the birth of his child.

For about the next half an hour, Bagley passed on messages between Dolan on chat and his wife on the phone. When the doctors came into her room and let her know she was ready to go, the phone was passed off to her sister who was now in the mix as the second intermediary in the conversation between Dolan and his wife.

Dolan informed that the submarine was preparing to dive and that he may need to discontinue chat soon. Bagley continued to provide updates to Dolan as to his wife's status down to the last minute. Things like "getting ready to push again" and "we can see the head". Bagley heard the baby cry though the phone and sent the final message to Dolan, "She's here!"

“This was a complete surprise considering I was expecting to miss the birth and receive a message the following day of the condition of my wife and newborn baby,” said Nolan. “This chat gave me a secure peace of mind for the rest of our underway schedule knowing all is well at home.”   

The Dolan family was fortunate. The submarine was in the right place as was a caring shipmate to bring them together. As technology evolves at an extremely rapid pace and new ideas are never ending, one idea will always remain the same: Sailors will go to endless lengths to take care of their shipmates.