CULINARY SPECIALIST (SUBMARINE) (CSS)
The U.S. Navy submarine force culinary specialist (submarine) rating — CSS.
OVERVIEW
Culinary Specialist (Submarine) — CSS — is the dolphin-qualified submarine cook. The U.S. Navy submarine force is famous for the highest-quality enlisted food in any U.S. military service, and the CSS is the rating that delivers four meals a day on patrols of 70–100+ days at sea.
The submarine community is an all-volunteer force that operates the Navy's nuclear-powered fast-attack, guided-missile, and ballistic-missile submarines. Sailors must qualify in submarines (earning the Silver or Gold Dolphins) and operate under unique deployment cycles, watchbills, and the demanding Submarine Force standards established by Admiral Hyman G. Rickover.
A-school for the rating runs ~14 weeks (pipeline) at Joint Culinary Center of Excellence, Fort Gregg-Adams VA / Naval Submarine School, Groton CT, where Sailors complete the technical foundation needed to report to their first fleet command. Entry requires the ASVAB line score VE+AR=88 and an enlistment obligation of 6–6 years. CSSs advance through the standard enlisted paygrade structure (E-1 through E-9), competing in the Navy-Wide Advancement Examination (NWAE) at E-4 through E-6 and via the Selection Board at E-7 through E-9. Senior CSSs typically serve as Leading Petty Officer (LPO), Work Center Supervisor, Leading Chief Petty Officer (LCPO), or Command Master Chief (CMC), and may pursue Limited Duty Officer (LDO), Chief Warrant Officer (CWO), or commissioning programs such as STA-21, MECP, or OCS.
Across the active force, CSS Sailors are essential to the Navy's mission readiness, and the rating remains an in-demand career field with strong reenlistment bonuses (SRB), advancement opportunities, and pathways into Navy Reserve, civilian DoD, and industry careers after service.
WHAT CSSs DO
CSSs plan and prepare four daily meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, midrats) for crews of 130–160 in confined submarine galleys; manage food storage and rotation in the limited refrigeration/freezer footprint of a submarine; and qualify in submarines as part of the dolphin-warfare pipeline.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- CSSs plan and prepare four daily meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, midrats) for crews of 130–160 in confined submarine galleys; manage food storage and rotation in the limited refrigeration/freezer footprint of a submarine; and qualify in submarines as part of the dolphin-warfare pipeline.
- Stand watches and qualify on the rating's Personnel Qualification Standards (PQS), maintain training jackets, and mentor junior CSSs as required by the chain of command.
- Lead the CSS work center as Leading Petty Officer or Work Center Supervisor — managing maintenance documentation in 3M/MFOM, parts ordering, and personnel qualifications.
- Support general military training (GMT), damage control, force protection, and watch-bill assignments common to every Sailor regardless of rating.
HISTORY
Culinary Specialist (Submarine) is the dolphin-qualified track of the Culinary Specialist rating, recognizing the unique food-service tempo and storage constraints of submarines underway for months at a time.
The submarine rating lineage traces to the commissioning of USS Holland in 1900 and the establishment of the Submarine Force the same year. Modern submarine enlisted ratings were redefined under Admiral Hyman G. Rickover in the 1950s as the Navy transitioned from diesel-electric to nuclear propulsion with USS Nautilus (SSN-571).
Today the Culinary Specialist (Submarine) (CSS) rating is overseen by the Enlisted Community Management (ECM) office at My Navy HR and the Center for Personal and Professional Development. Modern CSSs benefit from the Sailor 2025 personnel-system reforms, the Ready Relevant Learning (RRL) training continuum, and credentialing through the Navy COOL program — turning rating qualifications into industry-recognized certifications and licenses.
The rating's structure, training pipeline, and operational employment continue to evolve alongside the Navy's transition to Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO), Project Overmatch, and the Force Design 2045 fleet architecture, ensuring CSSs remain central to the warfighting mission.
TRAINING PIPELINE
- 1. Recruit Training (Boot Camp)~10 weeksNaval Station Great Lakes, ILInitial entry training for all U.S. Navy enlisted Sailors at the Navy's only boot camp.
- 2. Culinary Specialist (Submarine) A-School~14 weeks (pipeline)Joint Culinary Center of Excellence, Fort Gregg-Adams VA / Naval Submarine School, Groton CTSubmarine pipeline rating training (includes Basic Enlisted Submarine School)
- 3. Fleet / Operational TourFirst sea or operational tourVirginia (SSN-774) class submarinesOn-the-job training and qualifications in the CSS rating with a fleet unit.
TYPICAL CAREER PATH
- E-1/E-3Apprentice CSSA-school in the submarine pipeline; first tour with a fleet unit.
- E-4/E-6Petty Officer CSSLead a Culinary Specialist (Submarine) work-center, qualify in core watchstations and platform-specific tasks.
- E-7+Chief Culinary Specialist (Submarine)Senior enlisted leader of the rating in the command; instructor, detailer, or department leading chief assignments.
TYPICAL PLATFORMS & UNITS
- Virginia (SSN-774) class submarines
- Ohio (SSBN/SSGN-726) class submarines
- Los Angeles (SSN-688) class submarines
EXAMPLE NECs
- CSS-2899 Submarine Culinary Specialist
- U.S. citizenship and minimum ASVAB VE+AR=88
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Pass the Navy physical and medical screening
- Virginia (SSN-774) class submarines
- Ohio (SSBN/SSGN-726) class submarines
- Los Angeles (SSN-688) class submarines
RELATED RATINGS
RELATED BASES
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
SOURCES
- Navy Culinary Specialist (Submarine) (navy.com)
- My Navy HR — Enlisted Community Management
- Navy COOL — Rating Detail