LOGISTICS SPECIALIST (SUBMARINE) (LSS)

OVERVIEW

Logistics Specialist (Submarine) — LSS — is the dolphin-qualified submarine supply specialist. LSSs run the submarine's Stock Records, manage the ship's repair-parts and consumables, operate the food-service accounting and the disbursing function, and qualify in submarines as part of the dolphin-warfare pipeline.

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 ~16 weeks (pipeline) at Naval Technical Training Center, Meridian MS / 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=99 and an enlistment obligation of 6–6 years. LSSs 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 LSSs 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, LSS 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 LSSs DO

LSSs maintain Stock Records under the Standard Automated Logistics Tool Set (SALTS) and Relational Supply (R-Supply); manage repair parts, consumables, and food service accounting; and support the Supply Officer aboard every U.S. Navy submarine.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• LSSs maintain Stock Records under the Standard Automated Logistics Tool Set (SALTS) and Relational Supply (R-Supply); manage repair parts, consumables, and food service accounting; and support the Supply Officer aboard every U.S. Navy submarine.
• Stand watches and qualify on the rating's Personnel Qualification Standards (PQS), maintain training jackets, and mentor junior LSSs as required by the chain of command.
• Lead the LSS 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

Logistics Specialist (Submarine) is the dolphin-qualified track of the LS rating, recognizing the unique supply tempo and stowage constraints of submarines.

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 Logistics Specialist (Submarine) (LSS) rating is overseen by the Enlisted Community Management (ECM) office at My Navy HR and the Center for Personal and Professional Development. Modern LSSs 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 LSSs remain central to the warfighting mission.

TRAINING PIPELINE

1. 1. Recruit Training (Boot Camp)~10 weeks
   Naval Station Great Lakes, IL
   Initial entry training for all U.S. Navy enlisted Sailors at the Navy's only boot camp.
2. 2. Logistics Specialist (Submarine) A-School~16 weeks (pipeline)
   Naval Technical Training Center, Meridian MS / Naval Submarine School, Groton CT
   Submarine pipeline rating training (includes Basic Enlisted Submarine School)
3. 3. Fleet / Operational TourFirst sea or operational tour
   Virginia (SSN-774) class submarines
   On-the-job training and qualifications in the LSS rating with a fleet unit.

TYPICAL CAREER PATH

1. E-1/E-3
   Apprentice LSS
   A-school in the submarine pipeline; first tour with a fleet unit.
2. E-4/E-6
   Petty Officer LSS
   Lead a Logistics Specialist (Submarine) work-center, qualify in core watchstations and platform-specific tasks.
3. E-7+
   Chief Logistics 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
• Submarine squadrons and tenders

EXAMPLE NECs

• LSS-2899 Submarine Logistics Specialist

RELATED RATINGS

• LS · Admin & Logistics
  Logistics Specialist
• YNS · Submarine Force
  Yeoman (Submarine)
• CSS · Submarine Force
  Culinary Specialist (Submarine)

RELATED BASES

• Navy Base · CT
  Naval Submarine Base New London
• Navy Base · GA
  Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay
• Navy Base · WA
  Naval Base Kitsap

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

SOURCES

• Navy Logistics Specialist (Submarine) (navy.com)
• My Navy HR — Enlisted Community Management
• Navy COOL — Rating Detail