Episode 33: Submarines and Life After with Brandon Aaron

Brandon Aaron is the co-founder and CEO of Highr1, the nation's first Navy nuke specific recruiting firm. Brandon grew up in North Carolina and enlisted into the Navy's elite nuclear powered submarine fleet as an electrician. After boot camp he went to Charleston, SC for A-School, Nuclear Power School, and Prototype. After successfully completing the rigorous training pipeline, Brandon was sent to the USS Nebraska (SSBN 739) out of Bangor, WA. Brandon gives insight to what life was like as a submariner and explains how brutal an Engineered Refueling Overhaul (ERO) schedule can be. He then goes into how he transitioned out of the Navy into the civilian workforce, and then eventually decided to go the entrepreneurial route in starting Highr1. 

 

Highr1: https://highr1.com/

Brandon's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonsaaron/

 

00:00 - Intro

01:15 - Growing in in North Carolina

04:00 - Decision to Enlist in the Navy

07:40 - Navy Nuke Training Pipeline

17:15 - Becoming a Nuclear Electrican's Mate

20:50 - First Time Reporting to a Nuclear Powered Submarine

26:50 - Qualifying on a Submarine

29:40 - Working on a Submarine in Dry Dock

32:55 - Submarine Critique Process

37:45 - The Ideal Navy Chief

40:15 - The Ideal Shipmate

43:20 - Working with Officers

46:50 - Submarine Gunshoot Topside

54:10 - Transitioning Out of the Navy

01:04:30 - Starting Highr1 

01:15:15 - Outro

 

Links for The Mike White Podcast: https://linktr.ee/themikewhitepod