Michael Huber

A Finance Major Managing Multibillion Dollar Submarines
LT Michael Huber, Nuclear Officer, USN

“To put it in an unclassified way: The coolest operations I took part in are the ones I’ll never be able to tell my friends about.”
— LT Michael Huber, Nuclear Officer, USN

How do you go from being a finance major to being accountable for the capabilities of multibillion-dollar nuclear-powered submarines? In the case of Michael Huber, it started by getting a firsthand glimpse into that classified area of America’s Navy.

“When I was applying to colleges, I applied for and received an NROTC scholarship to help pay for school. That’s what drew me to the Navy. Then each summer, you have some sort of activity you go to as an NROTC midshipman. Between freshman and sophomore year, you go out and spend a week on a submarine, a week on a surface ship, a week with the Marines and a week with an aviation squadron. That’s when I started to think, ‘Yeah, I really want to pursue the submarine side of things.’”

As excited as he was about what submarines could do from an operational standpoint, he cites another key motivating factor. “I was just incredibly impressed by the people who were assigned to the submarine force.”

LT Huber points out an important fact for others who may be interested in having a Nuclear Officer career in the Navy.

“I was a business major and not one of the traditional, technical engineering majors. But I did go to a technical school. And if you have the technical background and the ability to learn and to do calculus and calculus-based physics, then you have the potential of being successful in the Nuclear Navy.”

Among LT Huber’s achievements to date: Making it through the Submarine Officer training pipeline; completing his engineering qualifications aboard the USS Kentucky (SSBN-737), his forward qualifications aboard the USS Ohio (SSGN-726) and his submarine qualifications aboard the USS Michigan (SSGN-727).

He now serves as a Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate (NUPOC) Program Manager while working on his master of engineering management degree from Old Dominion University. And later this year, he’ll report to Submarine Department Head School.

“It’s a very tactics-oriented school that teaches you how to fight a submarine and how to operate a submarine as effectively as you can – in wartime and peacetime.”

LT Huber enjoys the challenges that go with being in a state of perpetual motion career-wise. “Every two to four years, you’re going to get to rotate to something new, a new job, a new environment. Even inside of one job you’re going to have new things pop up.”

And he adds, “It’s not an easy job. You’re going to work hard. There’s a lot that’s demanded and expected very early. But it’s completely accomplishable. And one of the most rewarding experiences you’ll ever have.”

Rest Assured

“It’s incredibly satisfying, the feeling you get when your boss, the Captain of the submarine, has put his trust in you so that he can go to sleep.

I mean here you are, the Officer in charge all night long, submerged, underway, maybe not in the best location in the world. You’re responsible for a couple-billion-dollar vessel, in charge of driving around this submarine that could be carrying a hundred or so tomahawk missiles…maybe some Navy SEALs…maybe some ballistic missiles if it’s a boomer.

But rest assured, the Captain’s got his trust in you – and the rest of the wardroom and the crew know that – so they do too.

That responsibility you’ve earned, along with the amount of knowledge that you’ve learned leading up to that point, it’s pretty amazing.”

— LT Michael Huber, Nuclear Officer, USN

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