The SOOF

By Samuel G. Tooma

Dr. Samantha Stone, a civilian environmental scientist, is thrust into the middle of the male-dominated nuclear submarine world when the president tasks her to help plan a suicide mission in the Sea of Okhotsk. The objective: to locate and destroy a top-secret Russian command and control facility called the SOOF.

The SOOF

• Language: English
• Publisher: Koehler Books
• Release date: Jun 12, 2021
• ISBN: 9781646633784

Samuel G. Tooma

Samuel Tooma worked for the Navy as a civilian physical oceanographer for over thirty-six years. In that time, he worked on submarines; Navy aircraft; Navy, Coast Guard, and civilian ships; and spent time in scientific camps on the Arctic Ocean ice pack. He spent two years as the environmental science advisor on the staff of the commander of the submarine forces in the Pacific (COMSUBPAC), after which he was awarded the Meritorious Civilian Service medal by Admiral Austin Scott. Samuel also worked as an editor for technical publications for the Naval Oceanographic Office for over two years and has published six scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals, nine papers in other technical publications, one trade magazine article, and numerous papers printed in the proceedings of technical symposia.

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Praise for The SOOF

"As a Navy oceanographer, I have firsthand experience supporting the missions of Navy submarines and SEALs. The critical importance of the environment in such operations is almost always overlooked in military novels. Samuel Tooma gets it right in The SOOF. If you are with me on this, you will thoroughly enjoy reading this terrific adventure story."

—Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, PhD, US Navy (ret), Former Deputy Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Ocean and Atmosphere

"Tooma has an uncanny and thrilling ability to transport the reader through time and thousands of miles. The SOOF is an engaging and exciting front row seat for a dramatic look at the secret world of classified military operations. A nail-biter and heart thumper, this tale reveals complex human dynamics in characters who will remain in our hearts for years to come."

—Bea Wray, Best-selling Author, Motivational Speaker, and Business Woman

It was a page-turner. Couldn’t put it down! And it’s cool that one of the underlying themes is the basis of the work that my colleagues and I have spent our careers working on: ‘Whoever understands the environment the best will win the day.’

—Bruce Northridge, United States Naval Academy, Naval Postgraduate School, Oceanographer at the Naval Research Laboratory, and Program Manager for the Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command.

Hold on to your Dixie cups as you read this fast-paced, high-stakes drama about a brilliant civilian female environmental scientist, Dr. Samantha Stone, who suddenly finds herself working in the male-dominated nuclear submarine world to prevent Armageddon. The team has very little time and only one chance to develop and execute a complex plan using Navy SEALs, a nuclear submarine, and Samantha to save the world from a threat hidden beneath the Sea of Okhotsk.

—Dawn P. Erlich, Environmental Scientist, retired

"The SOOF is an outstanding military thriller. I loved that the protagonist was a female scientist and was at the top of her game at every turn. This book is a must-read for any man or woman."

—Robyn Zimmerman, Press Secretary for Former South Carolina Governor David Beasley

"After reading The SOOF, I was disappointed. I was disappointed because it ended. I wanted it to keep going. I can’t wait for the sequel."

—Rob Cushman, Retired Senior Executive of a Major American Steel Company

tit

The SOOF

by Samuel G. Tooma

© Copyright 2021 Samuel G. Tooma

ISBN 978-1-64663-378-4

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior written permission of the author.

This is a work of fiction. All the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The names, incidents, dialogue, and opinions expressed are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.

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Contents

PART 1: DISCOVERY

CHAPTER 1: NORWEGIAN OUTPOST-247

CHAPTER 2:

CHAPTER 3: GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE A PROBLEM

CHAPTER 4: THE CIA BRIEF

CHAPTER 5: PRESIDENT JAMES MILSAP

PART 2: PLAN A

CHAPTER 6: THE NAVAL RESEARCH LABORATORY

CHAPTER 7: AIR FORCE ONE

CHAPTER 8: THE FLIGHT TO HAWAII

CHAPTER 9: DO YOU VOLUNTEER?

CHAPTER 10: THE PRESIDENT SPEAKS

CHAPTER 11: TEAM BRAVO

CHAPTER 12: SAMANTHA THE SAILOR

CHAPTER 13: THE CREW MEETS SAMANTHA

CHAPTER 14: USS Hawkbill

CHAPTER 15: UNDERSTANDING THE ENVIRONMENT

CHAPTER 16: BACK TO THE CARTER HOUSE

CHAPTER 17: TOUR OF THE HAWKBILL

CHAPTER 18: SAMANTHA BRIEFS TEAM ALPHA

CHAPTER 19: ADMIRAL FLAXON REPORTS BACK TO SAMANTHA

CHAPTER 20: MORE TESTS ARE NEEDED

CHAPTER 21: THE SEA OF OKHOTSK

CHAPTER 22: DINNER AT THE O CLUB

CHAPTER 23: THE SEALS’ MISSION

CHAPTER 24: THE MINE WARFARE BRIEF

PART 3: FINAL MISSION PREPARATIONS

CHAPTER 25

CHAPTER 26: PROGRESS CONTINUES

CHAPTER 27: THE SEALS IDENTIFY A PROBLEM

CHAPTER 28: THE MINEFIELD TEST

CHAPTER 29: PROGRESS

CHAPTER 30: DINNER DATE NUMBER THREE

CHAPTER 31: PEGASUS TEST RESULTS

CHAPTER 32: A DAY OF WORSHIP AND FUN

CHAPTER 33: PROGRAMMING THE PEGASUS

CHAPTER 34

PART 4: THE MISSION

CHAPTER 35: THE PRESIDENT IS COMING

CHAPTER 36: YOU ARE NOT ALONE

CHAPTER 37: THE DANGEROUS JOURNEY BEGINS

CHAPTER 38: IRA DAYDREAMS

CHAPTER 39: YOKOSUKA, JAPAN

CHAPTER 40: CAPTOR MINEFIELD LOCATION

CHAPTER 41: IONY ISLAND

CHAPTER 42: THE BLACK HOLE

CHAPTER 43: ON SCHEDULE

CHAPTER 44: THE IDES OF MARCH

CHAPTER 45: LAIKA NUMBER ONE

CHAPTER 46: MINEFIELD TACTICS

CHAPTER 47: SHE’S ALIVE AND WELL

CHAPTER 48: A MESSAGE FROM HOME

As the Hawkbill inched away from the pier, Admiral Flaxon and Captain Forrest Jenkins stood on the pier in silence. Finally, Roger said to Forrest, That’s a beautiful boat that’s going in harm’s way. I absolutely love the people on her, and I pray to God that we see them again.

The momentous and extremely dangerous journey had finally begun.

PART 1

DISCOVERY

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CHAPTER 1

NORWEGIAN OUTPOST-247

(8 MARCH)

LIEUTENANT ODD BERGSTROM OF THE Royal Norwegian Navy studied the latest set of data once again, shook his head in dismay, and decided it was time to brief his commanding officer on his observations over the last two weeks. Assembling the information into a folder marked SECRET, he punched in Lieutenant Commander Lars Skarsgaard’s number on his phone.

Hey, Odd. What’s going on?

Lars, I’ve been tracking some interesting Russian activity here for over two weeks, and quite frankly, it’s a little troubling.

Do you want me to call you back on a secure line? asked Lars.

No. I need to show you my data and some summaries I’ve put together. I’d like to discuss this and brainstorm a little bit. Are you free now?

Yes. Bring your stuff.

Odd made sure that he had shuffled together all the data he needed and began the long trek down the 508 stairs from his observation post on OP-247.

The mission of OP-247, Norway’s primary station for monitoring Russia’s military activities in the Arctic Ocean’s Barents Sea, was to observe and identify anything new or unusual. They intercepted Russian communications, maintained visual records, and more recently, recorded underwater acoustic events. The station was located in northern Norway at the highest elevation overlooking the area where Russia’s northern fleet exercised and tested its latest military systems and tactics.

Lieutenant Bergstrom had been assigned to OP-247 nearly six months ago as an underwater acoustics expert, specifically as it applied to Russian submarines. While this duty assignment was initially extremely boring for Odd, that had suddenly changed two weeks earlier.

It took about fifteen minutes for Odd to descend the long stairway down to the spartan command center building. The cold March winds were unusually brisk. Finally, Odd arrived to the welcome warmth of the lieutenant commander’s office.

Hey, Odd. That was quick. You should have worn your hat. Your hair is all messed up.

I should have. I was afraid it would blow away. The wind is vicious out there today.

Coffee? asked Lars.

I thought you’d never ask.

Lars poured Odd a cup, then asked, What have you got, Odd? You’ve got me curious.

Odd sat, took a few sips of coffee, and began spreading his data on the table. Lars, as you know, the Russians were doing a lot of testing of their submarine-launched hypervelocity cruise missiles. I was assigned here to monitor this testing and to gather submarine acoustic signatures of their firing subs. Well, when I got here, there was no activity going on. It had suddenly stopped. I was bored to tears.

I know what you mean. I was actually wondering if we needed OP-247 at all. But I know that you’ve been busy and preoccupied lately. What’s going on?

I didn’t want to stir things up until I was sure there was something to what I was starting to see, but about two weeks ago there were several reconnaissance aircraft flights over the pack ice. About a week after that, a nuclear icebreaker shows up on the scene and stations itself about fifty miles north of here and begins conducting all kinds of helicopter operations. I am certain they’ve established one or two manned camps on the ice.

For what purpose? asked Skarsgaard.

I really can’t say for sure, but I have some strong suspicions. After the ice camps were set up, I detected a submarine operating in the area. The acoustic signature is very consistent with that of the Akula. But I keep getting snippets of an acoustic source that I don’t associate with an Akula. The signal is of a higher frequency, very faint, periodic, and very difficult to detect and hold on to once I think I’m locked onto it.

Could it be a new source from the Akula? Or could it be a new-class submarine? asked Lars.

Possibly. I thought of both those things. So I searched the databases, and I came up with nothing on either possibility. However, I’m starting to get a handle on the strange signal. As I said, it comes and goes. But now I can detect harmonics of the main signal, and they’re helping me a bit. It’s very difficult to hold, but I’m more and more confident that it’s from a submarine, a new one.

Skarsgaard said, So, in summary, missile testing has disappeared, there was a several-month period with no activity, but now operations have begun again. And you think that there may be a new type of Russian submarine involved in this activity. Right?

Yes, sir.

Lars then asked, What about the Akula? What’s it doing?

My best guess is that the new sub, if it is a new sub, is conducting sea trials, and the Akula is working with it to develop tactical capabilities.

Lars’s brow furrowed as he pondered that possibility. Finally, he said, Odd, keep up your surveillance and especially focus on the possible new sub. Meanwhile, I want to look into other intelligence sources at our NIS and see if I can get a handle on what the Russians are up to. We should definitely look further into this.

Yes, sir. Will do.

When LT Bergstrom had left, LCDR Skarsgaard reviewed the written report. He shook his head in dismay and jotted down a summary of what he now knew based on their discussion. He immediately called his supervisor, the head of the Norwegian Intelligence Service in Oslo.

Hey, Ragnar, this is Lars. Do you have a few minutes to talk?

star

That afternoon, Lars was on the next available flight to Oslo.

The director of the Norwegian Intelligence Service was waiting for him at the airport.

Wow. This is some kind of special service. Picked up at the airport by the director of NIS.

Ragnar was all business. What you told me over the phone has me very concerned. I didn’t want to waste any time. We need to get on this immediately.

When they arrived at Ragnar’s office, Lars showed him his summary of LT Bergstrom’s reports and waited patiently as Ragnar read it.

Well, the mission of OP-247 is to observe and report anything unusual from the Russians, and what I’m reading here certainly fits the bill. We should dig a little deeper.

I agree.

After a pause, Ragnar said, Tell you what. You stay over tonight in Oslo, and I will check with my colleagues and analysts here and see if they have any intel that can help clear up this puzzle. We’ll discuss this further tomorrow, and we’ll decide what to do next.

I’ll be here.

CHAPTER 2

THAT EVENING, RAGNAR CALLED LARS at his hotel. Lars, we might have a problem. Be at my office tomorrow morning by 7:30.

Yes, sir.

Promptly at 7:30, Lars strode into Ragnar’s office. Morning, said Lars. What did you find out? What kind of problem do you think we have?

Ragnar said, Have a seat, and I’ll fill you in. He pulled some papers from a folder. "It turns out that my signal intelligence people have been intercepting a fair amount of traffic on a highly classified program. They have not been able to piece together exactly what is going on because they’re just getting snippets of various and diverse things such as submarine testing, sea ice studies, facility construction, waste disposal, Arctic research, and time constraints.

Individually, none of these snippets seem too worrisome. We get this type of activity all the time, and the NIS has not been overly anxious. What has our interest, though, is that the language in the comms has been dancing around stating anything outright. There seems to be a higher-than-normal classified nature to these intercepted communications. Also, the meeting of schedule timelines seems to be of paramount importance, even to a sense of panic. And there is one other thing that might tie all these things together, and that is periodic reference to something they call the SOOF.

SOOF. What’s that?

"I don’t have a clue. Neither do my analysts. I’m sure it’s a code name for something. But what? I just don’t know. What do you think of all this, Lars?

Lars hesitated. I agree with the analysts. That’s a pretty diverse list of goings-on. Are they sure that all these things are tied together?

No. They are not. But the communications originate from the same or related organizations. And the extra secrecy is very suspicious and seems to connect them. Look, Lars, I want you to go back to OP-247 and have LT Bergstrom continue to monitor the Russian activity and prepare detailed reports. Work with him closely. I especially want him to focus on this potential new submarine activity. That’s Bergstrom’s specialty, isn’t it? Submarine acoustics?

Yes, it is, and he’s very good at it. I trust his knowledge and his instincts.

This is important enough to bring upstairs to the top, Ragnar concluded. I’m going to contact my boss at the security agency and see if they have any thoughts on this.

star

Lars returned to OP-247 that evening and briefed Odd the next morning. Odd would continue to monitor the Russian activities, paying special attention to the mysterious submarine. Lars told him, Anything that ties in our efforts to what Ragnar and the NIS are finding will be very valuable. I’m going to assign two of our young analysts to help you out, and I’ll be spending more time with you here. I hate to walk up those stairs every morning, but I need to stay on top of this thing, and you need to be able to focus on the potential new submarine.

Over the next week, they observed a flurry of Russian activity. A second sub is definitely in our area, Odd reported. And the first is not an Akula. I’m almost sure that it’s a Laika-class submarine, maybe a Yasen, but I have to research the acoustic signature some more before I can be sure.

What do you think its purpose is?

Like I said earlier, it seems to be a joint exercise between the Yasen or Laika and the mysterious sub, probably developing tactics for Arctic ops. Just a guess, but that seems logical.

What makes you think this?

They seem tied in to what the ice camps are doing. From communication intercepts, I have determined that the two camps are separated by a mile or so, and they have lowered several transponders through the ice. The subs, I believe, are navigating within this grid of transponders so they can be precisely tracked and located. This is how they develop tracking, avoidance, and other important tactical information. In this case, in an ice-covered Arctic environment.

That afternoon, Lars called Ragnar. Ragnar, I think that we have enough new information up here for us to get together again.

I agree, Lars. In fact, I was just about to call you and suggest the same thing. Can you be here for a meeting tomorrow afternoon?

If I can catch the early evening flight out, yes I can.

Great. See you tomorrow. Oh, and bring Bergstrom with you.

CHAPTER 3

GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE A PROBLEM

THE NEXT AFTERNOON, LARS AND Odd walked into Ragnar’s office. Lars introduced Odd to Ragnar.

Impressive work, Lieutenant Bergstrom, Ragnar began. You might have uncovered a major threat to Norway and even the world. Sit down, guys. I want to hear anything new you might have. I’m especially interested in your personal opinions on what’s going on up there.

Odd said, Thank you, Mr. Solberg. It’s nice to meet you at last. He opened his notebook and dove right into his report. When he got to the mysterious submarine, he relayed that it might be a newer version of the Borei-class ballistic missile submarine. I’m almost certain that in the Barents Sea they are conducting sea trials of a new submarine designed for Arctic Ocean operations. Also, he was sure that for acoustic reasons the nuclear icebreaker was keeping a distance from the ice camps but was supporting them via helicopter. Odd looked directly at Ragnar and closed with That’s what I have, Mr. Solberg.

Ragnar shook his head and smiled weakly. "Scary report, Odd, Lars. It’s especially scary because it ties in with other intelligence we’ve intercepted here at NIS, uncovering a new classified code name which seems to be tied to a facility-construction effort—‘UTSELET.’ A new submarine has been under development and construction for seven years, and a prototype has been completed