A smaller submarine service has more reason to retain an experienced officer after a recoverable training failure. Candidates for command already represent years of investment, including scarce expertise needed to operate nuclear submarines. A second attempt depends on why the candidate failed: a serious error of judgment can still rule out another chance, while an isolated mistake may not demonstrate unfitness for command. Clarke recalls a candidate failing after falling down a ladder despite years of submarine experience. An unforgiving selection culture can also shape how future captains treat mistakes by people under their command. Training therefore has to distinguish errors that someone can learn from and failures that make command unsafe.
Notable Point · 54:27-58:24
Why the Perisher course can allow a second attempt
Selective retries preserve experienced submarine officers while requiring judgments about the severity of a failure and its implications for command.