Rickover imprints standards on the Nuclear Navy

Rickover's influence extended beyond any single hull into the engineering culture of the entire US nuclear program. His methods could also demean junior officers. One criticism concerns making them stand to attention in his office all day: concentrating on punishment could distract them from learning how he conducted meetings and exercised leadership. Allowing them to observe while seated would have preserved that instructional opportunity. His emphasis on safety, quietness, survivability, and professional commitment helped create a world-leading submarine force. The same legacy also carried demanding crewing requirements while elevating nuclear submariners into a high-status elite within the Navy.