Rickover personally interviewed nearly every officer who approached his reactors and selected the people who screened enlisted specialists. He sought exceptional potential that could be trained rather than relying only on candidates who arrived with nuclear experience. This control over personnel was inseparable from his intense safety culture. The approach built a formidable program, although later leaders drawn from operational backgrounds were expected to give mission requirements more weight when balancing them against safety restrictions.
Chapter · 21:08-22:29
Rickover's safety system and personnel control
Admiral Hyman G. Rickover built the U.S. naval nuclear program around personal selection, intensive training, and an uncompromising preference for safety.