A Message from our Director, Chris Perrien
- director41968
- Aug 18
- 2 min read
When you ask Chris, the director of the North Carolina Submarine Foundation, why this work matters, he doesn’t start with statistics or budgets. Instead, he begins with the families. The spouse who holds everything together while a submarine is deployed for up to six months. The child whose birthday party goes on with one parent missing. The crews of the USS Asheville, USS Charlotte, and USS North Carolina, who operate in silence for months and need to know someone back home is thinking of them. This is the heart of the foundation’s mission: supporting the people who serve and their families through care packages, holiday events, homecomings, and emergency assistance.
Supporting Those Who Serve Now
The life of a submariner is demanding and often isolating. Submarines can be away from home for half a year or more, leaving families to manage on their own. The foundation’s work fills that gap by providing emotional and practical support. For example:
Care packages sent regularly to crews to remind them they are not forgotten.
Holiday events that bring families together and create a sense of community.
Emergency help for families facing unexpected challenges while their loved ones are deployed.
These efforts build a network of care that strengthens the entire submarine community. It’s about more than just the sailors; it’s about the spouses, children, and extended families who sacrifice alongside them.
Building the Future Workforce
The foundation’s second mission looks ahead. The submarine industry faces a looming shortage of 250,000 skilled workers over the next seven years. To address this, the foundation is developing the STEM Education and Workforce Innovation Center in Wilmington. This center will offer hands-on exhibits that show how submarines are designed, built, and operated.
This is not just about welding hulls. It takes nuclear engineers, undersea medicine specialists, acoustics and sonar experts, oceanographers, materials scientists, software developers, robotics technicians, and logistics coordinators. Many students never hear about these careers because no one has shown them these paths exist. The center aims to change that by:
Providing interactive exhibits that explain complex submarine technology in an accessible way.
Highlighting the variety of careers involved in submarine construction and operation.
Inspiring young people to pursue STEM fields that support national defense.
By opening this door, the foundation helps ensure the next generation is ready to serve and innovate.
Two Missions, One Purpose
The North Carolina Submarine Foundation focuses on two key goals: taking care of the people serving now and opening the door for those who will come next. Both missions are connected by a simple idea—support the community that protects our nation beneath the waves.
This work matters because it touches real lives. It strengthens families, honors service, and builds a future workforce that will keep our submarines running safely and effectively. Supporting this mission means supporting the people who serve and the communities that stand behind them.
If you want to learn more or get involved, consider reaching out to the foundation. Your support helps keep these vital programs going and ensures the submarine community remains strong for years to come.
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