Cmdr. Christian Olsen grew up in Plain City and looks back fondly upon his days attending Fremont High School, playing football, performing in the band and water skiing on Willard Bay. Now, he’s the commander of the Pre-Commissioning Unit, or PCU, Arizona, after previously having served aboard the USS Maine, the USS Dallas and the USS Columbus.

Olsen assumed command of the nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine from its first commanding officer, Cmdr. Thomas Digan, at a traditional change of command ceremony held aboard the Historic Ship Nautilus at the Submarine Force Museum on July 11.

“It was an amazing day,” Olsen told the Standard-Examiner. “It’s something I’ve been working toward for a while and kind of waiting to finally get to command. So, just that by itself was amazing. And working up to it, I got a chance to meet with the crew who are great and supportive. And then, the day itself, having my family there, my parents and the in-laws and my sister, as well as my wife and three of my four kids were all there. So, it was just an amazing moment to get to share that with them.”

Just a handful of weeks into his assignment, Olsen remains impressed by the sailors under his command and hopes to foster a sense of fun and teamwork among them.

Photo supplied, Darren M. Moore/U.S. Navy

“I have an amazing crew of some pretty awesome sailors,” Olsen said. “The submarine force really does — I mean, all sailors are great, but I’d say the submarine force gets the best. So, I have a lot of really smart guys; pleasant to serve with them. … But also, you can make a difference for people. So, it means a lot to me to be involved in the lives of these sailors and hopefully make their experience in the Navy a positive one.”

Olsen’s own journey as a service member was initially inspired by stories from his forebears, as well as those told by a certain bestselling author whose works spawned a series of popular cinematic adaptations.

“Growing up, my grandfather was in the service. … He was a pilot in the Army back in the days of Korea,” Olsen said. “So, I was impressed by his stories growing up. And, actually, my father kind of introduced me to the idea of being in the Navy. He gave me some Tom Clancy books. I read ‘The Hunt for Red October’ when I was like 10 or 11 years old.”

Olsen confesses that the military life has been challenging at times for his family, noting that they’ve moved maybe 10 times since his career began. However, their continuing support is what has made the journey possible.

“Those things are tough. But they adjusted to it remarkably well,” Olsen said, “My wife really has been — I couldn’t have kept doing this without her, obviously. I’ve been gone a lot, and she has managed that extremely well. The family is maybe better off when I’m gone half the time. So, she’s done a really great job. I couldn’t have kept doing it without her. And it’s been kind of an experience for both of us. She has enjoyed the moving around and kind of being a part of it all.”

Photo supplied, Darren M. Moore/U.S. Navy

PCU Arizona’s namesake is the USS Arizona, a Pennsylvania-class battleship sunk during the attack on Pearl Harbor in World War II. It’s the third U.S. Navy vessel named for the state of Arizona. It’s slated to join Submarine Squadron 12, one of two submarine squadrons based out of Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton.