At the helm; Grafton native captains nuclear sub.

Byline: Donna Boynton

GROTON, Conn. - Navy Cmdr. Michael K. Savageaux stood atop the sail of the USS Pittsburgh as it made its way down the Thames River, his hands on the rail of his ship, his officers behind him, members of his crew below him, standing at relaxed attention, as a team of tugboats guided the submarine to the dock.

It's been a month and a half since the nuclear submarine and its 134-member crew left the Naval Submarine Base New London. In many ways it was like every other deployment, except this time it was the 39-year-old Grafton native's first deployment as commander.

"I've always felt more at home in the water than on land," said Cmdr. Savageaux as he stepped off the USS Pittsburgh Wednesday afternoon.

Commanding a ship has been a lifelong dream for Cmdr. Savageaux, who graduated from Grafton High School in 1987 and entered Worcester Polytechnic Institute and its ROTC program, graduating in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. In 2002, he earned a master's degree in national security studies from the Naval War College.

Cmdr. Savageaux officially took command of the USS Pittsburgh June 19, handpicked to relieve Cmdr. Andrew C. Jarrett in a formal Change of Command Ceremony held at the submarine base in Groton, attended by his wife, Heather Savageaux, his mother Sharon Savageaux of Grafton, and many other family members from Central Massachusetts. The commander's brother, Navy Lt. j.g. Scott Savageaux, resides in Jacksonville, Fla.; his father, Kevin Savageaux, died 11 years ago.

The USS Pittsburgh is a Los Angeles-class fast attack nuclear-propelled submarine.

"He always wanted to go into the military from the time he was a little tiny guy," said Sharon Savageaux. "While the other kids were reading `Curious George,' he was reading the history of World War II. He has always aspired to be a captain, to have his own boat. From a parent's perspective, there was nothing better than watching that dream come true."

He may have been inspired by his grandfather, who served in the Navy in World War II, or maybe his uncle, who served on a submarine, but Cmdr. Savageaux said he has always been drawn to the Navy, and in particular to submarines.

"Grafton was a very small town, with only one stoplight at the time," said Cmdr. Savageaux. "After high school, I wanted to get out, to see things, to do things. The Navy was always very appealing to me, and if you are going to be in the Navy, it's best to be a commander on a ship."

Sharon Savageaux said her son excelled while at WPI and was approached by the Navy to join the Nuclear Propulsion Program. It's the type of honor that just doesn't happen; there is a thorough vetting process by a panel of Naval Reactor Engineers, an interview with a four-star admiral and additional training, which included studying at a nuclear power school and reactor school.

Being in the Navy has certain intellectual and technical requirements, and serving on a submarine requires those skills to be even sharper.

"To get on a boat is very selective, you have to have an above average intelligence," said Cmdr. Savageaux, adding that only about 10 percent of high school graduates qualify for the submarine force. He added that being in the Navy, especially on a submarine, requires sailors to eat properly and remain in shape.

"The most important thing is to do well in school. The Navy only takes quality folks," said Cmdr. Savageaux, who credited his teachers at Grafton High School for constantly challenging him at a young age.

Cmdr. Savageaux was first assigned to the USS Asheville in San Diego from September 1992 to July 1995, and deployed to the Western Pacific and Persian Gulf. From April 1998 to October 2001, he served as navigator of the USS Toledo, based in Groton, and was deployed to the North Atlantic and Caribbean; and from December 2004 to November 2006, he served as executive officer of the USS Salt Lake City and was deployed to the Western Pacific, and completed an arctic inter-fleet transfer from San Diego to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

As he advanced, he got more responsibilities - first learning all about the ship on USS Asheville, then how to drive the ship on the USS Toledo, then became an executive officer - the second in command - on the USS Salt Lake City.

"I was the captain's fix-it guy," said Cmdr. Savageaux.

Cmdr. Savageaux previously served as the deputy director of the Center for Expeditionary Counterterrorism Operations and Deputy Readiness for Submarine Squadron TWO, both in Groton.

Submarine commanding officers are chosen through a rigorous screening process that reviews an officer's skills, performance and experience, according to Capt. Peter J. Clarke, commander, Submarine Squadron TWO. The officer's talents and experience are then matched to a specific submarine to maximize command synergy and the assignments are approved personally by the commander of the U.S. Submarine Force. Capt. Clarke said the Navy seeks commanders who demonstrate high standards of excellence, personal responsibility and initiative, superior leadership abilities, professional expertise and the dedication and hard work essential to mission accomplishment, and exhibit the Navy core values of honor, courage and commitment.

The commander has been at sea since June 21, two days after taking command of the USS Pittsburgh, and has been conducting local operations in the brief deployment. A deployment is usually between three and six months, and the USS Pittsburgh can be deployed wherever she is needed, according to Lt. Patrick Evans, a public affairs officer at the naval base.

The mission of Submarine Squadron TWO is to provide operational, logistical and material support to assigned ships. The squadron is composed of five Los Angeles class (688) submarines, including the Pittsburgh. Squadron TWO submarines regularly deploy to the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans; Southern Command, or SOUTHCOM; European Command, or EUCOM; and Central Command, or CENTCOM - areas of responsibilities and around the world participating in joint operations and major Fleet exercises.

The USS Pittsburgh performs unique, important and continuing missions that help secure the United States from direct attack and advance our nation's interest around the world, said Capt. Clarke. With stealth, persistence, agility and firepower, fast-attack submarines like the USS Pittsburgh have the ability to conduct undetected and non-provocative operations, to be survivable and to attack both land and sea targets. They are capable of many missions - able to support the war on terror, intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance, deploy and support special forces, disrupt and destroy an adversary's military and economic operations at sea, provide an early strike from close proximity and ensure undersea superiority, according to Capt. Clarke.

Typically, a submarine commander serves for a term of two years and can then be reassigned to another submarine, or command duties elsewhere, said Lt. Evans.

The role of a commander is to ensure the ship is safe and to train his crew to operate the ship to its limits.

"My job is to the officers and the enlisted men; to provide oversight and guidance as they drive and fight the ship," said Cmdr. Savageaux. "I teach them everything from administrative to repair skills. ... I am very good at teaching people and allowing them to make mistakes, but not serious mistakes, and not serious enough that they can't learn from them. We are a learning organization. We learn something new every day. The guys I work for and work with manage to teach me. When something goes wrong and the dust settles, I ask, `What did we learn today?'"

It's been said that when you become a commander, you are marrying the ship.

Cmdr. Savageaux said it's hard not to form a strong relationship with the crew members, living and working in tight quarters.

"You become close-knit, like a family," said Cmdr. Savageaux.

For those who know him, being a leader has always been a natural talent for the commander.

"Michael thrives on training," said Heather Savageaux, his wife. "He is always so proud when one of his men receives a promotion. He is living his dream. Being a commanding officer is what he has trained and worked so hard to achieve. I am extremely proud of his dedication to his role as a naval officer and his love for our country."

"He doesn't believe a leader should drag people along," said Sharon Savageaux. "A leader should be the caboose, not the engine."

When the USS Pittsburgh left Connecticut last month, it was strange - atmospherically, it was a cold, driving rainstorm in what was supposed to be the start of summer; for Cmdr. Savageaux, it was a bit like being a stranger in his own home.

"I've spent my entire career on this class of submarine. I've never been on anything else," said Cmdr. Savageaux. "It was strange being in the commander's quarters, but at the same time it felt like home."

ART: PHOTOS; CHART

CUTLINE: (1) Navy Cmdr. Michael K. Savageaux walks off the USS Pittsburgh after it docked at the Naval Submarine Base New London. (2) Navy Cmdr. Michael K. Savageaux stands on top of the USS Pittsburgh as it docks. (3) Navy Cmdr. Michael K. Savageaux is surrounded by crew aboard the USS Pittsburgh while docking at the Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Conn., Wednesday. (CHART) USS Pittsburgh

PHOTOG: (PHOTOS) T&G Staff Photos/TOM RETTIG (CHART) T&G Staff