As you stand atop the ballistic missile doors of a nuclear-powered submarine it suddenly occurs to you … I’M STANDING ATOP THE MISSILE DOORS OF A NUCLEAR-POWERED SUBMARINE!!! And the shock is almost enough to send you jumping into the water. Well, if not for the patrol boat down there with the front and back 50-caliber machine guns. But the thought of 24 Trident intercontinental missiles sitting just below your tennis shoes will send a shiver down your spine and get your teeth a chattering. I think I chipped one. The back story: I got the chance this past weekend to tour the USS Alaska, which calls Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base in Georgia home. He’s a big boy, that Alaska.