A Day in the Field
As part of the daily routine for the crew of the submarine, one day of the week is reserved specifically for cleaning the submarine. This day has been ironically named “Field day.” After hearing the command “sweepers, sweepers man your brooms!” over the ship’s public address system, the sailors would quickly begin cleaning the floors in the cabins in a quiet manner.
Because there is not enough space on certain types of submarines for a broom to swing freely, the crew is forced to make do with hand brooms such as sponges or foxtails. This can at times be an extremely difficult situation.