To steer the conversation in a different way, (unless it's been exhausted) I am also interested in any changes in the fleet. By the way, I care because I'm serving (as I'm sure you care, more so than I know). To not care would be criminal and not reflective of my character.
Whelp, 22 years ago when I went through, if you wanted subs, it was pretty much a given you were going to get them, with a few 640 boats, the Tridents, and some 80-plus fast boats around, with only 8 nuke carriers and the cruisers going away (only Texas was left, IIRC.)
Nowadays, you've got a better than 50-50 chance of being surfaced, with only 55 SSN's, 14 Tridents, but 12 CVN's. Remember, a boat might only have 35-40 nukes on it (if fully manned), whereas a carrier has upwards of like 500 nukes.
So if you want to go submarines, and find yourself competing with lots of other people, how do you improve your chances? Obviously, the better you do in the pipeline, the more likely you are to get what you want. But you also have to put down REALISTIC choices on your "dream sheet".
If all you put down for your 1-2-3 choices is, San Diego SSN, San Diego SSN, and San Diego SSN, don't get all that upset when that's exactly what you DON'T get. Detailers have to fill all the slots, and when something isn't available with no realistic second choice on your part, needs of the Navy being what they are, you'll go where you're needed.
However, I wouldn't mind being on the Washington. Japan might be expensive as hell, but it was fun and a fascinating culture.