Cullen rose to the rank of petty officer second class as part of the team that operated the ship's Poseidon missiles. He did not fit in any better in the Navy and was hazed and bullied by his fellow crewmen. A year into his service, Cullen's leading petty officer on the "Woodrow Wilson" discovered him seated at the missile controls wearing a surgical mask, gloves, and scrubs, rather than his uniform. Cullen was disciplined for this action, but never explained why he had dressed the way he had. The Navy made the decision to reassign Cullen to a lower-pressure job on the supply ship USS "Canopus". He attempted suicide and was committed to the Navy psychiatric ward several times over the subsequent few years.