Thinking about the Navy

swb502

I'm currently a 2lt in the AF and the Army Lts where telling me about a new program on there side where if you have your 2 year degree done you can get commissioned, but you can't pin on Capt until you finish your 4 year. The Army dose things allot diffrent then the Air Force, and the Navy is completely 'out to sea'. You have to pick the branch that matchs you best.

cstmar01

I have several friends that serve. They have covered all the branches except the Navy. It is a hard choice to make and I too have often wondered what I could do if I went into the armed forces. Honestly it is a tough choice to make but everyone I know that has done it has come out and said it was the best thing they have done and loved it.
I also know people that went straight for college to the officer program and loved doing that (Army branch) so if you have college behind you it could really pay off to look at doing that program as well.

Best of luck with your choice!

j allen

swb502 wrote: »

I'm currently a 2lt in the AF and the Army Lts where telling me about a new program on there side where if you have your 2 year degree done you can get commissioned, but you can't pin on Capt until you finish your 4 year. The Army dose things allot diffrent then the Air Force, and the Navy is completely 'out to sea'. You have to pick the branch that matchs you best.

That is really interesting. I've got only got a certificate from college at the moment, but I could probably get a 2 year degree in a year or less if I busted my butt a little bit... Then I could ride around my horse muttering about how all officers should be gentlemen, and raising men from the ranks only leads them to drink. Oh, wait... wrong century...

mole'

sucks2beme wrote: »

I almost became a Navy nuclear tech for a sub. The enlistment would of been for 6 years.
I ended up signing up in the USMC doing air traffic control
electronics. The question is, what appeals to you most?
Don't overlook the US Coast Guard, either. The guys with the best
gig are in the Air Force. Best food, best housing, more women around.
Any women around a USMC base(both on and off base) were pretty much hags.
The only way to tell a female Marine from a male Marine was their hair was longer.

And they were a lot meaner.

i just got out of the Navy. did 12 years on Nuclear Subs as a MM. only reason i got out was because i had a mild stroke and fell down a flight of stairs on a Sub. i had some of the best times while i was in and met a ton of great people. do your homework. and if you can go in a ROTC or OFFICER Program, DO IT!!!

Good Luck

mrbigbluelight

j allen wrote: »

A close friend of mine who is in the service suggested that I might look into the nuclear operations electronics tech job. It certainly seems relevant to my interests. Anyone have any thoughts to share on this? I think I may call the local recruiting office on my next day off unless I find a compelling reason not to do so.

Thanks in advance for any input.

ET/RO ?

Good choice, IMO. But please be aware, it ain't easy.

I'm speaking from surface ship experience that dates back to the mid-70's, so things have certainly changed since then. To what extent, I don't know, but your friend can enlighten you.

Back then:

- From the beginning of boot camp, to the end of a 6-year enlistment, there was an 85 % drop rate.
Some don't make it through boot camp, some don't make it through Nuke School ( Mare Island, CA ), some don't make it through Nuclear Plant Prototype School (Idaho Falls, Idaho), some drop after they make it to the fleet. 15 % make it start to finish.

- Why drop after making it through school and getting to the Fleet ?
Loooooooooooooooooooooong hours. On a smaller nuke cruiser, with 2 reactors, we were spread thin. 6 and 6, port and starboard duty, which means 6 hours on duty, 6 hours off duty .... technically.
Real world, though : Start watch at 0200, get off watch at 0800. You then assume normal day duties (PM, repairs, etc) until 1600. Get in line to eat about 1700, eat, than go down and relieve the guy on watch so he can eat. Get back to the berthing area about 1800. Shower/shave, hit the rack about 1830, and sleep until 0130. Runner wakes you up, and you make it down to watch by 0145 (or die).
Routine is 6 days a week while underway, Sundays you only have to stand watch (no regular day duties).
Long story short: 20 hour days are not uncommon.

mrbigbluelight

Also, once you make it to the Fleet as a Nuke, there's only 3 ways out of the Nuke Program:

1. DE (Drug expempt; you say you use drugs, whether you do or not)
2. **** (You say you're ****, whether you are or not)
3. You die (and you have to really die, no cheating)


BTW, there's 3 types of Nukes:

1. Reactor Operators (RO's): these are folks who make it through Electronics Technician school. Have to be an ET before you can become an RO.
2. Electrical Operators (EO's): these folks work with turbine generators, switchgear, motors, etc.
3. Mechanical Operators (MO's): these folks work with engine room mechanicals; pumps, reduction gears, etc.

EO's and MO's have to qualify "IN RATE" in their particular trade and also "CROSS RATE" in the other 2 ratings.
"IN RATE" means you know your stuff, frontwards and backwards.
"CROSS RATE" means you kind of have a pretty good handle on what the other guy is doing.

RO'S have to know everything "IN RATE".

There's written exams on EVERY system, than an oral exam on EVERY system. All nukes become qualified after having an final oral exam by the Captain of the ship (about 1 hour exam).

Talk to your friend, to be sure, and get updated info. My experiences occurred when Rickover was in charge of the Navy Nuke Program.
Rickover was God (and not with a little G, either) and ruled with a steel reinforced Iron Fist.

IMO, I'd say do it if you are fully aware it isn't a piece of cake, but if it was easy, anybody could do it and it wouldn't mean jack.
And, just as all jobs are honorable, any service to the country is honorable.

One final note: please be aware that recruiters lie. Talk to your friend.

tonyb

Thanks.....now I've got that stupid song in my head from the Village People.

Hawkeye

Ahh, the Rickover/Zumwalt era!!

I know when I was still in, the the Nuc's had the fastest, almost breakneck speed in advancement. The common joke at the time was "what do you call a 23 year old nuc? answer: Chief" They were also getting HUGE bonus's when it came time to reup. If I recall, $100K over a career. Might be wrong on that, it has been a long time.

Gordon

fatchowmein

mrbigbluelight wrote: »

Rickover was God (and not with a little G, either) and ruled with a steel reinforced Iron Fist.

Never heard of him until now. Wow!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyman_G._Rickover

As a pseudo-engineer, I respect this.

"Over the years, many people have asked me how I run the Naval Reactors Program, so that they might find some benefit for their own work. I am always chagrined at the tendency of people to expect that I have a simple, easy gimmick that makes my program function. Any successful program functions as an integrated whole of many factors. Trying to select one aspect as the key one will not work. Each element depends on all the others."

mole'

Hawkeye wrote: »

Ahh, the Rickover/Zumwalt era!!

I know when I was still in, the the Nuc's had the fastest, almost breakneck speed in advancement. The common joke at the time was "what do you call a 23 year old nuc? answer: Chief" They were also getting HUGE bonus's when it came time to reup. If I recall, $100K over a career. Might be wrong on that, it has been a long time.

Gordon

its still the saw way.

i was a Non Nuk on a sub. came in as an E-1 and made E-5 in 3 years. the same 2 nuks that came to the boat with me had made e-6 when i made e-5. and their bonus is $120k now. and it goes up from there........