Is the process usually this lengthy?

[kiwimarie]

Hello All,

Long time reader, first time poster. I have combed the threads trying to find a situation similar to mine, but nothing similar within the last three years seems relevant to my situation. I was wondering if my current state of events is normal for most trying to go into the Nuke Program.

I went to MEPS heart set on getting Nuke. My ASVAB score was 96, but in the sections needed to automatically qualify for Nuke I was two points away. My recruiter told me at that time I could take the Nuke Advanced Placement Test only after I signed a contract. He told me I was sure to pass the test, and then would be given a new contract. I now know that I need not have signed a contract before being allowed to take the Advanced Placement Test, but the real problem is with the turnaround time for all of my Nuke papers.  For my current enlistment my rating is SGT with a ship date of 20091208.  I was finally able to take my Nuke Test early Sept. and found out a week later that I passed.  I'm told after finding out that I passed that I should just wait and in a week or so I'll have my contract faxed to the recruiting station and all I have to do is sign. A month passes from the time I take my Nuke Test and my recruiter informs me that DC has 'lost' my high school transcript. I asked him if he still had one of the copies he made....no. I make the long trip to my hometown to get another copy of my transcript so that it can be sent in.  About a week and a half from sending in my transcript I'm informed that I need to sign a waiver for making a 76 in AP Calculus. That gets done same day and now the Chief at my recruiting station assures me that I should hear back next week. That weeks goes by. I call the following Monday and get told that all the Nuke 'Higher-Ups' were at a conference all last week.

Am I just getting yanked around? It is now almost three months since I've taken the Nuke Test. I keep getting told 'next week'. If I were told it could take a few months I would have understood the length, but I feel as if there is something not quite right. If my Nuke classification is not established by the end of the month will I be required to go to boot camp in December for the SGT rating? I would feel much more at ease if someone let me know that this is normal, or at least could help on the ship date issue. When I asked my recruiter about the ship date issue he just told me that he was sure my contract would come before then....I'm really not so sure at this point.

[yota]

Your story sounds very similar to mine. I was first signed up as an STG and then reclassed to NF after taking the NAPT (Navy Advanced Programs Test btw). I passed the test, had to wait for my waiver (mine was due to age, I'm 26), then the COs and XOs were in "conference calls", The girl down at MEPS was busy, yadda yadda yadda. Honestly, I had pretty much all of the same stuff but mine only lasted for about 5-6 weeks before I got a call to come up to the office to sign my new contract. Even after all of that, i got stuck with waiting 10 months for the nearest ship date- 20100406. It's a very frustrating time when you are waiting and hanging on your recruiter's every word. You feel like you have no control over the situation- and to a very large extent, you don't. The best thing you can do is to be persistent, but patient. If you qualify for the program and want to tackle it, chances are good that the folks at your recruiting station will do everything in their power to get that job for you- it's their job. ;P Just be prepared for a long wait while in DEP status. It seems as though the Navy is quite full at the moment.

Also, did you tell your recruiter that you were job-locked and ONLY wanted NF? If you haven't mentioned it to them, put down the computer and go call them now. Stating your intentions and wishes up front will benefit you greatly.

Good luck and I hope all works out well for you.

[drainbamage]

In my experience conventional rates + admin = headache. I'm still sorting out some errors my recruiter made when my package was put in.

[Broadzilla]

You're not required to go to boot camp at all. You haven't taken the final oath. It'll piss your recruiter off but do NOT go to boot camp until you get the contract for the job you want.
There is no legal penalty for not showing up to boot camp. That is until you make the mistake of showing up and MEPs for the final swear in.

Mike

[B.PRESGROVE]

Broadzilla makes a good point.  My experiance wasnt Navy, but Air Force.  I wanted to be a Crew Chief (aircraft maintenance), scored high enough to make it, was ready to go, but at meps they screwed something up and told me I to ahead and sign for a supply clerk until they got it all squared away.  I say forget it and walked out the door.  My recruiter came out behind me screaming and yellin like a drill seargent, but I hadnt taken that oath so I was not leagal and nothing he could do about it.  Within ten minutes I had the job I wanted.

Dont let them jerk you around, make them know you are serious about the job you want and that is final.  Stand your ground.

[Co60Slr]

Am I just getting yanked around? It is now almost three months since I've taken the Nuke Test. I keep getting told 'next week'. If I were told it could take a few months I would have understood the length, but I feel as if there is something not quite right. If my Nuke classification is not established by the end of the month will I be required to go to boot camp in December for the SGT rating? I would feel much more at ease if someone let me know that this is normal, or at least could help on the ship date issue. When I asked my recruiter about the ship date issue he just told me that he was sure my contract would come before then....I'm really not so sure at this point.

Yes, get used to employees in the Federal Government losing your paperwork.  Now, in the military, afterwards (e.g., VA).   Be prepared to fight for anything that you want on YOUR timeline.  If you don't care, then just wait for the "trainwreck" at your Ship-Out date and then complain here that your ship-out date is delayed.  That'll show them: you don't show up at boot camp, but you also don't have a paycheck.  The good news:  I've never heard of anyone being shipped out as a non-nuke while waiting for their nuke paperwork.  Meanwhile...

What can you do to be Proactive?  (Keep in mind you are NOT a "lowly" E-3 yet)...

1.  You didn't say that your recruiter plans to ship you out without the paperwork.  Did you ask him what will happen if your nuclear contract is not in order before you ship-out?  "Chief, after talking with many current and former Navy Nukes on NukeWorker, I have the following concerns..."

2.  Ask him for the name/number for the nuclear recruiter at MEPS and/or the MEPS XO.   No, you're not an E-3 yet (did I type that already?).  If you're not happy, and your questions are not being answered, then elevate your concern.  If you were getting poor service from a cashier at BestBuy would you just go home and complain on a web forum, or would you ask to talk to the store manager?  Same thing here.  Caution: I wouldn't go to the "next level" without thoroughly, completely, and calmly discussing this issue at each appropriate level.

3.  Ask him for the name and telephone number to the "higher up in Washington DC" who reportedly owns this problem, since he doesn't have any answers for you.

4.  He suggests you ship-out without a nuclear contract?  You laugh and walk out.  (Yes, that's an easy one.)

5.  If you get to the end of this road and the NNPP has failed you?  Write your Congressman.   "I wanted to serve my country, but they kept losing my paperwork." 

Let us know which one worked.  I doubt you'll have to get past #1.

Co-60

[kiwimarie]

Here is an update on my paperwork situation:

I called for my weekly Monday check-in and asked to talk to my recruiter. The Petty Officer who answered the phone informed me that he was on leave until the 4th. I then asked to speak with the Chief at my recruiting command and was told he is in Tennessee for the rest of the week. I asked to leave a message and as soon as I said my name he said "oh, hey, we've got some stuff here with your name on it...hmm lemme see." Then he told me the name of a Petty Officer I've never heard before and said he was in charge while the Chief and my recruiter are away and that they were getting my stuff together and to call back after 2 pm. I called back and was told I am a 'second class Nuke' because I took the NAPT so that is why my paperwork has been taking longer to process, but because I'm supposed to be leaving in December that my contract should be ready "by the end of the week."

My best friend's father is a retired Colonel of the Marines who still works on base and has offered to call on my behalf, but I'm not sure if that will do any good at this point as the Petty Officers I spoke to seemed as if the Nuke Recruiter was just waiting to find me seat.

[tingler25]

You are a "B" nuke, not a 2nd class nuke. NRD's can only write a certain percentage of "B" nukes. Don't take it too hard, lots of us are "B" nukes, only when I joined the Navy wasn't as picky about who they hired. Blame the economy...

[kiwimarie]

UPDATE: REALLY NEED HELP!

I was told yesterday by my recruiter that only 4 Bravo Nukes from  our recruiting area were allowed to be DEP'd at a time and right now they're only placing hispanics and blacks in as Bravo Nukes. The Chief at my recruiting command said to just go on ahead to bootcamp and that someone is going to ask us there if any of us want to be Nukes and I'm supposed to raise my hand and tell them that I've already qualified. How legitimate is this? From what I've read here most of you say to just not go and wait for the contract, but if there is a chance of me going to bootcamp next month and being able to get re-classed that will be better than having to wait another few months then even longer for a new ship date. I just want to know if going to bootcamp and volunteering to be Nuke is actually a viable option.

[HydroDave63]

Don't

[RDTroja]

If you decide to go to boot camp on a flimsy promise, let me know when you get out, I have some prime Florida land for you to consider... lots of water view. Sell it to you cheap.

[B.PRESGROVE]

Dont do it.  That is a load they are feeding you, they must have some job they need to fill and your prime meat of the day for it.  STAY HOME, DONT TAKE THAT OATH UNTIL YOU HAVE THE JOB YOU WANT!!!

[navsteve]

As a prior navy nuke that did a recruiting tour, I can tell you this; your recruiter has no idea whether or not you will be given an opportunity to re-class at boot camp, and frankly, he doesn't care.

Your recruiter has 2 goals when he first meets you.  The first is to get you to enter the DEP program and the second is to get you to ship to bootcamp.  You have satisfied the first and now he is on to the second.  Under normal circumstances, your recruiter would be more than willing to get you re-classed to nuke, but you are obviously dealing with at district that is not having any difficulty meeting nuke goal.

Unless you are willing to accept the rating you have now, do not go to bootcamp.  You need to let your recruiter know that you are not shipping until you re-class to nuke.  Make your intentions known to your recruiter now and they will roll your ship date to some future date before this month is over.  An in-month shipping loss is bad for the district so they won't let it go into next month without rolling your ship date.  They will probably roll your ship date out quite a ways to prevent from having to do it again.

If what they are saying is true in regard to meeting their nuke goals, you may have to wait it out awhile.  At some point in the future, Navy Recruiting Command will need some extra nukes to meet there monthly goal.  When that day comes, they will find a way to create an opening within the NRD you are joining from.

Do you know if you have spoken with a nuke recruiter?  Every NRD has at least 1 nuke recruiter.  His only job is to help recruit and process nukes.  He may be of greater help to you than your regular recruiter.  He doesn't have the same agenda.  He can give you an idea of when you could possibly expect to get a nuke contract.

If doing the above doesn't help, there are some more extreme measures you can take, but you may not be that far yet.

[Depper20091112]

I know how you feel Kiwi.. I sent in my Nuke Package with all the waivers and references about 8 months ago and I'm shipping out tomorrow as an HM. I guess there's no real time frame since every case is different. Oh well, I'm probably going to be talked to by some classifiers at RTC since I haven't officially been denied from the program nor accepted.

[Broadzilla]

I know how you feel Kiwi.. I sent in my Nuke Package with all the waivers and references about 8 months ago and I'm shipping out tomorrow as an HM. I guess there's no real time frame since every case is different. Oh well, I'm probably going to be talked to by some classifiers at RTC since I haven't officially been denied from the program nor accepted.

Don't count on it. Once you're in you've lost your only bargaining chip.

[Co60Slr]

UPDATE: REALLY NEED HELP!

Your help has been posted.   How many different ways would you like all of us to say the same thing?

If you're this desperate to join the Navy, then take whatever the Recruiter offers.   Much like buying a used car, if you want it badly enough, then you're going to probably take the undesirable deal.  However, I think the majority here would not care to hear your whining when you're at Boot Camp as a HM Recruit with no hope of a nuclear career in your future.

"Is the process usually this lengthly?"  Irrelevant.  The process will take as long as it takes for both you and the US Navy to be happy with the final contract.  The Navy won't cut corners, but will be happy to help you to do so (e.g., undesignated rate in Boot Camp).   

Either play hard ball and "stick to your guns", or go to Boot Camp undesignated and be happy if you're employed as a painter.   Seriously...those are your only two fundamental choices here.

Good Luck.

Co60

[Donovan1687]

It's unfortunate if you have shipped out with the aforementioned rate. I got a 95 on the asvab and qualified for nuke, but was bitten by three poor grades I made in high school and had to receive waivers for all three. For months I was told that we'd hear something next week, only to hear nothing at all. I still called every day, went into my office every day, and found out who I needed to talk to in order to get things put through. Slowly, but surely, the ball got rolling and everything fell into place. I had already gone to meps, signed up as an secf, but made it very clear that my intentions were to be a nuke and nothing else, and my recruiters knew that and worked to get my waivers cleared. I now ship December 16th, and can't be happier with my choice to be a huge annoyance to my recruiters.

Just like everyone else said, absolutely do not go without having everything that you want (That may not happen exactly as you want. I asked for a gorilla butler, but I had to settle for a $23,000 enlistment bonus. Talk about lame. I should have held out!). My understanding is that at this time it is fairly easy to switch from just about anything to nuke, but easy is a relative term, and it hinges on whether they feel you're worth taking the risk on. It's going to be a much larger hassle to do it once your in than to just stand your ground now.

That is, unless you're in a hurry to serve your country. I would have gone in as an SECF if I hadn't gotten my waivers because I want to serve the nation, but I would never have told my recruiters that.

Good luck, and thanks for your future service.

[Depper20091112]

However, I think the majority here would not care to hear your whining when you're at Boot Camp as a HM Recruit with no hope of a nuclear career in your future.

It's funny because I really don't remember whining about anything.

I come to realize that many of the same things have been discussed here several times but it doesn't mean things don't change. But the quality of the posts here seem to always be rather less helpful than other forums like answer.yahoo. Since this is part of the site was created to help those "getting in" as a Navy nuke, you'd think that it would much more helpful but I would say a third of the replies here are either irrelevant or some kind of bash to one's intelligence. If this is what the Navy nuke community is like, then I'd gladly be an HM. Comparing this site to Corpsman.com, this site is much less helpful and much less tolerant to people who are new to the community.

[RDTroja]

The Nuke community, both in and out of the Navy, is tougher because it has to be. If you are satisfied to be something else, then that is where you belong. Good luck wherever you end up, and thank you for your service no matter what the capacity.

[playswithairplanes]

To all the kiddies thinking about shipping as something other than an NF contract... DON'T DO IT if you really want to be a Nuke. If you don't mind being a "whatever" then go for it, because that's what you will be. I never heard of anyone getting "cross rated into" or reclassified into NF at boot in the 12 years I was in, nor in the 15 years that I've been out but still "paying attention" to what's going on.  Maybe there'se some rare uber golden boy out there, but I never heard of him, and unless you walk on water, and can crap solid gold tiffany cufflinks, odds are you ain't him either.  If you sign and ship as an HM, guess what?  You're going to HM A school and then the sand box.  In fact the only guy I ever knew who didn't go into NF via DEP was a guy who rocked out of Annapolis and had OBLISERV.

Same as the other guys have said... don't go unless you want the contract you are given. If you are mad dog desperate to be a squid, then take whatever they give you. If you want to be a Nuke, hold out.

[Marssim]

......Maybe there'se some rare uber golden boy out there, but I never heard of him, and unless you walk on water, and can crap solid gold tiffany cufflinks, odds are you ain't him either.......

playswithairplanes meet marssim,....

Off the top of my head, I personally know two other users on these forums who did not begin their Navy careers as nukes, but finished them that way.

Perhaps things have changed and what was once possible is now impossible.

ah well,.....

[playswithairplanes]

Were you one of those "early days" nukes, ala back in the Nautilus days?

BTW, pleased to meet cha.

[Marssim]

Were you one of those "early days" nukes, ala back in the Nautilus days?

BTW, pleased to meet cha.

nah 8102, nice comeback though,....

one of the guys I know is older than dirt, and one of the folks I highly like and respect in this business, he was a riverine warfare sailor in 'nam and finagled his way into navy nuke at some point,....

the other re-enlisted for it, he's the late 70's / early 80's timeframe, I like him too, but he purposely tries to get under my skin from time to time (and succeeds),....

funny thing though - they were both MM's and both eventually became ELT's, just like me,....

ELT is like a cosmic, fundamental force of nature, it's like they invented ELT so cosmic, fundamental forces would have something peaceful and productive to do as opposed to creating chaos and mayhem or something,....

I need to write a book,....heheheheheh,...

(sic)

[playswithairplanes]

I was 8615. I was an RO. Did Radcon (La Madd) and was used and abused as a "sorta smag" by my boats after that. Probably why when I got out I ran as far away from Nuclear power as I could (actually, I just didn't want to leave Puget Sound). I'm much happier now.   

Interesting about how them folks got in. Not sure they could have done that in the mid-late 80s and on. Things got pretty rigid.

[HydroDave63]

If this is what the Navy nuke community is like, then I'd gladly be an HM. Comparing this site to Corpsman.com, this site is much less helpful and much less tolerant to people who are new to the community.

But you didn't mind the attention of replies to your posts since August...so was that just playing "drop the hanky" or what?

It's not a major surgery according to recruiters and people I had talked to. Heck I didn't even know that a Wisdom Tooth extraction counted as surgery let alone a Root Canal. I've never heard of it being a disqualifying factor unless it becomes some kind of major oral issue but mines hasn't bothered me since I put it in. It was definitely because I forgot this with the idea of an Enlistment running through my head and how it would affect the next couple years of my life. If I could re-do MEPS all over again, I'd definitely tell him about the Root Canal since it's really only getting extra needles pricked into your mouth.

And the part about lying to MEPS about having no surgeries (as if someone would forget a root canal ?!?)...don't be so sure that HM classification will go with no questions asked...