Looking for advice

[Leebone]

Hey ya'll
I'm a 23 year old graduate of Austin College that is currently in Insurance.  I've got a Business Administration degree but am very close to signing for the Nuclear Pipeline.  I've been recruited for OCS for both the Navy-Navigator-for fighter planes-and the Army-Infantry-  But my heat is in doing something that I want such as this.  I'm more than willing to pass on the Officer to go Enlisted in this program only.  My main questions are-Can anyone tell me a decent time frame or percentage of getting to be an Officer through this program?  I want to be a Nuclear Officer-not any other kind.  So I'm willing to go enlisted full throttle and give it my all-not just for the officer potential b/c I have that in other areas-but b/c that is where my heart is.  What kind of potential would I have as a physical fit, college graduate 2.7 G.P.A.-that plans on busting his hump the entire time of school and for the time I'm in.  I would have gone to the Academy-but I got a Baseball scholarship and opted to take it-Now that part of my life is over.  And I'm back to serving my country-bettering myself-and making the most of this outstanding looking oppurtunity.  Both of my recruiters are graduates of this program-but they don't know of guys that made it to Officer this way.  Can you help my with the chances of this happening-I know that chance isn't a word that I should use b/c I plan on taking myself to the next level-but it is the right word in this case.  Feel free to call me 903-758-6239-or email me ineedmulligans@aol.com if you would like to give me some feedback other than this post.  Thank you, and God bless.  I know that it depends on how well you do in school-what leadership potential you show-and I'm just curious on if I do these will it happen?  I want to get my M.B.A. from Univ. of Phoenix in Technology and Management-would this be possible-or too much???

[Roll Tide]

Excellent post Leebone!

I am hoping you want the straight answer, not your ego stroked. Don't go enlisted nuke if you want to be a Nuke Officer. Once you put your name on the dotted line, you will be in the nuke enlisted program for years before you can change it.

If you "bust your butt" the first 2 years of enlisted nuke, you would get a recommendation. That means you would need superior performance in a variety of situations. No offense, but 2.7 GPA work wouldn't be enough. You must out-perform some of the best minds in the country to be ranked high enough to be competitive for an officer program. You must achieve a 3.5 GPA while maintaining military creases in your uniform and perfect grooming! I know college wasn't easy, but how many times did you have uniform / grooming inspections the same day you had a big test? The diversity of the challenges overwhelm many. (I had a decent GPA from NPS, but low evals because of my lack of creases in my uniform!)

I would recommend getting information on Nuclear Propusion Officer Candidate (NUPOC) program. You may need the calculus / physics based calculus, but then you would be eligible for the program. If your degree doesn't qualify, NUPOC would pay for your college.
http://www.cnrc.navy.mil/nucfield/college/officer_options.htm

A little side note about Navy enlisted recruiters: they don't get any points / credit if you go straight into an officer program. That means you need a recruiter to back up any claims they make with something in writing.  There are plenty of great programs in the Navy, but manpower needs are high & training is expensive for nuclear power. Most programs have a "Nukes need not apply" warning somewhere.

ROLLTIDE!!!

P.S. I re-read this post, and it sounds almost like a vicious attack in places. I don't mean to sound that way. I am proud we have young men willing to go serve their country in a meaningful way. Don't let me dampen your enthusiasm to serve, but temper your decisions on how to get where you want to be!

P.S.S. I am moving this post to "Career Path" to be more consistent with the intent of this board.

[GARYGWOODJR]

If you decide to go enlisted and take your chances at being selected as an officer here is a website with age requirements and academic information.

https://www.sta-21.navy.mil

I have seen several less than desirable (in my opinion) candidates get selected.  I sounds like you have drive and good attitude.  Everybody I know that really did what it took and got selected.  Best of luck in whatever you choose.

[Leebone]

Thanks for the responses.  They truly are being headed and appreciated.
They seem to contrast each other-one saying it's very hard to get it-and the other saying that people less than desirable have achieved this.  I understand though-just b/c someone got it-doesn't mean the deserved, anyone wanted to see them get it, or that they did anything extraordinary.  But, that is just how life is.  My recruiter has been leaning me towards applying for officer in the areas of Pilot-Navigator-and Supply.  I won't apply for supply.  And Pilot specifically says the degree must be a Bach. of Science-and I have a Bach. of Arts.  But, I'm not against being a navigator.  I'd like to get pilot-but wouldn't put my eggs in that basket.  I hate my day job-insurance-I got my butt chewed by a boss today for less than deserving reasons-and driving home-found myself realizing I had thanked him for it.  That kind of stuff is weighing heavily on me-and I'm looking at all forces-and all options.  I think the Military life would be sweet.  Thanks again.

[Roll Tide]

Thanks for the responses.  They truly are being headed and appreciated.
They seem to contrast each other-one saying it's very hard to get it-and the other saying that people less than desirable have achieved this. 
....
I hate my day job-insurance-I got my butt chewed by a boss today for less than deserving reasons-and driving home-found myself realizing I had thanked him for it.  That kind of stuff is weighing heavily on me-and I'm looking at all forces-and all options.  I think the Military life would be sweet.  Thanks again.

That is why you post: to get different viewpoints. Master Chief Wingsfan has a different perspective than First Class ROLL TIDE (man, I feel like Bob Dole speaking in third person  )because I have been out almost ten years, and I have different perceptions of how well people do their job.

Does the best haircut, clean shave, military pressed uniform mean that MUST be the best person? Wingsfan and I may have slightly different opinions, because I have already adjusted to working for ponytailed (male) supervisors! There will be different viewpoints on who should be selected for promotion (or special selections for officer programs.)

I disagreed with the Navy's promotion policy when I was in, because you had to do things BESIDES your job to get selected for promotion. Being the best at operating & maintaining a submarine wasn't enough, you had to go instruct or recruit. I worked for Chiefs and Senior Chiefs that must have been pretty good at something, but it wasn't the operation & maintenance of a submarine!

Now that I have vented all that, let me say Wingsfan has very good advice. I respect him as one of the good guys, and I respect every chevron, rocker, and star that man has earned over the years since I have been out of the Navy. I think we agree that with a lot of work, you can choose your own path. The easier path seems to be go officer immediately, rather than apply for commissioning while enlisted and hope you can be selected for any program.

[longball4414]

I know the advice anyone can give me is very limited, but any advice is good. In high school I kind of just strolled along with pretty much 0 effort. When I did study for things I'd ace whatever it was, but unfortunately that was rare. I rarely ever even took my backpack home with me. I had an average GPA of only 3.3 up until my last semester where I was a complete retard and did some moronic things and in the end I failed PE and English. Yes I know, thats sad. Since I was so close to my diploma all I had to do was write an essay proving I had worked 405 hours to finish up my last 2 credits to receive a state diploma. Everything was in line for the Navy and I should have left last September, but unfortunately that didn't happen.

Now, here I am almost 1 year later after failing out living in an apartment bored out of my mind doing grunt work. I have the opportunity to take over a fencing business and do well for myself right off the bat. Already I am finding myself forgetting so many things I learned in school and its killing me. When I took the tests at MEPS I scored an 82 on the ASVAB and a 56 give or take a few on the nuc test. At this point I don't know what to do. I'm scared of the thought of going into the nuclear pipeline and just dropping out because I'm just not smart enough now. I had such bad study habits in high school and have rarely put pen to paper since high school.

I'm just wondering if I will be able to withstand the drastic change in life, because I have two options and I want to take the best route for myself. I love the thought of being in the nuclear program but I'm scared I just wont be able to make it and I hate the thought of doing grunt work any longer even though I'd be running my own business. And yes I understand nucs have to do grunt work 75% of the time i.e. cleaning or scraping rust off of metal, but thats grunt work that gets you places. Its not the physical work itself that bothers me, its the mentality of it. Because I'm tan and working on a fence, people assume I'm Mexican even though I have no Mexican background at all. They'll walk up to me and say "Do you speak english?". This is a town I've lived in all my life, I'm very patriotic and believe in my country 100%. When people walk up to me and say this it offends me and every time I wish so much to be in the navy.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I tried to be as honest as possible because I'm looking for advice that can truly help me in my decision that I've been thinking about for months.

-Allen

[hamsamich]

I know you could make it, and it sounds like it could do you some good.  I was kind of like you in HS, 3.0 gpa, when I studied I did great, but my last year I acted like a bum and should have failed pre-calc, but my teacher squeaked me thru with a d- because just being in the precalc class put me head and shoulders above most HS graduates in math.  anyway, I took control of my life in a better and more stable environment (the Navy is what it is good or bad!) and wanted to see what I could do away from all the negative influences that had been in my life.  I did great, ended up with a 3.4 thru A and Power school and blew the comp away.  you can do this it sounds...you have the tools, now just make it happen with no more excuses.  if the navy sucks for you eventually you can get out after 6 or 8 years and be a better man.

before you go you are going to have to stop worrying so much what people think about you.  boot camp and the nuclear pipeline in general can get under a sensitive person's skin and undermine thier abilities.  if you want it go and get it, stop worrying about failure and the spotlight will go away.  one of the reasons you did so poorly in HS if you were anything like me is it was easier on your psyche to "not study" and get a C, B or A, instead of studying your butt off and not getting an A+. you could always say "I'm still the smartest because if I would have studied I would have got that A+, the only reason I got that C is because I didn't study."  stop sabatoging your success and find out just how good you are! you will never know until you drop the act....

[Evilpixie]

Yeah, I was like that in high school, too.  Never had to study, never even read the books.  Straight As.  I took a seven year break from college, changed my major to something that was a challenge and found out exactly how much I did not know how to study.  And you know what?  I learned how to study wicked fast! 

It sounds to me like you want to do something better with your life.  And looking at the Navy nukes is a good thing, I've never been in the Navy but having been in this industry, I've seen the good it did for peops I've worked with.  When my grandfather started in the Navy, his family lived in a tar paper shack with no plumbing or electricity.  While in the Navy, he got himself a degree, became an officer, learned how to invest wisely and became a very wealthy man.  His life was enriched by experiences and opportunities that he would have never seen had he not been in the Navy. 

I agree with hamsamich, you sound like you've got alot to offer.  Go down and talk to the recruiter, see what they have to say.  Find a book on good study habits.  You're looking to make a change, because you feel you have a lot more to offer... listen to the samich, stop sabotaging yourself and find out how good you really are!

[visserjr]

In high school I kind of just strolled along with pretty much 0 effort. When I did study for things I'd ace whatever it was, but unfortunately that was rare. I rarely ever even took my backpack home with me.

I think most of us here can say that was our experience too. It's like a prereq recruiters look for in new nukes. On a serious note. You can achieve anything you set your mind on achieving. It is something worth doing and doing well. It has its great days, crappy days, and some just are days in between. Mostly, it will help you find you. Plus all of the benefits, training, colloege money blah blah recruiter stuff....And, gives you work experience and a base to go from when and if you look into the civilian sector. Best of luck. Like Nike says "Just Do It!"

[LaFeet]

Its not the physical work itself that bothers me, its the mentality of it. Because I'm tan and working on a fence, people assume I'm Mexican even though I have no Mexican background at all. They'll walk up to me and say "Do you speak english?". This is a town I've lived in all my life, I'm very patriotic and believe in my country 100%. When people walk up to me and say this it offends me and every time I wish so much to be in the navy.

It takes all kinds to make up life on a sub.  Predjudices usually fade away on board, as does tan lines.  I was very tanned when I joined, now I am as white as a ghost, and burn easily.  Just work hard, study hard and never fail to ask for help when you really need it.  The good sailors take care of their own.

Good Luck - LaFeet

[longball4414]

Thanks so much for the responses. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna give it a whirl. Yesterday I was up near the recruiters office fixing my computer and on my way home I was like hmmm, I'm gonna go tell him to schedule a trip for MEPS. So I turned around and sped for the office but they weren't in  =(.

[sealboy]

I know the advice anyone can give me is very limited, but any advice is good. In high school I kind of just strolled along with pretty much 0 effort. When I did study for things I'd ace whatever it was, but unfortunately that was rare. I rarely ever even took my backpack home with me. I had an average GPA of only 3.3 up until my last semester where I was a complete retard and did some moronic things and in the end I failed PE and English. Yes I know, thats sad. Since I was so close to my diploma all I had to do was write an essay proving I had worked 405 hours to finish up my last 2 credits to receive a state diploma. Everything was in line for the Navy and I should have left last September, but unfortunately that didn't happen.

Now, here I am almost 1 year later after failing out living in an apartment bored out of my mind doing grunt work. I have the opportunity to take over a fencing business and do well for myself right off the bat. Already I am finding myself forgetting so many things I learned in school and its killing me. When I took the tests at MEPS I scored an 82 on the ASVAB and a 56 give or take a few on the nuc test. At this point I don't know what to do. I'm scared of the thought of going into the nuclear pipeline and just dropping out because I'm just not smart enough now. I had such bad study habits in high school and have rarely put pen to paper since high school.

I'm just wondering if I will be able to withstand the drastic change in life, because I have two options and I want to take the best route for myself. I love the thought of being in the nuclear program but I'm scared I just wont be able to make it and I hate the thought of doing grunt work any longer even though I'd be running my own business. And yes I understand nucs have to do grunt work 75% of the time i.e. cleaning or scraping rust off of metal, but thats grunt work that gets you places. Its not the physical work itself that bothers me, its the mentality of it. Because I'm tan and working on a fence, people assume I'm Mexican even though I have no Mexican background at all. They'll walk up to me and say "Do you speak english?". This is a town I've lived in all my life, I'm very patriotic and believe in my country 100%. When people walk up to me and say this it offends me and every time I wish so much to be in the navy.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I tried to be as honest as possible because I'm looking for advice that can truly help me in my decision that I've been thinking about for months.

-Allen

..... do it or not .BUT MAKE A DECISION.

RT: Edit to remove inflammatory remarks.