nuclear from enlisted to officer.

[teadogs10]

hey guys. I just got accepted into the U.S navy nuclear field. According to my recruiter my lastest ship out time will be in september or maybe sooner because some people might get disqualified. Right now there are tons of question going through my mind right now because friends are putting so much pressure on me for rejecting admission into UC Davis and opted to join the navy. The reason why i joined the U.S navy nuclear field is because i want to serve my nation, meet many interesting people, explore the outside world instead of following the path of many highschool mates ( boring school for 4 more years) and last but not least the challenge and the knowledge that the navy can offer me in the Nuclear pipeline ( i love nuclear engineering). My intention is to serve in the U.S navy for many year as an nuclear propulsion officer. My recruiter is a really nice guy and he is a nuke too but unfortuanately he doesn't have too much knowledge with commisioning issue. My plan is to finish up the prototype school and work for my bachelor while in the navy. I'm not sure will the navy allow me to stay on land to finish up my bachelor and get commisioned then go out to the sea or they will just ship me out right away and i have to work for my degree online. I know there's alot of officer program that i can sign up for while i'm in SC like NROTC and the STA-21 ( i did look through the web site and didn't find the brief decription really helpful so if any experience Nukes in here can give me more info about some of this program i would be deeply appreciated). Do you think there is any way i can get my nuclear engineering B.S degree with 4 years? thankyou Nuclear engineering rocks.

[93-383]

Apply to STA-21 when you start A-school or in power school the web site is https://www.sta-21.navy.mil/ aplications are due on July1 for the selection year so if you ship in sept you should have time for the FY09 app submitted by July 1 2008 selection while in the training pipeline has the highest chance for sucess. This may require that you apply for the nuclear option. You can only apply for the nuclear option at school as a student or as an instructor. NROTC is not an option anymore all current enlisted must apply though the STA-21 or a few other programs (MECP, LDO, CWO.. ect.). If you have not shipped yet consider applying for NROTC first. You stated you had acceptance to a college so applying should be fairly easy. The recruiter will want you to join enlisted because that helps his quota. You applying for NROTC will help but not as much. Ask to speak with the officer programs recruiter. If it requires delaying your entry into the militay it will be worth it. The life of a pit snipe is not glamors. The engineering officers arn't alot better but they get into bilges containing oil and filth by choice and not to clean them. The enlisted nuclear navy is a hard often dull life. If you have a real shot at NROTC do not enlist (and don't take no for an answer if you haven't shipped or sworein the second time you can still un-dep and persue the officer program) the navy will always need new nuc's our attrition rate must be the highest in the navy. One last thing they don't offer us 60k 75k and 100k bonuses to keep us in becuse the job is good or the money is better on the outside (I will take a paycut for a year or two when I get out next year as an E6) 

[teadogs10]

the problem with UC Davis is that they don't offer Nuclear courses there that's why i chose the navy nuclear field. And for the STA 21 program, what is the chance of i'm getting into the program while i'm inside the pipeline and can you tell me more about what will i be doing after i got accepted? Will it be more efficient if i work on my bachelor myself instead of joining that program (will they let me station on land until i finish my degree? or they will just gonna ship me out and let me do it after i come back)?

[JustinHEMI05]

You don't have to have a nuclear engineering degree to be a nuclear officer. I qualify guys with ME, EE and even history degrees. I would go the NROTC route if I were you because the STA-21 program is very selective and you would have a better chance I think of making it through NROTC.

Justin

[JustinHEMI05]

Oh and the notion that the Navy would let you stay on land to finish a degree made me pee a little I laughed so hard. Here is the truth, the Navy doesn't give a shit about you or your personal goals. Sailors belong on ships and ship belong at sea... its that simple. When you join, you are going to sea... period. To try an work on a traditional degree while being a blue shirt at sea is next to impossible and definitely the longest, hardest choice. Again, go for NROTC or roll the dice by joining the nuke program and hope to get one of the few STA-21 slots. Goodluck.

Justin

[JustinHEMI05]

Apply to STA-21 when you start A-school or in power school the web site is https://www.sta-21.navy.mil/ aplications are due on July1 for the selection year so if you ship in sept you should have time for the FY09 app submitted by July 1 2008 selection while in the training pipeline has the highest chance for sucess. This may require that you apply for the nuclear option. You can only apply for the nuclear option at school as a student or as an instructor. NROTC is not an option anymore all current enlisted must apply though the STA-21 or a few other programs (MECP, LDO, CWO.. ect.). If you have not shipped yet consider applying for NROTC first. You stated you had acceptance to a college so applying should be fairly easy. The recruiter will want you to join enlisted because that helps his quota. You applying for NROTC will help but not as much. Ask to speak with the officer programs recruiter. If it requires delaying your entry into the militay it will be worth it. The life of a pit snipe is not glamors. The engineering officers arn't alot better but they get into bilges containing oil and filth by choice and not to clean them. The enlisted nuclear navy is a hard often dull life. If you have a real shot at NROTC do not enlist (and don't take no for an answer if you haven't shipped or sworein the second time you can still un-dep and persue the officer program) the navy will always need new nuc's our attrition rate must be the highest in the navy. One last thing they don't offer us 60k 75k and 100k bonuses to keep us in becuse the job is good or the money is better on the outside (I will take a paycut for a year or two when I get out next year as an E6) 

Sucks to be you taking a pay cut I doubled my salary getting out as an E6 here next week.

Justin

[Fermi2]

I hope no one takes this the wrong way, but I have some advice. Before you apply for a commission you better brush up on your written English Language skills.

Mike

[teadogs10]

yeah, gramatical error had been killing me all these years.

[93-383]

Option 1: join navy try STA-21 program the odds are high of getting accepted wile in NNPTC however the odds are very low of acceptance once at a sea command. IF accepted to STA-21 you will do NSI at newport RI its a boot camp repeat for officer candidates about 9 weeks long then you will enrol in the college of your choice (kinda) that has a NROTC unit you will be considered an enlisted E-4 probably unless you advance to E-5 but the odds of that are slim (you will not have enough nuclear comunity knoledge to pass the advancement exam) you have 36 months to complete a BS in an approved degree feild wich fon the nuclear option is limited to a set list of engineering skills. Once you graduate you will be commisend as and O-1E in the navy. Then you will attend NNPTC again this time as an officer. Assignment after that will depend on surface or sub if you do surface you will actualy have a division officer tour first prior to NNPTC.

Option 2: NROTC you will enrol in college like anyother student you will have a set list of classes in naval and leadership sciences and during the summers you will do midshipman crusise (they send you to the fleet to learn stuff on actual ships and generaly be a pain in the blue shirts ass with all of your questions) after graduation you will be an O-1 during your time in college your NROTC CO or other designated officer will be discusing what designator you wish to seek (kinda like ratings in the enlisted side only more broad) if you desire a nuclear chance you may get it but it is not garenteed. However , nuke officers only due nuke related assignments part of their carier (it varries from person to person)

Personnal I recomend applying for NROTC if you don't get accepted then go into the enlisted nuke navy and try for STA-21

[landlubber]

Teadog,

I trained officers and enlisted sailors for over 10 years at prototype, and I agree with just about everything 93-383 said. It is much easier to get picked up as a nuke officer while training as an enlisted nuke than while in the fleet. It sounds like you have already signed the contract, which is unfortunate. It is also much easier to become a nuke officer if you are in college getting an engineering degree. Getting into the NUPOC program is easy if you get good grades. I have seen lots of good, smart, hard working nukes not get picked up STA-21 for silly reasons.

Enjoy your time before power school and prototype - they both suck!

[ggpur]

I am in a similar position as teadog, I haven’t singed a contract yet but plan to soon. I have some college background but am still considering enlisting and attempting sta-21. My concern is the acceptance rate of nukes during nnptc. I have seen posts stating that the odds are high but I have also heard that even though they are higher than non-nukes getting in, the amount of applicants greatly outweighs the number of available spaces. I am concerned about applying for sta-21 with hunderds of other nukes if only a handfull get accepted. Any details regarding the chances of acceptance would be greatly appreciated.

[War Eagle]

    Do not enlist in the Navy if your only goal is to be an officer.  Pursue the programs that have already been mentioned here (NROTC, NUPOC, USNA).  If its naval nuclear power you are interested in, and you are ok with serving as an operator if your plans don't work out, enlisting in the pipeline is one of the best things you can do early in your career.
    The chances of getting selected for STA-21 in the training pipeline are not as simple as comparing the number of applicants to available positions.  If you are committed to excel in your initial training, your application will stand out from those of your peers and your chances for selection are much better.  If you don't make it, you got one a hell of an education that willl serve you well for the rest of your career, be it Navy or civilian. 
    I did the same thing when I was 18.  I had dreams of becoming an officer, but I concentrated on being the best RO I could be in the pipeline. When it came time to submit applications, my class standings, evaluations, and SAT scores made me very competitive; now I'm a Lieutenant Commander.

[Rad Sponge]

I hope no one takes this the wrong way, but I have some advice. Before you apply for a commission you better brush up on your written English Language skills.

Mike

I concur.

What pisses me off are engineers who send nearly illiterate e-mails.

Communication is an art.

Learn to write correctly.

Peace.

[teadogs10]

i don't think my gramar was that horrible right? at least you guys can still understand it.

[HydroDave63]

i don't think my gramar was that horrible right? at least you guys can still understand it.

It's exactly that lacadaisical attitude, coupled with poor performance, that makes one unlikely to succeed...but don't take our word for it, read it on your Fitreps in a couple years!

[Fermi2]

i don't think my gramar was that horrible right? at least you guys can still understand it.

Yeah and I almost closed that valve but hey you get the drift.

Oh and I had it in my mind the missing rung from that ladder was ok, but I figured since no one had been hurt in the past...

Well sure that steam plume has been there the last 4 days but no way is it going to hurt me, I duck under it.


Mediocre doesn't count in this industry. You were given valid feedback, it's your choice to act on it or not.

Mike

[eggplant]

Well, I wonder if he changed his mind. If not, I should be seeing him around these parts very soon. Good luck, Teadog!

[Rad Sponge]

No, I think Broadzilla the motivation slayer destroyed his zeal.

 

[Fermi2]

No, I think Broadzilla the motivation slayer destroyed his zeal.

 

If I prevented one person who cares from having to redo work or get hurt then it's the type of motivation I'm happy to kill

Mike

[Rad Sponge]

If I prevented one person who cares from having to redo work or get hurt then it's the type of motivation I'm happy to kill

Mike

I know, I was being complimentary.

 

[Cycoticpenguin]

Teadog- a couple of our "sirs" in prototype went to the naval academy. None of them wanted to be nukes (all pilots ), but it wound up working for them. One has a math major, one has a history major, and the other has an applicable physics major.

The program teaches you exactly what you need to know. Going to school for nuclear engineering will only give you a slight step up, but is not required to join the program.

For the information of this board, there were around 21 people who even bothered going for STA-21 this year. That was AFTER the captain pushed students and "volun-told" certain people to apply. STA-21 is a good option if you can look good on paper (good grades, good scores, good evals).

Justin seems a bit biased, but getting STA-21 is not impossible. Work hard and you reap what you sow (most of the time). That said, ROTC is still the best choice for a "Gaurenteed" commision.

good luck

-Jordan

[Nuc13]

Alright, well I am also hoping to go from Enlisted to Officer as a Nuc. But, I actually just completed my degree (B.A.) from college, so I won't have to try to do this once in the Navy. I'm currenty in DEP as a NUC. The reasons I am not applying to become an officer now are: 1) I went to two schools, and I am still paying money off to one, and until I do, I cannot get my transcripts from them, and thus, I cannot apply to a selection board without them. Unless I lied of course, but I would be afraid I would be caught, and plus, I just don't want to do that. 2) On the Enlisted side I am getting all my student loans (40k) paid off, whereas becoming an officer doesn't offer this.

So, considering that I already have my degree (GPA 3.2 in International Affairs), will I have a good chance of being picked up for OCS after completing my training? Thanks.

[93-383]

Your GPA sounds very competative. Just make shure you work hard in the training pipeline and don't piss off your section advisor since he writes your eval and your evals will be part of your application package

[Nuc13]

93-383, thanks for the reply. I'll make sure to work hard and try extra hard not to cross anyone the wrong way.

I've read on here how a lot of people get good recommendations in a way that seems good but it actually means you'll get turned down. And, that most people who have applied for OCS from an enlisted Nuke were not accepted. This is contrary to what my Nuke recruiter (he's a Nuke) told me, which was along the lines of 'if you want to be an officer, then being an enlisted Nuke is one of the easier enlisted rates to go from, because they're picked up more often than other rates in general'. Was he throwing me some BS, or what? I'd like to think I could become an officer if I so choose since I already have my degree.

[Gamecock]

I remember back in the day when you had to have a 3.0 GPA as an engineering major and a 3.5 as a no-tech major just to get the interview with the Admiral.

3.2 GPA in International Affairs is not good enough, in my opinion.  Better off trying to go straight SWO.

[subshooter]

I have to disagree with Gamecock.  You have nothing to lose by applying for an officer program.  The worst outcome is a no thank you.  I interviewed with ADM Mckee in the 80s.  Since then, we have significantly lowered our standards (particularly during ADM Bowman's tenure).  The designers have done such an outstanding job building navy nuke plants which are easy to operate and forgiving.  Perhaps we are realizing that we don't need engineers from MIT to be in manuevering or the engineroom.  Go for it.

[Fermi2]

I have to disagree with Gamecock.  You have nothing to lose by applying for an officer program.  The worst outcome is a no thank you.  I interviewed with ADM Mckee in the 80s.  Since then, we have significantly lowered our standards (particularly during ADM Bowman's tenure).  The designers have done such an outstanding job building navy nuke plants which are easy to operate and forgiving.  Perhaps we are realizing that we don't need engineers from MIT to be in manuevering or the engineroom.  Go for it.

I agree, good input. I've never seen why anyone believes an Engineering Degree is essential to run or manage a nuke plant, particularly a naval plant. When was the last time you saw a Naval officer have to perform design engineering on as naval plant? What matters is the ability and willingness to learn combined with the willingness to ask questions.

Mike

[Gamecock]

I have to disagree with Gamecock.  You have nothing to lose by applying for an officer program.  The worst outcome is a no thank you.  I interviewed with ADM Mckee in the 80s.  Since then, we have significantly lowered our standards (particularly during ADM Bowman's tenure).  The designers have done such an outstanding job building navy nuke plants which are easy to operate and forgiving.  Perhaps we are realizing that we don't need engineers from MIT to be in manuevering or the engineroom.  Go for it.

I agree that you have nothing to lose by applying for an officer program.  However, I only suggested that the youngster would be better off going straight SWO vice nuclear power based on his GPA.  I saw guys with similar GPA's struggle mightily at nuke school during my teaching tenure there (I was academic adviser for several of them).  My advice would be to do the enlisted nuke thing (like I did!!!), go to the fleet for some experience, then apply for OCS (unless age is a factor).  If you're a good enlisted nuke, you'll probably be a good nuke officer.


There is no formal board scheduled for OCS....each package is screened when received.


BTW....There is nothing wrong with being an engineer from MIT