What does the daily job of a nuke entail.

[drainbamage]

   You are primarily trained as an operator, but as noted the ships don't have a housekeeping staff to wash your sheets or clean up after you.  Operation, maintenance, and testing are your primary function but be prepared to scrub floors, clean bilges, and any other nasty job that has to be done. If you go to a sub you will find yourself wearing many more hats with no deck crew you can count on washing dishes, loading stores, handle mooring lines, painting and then painting some more.

Thanks.

[Wirebiter]

I would have to completely disagree with that, or your on a sub/carrier that is opposite of the norm.  I mean, I could have been on the ship the was opposite of the norm but I doubt it.  Most nuke are lost to either A.) going nuts(i.e. suicidal, etc.), B.)  or the fact that the Navy doesn't pay half of what a nuke can make in the civilian world.  I justified case 'B' by saying the Navy had given me a great education and OJT and I was paying it back, but that only went up to my six years and that $60K bonus was just not enough.  Some people do it though regardless of money, just not many, and in my time I had only met one.  Don't take me wrong, the six years was very well spent and as I have said before I would do it all over again knowing what I know now.

I should have specified during your first enlistment.  Doing your six years and out is not considered a "loss". 

[s1wlightning@msn.com]

I should have specified during your first enlistment.  Doing your six years and out is not considered a "loss". 

How do you figure?  Haven't you noticed a huge gap between the new nubs and the 16, 17, etc.  By the way you refer to it, there isn't much to be lost when so many people are getting out after six. 

[Wirebiter]

How do you figure?  Haven't you noticed a huge gap between the new nubs and the 16, 17, etc.  By the way you refer to it, there isn't much to be lost when so many people are getting out after six. 

Apparently I seem to be in an unusual command and don't see the time in service gap you are referring to.  My current command has lost 3 first term nukes to commissioning programs since I arrived here.  During the same amount of time, we have lost one to hardship discharge and may lose a second one to body fat standards.  Without hard, statistical facts, my comment cannot be validated.  It was merely an observation   I have made with a power school instructor's comment still in my mind.

It would be nice to see any NAVPERS retention numbers on first term Nukes.  I imagine those numbers aren't shown to too many eyes.

[DDMurray]

A very interesting thread.  Are you a glorified janitor?  I'm sure sometimes it feels like it.  That would make me a glorified janitorial supervisor.  Sometimes I feel like that.  I think it's important to remember that you are responsible for operating and maintaining a nuclear power plant.  Think about that.  I live about three miles from the base where there may be up to 10 or more nuclear reactors.  We have a responsibility to maintain the public confidence and trust. 
    Watchstanding where you just take the readings without analyzing is boring, if that's what you do when you stand watch.  We went to nuke school so that we'd know more than just taking down some numbers.  Granted, it's hard to remember that sometimes when you've lost sleep or when cleaning the bilge is the most important assignment of the day but, the good watchstanders do the little things (roving their spaces, looking ahead at upcoming evolutions, getting ready for the next qual, staying on top of cleanliness) that make the time go by faster and show your potential to be a good leader and supervisor.
   In port (& someimes at sea) you will get a chance to work on equipment.  In my experience, the good watchstanders are generally the good technicians because they pay attention and learn by staying engaged with what's going on.  I was a spaz until I started "getting dirty" and doing what I needed to do to move up in the food chain.  It took almost two years on board my first sub until I was finally given real responsibility (i.e. put in charge of major maintenance that was underway or key event limiting).  Some guys get there much faster, some never get there at all.   As Judge Smails said, "The world needs ditch diggers too."  If you don't take charge, someone else will eventually.  Don't underestimate the value of always doing a good job, no matter what the task is.  Enough drivel, would you like some of this kool aid?

[landlubber]

If you don't take charge, someone else will eventually.  Don't underestimate the value of always doing a good job, no matter what the task is.  Enough drivel, would you like some of this kool aid?

Amen, Derek.

Pass me the kool aid.

I beg to differ on one point, however: There aren't enough people willing to be in charge that have the supervisory/leadership/management skills to do it right.  I think NaVLi4 will agree with me, and probably LDO4CNO as well. Finding people who are willing to take responsibility for the big jobs is never easy. Finding good people is ever harder.

If you want to be "the man" (or "woman"), then there really is no competition.

[LDO4CNO]

landlubber,
Unfortunately there are those in our program that feel the correct way to lead is from the Goat Locker, Wardroom, Stateroom etc.  I think that is the minority though.   I am still confident though that we have a disproportionately high percentage of Good Leaders who lead from the front if you will.   They are out there. 

[Marlin]

Leadership qualities are not easy to quantify. If they were, PHDs would be in charge of everything but frequantly it is the C student party boy or drop out that heads many companies, (i.e. the high IQs work for the nimble minds). Working in the gray areas, balancing authority and responsibility with a good focus on the job at hand is not always as easy as it seems for most people. My last patrol I was stuck in the goat locker so they could work on me to reenlist, not very pleasent for a first class PO. The chiefs I respected were the ones who did not tell me how good they and chiefs in general were. I still rmember an E-9 chief that spoke very little but when he did you better (and should) be listening. Since I have been out I have worked with and learned from those who do the right thing by the company, by the employee and by the customer. There will always be someone unhappy with what you do, you cannot please everyone and to try is a sure road to failure. Where I'm going with this is not everyone who wants to stand up should and those who should do not always take the call. Case in point is Colin Powell whom I would have liked to have seen in the Presidential race.

General Colin Powell's Rules

1) It ain't as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.
2) Get mad, then get over it.
3) Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it.
4) It can be done!
5) Be careful what you choose. You may get it.
6) Don't let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision.
7) You can't make someone else's choices. You shouldn't let someone else make yours.
Check small things.
9) Share credit.
10) Remain calm. Be kind.
12) Have a vision. Be demanding.
13) Don't take counsel of your fears or naysayers.
14) Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.


Boy are we off topic. 

[rlbinc]

I was amused by going to school for 9 months to be an Electronics Technician, then a year of Nuke School and Prototype, only to be handed a greenie and a foxtail at my first ship, USS LONG BEACH. I thought I was the world's most highly trained janitor. After a few more years, I thought I was the world's lowest hourly paid Reactor Operator.

In retrospect, I was right on both accounts, but had the capability to do something better for myself and family.

If you learn your lessons well - you can write your own ticket in this industry.
If you do the minimum - you can get a dead end job in this industry.

If it sounds like KARMA, welcome to enlightenment.

[Fermi2]

Marlin,

Hey Powell stole my rules!

[s1wlightning@msn.com]

I agree with landlubber on the whole leadership thing.  On the Stennis we had a saying, "Leadership through attrition," and I believe it to be true.  Honestly, I found it hard to find a leader, a.k.a kahki, I respected for their abilities.  Some people were just plain incompetent, and those are the people that stay in cause they wouldn't be able to make it any where else.  I would say most people where like that.  In my six years I meet probably three people that I felt were people worth respecting.  One was my LPO when I first got to the ship and then he became a chief and now is becoming an CWO in about a month.  The second was the RO when I first got there who was extremely intellegent which I respected yet I else like the fact that he would show you just as much respect as you showed him.  There is not to many people that can reach Captian and still respect the newest blue shirt to the ship, and that is probably the hardest trait to find in a leader that is in the navy.  The second was a guy who made senior in under 11 years and got out around 13 cause the navy didn't have anything left to offer him, so he decided to move on.  

Oh, wirebiter, I don't mean to make sound like your wrong.  It may very well be possible things are different at your command.  I've only been on one ship and based on my experience I don't see that many people staying in.  I would love to see what the attrition rate is though, cause I really think it is the lowest of the low.  I think it would be an interesting set of numbers to look at.  Speaking of which, if anyone has any idea of what the real numbers maybe and not just speculations you should let us know.

[Rad Sponge]

Daily routine:

Report
Wait
Listen
Work
Clean
Train
Work
Report
Wait
Listen
Clean
Study
Sleep

Repeat

[Marlin]

Marlin,

Hey Powell stole my rules!

Maybe these look familiar too...

http://www.scribd.com/doc/47132/Colin-Powell-on-Leadership

[JustinHEMI05]

landlubber,
Unfortunately there are those in our program that feel the correct way to lead is from the Goat Locker, Wardroom, Stateroom etc.  I think that is the minority though.   I am still confident though that we have a disproportionately high percentage of Good Leaders who lead from the front if you will.   They are out there. 

I want some of what he is drinking.

Justin

[Finalman]

... I believe the officers get all in-rate classes vice a mechanic that get MM in-rate and ET/EM out of rate.

This is true, but you would be surprised what sort of grades that the officers here are making and are proud of, as I heard in the P-way the other day, most grades from officers are 2.6-2.9s... and they believe they are doing well....

[s1wlightning@msn.com]

This is true, but you would be surprised what sort of grades that the officers here are making and are proud of, as I heard in the P-way the other day, most grades from officers are 2.6-2.9s... and they believe they are doing well....

The thing is, the officers will one day be standing PPWO or EOOW and have to know the material inside and out.  Unlike the enlisted side in which the school has changed from a check valve to a pump, they need to be able to know when their brand new 3rd Class Feed Pump Watch is gonna secure a MFP greater than 50% and realize that's wrong.  I'm sure the standards for them have changed a little but it can't be by much.  On the other hand, I know from first hand experience there are some EM's, MM's and ET's that should have never made it through power school.  You will hear that from time to time in the years to come.  I wanted to get off the ship and out of the navy as fast as possible before something really bad happened.  Now, there were some Officers out there that were really bad watchstanders that made even worse Division officers.  I just think the ratio is a lot smaller.  You'll be hard pressed to find a good young nuke these days.  My advice to you, when you get to you boat or ship, find the best worker/watchstander down there and suck every bit of knowledge out of him, what you did in power school won't mean a thing once you get there.

-Adam

[Cycoticpenguin]

This is true, but you would be surprised what sort of grades that the officers here are making and are proud of, as I heard in the P-way the other day, most grades from officers are 2.6-2.9s... and they believe they are doing well....

if they are trying their best, then they are doing well. I got a 3.2 and I did horrible in powerschool. Shame on you.

[93-383]

Read the PDF book on this page http://www.romaka.net/blog/george/ it is by far the best representation of life in the nuclear navy

[Cycoticpenguin]

Read the PDF book on this page http://www.romaka.net/blog/george/ it is by far the best representation of life in the nuclear navy

good read, thanks (someoen give him a karma for me! )