Question about Nuke School

[Benj2284]

First of all, these forums are awesome.  I have learned a lot from just spending a couple hours browsing around. Thanks for all the info.

I am currently in DEP and goto boot June 20th.  I would like to know what the average class day is going to be like at A School, power school, and prototype school.  Is it most likely going to be one class at a time for a couple months or two or three?  About how long are the class hours?  I also understand that the study material is classified and can't be brought back to the dorms.  Are there set study hours after class time? And just to confirm, if I make it through prototype school I come out as an E-4 into the fleet correct? Thanks a ton.
-Ben

[Preciousblue1965]

Ok first A school and Power school the hours(from what I remember) were from around 0730 to about 1630 M-F.  Usually you would have one class for a couple of hours, then switch subjects and have that class for a couple of hours and then have another class.  Some days you would only have two classes.  Depending on your GPA you will have XXXX number of hours that are required to be put in per week.  They will explain this in detail when you get there.  Basically do well and you can make your own hours.  Prototype is another ball of wax.  First 7 weeks is like A school Power school, class room based but a lot less structured teaching and more on your own studying.  After that, welcome to rotating shift work.  Basically Students are 8am to 8 pm, noon to midnight, 8 pm to 8 am for 7 days at a time with a training week in there between days and swings.  It will be explained more when you get there.  Life sucks there so be ready for it.  You do go to the fleet as an E4 after proto assuming you don't get introuble, pass your fitness tests, and other wickets.  Hope this helps.  Oh and yes all the material is classified so that is why you have to put in hours in the building.

[Benj2284]

Thanks for the info.  Sounds like a lot of work but I think I'm ready.

[TheObiJuan]

E-4 after prototype preciousblue? I thought it was after A-School.

[93-383]

Unless they changed the policy yes you get E4 after A-school graduation

[Preciousblue1965]

I stand here humbly before you.  They are right, it is E4 after A school but in my own defense I should at least get a B.O.D. and partial credit since I did ATFQ in that he asked if he would be an E4 when he went to the fleet. 

[TheObiJuan]

I stand here humbly before you.  They are right, it is E4 after A school but in my own defense I should at least get a B.O.D. and partial credit since I did ATFQ in that he asked if he would be an E4 when he went to the fleet. 

Hehe, true true.

[Benj2284]

From what I have found, after you finish power school you have to find an apartment for prototype school.  I was curious what the dorms/barracks are like for A school and power school.  How many roommates should I expect to have if any?  Is it the 1 bathroom for every 2 rooms set up? thanks.
-Ben

[Preciousblue1965]

may have changed since I went there but there are basically two types of rooms.  Smaller rooms with bunk beds with one stand up locker and a built in closet.  Two of those share a bathroom.  The other room is a bit larger with two seperate beds, two desk, two closets, etc.  They share one bathroom.  All rooms have a fridge and microwave.  At the center of each level(think of a plus sign for the shape of the building) there is a tv room with cable.  Each building has a laundrymat which will always be in use.  Well hope that helps.

[Benj2284]

It does, thanks.  Just trying to get a good feel for things.

[Wanna Know Mom]

My son is in power school now.  In A school, it's 2 students per room with 4 students sharing one bathroom.  Power school is a private room located closer to the Rickover building and sharing a bathroom with one other person. If your proto is in NY, you find civillian housing and collect BAH. Hope that helps. 
Kathy, VPNM

[mcwake]

First off, I'd also like to thank all the contributers to these forums as I have been in the DEP for several months and in just the past week have found out more info then before.

My question is mostly for those who are currently going through the school, or have recently got out.  I have searched the forum and have found out that the opposite sex in your dorm is against the rules? Is that all the time day and night? It was mentioned that they have a TV room. Does that mean you cannot have one in your room as well? I know that we are supposed to be focused on our studies and probably won't have much of a social life, but I'm just trying to get a good idea on what people CAN do to maintain their sanity.  I know that my job comes first.

[Preciousblue1965]

Well first off all nukes are at least a little crazy so maintaining your sanity is against the rules.  Ok just kidding. 

First, yes it is not allowed to have females in your room at anytime.  When i went through, they could not even be on the walkway outside your room.  They might have lightened up since then.  You may have a TV in your room and they are wired for cable as long as you pay the bill.  You can leave large electronics out(TV, Stereo, etc) as long as you provide the serial number to your section advisor.  Every so often they like to do room inspections to make sure you are clean and tidy and aren't storing dead bodies in the closet.  The TV room is a place where everyone can go to watch a movie or TV or whatever, and it is allowed to be Co-Ed.  Again this was how it was 8 years ago so somethings might have changed a little, but knowing the nuke world, I seriously doubt it.

[Benj2284]

Hey, sorry for all the random questions but I'm curious about the off base housing during prototype school.  If I get an unfurnished apartment and then buy some furniture or a TV what happens after prototype school.  If I get stationed in Norfolk will I be living in the BEQ or in an off base apartment (i would rather off base).  If I end up in a BEQ do I just sell all the stuff I bought for the apartment in charleston or put it in storage?  I know this is a ways off but I'm just trying to think ahead while I'm waiting in DEP.  Thanks.
-Ben

[JustinHEMI05]

Hey, sorry for all the random questions but I'm curious about the off base housing during prototype school.  If I get an unfurnished apartment and then buy some furniture or a TV what happens after prototype school.  If I get stationed in Norfolk will I be living in the BEQ or in an off base apartment (i would rather off base).  If I end up in a BEQ do I just sell all the stuff I bought for the apartment in charleston or put it in storage?  I know this is a ways off but I'm just trying to think ahead while I'm waiting in DEP.  Thanks.
-Ben

If you are going surface you will live on the ship. If you are going subs you will live in the BEQ. What you do with your crap is up to you. Word to the wise... don't go blow your bonus on a down payment for a 50K BMW that no E4 on this earth can possibly afford legitimately because along with living on the ship/beq, you lose BAH so 1000 a month of your pay is gone instantly. Additionally, I wouldn't think that far ahead right now. Try to relax and enjoy your last vestiges of freedom.

Justin

[mcwake]

If you are going surface you will live on the ship. If you are going subs you will live in the BEQ. What you do with your crap is up to you. Word to the wise... don't go blow your bonus on a down payment for a 50K BMW that no E4 on this earth can possibly afford legitimately because along with living on the ship/beq, you lose BAH so 1000 a month of your pay is gone instantly. Additionally, I wouldn't think that far ahead right now. Try to relax and enjoy your last vestiges of freedom.

Justin

Wait, I guess im confused on how we get payed. So while we live on the ship, we lose 1000 a month? that is most of our monthly pay, how does that work? Is this just for school? Or is this how it is for our entire enlistment?

[Preciousblue1965]

Looks like it is time for some good ole' GMT....

Ok, here is how it goes.  If the Navy provides you with housing, i.e. BEQ, Barracks, Ship's berthing, then they don't have to pay you to live out in town.  If there are no barracks or BEQ available the Navy has to pay you to live out in town.  At A school and power school BEQ is provided.  At Prototype it is not.  As previously stated, if you go surface you live on the ship in port and sub guys get BEQs.  Now, if you are an E4 you can live out in town but it will be on YOUR dime unless you are over your 4 year point.  You will not get BAH(money for an apartment).  If you are an E5 you do get BAH if you live out in town.

As far as the stuff in your apartment, things like TV, Video games, and stuff like that you can put in your BEQ.  Stuff like furniture is less likely to find its way into your BEQ.  It is a matter of what you plan on doing.  If you plan on reenlisting right away(not avisable, wait until you get a good idea of what you are going to be doing for those 6 years) then you will be give E5 and can start living out in town with BAH.  Thus you will need furniture.  If you already have some from Protoype, that leaves you more money to blow on fast cars and fast women.  If you choose not to re-up, then you can store your furniture untill you either decide to sell it or you move out into town, whether it is payed for or not.  You can rent furniture while you are at prototype if you choose too.  Usually it isn't too much a month and you get completely furnished.  Of course it is money down the drain, but at least you don't have to worry about what you are going to have to do with it later.  Best advice, if you are going to spend money on furniture, don't buy cheap so you have to replace it 4 years later when you run off and get married.  Buy something that is nice enough to keep for a long time.  Get a good mattress. 

Hope that helps some more.  Now if you will make sure you name is on the Training attendence sheet I would greatly appreciate it.  Oh and don't sign anyone else's name that wasn't here either.   

[drainbamage]

"A" school starts with two subjects, math and an in-rate class. After a few weeks you switch to your last subject. You'll only have one subject at a for the rest of "A" school. Power school is three classes at a time I believe.

Days start at 7 and end at around 4, followed by study hours which depending on homework can be a quick and easy matter, or something that keeps you there until around 9 or 10.

Study hours themselves are based on your SLPO (Section adviser) primarily, but generally reflect perceived effort and GPA/exam scores.

[JustinHEMI05]

Wait, I guess im confused on how we get payed. So while we live on the ship, we lose 1000 a month? that is most of our monthly pay, how does that work? Is this just for school? Or is this how it is for our entire enlistment?

You get BAH... a monthly allowance for housing... while you are in prototype. When you leave prototype and live on the ship or in the BEQ, they no longer pay you a monthly allowance (BAH) for housing. Of course you don't lose your base pay. With me?

Justin

PS just read the post by precious, which describes it better in more detail.

[mcwake]

Yes yes. Thank you for clarifying.

[Wanna Know Mom]

Do I understand this correctly: So, lets say you are E-5, no dependents. You are assigned to a carrier.  While on deployment, you do not collect BAH.  When you return to port, you are eligible for BAH and rent an apartment.  Six months down the road you are deployed again.  Your BAH stops and (unless you choose to continue to pay rent out of your own pocket) you must give up your apartment.  You place your personal belongings in storage (at your own expense?). When you return from deployment the cycle starts all over again.....sounds like an exhausting way to live.  Thanks for any clarification.   Kathy VPNM

[Already Gone]

The E-5 rule isn't set in stone either.  It depends on availability of quarters suitable for an enlisted person.  There are some places where you have to be an E-7 to automatically qualify to live off base without dependents.
The simple rule is that the Navy has to provide you with quarters or with an allowance to pay for them.  They do not have to provide both and they don't have to offer a choice.
Back in my time (when the atoms were made out of wood) nobody assigned to a surface ship was paid BAH except for officers and sailors with dependents.  The the sub guys who have a room at the barracks had to move out if the boat was deployed for 30 days or longer.  Even single CPO's on subs had to live in (nicer) BEQ's and move out for deployments.  The government has changed their way since then - but only because it is cheaper and easier to pay E-5 and above BAH than to build and maintain BEQ's for all those people.  Whenever it is to their advantage to offer you a bed instead of a check, they will offer the bed and not the check.
If the ship deploys, they are not responsible for paying rent on a place where you couldn't go if you wanted to.

If your ship is deployed, you move your stuff into storage and don't pay rent.  You need a clause in your lease that lets you break it if the ship deploys for such a period of time (usually greater than 30 days).  However, I think they paid an allowance for storage of personal effects and furniture (not the boat, or RV, but they did have a parking lot for the cars) of deployed sailors.

[Preciousblue1965]

I remember that this was an issue back in early 2000s(I know that wasn't that long ago all you 80s guys).  If I remember correctly, the issue was that they would give you BAH if you were an E5 once you requested it(put in a chit).  If the ship got deployed, you had the option of still getting BAH or Having the Navy store your stuff free of charge.  Bottom line was that no one let the Navy store their stuff because BAH in San Dog was through the roof and a good size storage unit was about 1/10 of the BAH.  If I remember correctly, I think they changed it to that if you had the Navy store your stuff that they couldn't take away your BAH because someone made a stink about the fact taht they still were not providing housing.  I know when I went on deployment the only monies I saw go away was BAS(food allowance) because we were eating on the ship the entire time. 

[Cycoticpenguin]

First off, I'd also like to thank all the contributers to these forums as I have been in the DEP for several months and in just the past week have found out more info then before.

My question is mostly for those who are currently going through the school, or have recently got out.  I have searched the forum and have found out that the opposite sex in your dorm is against the rules? Is that all the time day and night? It was mentioned that they have a TV room. Does that mean you cannot have one in your room as well? I know that we are supposed to be focused on our studies and probably won't have much of a social life, but I'm just trying to get a good idea on what people CAN do to maintain their sanity.  I know that my job comes first.

please search my posts, I cover this a LOT. I am one of the more recent guys to get through the program on here and cover this thoroughly.

[01lx]

Unless they changed the policy yes you get E4 after A-school graduation

You have a choice to accept or decline the promotion. Accepting it adds 2 years to your initial enlistment.

Upon reflection, I should have choosen not to accept it  However, it's easy for me to say this now. At the time, it's the money that mattered and it would have been weird to be an E-3 among your fellow E-4 peers. But I do remember a guy who was demoted back to E-3 for something dumb he did.

[Preciousblue1965]

You have a choice to accept or decline the promotion. Accepting it adds 2 years to your initial enlistment.

Upon reflection, I should have choosen not to accept it  However, it's easy for me to say this now. At the time, it's the money that mattered and it would have been weird to be an E-3 among your fellow E-4 peers. But I do remember a guy who was demoted back to E-3 for something dumb he did.

Well that is much more of a common occurance these days to see nuke E3s, heck even saw a few E2s and even an E1 Nuke student going through the pipeline.  They just don't kick em out like they used to back in the day.  Welcome to the "no NUB left behind" nuclear navy(to kinda quote another poster on this forum).

[Gamecock]

Well that is much more of a common occurance these days to see nuke E3s, heck even saw a few E2s and even an E1 Nuke student going through the pipeline.  They just don't kick em out like they used to back in the day.  Welcome to the "no NUB left behind" nuclear navy(to kinda quote another poster on this forum).

I took my slacker, never-come-to work-on-time, can't qualify Log Recorder Electrician to CO's mast 4 times.  He was finally reduced in rank all the way to E-1, but Charlie Oscar refused to de-nuke him.  The kid was still an nuke E1 when I transferred.

[dan11]

I was just asked to go to the Navy Nuke field and I was wondering what level of math and science you are expected to know and what level of math and science you start at in Nuke school. I passed the Nuke test and got a 93 on my ASVAB but haven't been to school in years and can only remember VERY basic chemistry and algebra 2.

Thanks in advance!

[Preciousblue1965]

Well the good news is that by now you have forgotten quite a bit of all that stuff, so when the Navy teaches it to you their way, it won't hurt so bad trying to force out the old stuff.  

But on a serious note, you will not see anything past some advanced algebra and pre-calculus like logrithms, exponents, etc.  You don't get into deriviatives, limits, or anything like that.  Most of what you will see will be taught to you the Navy way and you would be amazed how much comes screaming back into your head, usually carrying a red hot poker with it.  

Chemistry is pretty basic stuff, like balancing chemical equations, electron shell theory, and pH calculations.  You aren't going to be asked to come up with the chemical formula for "unobtainium"(Bonus points for whoever can name the movie that this was on).  Once again the navy will provide you the method for which they want you to know it.  

[Preciousblue1965]

Always loved the "briefly describe in detail" that ended up being two pages front and back.  

Also love these remarks....

-1pt for not assuming 3 ft approx equal to 1 meter
-1pt for not assuming ELT approx 1.5 meters by 2 meters in area
-1pt for not assuming approx 2 hours to clean up spill.

CTE at protosuck, Radcon problem that involved a pipe with certain level of contamination, pipe bust, some went to bilge, some went to air, some got swallowed.  You got 30 Minutes.

[Preciousblue1965]

No but we will (be asked it seems).


Answer:  'The Core'

Ding, Ding, Ding.  Now tell 'em what he has won.

A trip to exotic ports all over the world, a substantial amount of bonus money, and some new friends.  Just sign here and here on this dotted line and raise your right hand to claim your prize.

[Preciousblue1965]

Uh ........... NO THANKS.  No hard feelings though.  I've got freedom and the lap of luxury in my mirrors and direct vision devices/viewfinders.

Really it is a great job.  You get to work with the smartest people in the military.  We pay you the most.  You job is full of rewards.  Not to mention you get money for college.

[Preciousblue1965]

I need an adult beverage immediately.  (You do that so well by the way.) 

After careful thought and deliberation I've concluded that your offer is not up to my standards of living at this moment and will check back in when I can get a free trip (All expensese paid of course) to Australia.






Modified to mention (only because I'm dealing with Navy Nukes):
Without any strings attached (like joining the Navy to do it).  Frikin' Nukes!

You got another cold one of those... 

All that shoveling BS left me thirsty.