If I Fail Nuke School

[co60slr]

... I eventually grew out of what was nearly a terminal case to have a pretty successful career as a . 
-Matt

In fact..my Chief at NPS used to say he'd prefer to take the "bottom guy" for his division.  Although I didn't understand it much to begin with, I sure did over the next 20+ years.   NPS grades do NOT indicate how well you will be at your rate when you show up to your first ship and have to start fixing equipment.

However, we all have seen the guys/gals get the last choice of duty stations because of grades (and perhaps more that still wasn't fixed years after NPS).

I agree...everything is waivable.   My point:  try not to start your Navy Career needing waivers.   Otherwise, we have a few stories in this thread that definitely have proven success...although "the hard way".  ;-)

[DDMurray]

More important than looking at success by GPA is looking at striving to reach your potential.  If you have to work hard to make it, it will likely mean more to you than somebody who skated by.  I think everybody "pays" at some point.   Sometime during your time in the service, you will reach a point that challenges you beyond your expectations.  Meeting these challenges is what separates the men from the boys.  To say you'd rather have a bottom guy over a top-performer in the pipeline is nice, but I think we'd all like the guy who can handle stress and complete his initial quals without any drama.   Like Co60 said, being a top half guy opens more doors faster.  If you're capable of being top half and you're not, ask yourself why not? 

 

[rjc13]

Why didn't you apply that "effort and drive" to your NPS academics then?   Is your LDO message here for the young DEPers and A-Schoolers to simply blow off their GPA and ask for a waiver later?

Just read the Navy: Getting Out section.   Most people aren't as fortunate.   

Co60

Wow.  The "LDO message" is not to blow off academics. In my case, I was young and didn't fully understand the weight of what I had undertaken. I did have a severe case of "cranial rectus inversion". The get well program for that started at prototype and finished quickly on my first boat.

Good on the kids that come in and excel. They DO HAVE A MUCH EASIER TIME. Maybe other people aren't as fortunate as me. I never really thought fortune had much to do with it.  I consider myself fortunate to have learned the lessons I did early in my career and 20 yrs later, I am pretty happy about.

My LDO message for the DEPers, and A school guys: STUDY, DO WELL IN SCHOOL, WORK HARD ( in no particular order of importance) When you get to p-type and out in the fleet: LEARN THE PLANT, SPEND TIME IN IT, WORK HARD and GET QUALIFIED! Once qualified NEVER STOP WORKING HARD and NEVER STOP LEARNING!

[Jechtm]

My LDO message for the DEPers, and A school guys: STUDY, DO WELL IN SCHOOL, WORK HARD ( in no particular order of importance) When you get to p-type and out in the fleet: LEARN THE PLANT, SPEND TIME IN IT, WORK HARD and GET QUALIFIED! Once qualified NEVER STOP WORKING HARD and NEVER STOP LEARNING!

hooyah?

[justfoundfreedom]

Just graduated NPS and graduated top half, but many of those who graduated top half of the class still don't know what it's like to try. I would be surprised if half of them even put in a 20 study hour week. Gauging their success in the fleet is impossible for me, but gauging their effort levels and degrees of devotion to their craft, that I saw. There were a good 50 people sub 3.0 that; tried harder, learned more and grew more as sailors than most of the top half.

Grades aren't an indication of a quality individual or sailor, only that they were capable of memorizing words on a page.

[co60slr]

Just graduated NPS and graduated top half, but many of those who graduated top half of the class still don't know what it's like to try. I would be surprised if half of them even put in a 20 study hour week. Gauging their success in the fleet is impossible for me, but gauging their effort levels and degrees of devotion to their craft, that I saw. There were a good 50 people sub 3.0 that; tried harder, learned more and grew more as sailors than most of the top half.

Grades aren't an indication of a quality individual or sailor, only that they were capable of memorizing words on a page.

That's one reason why Rickover created "Prototype".   Stand by....for those that can't apply what they've learned (or memorized, as you say).

The process works.  Although, it's very rare to hear a unqualified nuke talk about other unqualified nukes in a manner of "quality of sailor".  What's your real story?

[MoreHooyah]

I think the threat today should be a ticket to the front line in either Afghanistan or Iraq if you fail.....

That would provide sufficient motivation!

I'd volunteer for that duty if it reduced my future hold time. Chief keeps telling me I'll be on hold for a long time.

[Starkist]

I'd volunteer for that duty if it reduced my future hold time. Chief keeps telling me I'll be on hold for a long time.

Wow. for starters, the actual "war" part is over.

2nd.

Quote from: LT Dan on Apr 06, 2009, 09:25



Welcome to hold life. It's the easiest, mindless, and the most relaxing time you will have in the navy. Instead of "Boo-hoo"ing it, go take some college classes, or get a hobby.

[shocker]

According to the higher ups, the wars were over weeks after they started. But for all the American soldiers who have been wounded since the "actual war" was over I can't agree that they are over yet.

It's killing me to be stuck in training as long as I am and not being able to contribute to bringing our soldiers - on the front lines - home safely, even if I am only staring at a panel making sure the ship gets there on time to support them. That being said, grad hold spoiled the s**t out of me.

[Starkist]

According to the higher ups, the wars were over weeks after they started. But for all the American soldiers who have been wounded since the "actual war" was over I can't agree that they are over yet.

It's killing me to be stuck in training as long as I am and not being able to contribute to bringing our soldiers - on the front lines - home safely, even if I am only staring at a panel making sure the ship gets there on time to support them. That being said, grad hold spoiled the s**t out of me.

Give me a break....


go on a few deployments before saying what you'd rather be doing. Panel's or otherwise.  If you wanted to be ground pounding, you'd have joined the army or marines. Stick to what you're doing and focus on that.

[Fermi2]

According to the higher ups, the wars were over weeks after they started. But for all the American soldiers who have been wounded since the "actual war" was over I can't agree that they are over yet.

It's killing me to be stuck in training as long as I am and not being able to contribute to bringing our soldiers - on the front lines - home safely, even if I am only staring at a panel making sure the ship gets there on time to support them. That being said, grad hold spoiled the s**t out of me.

Uh yeah, right.

[shocker]

Give me a break....

go on a few deployments before saying what you'd rather be doing. Panel's or otherwise.  If you wanted to be ground pounding, you'd have joined the army or marines. Stick to what you're doing and focus on that.

Believe what you want. Sitting cleaning barracks for months while on hold was not the job I chose. As it stands, the DEP time, and the hold time in the current pipeline have prevented me from supporting our troops on the front line.

You are absolutely right, I believe I have talents that are better suited for jobs besides holding a rifle on the front lines. It is for that reason I joined in a highly needed, supportive role for the armed forces. But it was my sister and brother-in-law being sent into harms way that made me want to help bring them home. It is for all the others, currently in harms way, I felt it important not to negate their sacrifice. For that reason I decided to contradict your statement.

The negative, judgmental attitude of this forum is disgusting.

[Starkist]

Believe what you want. Sitting cleaning barracks for months while on hold was not the job I chose. As it stands, the DEP time, and the hold time in the current pipeline have prevented me from supporting our troops on the front line.

You are absolutely right, I believe I have talents that are better suited for jobs besides holding a rifle on the front lines. It is for that reason I joined in a highly needed, supportive role for the armed forces. But it was my sister and brother-in-law being sent into harms way that made me want to help bring them home. It is for all the others, currently in harms way, I felt it important not to negate their sacrifice. For that reason I decided to contradict your statement.

The negative, judgmental attitude of this forum is disgusting.

Man its like I've never been on hold, and I went straight through the program with no problems... Guess Im just talkin out my butt!  ... oh wait this ain't poly sci.... 




 

[withroaj]

Believe what you want. Sitting cleaning barracks for months while on hold was not the job I chose. As it stands, the DEP time, and the hold time in the current pipeline have prevented me from supporting our troops on the front line.

You are absolutely right, I believe I have talents that are better suited for jobs besides holding a rifle on the front lines. It is for that reason I joined in a highly needed, supportive role for the armed forces. But it was my sister and brother-in-law being sent into harms way that made me want to help bring them home. It is for all the others, currently in harms way, I felt it important not to negate their sacrifice. For that reason I decided to contradict your statement.

The negative, judgmental attitude of this forum is disgusting.

I don't want to come across as too negative, but I hope you understand that the bulk of your time on sea duty will be spent within a few hundred miles of your homeport.  You'll experience a lot of time in which it feels like the purpose of naval nuclear propulsion is to push ships from inspection to inspection, to punch holes in the water for crew proficiency or to act as a training platform catching student pilots.  You'll deploy, though, and you'll find that you spend more time on the diplomatic mission of the Navy, hosting dignitaries in foreign ports with parties that make GSA Vegas trips look like elementary school pizza parties (PolySci?), than you spend actually in theater puttin' warheads on foreheads.

You'll do some cool things in time, though.  My last ship had the opportunity to save lives a few times while on local ops, including making a U-turn when coming home (you could have spit off the ship and it would have landed on the pier) just before Christmas standdown to head out and help a ship in distress.  Clean barracks for now (consider it "paying your dues" before going out and cleaning ships), and you'll get to go play Navy soon enough.  Make sure you have fun with it, and thank you for your service.