STA 21

[effennuke]

Any advice for STA-21 / OCS? 

I was a bit older than most of my shipmates when I enlisted (Went to college for a few years before I ran out of money).  My command career counselor chatted with me and basically suggest I pull my package for STA-21.  He said the CO is unlikely to request a PFA waiver for a sailor with only a little over a year in the Navy since PRIMS only shows that I got a Sat-HIGH for the one PFA that appears (although I have taken multiple PFA's since bootcamp, a-school, power school, etc.)  He also said staff would rank higher than students at a training command, and a student applying is essentially waste of time and resources. 

This is the last year I would be eligible for most of the programs, including core (even with an age waiver).  If STA-21 is no longer an option, should I just get a degree from the fastest school I can (ie Excelsior, Thomas Edison, etc) just to be eligible for OCS?  I feel I would be sacrificing an quality education from some of the NROTC campus (ie Citadel, SUNY Maritime, etc.) just to be commissioned before I'm too old.

[Gamecock]

Any advice for STA-21 / OCS? 

I was a bit older than most of my shipmates when I enlisted (Went to college for a few years before I ran out of money).  My command career counselor chatted with me and basically suggest I pull my package for STA-21.  He said the CO is unlikely to request a PFA waiver for a sailor with only a little over a year in the Navy since PRIMS only shows that I got a Sat-HIGH for the one PFA that appears (although I have taken multiple PFA's since bootcamp, a-school, power school, etc.)  He also said staff would rank higher than students at a training command, and a student applying is essentially waste of time and resources. 

You know what your chances of getting selected are if you don't apply? 

I say put in the package and let the chips fall where they may.

This is the last year I would be eligible for most of the programs, including core (even with an age waiver).  If STA-21 is no longer an option, should I just get a degree from the fastest school I can (ie Excelsior, Thomas Edison, etc) just to be eligible for OCS?  I feel I would be sacrificing an quality education from some of the NROTC campus (ie Citadel, SUNY Maritime, etc.) just to be commissioned before I'm too old.

You are not likely to get OCS with an Excelsior or Thomas Edison degree.

[NukeLDO]

Any advice for STA-21 / OCS? 

just to be commissioned before I'm too old.

And how old is that?  Some of us here resemble that remark.   

[AtlsFinest84]

I am in the say boat as you are. I recently enlisted as a Nuke. I don't ship out until Oct 1. I have attended college and frankly I was never interested in anything I studied. I guess that I why I didn't finish.... Anyway, I'm 24 and I would like to obtain the credentials necessary to earn the privilege of being about of the STA 21 program. I am still passionate about earning a degree I if I'm good enough I believe this combination of education as well a work experience will change my life forever. I am single with no kid(s) (thank GOD!) so I'm willing to put in the time and go anywhere to enter the STA-21 program.

I did a little research and from what I understand there is an allotted number of slots after Navy Nuclear Power School reserved for enlisted Nukes. I have been searching these boards and I have yet to find one example of and individual who have successfully completed Nuclear Power School and was chosen and matriculated through the Navy's STA-21 program.

If there is anyone on this message board who has advanced his or her way to and through STA-21 I would love to hear from you. I want to know what you did and how you did it.

Oh, and being in DEP sucks because I am tired of waiting on tables!

[still_in]

effennuke- PFA scores were emphasized greatly when I went through applying but they were not an automatic disqualification... I think, read the instruction to be sure.  I would apply but just remember it is very difficult to get accepted.  210 Sailors were selected for FY-09 STA-21 out of approximately 270,000 active duty sailors.  While that includes Chiefs and other personnel that did not necessarily apply or were interested, even if you cut that number in half only 0.2% of the Navy was selected.  You chances of being selected as a Nuke go up but not by much. 

I am in the say boat as you are. I recently enlisted as a Nuke. I don't ship out until Oct 1. I have attended college and frankly I was never interested in anything I studied. I guess that I why I didn't finish.... ...... I am still passionate about earning a degree I if I'm good enough I believe this combination of education as well a work experience will change my life forever.

I apologize for picking out sentences but these two greatly contradict each other.  If you apply and are selected as a Nuclear STA-21 option your majors are limited to most engineering degrees, physics, math or chemistry.  I don't know what you studied previously but these majors are not what I would call interesting, extremely difficult is how I would describe them.

During your application process you will have to do multiple interviews and you can bet your pay check that they will ask why you didn't finish college the first time and why the Navy should pay for your second chance.  I would think long and hard about your answer to this question.

Anyway, good luck to both of you.

[Wareal]

A quote from et1nuke on another board:

"I Applied
FY05 Pilot only
FY06 CORE only
->Shore duty lots of time to do college
FY08 Pilot, CORE alt -> Selected!!!

Graduated/Commissioned after three semesters.

Never give up, I commissioned a month and a half before my 29th birthday.
__________________
Reactor Operator -> Pilot transition"

My son has applied three times.  This time, I believe he has a chance.  If he doesn't make it, he'll try again.

Look her for more information regarding the actual numbers:

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



 

[AtlsFinest84]

Antidote:
You:  "Hey Doc it hurts when I move my arm above my head.  What do I do?"
Doc:  "Don't do that then."

My advice to you is stop whining.  Happy content people don't do it.  Try being happy to have a job.  And, then do whatever job you have the very best you can regardless of if it sucks or not.  That is a mark of a true professional.

Oh don't take anything I say personally.  Because I don't know you personally.  But, you signed up to be an ENLISTED NUKE so try to do that well and maybe they pick you up for STA-21.  If they don't then you can a least do that well and with a smile even when it sucks.  And, believe me it will suck from time to time.  Some days it sucks all day long.  All you can do is smile and do the best you can in miserable conditions when the needs of the navy get met first.

You are in the navy now and if they choose you for an Officer program great.  If not then you signed on the dotted line to be an enlisted nuke.  Suck it up Cup'Cake!

Now if you can do that then even if you don't get STA-21 you might get something else down the road as long as you keep you chin up and bust your a$$.

You are right. I will take your advice. I only hate being a waiter because I know I can do more. I made excuses my entire life. That is a fact and it has been hard to face. I have had chance after chance especially academically. I went to college on a full academic scholarship to study pharmacy and guess what? At the age of 19 I blew it. I was out of state and my mother was dying of cancer. I wasn't mature enough to push forward. Instead I began to withdraw from challenges. I could have been making six figures by now!!! It has been 4 years since my mother's death and by the grace of God I walked into the recruiter's office and lucked into Nuke and I'm damn proud of that. All I need is focus, discipline (that's on me) and a little support from the navy.

So yeah...I'm aiming for the top. Nuke is the best program the Navy offers. That's what the pamphlet said. I'm damn proud to have been given the opportunity. I just want to max it out.

I just wanted to say this is a cool board and I wish I would have been coming here sooner instead of B.S.ing on facebook.....

[AtlsFinest84]

A quote from et1nuke on another board:

"I Applied
FY05 Pilot only
FY06 CORE only
->Shore duty lots of time to do college
FY08 Pilot, CORE alt -> Selected!!!

Graduated/Commissioned after three semesters.

Never give up, I commissioned a month and a half before my 29th birthday.
__________________
Reactor Operator -> Pilot transition"

My son has applied three times.  This time, I believe he has a chance.  If he doesn't make it, he'll try again.

Look her for more information regarding the actual numbers:

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



 
Hmmm......I'll just put in major work and keep applying until they tell me I can't.

[goobs22xx]

only 0.2% of the Navy was selected.  You chances of being selected as a Nuke go up but not by much.

Just to play advocate. Only those who are instructors or students in the pipeline can apply for STA-21 Nuke. Here at NPTU Charleston, there are 45ish people putting in. Between NY and NNPTC, I'd say that there being 180-200 people putting in is a pretty conservative estimate. STA-21's goal for Nukes has been 36 for the last two years (and iirc, they picked up more than that one of the two years).

36/200 is 18%....and a lot of the people putting in have absolutely no business in doing so (ie: incredibly lackluster credentials). I'd say your odds of getting selected a Nuke are exponentially higher than putting in for core as a student. You're not competing against very many people with sea time, LPO billets, senior quals....it really is more about your grades (which is a pretty fair comparison across the board) and how well you handle yourself in your interviews. You are, however, competing with Staff Pickups, who we all know are God's chosen.

*puts on flame retardant suit and runs away*

Again, I do agree that it seems tough to get selected (I've seen a lot of people who I thought to be good candidates get turned down) but I think that you're painting an unnecessarily bleak picture with irrelevant statistics such as your .2%.



Edit: There is a link in another thread that directs you to the selection results for the last two years. If I'm reading it correctly, there were only 45 qualified applicants for nuclear last year and 36 were selected. I have a hard time believing that to be the case, but that is what the site says...

[still_in]

Again, I do agree that it seems tough to get selected (I've seen a lot of people who I thought to be good candidates get turned down) but I think that you're painting an unnecessarily bleak picture with irrelevant statistics such as your .2%.

It does seem a little bleak, but not totally irrelavent.  Im not trying to crush anyone's spirit here but as I explained it that statistic is accurate... maybe not the most accurate though.  Your's seem better, as you appear to be more in touch with the training pipeline than I am.  Plus the original poster was talking about all options.  Anyway, at least we can agree that it is a difficult program to get selected for. 

[goobs22xx]

I will admit I got tunnel vision on the "only slightly better chances for nuke" comment, which is what my post largely addressed.

It really should be THE option considered by students in the pipeline/SPUs who don't have other credentials to stand on. You can always put Core as a secondary choice but Nuke is the way to go for your primary.

And it is pretty difficult to get selected for, from what I've seen. And for good reason, it's the best blue shirt opportunity in the Navy, imo. I consider myself pretty ignorant for not putting in before this year (I've been in for 3).

[withroaj]

I consider myself pretty ignorant for not putting in before this year (I've been in for 3).

Nothing ignorant about enlisting and just being enlisted.

[goobs22xx]

I have no qualms with being enlisted, what I suggest as ignorant is not pursuing a free college degree while getting paid and having no other duties, especially when you had two children at a young age and probably won't be able to go to school full time any other way. You also have the fact that they seem to have broader choices in the civilian industry (based on what I've read here), and the retirement clock continues while in school.

I agree, there is nothing ignorant about being/staying enlisted. But given my situation and what I aspire to achieve in the Navy and beyond, it probably wasn't smart to wait until the last possible opportunity to apply for STA-21 nuke when I could've done it twice before as well.

I apologize for my statement coming across the way you interpreted it. That was certainly not what I was trying to say.

[withroaj]

I apologize for my statement coming across the way you interpreted it. That was certainly not what I was trying to say.

No apology needed.  I saw an opening and took a jab.  All in fun, right?

[goobs22xx]

No apology needed.  I saw an opening and took a jab.  All in fun, right?

I felt it could've gone either way. If someone actually interpreted what I said in the context you presented, there's the possibility that it was a lifelong enlisted service member whose career and sacrifice I just dumped on (again, assuming they read it that way)

Couple that possibility with my ever present Nuke 50/50/90 luck, and I wanted to make sure we were all on the same page.

Interpretation over the Internet is a treacherous road. I try to err on the side of caution.   

edit: I just looked at this post (which I typed on my phone) and I fat fingered some stuff.

[still_in]

It really should be THE option considered by students in the pipeline/SPUs who don't have other credentials to stand on. You can always put Core as a secondary choice but Nuke is the way to go for your primary.

I get where your coming from on this one but I just wanted to bring up a point.  It is not the only option that these guys should be putting in for.  A lot depends on your command ranking among candidates.  For example, in my NSI class there was a NNPTC student that wanted nothing more than to go pilot. In fact, he was the #1 candidate at the command.  Even though the command tried to drop his ranking to 30 or so just because he wanted to go pilot, he requested special Captain's Mast and was given the #1 ranking. He was selected pilot.

Point being, Nuke is the "easiest" to get selected for but its not worth settling for.  If its not what you want to do, college and the subsequent 5 year commitment will be very painful.

Also, good luck with your application.