Denuked for migraines...Please Help

[jopanida]

I am a nuke ET on the USS Enterprise. I have not completed my quals yet for senior in rate. I have done well in the pipeline and was doing well in quals until these migraines got bad. I have developed migraines since coming to the ship and the low end medication is not working. The medication they want to give me will cause me to be denuked. I have several questions/concerns about this.

1. I re-enlisted 7 months ago. Will I have to pay back the portion of the bonus I received or just not get the rest?

2. If I am not senior in rate yet, will I still be able to get a nuke job if I get out of the navy?

3. If I cross rate, will I lose my rank of second class?

4. I put in for STA-21 and will not hear about it until October. Will being denuked forfeit my officer package?

5. What are good rates to choose that are less stressful and have relatively quick advancement?

Any other information would be very helpful. I have a wife and son so I am very concerned about what is going to happen.

[bradley535]

Ouch, that is not a good scenario to be in, and rather specific too. Such rare medical questioning; however, is not really something I would ask here. Even if someone has gone through such an event, even a single year can change the outcome of what will happen. The best place you can go for advice concerning this is your Command Career Councilor. They can answer each question you have to the detail you will need, or they will find your answer.

I will tell you this; there were two EMs that had medical issues that got them reassigned on my boat. Both were treated fairly, and they left with no hard feelings and no bad consequences. I would imagine that you will be treated the same. The Navy, though often staunch in it's punishment of wrong doers, is a government machine. The current climate of the government is one of political correctness. That means that you will not get mistreated for color, creed, gender, religion, blah, blah, blah... +medical condition.

Some people here can give you some quick advice and some old Usta-Was-the-Way stories, just like the one I've given above, but only the Command Career Councilor and other Navy resources will have the real gouge.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[DLGN25]

You are an ET, will always be an ET, so dropping from nuke status will not change that, you will retain your E-5 status, provided you are capable of carrying out conventional ET duties.  On a ship the size of Enterprise, it could be that you would simply change berthing and divisional assignment.  As far as the officer program goes, you only have to be concerned about health issues holding you back.  If health/medication status prevent you from being an non-nuke ET, then they will probably keep you from becoming an officer, and I am sorry to say, you are probably looking at a medical discharge.