Nuke Deppers, Ship Dates, and Stories

[deltarho]

I made it through boot camp just fine. I'm now <5 weeks away from completing A-school as an MM and I can say that I am having a blast! for those wondering, boot camp is super easy these days. Basically if you can fold your clothes like they tell you to and pass the PFA you'll be fine. Boot camp is nothing more than a mind game. Once you make it to Goose Creek, remember a few simple rules; don't do anything stupid (you'll be well aware of what that means by the time you get here), don't spend your boot camp fortune on stupid stuff, don't short your study hours- de extra if you aren't sure about something, and don't let school stress you out. Follow this and you will do just fine. That's literally all I've done and I'm the proud owner of a 3.68gpa and second spot overall in my class after 9+ weeks.

The number one guy better be a nuke, too; otherwise, you need to redirect your priorities to become: Academic Leader.  Trust me, if not you may miss out on the full gambit of the "farging nuke" jibes--truly, character building at its best.

[thunderhead27]

Hi everybody!  Another navy nuke prospect here, slated to ship out on March 15, 2010 (an 8 month wait since I swore in!).  The wait is killing me and I'm growing really restless now.  I asked my recruiter to put in a DAR for me, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!  Guess I'll have to "hurry up and wait."

This forum has been an immense help to me.  Thanks guys!

[Jechtm]

Hi everybody!  Another navy nuke prospect here, slated to ship out on March 15, 2010  (an 8 month wait since I swore in!).  The wait is killing me and I'm growing really restless now.  I asked my recruiter to put in a DAR for me, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!  Guess I'll have to "hurry up and wait."

This forum has been an immense help to me.  Thanks guys!



I think you're UA buddy,....

He missed the bus =/

[karpinskeet]

Hello,
I entered DEP on July 1, 2010, and am set to leave for RTC on March 14, 2011. I have learned to become excited about going to boot because it will simply make the transition smoother. I am excited for rate I get.

Thanks to all who post!

[thunderhead27]

I think you're UA buddy,....

Haha, oops.  I meant March 15, 2011.  Butterfingers...

[karpinskeet]

Could leaving early for basic training alter the amount of my enlistment bonus?

[Gamecock]

Could leaving early for basic training alter the amount of my enlistment bonus?

Yes

[shocker]

So as an update - I am 41 days away from shipping... and I am antsy as hell.

In case my example can help anyone else - I just went through a one-month period of having my stomach drop and planning what I would do if I didn't end up going to bootcamp.  I felt like I was on the end of the ramp about to jump from a plane and was having severe second thoughts about joining.

Now - I'm through it.  I can not wait to get to Great Lakes.  As messed up as it sounds I honestly feel BOOTCAMP, let alone the rest of my time in the navy, will be better than my current job and lifestyle.  So to anyone who is having the same feelings as we go through our long waits in DEP, hang in there.  Remember why you signed up in the first place and eventually you'll get the excitement back! :-P

[Jechtm]

So as an update - I am 41 days away from shipping... and I am antsy as hell.

In case my example can help anyone else - I just went through a one-month period of having my stomach drop and planning what I would do if I didn't end up going to bootcamp.  I felt like I was on the end of the ramp about to jump from a plane and was having severe second thoughts about joining.

Now - I'm through it.  I can not wait to get to Great Lakes.  As messed up as it sounds I honestly feel BOOTCAMP, let alone the rest of my time in the navy, will be better than my current job and lifestyle.  So to anyone who is having the same feelings as we go through our long waits in DEP, hang in there.  Remember why you signed up in the first place and eventually you'll get the excitement back! :-P

Hint for bootcamp.
Its not hard but nothing will really prepare you for it. Have fun with it!

And when your done you'll look back at your achievement then agree with me when I say 'Man that wasn't bad at all, but I'd never wanna do that again!'

Enjoy your last days at home

[Frogman164]

I still have 147 days left until I'm out for RTC; I can't wait for bootcamp (I did a two week bootcamp at an MCRD for Sea Cadets many years ago so I know what to expect) but I'm still deciding whether I should do the 900 Division since you lengthen your stay by a week- I just might from what I've heard I could be waiting a few months in Charleston waiting for A school slots to fill up.

[shocker]

Actually on that topic - I heard about a 600 division where bootcamp is accelerated to 6 weeks instead of 8.  Was that a pipe-dream or does such a thing exist?

[Frogman164]

Actually on that topic - I heard about a 600 division where bootcamp is accelerated to 6 weeks instead of 8.  Was that a pipe-dream or does such a thing exist?

I don't imagine it exists. Thinking about it, you would logically be ahead 2 weeks than everyone else- meaning you skip something or condense it further. Doesn't seem like the way to handle people fresh off from momma's couch.

Googling didn't bring any result on the 600 division, who told you about it?

[shocker]

My recruiter first told me about it and then I saw a letter from one of the people from my DEP pool who called it a "push" division.  Any idea how getting into one of those works? Luck?

[deltarho]

Haha, oops.  I meant March 15, 2011.  Butterfingers...

Have you ever heard: "Beware the ides of March"?  I'm not talking about that hip band from the '70s known best for "Vehicle" either!  You might want to postpone your departure 17 days and start the first day of April.






I slay me...

[Frogman164]

My recruiter first told me about it and then I saw a letter from one of the people from my DEP pool who called it a "push" division.  Any idea how getting into one of those works? Luck?

I googled push division, lo and behold it exists. Wouldn't have the slightest clue on how to get in there but I imagine it has to do with when you arrive at RCT (and P days probably screw the scheduling up) and they try to squeeze you in with the previous class because your A school start date and RCT grad date.

So my understanding was it doesn't make you graduate any earlier but more of compensating the timing problems of when you arrived, going through P days and into the division.

[Golly Orby]

I'm not entirely sure what the difference between a "normal" bootcamp experience and being in a push division is, since I was in one of those push divisions.  I imagine it was probably the reason we ended up doing graduation practice immediately after battle stations.

I'm pretty sure there wasn't a single person in my entire division who wasn't fighting sleep while standing there for ages.

There also wasn't a whole lot of time to make up for missed training events, but I can't imagine that being too different in other divisions.  Since we still had SIQ's from dental, I almost missed my marksmanship ribbon by standing watch in the compartment when the division went for their scheduled time at the firing range.  I ended up "straggling" with another division a couple days before battle stations to get my shot (so to speak).

[HydroDave63]

I'm not entirely sure what the difference between a "normal" bootcamp experience and being in a push division is, since I was in one of those push divisions.  I imagine it was probably the reason we ended up doing graduation practice immediately after battle stations.

The DEPers might benefit from a definition of "battle stations" in the context of modern bootcamp. I'd offer to do the typing, but back in the good old days all we had were the real thing from radar lock-ons and torpedo in the water... 

[yota]

Anyone wondering about battlestations can do a simple search on youtube for "Navy boot camp" and watch part 2 of 2. I won't get into specifics about it, so as not to ruin the experience for anyone who hasn't done it but will eventually, but I will say this: it was really fun, hard to stay awake during downtime, and something I wouldn't want to go through again. Imagine a large fake ship in a warehouse, as shown in the youtube video, and apply what you learn during basic training to the evolution while extremely tired and you'll have a pretty good idea of what to expect.

[Jechtm]

Anyone wondering about battlestations can do a simple search on youtube for "Navy boot camp" and watch part 2 of 2. I won't get into specifics about it, so as not to ruin the experience for anyone who hasn't done it but will eventually, but I will say this: it was really fun, hard to stay awake during downtime, and something I wouldn't want to go through again. Imagine a large fake ship in a warehouse, as shown in the youtube video, and apply what you learn during basic training to the evolution while extremely tired and you'll have a pretty good idea of what to expect.

I'm not showing off or whatever but I was appointed to lead half of the evolutions, it was the most fun I had throughout bootcamp. My group was really fun to work with, the meaning of teamwork really comes out at Battlestations. Like I said before, Have fun with it and never give up.

[Golly Orby]

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/4288185

I'm not sure how it fares compared to previous battlestations, but I imagine finding your next destination by compartment number was probably difficult to simulate.  I think the little details like that are where the current battlesations shines.  When I asked some friends of mine who went through boot camp five or six years ago, all they remember from battlestations is that they had to run around the base from place to place all night.  I mostly remember the choices I made during our events and which ones ended up being bad ones.

[S3GLMS]

     When I went to bootcamp, back in the day - late 1980's, to qualify the response here.  I was immediately grabbed (By my own volunteering with four others) and put into the Drill and choir group my first week.  After 9 days I was essentially done with the company, they forced us to take the final bootcamp physical training test and if we passed it, we were done with PT tests for the rest of Boot Camp.  We had a different schedule than the other companies, we got up earlier every day and did real simple calisthetics, breakfast and then drill/choir training for about three hours then it was off to lunch and afternoon classroom navy military training stuff.  After 4:00 PM everyday we were back in the barracks adn we did not have to do anything with thcompany like marches or anything else.  It was pretty easy and low stress compared to how the rest of our boot camp company training went.  It was pretty sweet deal back in Orlando at the time. I was there over Easter holiday, and we sat in the Pool/Gymnasium (WSPT building in Navy Terms) watching movies and ate pizza with the staff all day.  I look back on that whole 8 weeks and I hardly even remember anything bad because it flew by and I was glad to be over with that "recruit" stage. 

     We had a really fake ship mockup, the USS Bluejacket to pretend to do Battlestation drills and run around to different locations.  It was not all that realistic, no sound powered phones ar any fun navigational stuff.  Bootcamp seems long but it sure has its purpose.  The guys who served as drill instructors all tried to explain the their philosophy to me which was "We create a product for the Navy".  When each sailor leaves bootcamp, they know how to salute and the basic rank structures and the terms used in the navy.  They strive to hit that mark with every graduate.  So, whoa be fall you, the first week out of Bootcamp and you ignore saluting the Captain of "A" School.  They know everyone was taught how to do it and when at Boot camp.  No sympathy from anyone about that kind of stuff.  The montra, "never Volunteer for anything" may be true at times, but in boot camp when I volunteered for the drill team it worked out for the best I think.

[RAventurini]

I almost depped in last week but as it turns out, something came up about me having dual citizenship in the U.S. AND Canada because my mother is a Canadian citizen. SO I have to get my CA citizenship revoked before I can go in; however in order to do that I need a U.S. passport which I currently do not have and will take about 6 weeks to get. That was just one of many set backs I've had since I started joining but I'm trying to not let any of them deter me from my goal. Although reading some of the horror stories about Nuke school has made me a bit nervous. I've been offered a few other jobs such as Spec ops positions and Advanced Comp. electronics in subs, but I'm doing my best to stay true to Nuke although since I qualify asa pilot I might consider that if it gets thrown my way 

[Jechtm]

I almost depped in last week but as it turns out, something came up about me having dual citizenship in the U.S. AND Canada because my mother is a Canadian citizen. SO I have to get my CA citizenship revoked before I can go in; however in order to do that I need a U.S. passport which I currently do not have and will take about 6 weeks to get. That was just one of many set backs I've had since I started joining but I'm trying to not let any of them deter me from my goal. Although reading some of the horror stories about Nuke school has made me a bit nervous. I've been offered a few other jobs such as Spec ops positions and Advanced Comp. electronics in subs, but I'm doing my best to stay true to Nuke although since I qualify asa pilot I might consider that if it gets thrown my way 

Stop listening to these horror stories. Do what you want to do. And enjoy your time wherever you are. I don't consider myself a nuke at all until I qualify on my first ship. Don't worry about being a Nuke yet, become a sailor first.

[drumstick]

Took the ASVAB and NAPT and qualifed for nuke on both. However due to poor grades, I needed to get an academic waiver, which went through earlier this week. I signed my Nuke contract today. Shipping out 20110615.

[MCWunjo]

I needed three waivers for poor grades, failing grades, and a GED. A lot of people were saying it was impossible due to my GED and my recruiter on paper wouldn't even give me the waivers to fill out, but the head of the office likes challenges. We did it! Ship date 20110907.