Advice regarding Nuclear Program?

[jabONE]

Ok I am taking the Nuclear Test on Monday to see if I qualify for the Nuke program. If I pass I will go into the Nuke program enlisted, but my eventual goal is to get my bachelor's degree and go into OCS so I can eventually be either a Submarine Officer or a Naval Reactors Engineer. Can I attend college while in the service so that I can get my bachelor's degree, or what? I know I will have to work hard for what I want and I am prepared for that, but I also want to take the most direct and easiest way to get into OCS. I do not have the money to attend college on my own which is where joining the Navy comes in. And if I do go for my degree, should I get my degree in something like Nuclear Engineering or a Physics degree?

[Fermi2]

Ok someone, swing the big foot, I know a great posterior target..

[co60slr]

Ok I am taking the Nuclear Test on Monday to see if I qualify for the Nuke program. If I pass I will go into the Nuke program enlisted, but my eventual goal is to get my bachelor's degree and go into OCS so I can eventually be either a Submarine Officer or a Naval Reactors Engineer. Can I attend college while in the service so that I can get my bachelor's degree, or what? I know I will have to work hard for what I want and I am prepared for that, but I also want to take the most direct and easiest way to get into OCS. I do not have the money to attend college on my own which is where joining the Navy comes in. And if I do go for my degree, should I get my degree in something like Nuclear Engineering or a Physics degree?

While we await a more professional response from Broadzilla on HIS engineering degree and Naval Officer experience, I'll add my $0.02.  It's pretty obvious when our grumpy old Shift Manager is sitting in his control room bored on the night shift.

There are many threads/discussions here on the subject of enlisted/officer at the juncture you're now at.   Many people go enlisted for a variety of personal reasons, others have their goals ironed out early and head straight to college (ROTC, NUPOC, etc) and hit a home run.  I recommend you speak with an Officer Recruiter *and* an Enlisted Recruiter and bounce what you think you can do off the contemporary experts.

Once your choose enlisted, you'll have to hit that path hard with 110% effort, so no...you won't have time for your engineering degree for the first few years of training.  The most direct route to OSC is to bypass the enlisted tour and go straight to college. 

A degree in something that has the word "engineering" should be your goal for a technical/management future.   However, any technical degree (e.g., physics, engineering) will launch you into a professional career nicely.

Don't worry about job titles (e.g., NR Engineer) yet.  Any future employer, especially NR, wants to see effort and a high GPA, as will an officer selection board if you decide to go enlisted to officer later.  Roll up your sleeves, get to work, and the rewards will come your way.  It's all GPA.

Co60

[Fermi2]

Just pointing out the information he was seeking has been asked millions of times before. Oh and I'll point out something else, the NEXT time I work for a Naval Officer will be the first time since I got out of the Navy 20 years ago.

[jabONE]

Thank you Co60 for your input. And Broadzilla, I am new here and I searched all I could for something similar to my question and couldn't find anything. Maybe I just overlooked it but I just couldn't find it and I really want advice as I am taking the Navy Nuke test on Monday. As for the going to college first, that is the whole purpose of me going Navy was for them to pay for college. I do not have the money to attend college on my own as I blew my chance for that 3 years ago when I attended college right out of high school. Almost made it through the first semester when I decided that school wasn't for me so I stopped showing up about 2 weeks prior to the end of the semester. At that point I was still undecided with what I wanted to do with my life, but now that I've figured it out I know I want to go Navy Nuke and get to OCS as easily and quick as possible. So how could I get contact with an officer recruiter as I am already in contact with an enlisted recruiter?

[co60slr]

Just pointing out the information he was seeking has been asked millions of times before. Oh and I'll point out something else, the NEXT time I work for a Naval Officer will be the first time since I got out of the Navy 20 years ago.

Someone has posted questions here about how to obtain a commission in the Navy: Getting In section before?   Thanks for your illumination, but many of us assume that to be the purpose of this subforum.  However, since your posting was grammatically incorrect it was difficult for me to figure out exactly what you were trying to say. 

Likewise, I'll point out something else:  NO ONE has to answer to Broadzilla before enlisting in the Nuclear Navy (or getting into Commercial Nuclear Power for that matter).   

[co60slr]

I do not have the money to attend college on my own as I blew my chance for that 3 years ago when I attended college right out of high school. Almost made it through the first semester when I decided that school wasn't for me so I stopped showing up about 2 weeks prior to the end of the semester.

I've heard this story a million times.   Perhaps lived part of it myself.  One can "find yourself" in a successful Enlisted career and then the sky is the limit.   Again...don't give anything short of 110%...not for your supervisors, but for yourself.

Co60

[jabONE]

Yes Marssim thank you for your post. I want to go into the Nuke program because that's what I want to do. I want to be a Nuke. But I also want to get to OCS and become an officer which I know requires a bachelor's degree. I do not really have the money to pay for school unless I take out student loans(and I am very hesitant to do this) because I already have one outstanding loan that is about 1,000 dollars right now. So that's where enlisting would pay for my schooling. But I am afraid that if I enlist now that I will not have the time to focus on school while I'm in the Navy and even if I do have the time that when it comes time for me to get my bachelor's degree then I won't be able to get into OCS. Things I've seen people post on here say that it is difficult for someone enlisted to get a degree and go to OCS as opposed to someone who goes to school first and either finishes on their own before OCS or uses NUPOC to finish. I just want to find out what the easiest way to become an officer would be. As it looks it seems to me my best bet would be to take out student loans for 2 years, apply for the NUPOC, and if I get it go through that and then OCS.

[jabONE]

Well thank you again Marssim your advice was greatly appreciated as was yours Co60. I still have to get a 61 on the NUKE test to even qualify for the NUKE program and I am taking it on Monday. I want to pass it more than anything right now, that's my main concern for now. So depending on how I do I will talk to my Enlisted recruiter, and I will definitely be getting in touch with an Officer recruiter as well so I can weigh down both options.

[RRhoads]

Ok someone, swing the big foot, I know a great posterior target..

Hum....i see someone is back here posting again???
So much for integrity, but expectations were low to begin with.
Just proves much of what you say is BS!

[KUrunner]

I want to point out that even with a college degree, OCS isn't a sure thing.  

How old are you now?  You have to be younger than 26 1/2 (or 29 1/2 with a waiver) by the time you graduate from OCS.  It will take you AT LEAST two years to get through the pipeline (maybe more depending on the prototype situation.)  Once you are on your boat, you'll need to focus on getting qualified before you start taking classes.  So plan on about 3-4 years before you can even start your degree.  Then, it will take you AT LEAST another 2 years to finish that degree depending on your school and major.  You probably won't be able to take a full course load while you're still in the Navy (and apparently it's even harder if you're on a sub.)  Once you do have that degree, it could be YEARS before you get picked up for OCS, if ever.

By the time you get your degree, you'll probably be at your six year point anyways (and 6 years older).  

So make sure that you're willing to live as an enlisted nuke before you sign up.  If you're only enlisting because you want to be an officer, get a job, take out some loans, and work your ass off.  Apply for NUPOC or get your degree and apply directly to OCS.  


Edit:  I also want to point out that going to school while working a more than full-time job is a lot harder than going to school at 18 with no commitments.  Obviously, it can be done, but usually not without some sort of sacrifice.

[KUrunner]

I completely don't know why I didn't think of this sooner, but your best bet if you choose to enlist is STA-21.  Like OCS, the acceptance rates are really low right now, but it makes more sense than getting your degree on your own just to do OCS.

[MMM]

Keep in mind, SWO-N isn't the only option for OCS. I know two nukes who were picked up for non-nuke SWO in the last year. If you want to stay nuke, your best bet is STA-21, where you'll get sent to college for three years year round.

[jabONE]

I am currently 22 years old but will be 23 in December. I called the Officer Recruiting Station today and talked with a lady who is retired Navy that works there and she said my best bet would be to enlist and go through Nuke Scool and the Pipeline. She said that almost all if not all of the training and schooling you will get being a Nuke will translate directly into college credits and that from all of that alone I could have up to 3 years worth of college credits. She said that I would then only need to really take like 1 year of college and do my general studies(History, English, etc.) and then I could have my Bachelor's degree and apply for OCS. I talked to my Enlisted Recruiter as well to see if this was true and he said the same thing as the lady at the Officer Recruiting Station. So really this seems to be my best way of going and trying to get into OCS.

[Yaeger]

That's so much crap. You need to do a lot more research into this if your end goal is to become an officer.

First, research the different programs the Navy has to complete a degree and then go Active Duty Officer. NROTC, or foot the bill yourself and apply for OCS as a civilian.

Secondly, as enlisted you have a harder path and a longer time to spend toiling away cleaning crap from some dirty bilge. But, if you're a stellar cleaner you can get picked up for STA-21. Possibly if you put forth a herculean effort you can earn your degree while Active duty enlisted (most likely on shore duty) 6-8 years after you joined. THEN you can apply for OCS.

Three years of college credits from the Naval Nuclear Program is utter BS. Most accredited colleges and universities might give you 6 months worth of credits if you're lucky. That still leaves 3.5 years of college education to knock out on your own.

My recommendation is this, enjoy the civilian life and take the fast-track to becoming an officer by putting forth the effort NOW. Go to college, get that degree, and try and get the military to pay for it if you can.

[KUrunner]

That's so much crap. You need to do a lot more research into this if your end goal is to become an officer.

Three years of college credits from the Naval Nuclear Program is utter BS. Most accredited colleges and universities might give you 6 months worth of credits if you're lucky. That still leaves 3.5 years of college education to knock out on your own.

This is 100% true.  As I said, the credits you get will depend on your college and your major, but there is pretty much no way to get 3+ years of college waived from nuke school.  I have a degree in Chemistry from the University of Kansas.  The Chemistry department gave me 26 credits - about a year of full time school.  Those credits were given in place of electives.  I still had to take chemistry, physics, math, etc.  The School of Engineering would give me a whopping ZERO transfer credits (which is why I'm a chemist and not a mechanical engineer).  

Nuke school is hard, but only because it's fast paced.  Math in nuke school isn't calculus.  Chemistry doesn't even teach you the first month of gen chem.  

Plus, to go to OCS as a nuke, you have to have 2 semesters as calculus and 2 semesters of calculus-based physics.  You can't get credit for that from your time in the pipeline.  Since Physics is a lab-based science, you can't take it online while on a boat.

[co60slr]

I thought I had nothing left to say, that I didn't really care about this anymore but dammit kid you seem to be flip flopping on me here, (of course, I could be wrong, internet text can be very misleading as to people's true intentions).

.  (Laughing...)

I still can't figure out how I arranged a 20+ career in the 80s without Nukeworker, Facebook, etc.   Perhaps I didn't have a choice...I took a leap into the unknown abyss and never looked back.   I saw my first submarine (picture or otherwise) in PCAN.  A sub crew gave me a very nice tour but then told me to get back to Orlando and study.  <grin>  I love being a "nuke".

Is the OP a risk taker (i.e., "go for it") or risk averse (i.e., I have to cover ALL my bases first)?

Me thinks he has all the required information and is just "talking out loud" and/or digesting all this information, which is fine. I'll look for his postings in a year (boot camp), 2 years (NPS), 3 years (hits the fleet), 4 years ("should I reup?), 5 years ("what's an AUO"), 6 years ("should I qualify EWS"), 7 years ("TESC degree"), 8 years ("Am I qualified for SRO"), 20 years ("am I qualified to be a Plant Manager").   <grin>   Fun process to watch...especially having lived it.

r/Co60

[JsonD13]

The recruiter and the retired lady are telling you partial truths.  You can go right ahead and get an acreditted degree within 1 year of completing all your Navy nuke school training.  How do I know this?  I did it.  There are caveats though.

For one,  I was picked up as a staff instructor after my initial training.  This allowed me to go to school in my off time.  Another was that I did not get my degree from the most "respected" school, but they are acreddited and gave me alot of credits (Thomas Edison State College is the name).

As for those who say you can't get that degree I say baloney.  You can get that degree and it will open up many doors (I am wrapping up my second masters this summer), however OCS with that degree will be very very tough.  The school is not considered one of the better schools and that matters when you apply to a comissioning program.  It is kind of funny how that tier system works, but thats another thought and another topic.


Jason

[KUrunner]

I agree that where you get your degree from *probably* doesn't matter.  Of course, it's a very competitive program and if there's one spot and 10 applicants with the same GPA, great recommendations, evals, etc., I'd imagine they'd go with the "better" degree.  But then again, I'm not the one picking the sailors.

However, you have to be hand selected by the admiral to become a nuke officer.  If you make it that far, you'll have an interview with him.  He's going to ask you some really tough science, engineering, and math questions.  If you don't know the answer to those, it doesn't matter where you're degree is from, because he's not going to pick you.  If you get a TESC degree with your nuke credits and take a couple extra classes without taking those science, engineering, and math classes, you're not going to make it through your interview.  Granted, you can study up on your own, but you're not going to have the time you imagine you will. 

[co60slr]

He's going to ask you some really tough science, engineering, and math questions. 

If you don't know the answer to those, it doesn't matter where you're degree is from, because he's not going to pick you. 

If you get a TESC degree with your nuke credits and take a couple extra classes without taking those science, engineering, and math classes, you're not going to make it through your interview. 

Every sentence above is incorrect.

Co60

[jabONE]

Now I don't know if this is true or not either, but the recruiter also told me that MIT are the ones who designed the Navy's Nuclear Program and that through MIT my training could transfer to AS MUCH AS 3 years worth of college credit's and that I would only need to take 1 maybe 2 year's tops worth of schooling to get my degree in Nuclear Physics from MIT. He said I could just take online coursers through MIT in my own time to finish my degree and then apply for OCS. If worse comes to worse, I'll just go ahead and go enlisted and if I don't get what I want oh well. I'll try to work as hard as I can for what I want but I know there is no guarantee and either way I'll be better off than I am now. Working at Wal-Mart is not what I have in mind for a career. LOL

[co60slr]

...through MIT my training could transfer to AS MUCH AS 3 years worth of college credit's and that I would only need to take 1 maybe 2 year's tops worth of schooling to get my degree in Nuclear Physics from MIT.

He said I could just take online coursers through MIT in my own time to finish my degree and then apply for OCS.

What ORNL/MIT did for the NNPP has no bearing on your college degree.   Gamecock is a MIT grad and he has information/answers buried here in the forums somewhere.   Very few colleges (including MIT) award credit for enlisted NPS for nuclear engineering (or physics).  MIT does have a program for Nuke Officers to obtain a Master's degree, which is what your recruiter may be confusing.

While you're waiting for Boot Camp, read "The Rickover Effect" or one of the other books out there about how ADM. Rickover started the NNPP.  You'll see many of the core fundamentals he started still at work in 2010.

MIT does have online courses...but online degree programs?   You can validate/invalidate what the recruiter told you (mostly BS, I think) at MIT.edu.  Or better yet, call MIT and ask them your questions directly.   (First rule of being a nuke:  "Trust, but validate").

In the end, an enlisted recruiter is no more likely to encourage you into direct officer programs than a Ford car salesman is to send you to a BMW dealership.   However, in the end, YOU have to do what is right for YOU and your situation.   Just understand that trying to get college/officer later in life is harder, but many of us have done it.

Co60

[MMM]

As far as I know, there are only 2 colleges that offer over about 30 credits for the nuke pipeline. TESC (Thomas Edison State College), which gave about 90 credits when I got my degree through them and Excelsior, which offers about the same. Both are accredited, however TESC is not ABET accredited. I heard a few years ago they were working on changing that, but I don't know if it ever happened. Any ABET accredited university will likely require calc based physics and chemistry, plus labs, which I haven't been able to find online, although that was about 6 years ago.

Something else to think about, you will not be eligible for TA or the GI Bill while going through the pipeline, as you're in a student status. With the new TA rules, you won't be eligible for TA for the first year at your first command, so you're looking at 3 years before you can start using TA. NCPACE courses are available, if your ship is deploying, but I've never seen them offer anything particularly useful for a technical degree, mostly they have core courses (Philosophy, English, History, etc) that you couls probably CLEP out of. Which is another thing, most universities have a limit on how many credits you can transfer to them, so make sure you have all that info before you take extra classes/tests, so you can focus a little better. If you want more info about these, check out https://www.navycollege.navy.mil/.

Just for the record, I think a lot of the posters are former navy, and the rules have changed. It lookslike the rules will be changing again soon, due to fiscal restraints. I hope this make some sense, as I'm nearing the end of a duty day.

[KUrunner]

Every sentence above is incorrect.

Co60

My apologies if this information was wrong. 

My ex-husband is a nuke officer (was picked up STA-21 from Power School and had the dreaded interview) and said that's how it worked. 

[co60slr]

My apologies if this information was wrong. 

My ex-husband is a nuke officer (was picked up STA-21 from Power School and had the dreaded interview) and said that's how it worked. 

No apologies necessary.  Many people speak of this "dreaded interview" on this and other Forums at length.   

Usually, the ADM asks much harder questions that are not academic.   "Why did you not do your best and get a 4.0 GPA?"  Etc.   Sometimes there are no right/wrong answers, but how you answer and your particular situation is what is being assessed.   

Now the 3-4 interviewers before the ADM...those you have to worry about.