.... However, you were in the minority if you made the best of it (at least from my experience of 8 years in the Navy).
Back in the '60's, nukes came from the top 3-5% of the Navy, but then again there was the draft and a war. Most of the nukes I knew had some college education. Through power school and prototype, some dropped out, most for psychiatric problems resulting from not being able to cope with the pressure. Those who otherwise dropped out, got quality assignments to places like Gitmo (not kidding here).
Once in the fleet, at least on Bainbridge, all qualified within 4-5 months for their senior watch stations and there was no cheating. We were responsible enough to know that cheating was not only wrong, but hazardous to the plant.
Now there were those, like me, who hated nuclear power, while we were in the minority, we did our jobs. Most nukes did their six and got out. One of my buddies got out, got his degree in nuclear engineering and went on to become a startup engineer in Illinois, another got his degree in electrical engineering and also ended up in Illinois, as did three others who went directly into instrumentation. I became an accountant. Only one I knew had problems after the Navy, and that was for acute alcoholism.
Now all this said, we were not perfect, things did happen that brought a couple of visits from Rickover, but we were always professional when in the plants.
Just sad to see that with all the bonus money being doled out (which we had none) that things have apparently deteriorated.
Oh, one thing that made life somewhat easier back then was that the Navy, even for nukes, the duty rotation was two years sea duty, two years ashore, then sea duty. For some, within 6 years, they qualified on prototype sub plants, D2G plants, and the A1W prototype as instructors.
