Hello everyone! I've been looking through these forums trying to find something about Nuke life for married females, but I haven't really found anything that answered my questions. Thanks in advance for the responses!
I am 21 years old, with a Bachelor's degree. I scored a 99 on the ASVAB (I don't have my individual scores in front of me at the moment.) I Depped in back in July 2010 as a CTI after passing the DLAB with a 133. My ship date is March 2011. CTI was my first choice, with Nuke as a backup in case I didn't pass the DLAB. Both require about 18 months of training, and both are very tough programs with high dropout rates. Both require a 6 year contract. Either way I know that I am in for a lot of work.
I got a call from my recruiter yesterday, saying that the guy in charge of the Nuke recruiting in the area saw my ASVAB scores and called them. He wanted permission to call me to discuss the nuke program. I said sure, I'll hear him out, and he should be calling me this evening. I spent last night re-comparing the two programs. My recruiter also mentioned something in the neighborhood of $20k for a bonus. I'm trying to figure out which program would be better for my situation.
Like I said, I am a married female, and have a husband and future family to think about. The timeline as far as training completion goes is about the same, so it still puts us at somewhere in the neighborhood of 2 years before we can consider having children. No big deal there, we're still undecided on whether or not we plan to have them at all. I worked full time starting in my senior year of high school, in addition to taking college classes at the time. I'm used to having my plate full at all times, and he's pretty much used to my ever changing schedule and long hours. There have been times when I've left home at 5:30am and come home at 8:30pm to shower, eat, and study before collapsing into bed. I know that's not quite as extreme as the Nuke schedules I've read about on these boards, but considering I started doing that at 17, I think I'm in good shape for adapting to the hectic life of a Nuke.
Neither program has a high rate of "career" members. I sincerely hope things will go well enough for me to stay in long term, but to be practical, for now I'm going to plan on getting out after my 6 years. It seems to me that Nuke offers a better future potential (higher salary, more job options, etc.) than CTI. The $20k bonus is also appealing, considering I'm getting nothing now, and $20k would take care of all of our debt. But, as far as interest goes, I think I would probably enjoy the 6 years more as a CTI. I'm trying to plan for the longterm here, and would like to do something to make myself more hireable after my time in the Navy. However, I'd also prefer not to spend 6 years hating life. I'm used to working hard, and that doesn't scare me. I've had jobs that I despised, but I stayed and still did my job well. To those who have completed Nuke and left, was it worth the time and effort once you got to the private sector?
What happens when a female Nuke gets pregnant (after training)? Are there any female Nukes out there that can describe their experience? I know it isn't safe for a fetus to be exposed to the radiation, so what do they have you do during the nine months? How long do you get for maternity leave, and are there any negative side effects to the baby if you're breastfeeding after working around the radiation? What do they have you do if you find out you're pregnant after your ship has left?
I've read all of the posts giving advice to and about wives and girlfriends of Nukes, but I haven't been able to find anything pertaining to Nuke husbands. It seems like the majority of Nukes are male. If there are any Nuke hubbies out there, or anyone who knows one, I would appreciate your take on the program. Obviously, he doesn't have to worry about how to fix the car or the leaky faucet or who's going to kill the spiders. My biggest concern would be the finances, which I generally take care of. We've already pretty much worked out how the bills are going to get paid while I'm at RTC, but will there be a quick few minutes here and there for me to schedule a bill payment during training? Worst case scenario I can always set everything up to be auto-paid by the credit card and then just pay that one bill. (Note, it's not that he can't manage the money, it's just that I like it done a certain way and prefer to take care of it myself.)
I'm sorry this is so long, I know there are a lot of questions here! I know no one can give me an absolute "this is the best option for you" answer, and I don't expect that. I really just want your opinions/experiences/advice. My husband and I have been together for 4 years, and married for 6 months. Our marriage is strong, and we trust each other. (If that weren't the case, I wouldn't be going in the military at all.) We have discussed it, and we both realize that this is going to make the next few years of our lives rough, but will help make it easier for us in the long run and allow us to enjoy the rest of our lives together. Thanks again!
