Entry Question

[dinochop]

I was once in the DEP program in high school to go in as a nuke. However, I ended up not going. I am now about to be 21 and have changed my mind. The recruiter is telling me that there is a chance I could be denied because I got out of the DEP program. He said that he has to ask the ladder to get me a second chance. I made a 93 on the ASVAB in high school. However, now I have to retake it because it's been over two years since I took the test. Made an 88 on the practice test at the recruit station. The recruiter said I do have a good chance, though, because of my score and the fact that I'm a female. However, he said the Navy is overmanned right now and is more interested in high school females with high schores. Has this happened to anyone else? Does anyone know what the chances of me being accepted are? I did a search and didn't find a thread similar to this one. Sorry if there is one out there that I didn't see. Thanks for any and all replies.

[Rock Chalk Jayhawk]

Firstly, why exactly were you DEP discharged?  The reason I ask is because since you were in DEP once before, you'll have to have a DEP discharge waiver to get into the Navy.  Also, those who run the Nuke program on the national level will also want to know why this time is different, and why they should take a chance on you.  Remember, if you had any waivers to get in the first time, those will still apply this time, and everything is fair game for consideration.  Be SURE that this IS what you want, and be able to put that somewhat eloquently in writing on your handwritten statement. No , just be straight up about it. As far as being overmanned, nukes are always in demand.  Reason being that there are a lot of nukes like me getting out after ten years (some after 6 or and going to the commercial side of power generation.  That being said, in order for you to be a nuke, there has to be a female seat open in the program, and every district is "goaled" differently.  The main reason for the draw to HS seniors is that they are allowed to be in DEP for up to 15 months vice 12 for HS grads.  As long as you stress to your recruiter (and his/her CoC) that nuke is what you want and you're willing to wait however long it takes-without getting yourself DEP disqualified by getting pregnant or in civil trouble...you shouldn't have a problem.  Have you spoken to the Nuke Coordinator of that particular district yet?  They will be able to give you a better idea of what your chances are, as well as put their own endorsement on any waivers they have to send up.  What they say and write WILL carry weight.  I promise you that.

Good luck,

Rock Chalk

[dinochop]

After being in the DEP program for about five months I completely changed my mind. I began to want to get a degree in accounting through the credit union I was already working for. It also bothered me that I would be in for eight years, and that was too big of a commitment for me to make at that time. However, after working for the credit union for almost four years now I believe I made a huge mistake. I told this to the recruiter, and he said he was going to tell the ladder that I was immature at the time I was in DEP. I also told the recruiter while I was in DEP that I had changed my mind and no longer wanted to go. I didn't lead them to believe I was going and then just not show up at my date to ship out. The recruiter I'm talking to now said this was a plus. He also made sure that now the Navy is something I am 100% committed to, which I am. I want to stay in until I retire unless something happens while I'm that makes me not want to reenlist. I'm just tired of being a teller; it's going no where, especially when I'm capable of much more than this. I did not need any waivers before when I was in the DEP program.

One thing that scared me is the recruiter kept mentioning that I may not get nuke because of this. I'm willing to join the Navy into another job field (especially photojournalism or IT), but I really want nuke. He made sure that I was still willing to join if I didn't get nuke.

I have not spoken to the Nuke Coordinator. I believe I will see him at MEPS like I did last time.

[sovbob]

One thing that scared me is the recruiter kept mentioning that I may not get nuke because of this. I'm willing to join the Navy into another job field (especially photojournalism or IT), but I really want nuke. He made sure that I was still willing to join if I didn't get nuke.

Listen very carefully.

Right now, you are under NO OBLIGATION whatsoever to sign anything that you do not want.  Do not be pressured into some random job you don't want if the nuke thing doesn't work out.  Understandably, the recruiter doesn't want to be wasting his time.  But also realize that the contract you sign is with Uncle Sam, not your recruiter.

Do not, I repeat, do not take a job you don't want just to satisfy your recruiter.

Now, let's say the nuke thing doesn't work out and they offer you a job as a photographer.  Great.  By all means, take the offer.  But if they say "The only thing we have for you is a Boatswain's Mate", be prepared to stand your ground or walk away from the table.

The recruiter is your friend.  He's there to help put you in the navy.  But your obligation will be to the United States government, not him.

P.S.  That 8-year commitment isn't eight years of active duty, it's naval reserves.  And 4-6 of those eight years are spent on active duty concurrently.

[aschaefer]

This is my first post, but as a recent DEPer and soon-to-be-shipper, I thought I may be able to offer some insight.

One: Jayhawk gave some great advice, as I've noticed he often does since I've been reading this board. In May (when I finally met weight regs and was able to go to MEPS and ship) my recruiting station had a very difficult time getting people placed in any job other than AECF (Advanced Electronics - Computer Field, I believe) and Nuke. I managed to catch view of a memo on my recruiters desk stating that they were not to do any active recruiting for people other than Nukes or SEALs (not even SWCC, Diver, or any other special warfare ratings). At one time this summer, my DEP group was 9/18 future nukes, because the Navy simply didn't want anyone else. Given that, I would guess that the Navy is always in need of Nukes, no matter how overmanned they say they are.

Two: As far as the ASVAB, and this is probably the most useful information I can offer, is to actually STUDY for it before you go. Take ALL of the practice exams on military.com, etc, and look up any questions that you don't know and LEARN HOW TO DO THEM because I found the military.com practice ASVAB was a fairly close representation. I'm not sure if I missed any questions on the ASVAB (I finished the test thinking I knew how to do every question, and that I answered every one correctly), and I'm positive it's because I took practice ASVABs online and learned how to do the questions like mechanical advantage with block and tackle, etc. If what my recruiter has been telling me is true, it is much easier to get a nuke contract if you've autoqualified instead of having to take the NFQT to qualify.

Three: Along the lines of that memo that I saw on my recruiter's desk, I think the fact that you're a woman will go a long way to help you out, as well. Women were stated as a high priority recruiting target, and I can only imagine if you prequalify nuke and express a sincere desire to actually follow through this time, you will be an irresistible recruit for the Navy.

Four: I'm sure this goes without saying, but be absolutely honest with everyone you talk to. No sense trying to spit a line of BS to the chain of command. If you get caught, you're definitely screwed.

If I stepped out of bounds or anything with my post, please let me know and I'll be sure to edit and research further.

One last note, DO NOT SIGN A CONTRACT FOR ANOTHER RATING IF NUKE IS WHAT YOU WANT! If you want nuke, make it happen! I know there's definitely less qualified people out there, don't let yourself get pressured into signing for another rating under the guise of "maybe you can pick it up later on."

Best of luck!

[Rock Chalk Jayhawk]

aschaefer: First of all, thanks for the compliment, it's appreciated.

dinochop:  aschaefer's on target with a lot of that info.  Nukes and Specwar ARE the hot rates right now, and have been for the past year (give or take a month). As far as the gender question, all the NFC has to do is request a female seat, and if there's an open seat, I'm sure he'll happily put you in it. Like i said before, be sure NF is what you want. If it is, go after it with reckless abandon! Remember, it's your career, not anyone else's, so be on it like a rat on a Chee-to! I don't think you'll be met with much resistance. Those in power over your selection pay close attention to effort and ambition.

Best of luck,

RCJH

[dinochop]

Thanks for the replies. I'm definitely not going to sign for anything other than a job I want. There are quite a few I'd consider and be happy doing (accounting, civil engineering which runs in my family, electronics, intelligence, computer science, IT), but I'm definitely not going to sign for a job that I know I don't want. I want nuclear energy first almost solely because it will give me the biggest challenge and keep my brain working; I've noticed that this is what keeps me happy and my job as a teller is really draining my self concept. My plan is to be a nuke and get a degree on the side in photography. If nuke isn't available but the others I have listed are I may take them if the answer to my question below is no, but everything else is a no-go for me.

aschaefer: When I was in the DEP program my scores were high enough to keep me from taking the nuke test. I still plan on studying and completing all the pre-tests, because I really think I can get a 99 this time if I actually study. Also, there was a jerk I met at MEPS who got a 99, so I have a little motivation. haha Thank you for the advice.

Question: so if there isn't an opening as of now for a nuke could I wait until there is one? To me, this sounds like a dumb question, but by the way my recruiter was talking it sounds like this is really my last chance to choose a job, if they even let me.

I have a feeling I won't be met with much resistance either. I haven't lied about why I didn't leave for basic training the first time, and the recruiter said I shouldn't have much trouble and that me being denied was only a slim possibility. Still wanted to check this forum for second opinions. Thanks!

[Rock Chalk Jayhawk]

Your "last chance"? Please. As long as you can ship to RTC prior to your 25th birthday, you can get nuke with no age waiver, and getting active duty navy in just about every other job has a max age of 34. I think your recruiter's full of it.

RCJ

[aschaefer]

Again, Jayhawk has it nailed down as far as the jobs are concerned. Your recruiter is just trying to rush you into something so he can have you on his quota.

OP, I understand that you may have auto-qualified for the nuclear field when you were in DEP earlier, but I see no reason for you to not "get hot" about studying up for your ASVAB now. Believe me, alot of that info slips through the brain (for instance, I was 3.5 *terrible* years through an engineering degree before I took a bunch of practice exams, and missed a lot of questions I thought I knew on them!)

I hope I didn't come off as a jerk, or seem like I was bragging about my score: ask pretty much anyone here, and they'll be sure to tell you that the ASVAB doesn't matter once you actually get into the school. I am just trying to offer a little advice, as I know I wouldn't have been able to score so well on my ASVAB if I hadn't prepared for it properly, like I think I did.

Also, again (as far as I heard from my recruiters and what I gather from reading these forums), the nuclear field is NEVER FULL. There will definitely be an opening, as far as I can tell. From what you say about your past history, etc, I really don't think you'll have a problem getting in (but what do I know? I haven't even shipped for boot yet). I think your recruiter may be pushing you off towards something else so he can fill another quota spot easily without much paperwork. Maybe that's just the cynic in me talking, but I generally don't trust anyone (the least of whom are recruiters) further than I can throw them.

Remember, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, but you have to be careful not to be so squeaky that they want to replace the wheel Again, best of luck! Feel free to send me a message or something similar if you think there's anything else I might be able to answer. And let us know how it turns out

[dinochop]

Don't worry. I've already been studying all night, haha. I didn't realize (again) that general science and mechanics was on the ASVAB until last night, so I definitely need to brush up on those. The test I took at the station was only two types of math and two types of English. Recruiter said his test was harder than the actual ASVAB, though. I understand that scores don't matter after you get in. Sorry if I came off like I know I'll do amazing with or without studying- not what I was trying to portray.

I don't think he's trying to get me under anything but Nuke. I heard him talking to another recruiter while I was taking the test, and he was saying something along the lines of, "Don't worry. We already have one, and if this works out we'll have two because of her." I think he's more worried about me making him look bad if I don't join at all, because I have already "dropped out" once before and now he's having to go out of his way for me.

I find out Monday if they're letting me in. Should go to MEPS next week as well.

[yota]

You know what you need to do, now do it.

I can tell you with 100% certainty that if you put in the effort, you should be able to get in. Hell, I shipped to boot 3 months before my 27th birthday and am currently waiting, ahem, "patiently" to start power school. It was never easy for me to get here, and the enlistment process seemed never ending, but I never gave up and here I am.

As for studying for the ASVAB, do what you think you need to do. Personally (and not to brag, but), I didn't study and breezed through with a 99. There's really nothing "hard" on there; just use some common sense along with what you already know and you should do fine. If it helps ease your nerves so that you can feel better prepared going in, then by all means study.

Here's wishing you the best of luck in your journey. If you have any questions about the process of getting in, boot camp, or NNPTC, feel free to ask me.

[HydroDave63]

50 quatloos in favor. Let us know how it goes.

[dinochop]

They're letting me in. Going to MEPS on Monday as far as I know.

I also believe my boyfriend is joining SO. He passed the test a couple of years ago, and was talking to the recruiter about it again yesterday.

[aschaefer]

They're letting me in. Going to MEPS on Monday as far as I know.

I also believe my boyfriend is joining SO. He passed the test a couple of years ago, and was talking to the recruiter about it again yesterday.

Oy, you're never going to see each other

Congratulations, by the way!

[Rock Chalk Jayhawk]

Wonderful! Very happy to hear it! Good luck to you both!

[tselby]

They're letting me in. Going to MEPS on Monday as far as I know.

I also believe my boyfriend is joining SO. He passed the test a couple of years ago, and was talking to the recruiter about it again yesterday.

Congrats!! enjoy the ride, be a go getter, qualify quick, ask for extra duties, and you will advance and someday maybe join our ranks in the world of civilian nuclear power,,,, til then sail the seven seas!!

[dinochop]

Dump him before it is too late...

He's only considering it. I know we would rarely see each other, but even if I'm the only one joining we would still rarely see each other due to his college. We've been together for almost eight years.. I'm going to search the forums for more information on military couples.

Anyway, got MEPS upped to today.

[dinochop]

I'm a nuke! That is if my spine isn't too curved. Apparently I have scoliosis, but I had no idea myself. I see a doctor Thursday about it, but it should be okay.. considering they didn't even find this problem last time I was at MEPS.

I had have to take the NAPT after all, and to be honest the math was a lot easier on the NAPT for me than on the ASVAB.

[JustinHEMI05]

Congratulations!

[Cycoticpenguin]

I'm a nuke! That is if my spine isn't too curved. Apparently I have scoliosis, but I had no idea myself. I see a doctor Thursday about it, but it should be okay.. considering they didn't even find this problem last time I was at MEPS.

I had have to take the NAPT after all, and to be honest the math was a lot easier on the NAPT for me than on the ASVAB.

God, the things they get ya for. They almost de nuked me because Im color deficient and cant pass the color-dot test -.-. Had to fight, kick, and scream to get in . Still had issues after getting in. Hopefully everything goes smoother for you then myself! Good luck!