I want to be part of something great.

[MJundi]

     Hello! I'm new to this forum (as a registered user) but I have, however, read most of the posts in the wonderful collection that imthehoopa put together for us who are interested in joining the nuke program. I'll start off with a brief introduction of myself:
I'm 18 years old, I have never had a real job, I'm very math/science inclined as far as academics go, but I am also proficient in language and literature. I slacked in high school because I was too lazy and arrogant to foresee how the grades in my 9th and 10th year could impact my future. In my last two years, I had at most 1-2 B's in any one semester. I'm currently enrolled for my first semester of college, and am taking physics for engineers (or physics with calculus 1) and some general education courses, with a plan to eventually study astrophysics in graduate school. I never even CONSIDERED joining the US military until just recently, so I'm not going to pretend to know much about anything that pertains to the Navy, let alone the Nuclear Power stuff.
My local Navy recruiter called me a few days ago, and convinced me to go in for a face-to-face meeting, and to my surprise, I am actually considering "Nuke" school as a viable option for me. I do not know if this is a result of the recruiter doing his job very well, or my genuine interests in all that is science, especially physics, kicking in. I've done a lot of research on it, reading lots of material, and looking at different paths I can take towards getting what I desire, but yet I still feel so inadequately informed on the subject to make such a life-changing decision. In all of this thinking and research, I've also been inspired by the stories of those who have served, and those who are just beginning their service to our country. I thank you lots for what you're doing, did, or going to do.
So my questions are, primarily:
1.) When working as a navy nuke, despite the daily workload and labor, did you feel like you were part of something greater than just everyday life as someone like me, a civilian going to college? I mean, did you feel important? Or was it just another "job"? I really want to be part of something that would mean a lot to not only me, but my family and peers. Something that I could be proud of, as cheesy as this all sounds.
2.) I understand that this may not be the fastest way towards my ultimate goal of getting a PhD in Astrophysics, but I am quite honestly in no rush. I feel that people usually have this race-like attitude when it comes to getting their educations, but I am not like that. Sure, I can study and learn very quickly, but that's different. I don't feel that 6 years time is enough to put me at a total disadvantage if I want to study further after or even during my service in the Navy. So my question is, would being a nuke be worth the delayed studies? Is it something worth doing if I don't plan on staying in the Navy (as of this moment, anyway)?
It does sound interesting to me, but I'm not sure if it is worth delaying my university studies. Sorry for making this a huge wall of text, but I have a lot on my mind, as those of you who actually read the post already know.

[Already Gone]

I don't mean to be trite, just honest.

If you are in college, passing your courses, and you can afford to stay there, then stay there.

Nuke school is a ticket to being a well-trained underachiever.  That pretty much describes all of us who went through it.  We slacked in HS, or dropped out of college, or ran out of money, but we had the potential to be educated (and nothing better to do) so the Navy gave us an opportunity to pick up and start in a new direction.

There are lots (and have been lots) of Navy nuke enlisted people who could have done so much more with our lives save for limitations like money or the inability to succeed in an un-structured environment (such as a civilian college).  For whatever reasons that we did it, few of us regret it.  Most of us feel that we did play an important part in the nation's defense.  And we have good careers or career prospects to show for our efforts (though at the time we all felt a lot more like janitors than highly-skilled warriors).  But few of us would leave college just for the purpose of enlisting.  Any of us would have preferred to go to a traditional college and graduate if we could.  Even as a nuke, an enlisted person is lower middle class, both in pay and social status.  It isn't really a step up from where you are.

If you find that your education plans are stalling, it is definitely worth looking into.  But it isn't easy.  It isn't a shortcut to anything.  It isn't going to get you to your Ph.D. any faster (or even nearly as fast), though it may help pay for it a little.  By the time you get out, and get a chance to return to college, you might find your circumstances no longer permit it.  You may have gotten married and had a child or two to support by then.  I know what you mean by the "race" to finish your education.  But, look at it like a marathon.  You may have no ambition to finish first, but to finish at all still requires that you keep moving toward the finish line.  Enlisting in the Navy in the middle of your education is analogous to stopping by the doctor along the marathon route to have a colonoscopy.

If you are passing college, and have the means to finish, the Navy is not a step forward for you.  Get your degree, and maybe you may wish to join as an officer.

That recruiter might be a nice guy, but he absolutely DOES NOT have YOUR best interests as his top priority.  His duty is to get as many qualified people into the Navy as he can - even if it means sidetracking your whole life to do it.  All those things that he says you "can" do, are not necessarily things that you will do.  Opportunities that he will be talking about are no more than possibilities for you, and possibilities that will require extraordinary effort on your part.  It's like your parents telling you that you could grow up to be President.  While theoretically possible, it isn't exactly realistic for most people, now is it?

There is an old saying at the firing range, "Never point a gun at anything you aren't prepared to shoot, and never shoot anything that you aren't prepared to kill".
Likewise, never enlist in the Navy unless you are prepared to be an enlisted sailor the whole time.  Enlisted sailors are committed to serve the needs of the Navy first.  The Navy might need you to clean a greasy bilge a lot more than it will need you to pursue your education.  Opportunities exist, but they are few and difficult to take full advantage of. (Please pardon the preposition at the end of that sentence.)  Once you take the oath, the bullet is in flight.  So make sure you are on target.

Good luck.

[MJundi]

Thank you for that great post. I have full scholarships for the next 4 years, basically. I love academics and such, but I guess I was/am looking for something that would make me feel like I'm contributing more to something that is important. I don't know if it's normal to feel this way, but I just want to explore ALL of my options, even the ones that seem arbitrary. Does that make sense?

Hypothetically, if I DO enlist, and seek the STA-21 commissioning program, what are the chances of someone actually getting into the program while in training? Is it better to get a degree and then apply to be an officer? Or is the enlisting route more practical?

[Starkist]

the navy sucks. The navy is great. Its a mixed bag. If you're desiring extreme job satisfaction, you're not going to get it while you're sleepless for three days and scrubbing a dirty floor just because its tuesday. That said, the navy does provide a lot of room for growth, and opens up a TON of doors for you down the line. But so does college. If you dont need to join, theres no reason to join, then why would you join? Stick with your free college... if anything come in as an officer...

Gones post is brilliant, love it!

[Already Gone]

You can be a part of something great outside the engineroom of a warship.

If you walk away from 4 years of scholarship, they might disqualify you for being insane.

STA-21 is a recruiting tool.  Some people do get picked up, even some still in the training pipeline.  But the Navy has many other officer accession programs that have a higher probability of getting you a commission.  

As I have said many times here before.  Enlisting is a route to being an enlisted person.  It is the least direct route to becoming an officer of all.

You're probably good at math.  Figure this one.  EVERY SINGLE nuke enlistee was told by his recruiter that STA-21 is an option.  Maybe 1% of them get through the screen.  Since the qualifications to enlist as a nuke are stringent, what is the probability that you will be the one in 100?  Hint: 1/100.

The Navy needs thousands of enlisted nukes.  It has a few dozen Admirals.  It needs about six of those, and ships the rest to Washington DC.  

STA-21 is no threat to put Annapolis, NROTC, OCS, and the other officer accession programs out of business.

If your intention is to become an officer, enlisting is the hardest way to do it.  It happens, but you just can't count on it.

You may wish to visit the NROTC office at your college if they have one. (or one at a nearby school if they don't)  

At your age it is definitely normal (though not necessarily common) to feel the need to make a difference.  Keep that fire in your belly and it will happen no matter what you do with your life.

[MJundi]

Well that clears things up quite a bit. I thought STA-21 had a higher chance of getting me to commissioned by how the recruiter worded it. I truly appreciate the time you took to respond. Very helpful information.

For now, I think I'm just going to continue studying and keep my eye open for opportunities. I'll keep my ambition on a leash like it has been, so it gives me at least a little time to actually think my actions through. Hehe

[DDMurray]

I don't mean to be trite, just honest.

If you are in college, passing your courses, and you can afford to stay there, then stay there.

Nuke school is a ticket to being a well-trained underachiever.  That pretty much describes all of us who went through it.  We slacked in HS, or dropped out of college, or ran out of money, but we had the potential to be educated (and nothing better to do) so the Navy gave us an opportunity to pick up and start in a new direction.

There are lots (and have been lots) of Navy nuke enlisted people who could have done so much more with our lives save for limitations like money or the inability to succeed in an un-structured environment (such as a civilian college).  For whatever reasons that we did it, few of us regret it.  Most of us feel that we did play an important part in the nation's defense.  And we have good careers or career prospects to show for our efforts (though at the time we all felt a lot more like janitors than highly-skilled warriors).  But few of us would leave college just for the purpose of enlisting.  Any of us would have preferred to go to a traditional college and graduate if we could.  Even as a nuke, an enlisted person is lower middle class, both in pay and social status.  It isn't really a step up from where you are.

If you find that your education plans are stalling, it is definitely worth looking into.  But it isn't easy.  It isn't a shortcut to anything.  It isn't going to get you to your Ph.D. any faster (or even nearly as fast), though it may help pay for it a little.  By the time you get out, and get a chance to return to college, you might find your circumstances no longer permit it.  You may have gotten married and had a child or two to support by then.  I know what you mean by the "race" to finish your education.  But, look at it like a marathon.  You may have no ambition to finish first, but to finish at all still requires that you keep moving toward the finish line.  Enlisting in the Navy in the middle of your education is analogous to stopping by the doctor along the marathon route to have a colonoscopy.

If you are passing college, and have the means to finish, the Navy is not a step forward for you.  Get your degree, and maybe you may wish to join as an officer.

That recruiter might be a nice guy, but he absolutely DOES NOT have YOUR best interests as his top priority.  His duty is to get as many qualified people into the Navy as he can - even if it means sidetracking your whole life to do it.  All those things that he says you "can" do, are not necessarily things that you will do.  Opportunities that he will be talking about are no more than possibilities for you, and possibilities that will require extraordinary effort on your part.  It's like your parents telling you that you could grow up to be President.  While theoretically possible, it isn't exactly realistic for most people, now is it?

There is an old saying at the firing range, "Never point a gun at anything you aren't prepared to shoot, and never shoot anything that you aren't prepared to kill".
Likewise, never enlist in the Navy unless you are prepared to be an enlisted sailor the whole time.  Enlisted sailors are committed to serve the needs of the Navy first.  The Navy might need you to clean a greasy bilge a lot more than it will need you to pursue your education.  Opportunities exist, but they are few and difficult to take full advantage of. (Please pardon the preposition at the end of that sentence.)  Once you take the oath, the bullet is in flight.  So make sure you are on target.

Good luck.

Awesome post!

[greenbean]

Look into NUPOC or the new SEGA programs. You will complete your undergrad and/or graduate Degree and then serve in the Navy as an officer in various roles.

However, if you enjoy your studies and its paid for... I would suggest following that into research and internships before considering a military program. Labs like KAPL and Bettis are the ones responsible for actually designing new submarines and that might be a better fit for you. I have a close friend who just earned a 4.0 in Nuclear Engineering and is now on a Rickover Fellowship to get a PhD and work at KAPL in upstate New York.... very sweet deal and serving his country like few others are capable of.

Let me know if you have other questions... Good luck.

[weaselton]

In your case with four years paid and all the college being good to go.

Finish it off, and reflect on it then. You got time, make sure that it is a decision you want to make.


I do not agree with the program being full of underachievers who could have been more. Though there were quite a number of them.