Applying STA-21 :What exactly does a Nuke Sub Officer do?

[jusgreathouse]

I just finished A-school as an ET with a 3.59 gpa and overall excellent pfa score and being told that these are the two things they base their judgement on I feel like I have a fairly good chance at being picked up. My biggest worry is the interview process. I know the two main things that they ask are why do you want to be an officer and what do you think an officer does. I would love as in depth help in answer that second question that anyone can offer.
-ET3

[HeavyD]

Well, there are 2 standard answers here.

1.  Use the @$&%^&* SEARCH function.

   Some folks understand this to mean that we (all inclusive) need to spend some time finding at least searching out the answers to life's mysteries on our own.  Coming to this website and asking this question in the forums does not meet the searching on our own criteria.
 
Others see this as a lazy and rude response.  The majority of Nukes are not lazy.  Rude, well, we like to think of ourselves as motivators in the Red Foreman mold of if I yell at you or threaten to put my foot in your @$$, you will get out and do stuff.  We don't believe in the touchy feely crap.

2.  Provide a long and detailed post about the ins and outs of everyday life as a submarine JO (junior officer).

   These posts are usually subdivided into the "I loved it" and the "Best re-creation of hell on Earth". 
Regardless of the replies, take it all with a grain of salt.  Do some research on the forums.  There are literally dozens of posts concerning Officer ascension programs, life on subs, life as an officer, life as a Navy Nuke, etc. 

Also, that first question you get asked, why you want to be an officer, is a kicker.  Officers in the military are leaders.  They don't manage projects or simply boss people around (yes, there are plenty examples of mindless knuckleheads, both senior enlisted and officer, that everyone has met).  An officer (and good senior enlisteds) are LEADERS.  They LEAD their people through evolutions, life issues, deployment, war, etc.  Take a good hard look at yourself and decide if people will do what you say because YOU say it or because of the shiny device on your collar.

Just my two cents, after 20 years.  Good luck and welcome aboard  

[LaFeet]

Well said HD

[jusgreathouse]

I've spent lots of time searching through the forums over the past year and have found tons of info on the programs, why life aboard is great or sucks and all that but I still, even after reading your response and searching again, haven't really found anything that answers my question. Maybe I just searching for the wrong things? I've tried internet wide searches as well as here and haven't found much in the way of this is the daily job description of a JO on a sub.

[Gamecock]

I've spent lots of time searching through the forums over the past year and have found tons of info on the programs, why life aboard is great or sucks and all that but I still, even after reading your response and searching again, haven't really found anything that answers my question. Maybe I just searching for the wrong things? I've tried internet wide searches as well as here and haven't found much in the way of this is the daily job description of a JO on a sub.

You will work an 18 hour schedule.  You will stand watch for 6 of those hours.  The next 12 hours will vary.  You will have to attend training, for both Nuke things and forward things.  You will have to do paperwork for your job.  You will have to monitor things,  You will have to go to meetings.  You will have to do qualification interviews.  You will have to study.  You will have to eat.  You will have to run drills.  You will have to grade exams.  You will have to give training.  You will have to spot check maintenance.  You will have to approve work packages.  You will have to run drills.  You will have to debrief drills.  You will have to stand watch for drills.  You will have to do so many other things that I could mention, but that you won't understand right now.  Once all that is done, then you might get a couple hours in the rack (note....this is optional, and may actually be detrimental to doing all the other things you need to do!).

Repeat the same....every 18 hours....begin...

Hope this answers your question.

[GLW]

I've spent lots of time searching through the forums over the past year and have found tons of info on the programs, why life aboard is great or sucks and all that but I still, even after reading your response and searching again, haven't really found anything that answers my question. Maybe I just searching for the wrong things? I've tried internet wide searches as well as here and haven't found much in the way of this is the daily job description of a JO on a sub.

I'll spend 3 minutes, here you go;

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,13741.30.html

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,18098.0.html

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,16169.0.html

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,26599.0.html

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,24554.0.html

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,14044.0.html

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,14121.0.html

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,18514.0.html

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,15051.0.html

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,7237.0.html

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,11844.0.html

There is a very special gem hidden in every one of these links for someone wanting to know what a JO tour is like,....

when you figure it out,...let me know,...

[HeavyD]

Let me offer a few very candid points.

Being underway, for the most part, sucks.  Period.  You are away from your family and non-Navy friends.  Making a port call is cool, but after 5 visits to Dubai in the previous 5 months, you would probably rather stay at sea.

That annoying guy in your division that nobody likes?  Yeah, you not only do you see him nonstop, you LIVE with him (or her, for our sisters in the Navy).

In the civilian sector, when your boss gets on your nerves you know you are going home at the end of the workday and won't see them till tomorrow.  Underway?  Ha ha, your LPO probably sleeps in the rack across from or under yours.
 
After a long, hard day you like to sit down and have a cold one to celebrate a good honest day's work.  Underway you get to finish your 5 (6 on a sub) hours of watch with another 5-6 hours of maintenance, paperwork, training, etc.  All without the benefit of cold beer. 
 
You get one place of semi-privacy onboard; your rack.  The racks on the carriers measure roughly 7 feet long, 2 ½ feet wide and about 2 ½ feet tall.  A set of fabric curtains are your barrier against everyone else.  You will learn to sleep through anything or you will not get any sleep.

So what does all this have to do with being an officer?  You get all that with the added bonus of being responsible for whatever your guys and gals (on the carriers only, for the time being) do.  Plus, on a boat, there are only 11 or 12 officers total (been awhile since I talked to my sub brothers).  Each of them is a Nuke, with the exception of the Chop (Supply Officer).  The CO (Commanding Officer) knows you by name and will want to know why you aren't depriving yourself of sleep to get qualified something (quals NEVER end) or watching over something or managing some huge pile of paperwork.  Your boss is VERY close quarters to you, 24 hours a day for weeks on end.  He sees virtually everything.

The last part of this is simple.  If you are on Active Duty, you should be able to answer this question without thought.  "Why do I serve?".  I joined the Navy 20 years ago partially because I couldn't afford college, but I also joined to serve my country.  I still to this day, as a retiree, don't feel 100% comfortable when people tell me "Thank you for your service.".  We don't serve to get praise or glory.  We don't serve as Nukes because it gets the majority of the attention or gets you time off.  Here is a phrase about engineers (it applies to both Nuke and conventional).  "First on, last off.".  We are onboard before everyone else when we get underway and we are the last ones off when we pull in.

This wall of text isn't meant to dissuade you or paint the Navy in a negative light.  I loved my time and have only one regret, which is a story for another day or post.  As a young man or woman, the world stands before you.  However, it is now time to grow up and become independent.  The decisions you make in life now become REAL important and tend to be longer lived than the crap we pull in high school or college.

That's all for today, time to put away the soapbox.

[LaFeet]

First on - Last off.... oh how I recall those days.