Don't know if I can handle being a nuke.

[TheJoeSwag]

Okay so I signed my Nuke contract in September and I leave in July. I have been excited to go nuke because I knew it would challenge my mind and overall help me become a stronger person. I, just today, talked to a man who had a friend that finished Navy Nuke school (or his 6 years, I was just told that he just got out) and had 6 friends that he met in there that committed suicide. I scored a 70 on the ASVAB. Yes, I know that is low for a Nuke, but I did land my contract. I didn't study for the ASVAB, and haven't studied throughout high school although landing a GPA of a 3.7. I know as a Nuke I will have to spend tedious hours studying. I just need to know, from an actual person who completed at least their 6 years in as a Nuke, if it is likely that I will not finish. The last thing I want to do is commit suicide. I am willing to work hard to achieve what it takes. I didn't take any college as I wanted to do the Navy instead. I need honest opinions on if any Ex nukes think I can make it or not. Is it really that stressful that people attempt suicide, or are there lurking factors in there about that topic? I haven't done much mental exercise after High School, just a few easy book reads and working construction until my time comes. If anyone needs any personal facts about me, please ask. I am VERY serious about being a Navy Nuke, but I am also very serious about my life and my future.

[UncaBuffalo]

Okay so I signed my Nuke contract in September and I leave in July. I have been excited to go nuke because I knew it would challenge my mind and overall help me become a stronger person. I, just today, talked to a man who had a friend that finished Navy Nuke school (or his 6 years, I was just told that he just got out) and had 6 friends that he met in there that committed suicide. I scored a 70 on the ASVAB. Yes, I know that is low for a Nuke, but I did land my contract. I didn't study for the ASVAB, and haven't studied throughout high school although landing a GPA of a 3.7. I know as a Nuke I will have to spend tedious hours studying. I just need to know, from an actual person who completed at least their 6 years in as a Nuke, if it is likely that I will not finish. The last thing I want to do is commit suicide. I am willing to work hard to achieve what it takes. I didn't take any college as I wanted to do the Navy instead. I need honest opinions on if any Ex nukes think I can make it or not. Is it really that stressful that people attempt suicide, or are there lurking factors in there about that topic? I haven't done much mental exercise after High School, just a few easy book reads and working construction until my time comes. If anyone needs any personal facts about me, please ask. I am VERY serious about being a Navy Nuke, but I am also very serious about my life and my future.

...and I guess that would be the last thing you did...  

Seriously though...how much credence do you put in the story that 6 of this guy's close friends commited suicide?  I was not a navy nuke, but I worked with active navy in the shipyard and ex-navy in the plants for a long time without ever hearing rumors of increased suicides in the population.

Good luck. 

[Lip2303]

First, I did not complete all 6 years due to medical reasons. During my time in I know of two people who attempted suicide while we were in school. There was also one person on my boat who tried as well. It can be a stressful job, but you just have to manage that stress. Do I think nukes try to commit suicide more than anyone else? No...there are people all over the military who don't deal well with the stress and try to find a way out. Navy Nuke is the best mistake (if you end up thinking its a mistake) you could ever make.

[Marlin]

   Six of his friends committed suicide? I would have to see that in writing, I suspect that would make headlines and would be common knowledge in the Navy Nuke community it's not. If you are approaching this as a challenge as you say I suspect you will do fine. Yes it is stressful but not everyone has the same experience or has the same reaction to stress. Some people thrive on stress others collapse. Here is an article with an interesting slant on stress and PTSD.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199711/predisposed-ptsd

If you don't see any sign of PTSD in your family that would seem to be a good indicator. 

[TheJoeSwag]

That's VERY much everyone. I was really freaking out yesterday, possibly the first time I ever freaked out about anything, but you all gave me a good bit of encouragement. I just need to handle the stress and do all of my intense work and studying. Now I can't wait for boot camp again!

[MacGyver]

Okay so I signed my Nuke contract in September and I leave in July. I have been excited to go nuke because I knew it would challenge my mind and overall help me become a stronger person. I, just today, talked to a man who had a friend that finished Navy Nuke school (or his 6 years, I was just told that he just got out) and had 6 friends that he met in there that committed suicide. I scored a 70 on the ASVAB. Yes, I know that is low for a Nuke, but I did land my contract. I didn't study for the ASVAB, and haven't studied throughout high school although landing a GPA of a 3.7. I know as a Nuke I will have to spend tedious hours studying. I just need to know, from an actual person who completed at least their 6 years in as a Nuke, if it is likely that I will not finish. The last thing I want to do is commit suicide. I am willing to work hard to achieve what it takes. I didn't take any college as I wanted to do the Navy instead. I need honest opinions on if any Ex nukes think I can make it or not. Is it really that stressful that people attempt suicide, or are there lurking factors in there about that topic? I haven't done much mental exercise after High School, just a few easy book reads and working construction until my time comes. If anyone needs any personal facts about me, please ask. I am VERY serious about being a Navy Nuke, but I am also very serious about my life and my future.

6 suicides,,, all friends?!?!

That's a bit to much.

We had 2 (1 in my class & 1 in the class ahead of us) at NNPS.

And as I was getting out we had the COB (Chief of the Boat) on our pier.  Don't recall if he was nuke.  I doubt it.

So in six years I heard of 3 suicides.  I didn't know any of them.

I bet this one of them there in'Bell'iSh'mints navy sailors are famous for

Only you know the answer to this question.

[HydroDave63]

Okay so I signed my Nuke contract in September and I leave in July. I have been excited to go nuke because I knew it would challenge my mind and overall help me become a stronger person. I, just today, talked to a man who had a friend that finished Navy Nuke school (or his 6 years, I was just told that he just got out) and had 6 friends that he met in there that committed suicide. I scored a 70 on the ASVAB. Yes, I know that is low for a Nuke, but I did land my contract. I didn't study for the ASVAB, and haven't studied throughout high school although landing a GPA of a 3.7. I know as a Nuke I will have to spend tedious hours studying. I just need to know, from an actual person who completed at least their 6 years in as a Nuke, if it is likely that I will not finish. The last thing I want to do is commit suicide. I am willing to work hard to achieve what it takes. I didn't take any college as I wanted to do the Navy instead. I need honest opinions on if any Ex nukes think I can make it or not. Is it really that stressful that people attempt suicide, or are there lurking factors in there about that topic? I haven't done much mental exercise after High School, just a few easy book reads and working construction until my time comes. If anyone needs any personal facts about me, please ask. I am VERY serious about being a Navy Nuke, but I am also very serious about my life and my future.

Take a look at the lines that are bolded...yes, the odds are very much against you. Not impossible, but not favorable. I'm not going to get into the "s" word, but lack of adequate academic background and study habits will create a ton of stress while in the Nuke pipeline. Spend a bunch of time searching other posts and threads here about what other DEP nukes did to prepare for the program.

Personally, I blame the last 2 slacker CNO's that should have hammered NAVSEA08 for lowering standards...but you'll see that discussion in the last 7 years of threads if you do your proper searching and reading! 

[GLW]

The USN, both conventional and nuke was the easiest job I have ever known,...

Show up on time, do what you are told when you are told, don't cut out early, don't wise ass the wrong people and forget the notion of being a special snowflake for no more reason than the fact you draw breath,...

Being a nuke submariner or surface puke beats a being a leg in a slit trench 24/7-365,...

Grow up TheJoeSwag and you'll be just fine,...

Stay an infant and you'll suck at everything your whole life,...

Part one of growing up is moving forward and doing what you commited to doing without a bunch of handwringing second guessing,...

Whadayacare if a load of simpering pissants tried to off themselves because life was too hard?!?

Hate to break it to ya honest like but that paradigm is classic Darwinism, either you accept it as a part of natural selection theory or you do not,...

Apparently, if you disbelieve you have the stones to be a Navy nuke you can simply refuse to be sworn in when you report for active duty,...

Walk the talk or stay home,...../rant,.....

[Utavon]

Currently in NFAS, finishing up ET school with comp on April 1st. Suicide prevention is a huge deal here on both sides of the house (A School and P School). In fact, they have one chaplain for each school who sits in his office during school hours with the door open, and his only ongoing mission is to help students deal with personal issues. They also did away with anything greater than 25-4's (25 hours a week, 4 hours the day before a school day) on the A School side for the sole purpose of suicide prevention. So the only real reason that someone would try to off themselves here is because they don't have the stones to take care of their issues. The resources are here. Financial, medical, emotional, whatever issues you've got. All you have to do while you're here is do your job and make sure to vent the stress on the weekends (responsibly), and everything else is taken care of.

Academically, if you put in an honest effort, you'll get a 2.5 or better to pass. I didn't put enough effort into college (worked myself too hard in other areas of my life), and I have a 2.06 from my university after 3 semesters of hard sciences. Here, I have a 3.52, and I'm almost done with A School. I've worked my a$$ off to maintain that grade and do my job in general, but I've still got time to go on the internet, hang out with friends, go on a dinner cruise with my wife, etc.

On an entirely different note, boot camp in July is pretty much the best time to go. I was there from July 23 to September 14, and it was beach weather the entire time (aside from the occasional thunderstorm). Definitely beats sub zero and snow watches.

I wish you good luck in your future endeavors, whether the Navy is a part of them or not.

[navynukedoc]

That's VERY much everyone. I was really freaking out yesterday, possibly the first time I ever freaked out about anything, but you all gave me a good bit of encouragement. I just need to handle the stress and do all of my intense work and studying. Now I can't wait for boot camp again!

Navy Corpsman Vet here, any advice you can get for free is good advice, especially from anyone on here at Nukeworker. Coming from my perspective, you have 4 things you absolutely have to do in order to keep stress from getting to you in ANY situation.

1-Proper diet. Stay on track with healthy food. It helps the brain with many of it's functions including memory and reasoning.

2-Proper rest. Your body needs to be able to recover from anything it has to do during awake hours. KEEP YOUR CIRCADIAN RYTHYMS IN CHECK!! Wait until you get out into the fleet to "rearrange" these.

3-Excercise daily. Even if you are like me and have no desire to stay in the gym for hours a week, walk the stairs in your barracks 5 or 10 times a day. It adds up. Also get a jump rope something to get your vessels to expand and heart rate up.

4-R&R. Make sure you set aside some time to "unplug" from everything and do something you enjoy.

I have personally benefitted from keeping a semi-strict schedule for myself and making sure not to deviate from it unless necessary. Routines are good for habit forming.

Good luck, and thanks for volunteering!

-Doc

[JROCK1966]

I was in 1990-1996...I did my 6 years. Yes, the school was very tough...toughest school I ever went through. But! There is a light at the end of the tunnel...you just have to keep trudging along. About your suicide comment...I do remember two nuke sailors I was acquaintances with killing themselves. One had his girl cheating on him and the other did go nuts. Some nukes I knew went out partying and, sometime during the trip, this crazy dude grabs the wheel of the car trying to wreck it...they stopped and kicked him out of the car. Later, it was realized he threw himself in front of passing autos on the Interstate. Being a Nuke is not for everyone and the Navy lifestyle is certainly not for everyone either. That's why I got out....I could not stand life aboard a ship. But I do appreciate my time in the Navy now looking back on it.....you just gotta make it through.

PS - while your are in, make the most of it! Work hard and be at the top of your class...make sure you earn a good reputation while serving your time on the boat and don't be a slack. Just because you have a Nuke background does not ensure you a good job after nuke life...you will need references and, BION, the nuke world is rather small....your reputation will precede and follow you. A great career awaits you though if you are hard-working and dependable.   

[Smart People]

things change in a year. May and July have come and gone for him.

Do you even know what day it is?

[Fermi2]

Really? Interesting. I signed my contract in November and leave in May. I wonder why I signed later than you but ship earlier than you? Did spots open up in may after you signed?

Just a little curious about how "the system" works when it appears to be working in mysterious ways.

IIRC you aren't a prospective nuke.

[Smart People]

Should I laugh? Should I not? O', that is the question!

Read my tag line. Live by it.

[MMM]

IIRC you aren't a prospective nuke.

Nah, that's just a first name. I think we all know the last name.

[ridgerunner61]

went in back in '81, after A school got sent to a gaiter freighter in VA that all of M-Div was Nuke drop/flunk outs everyone told me not to go to Nuke School because it was too hard, too long, too whatever.  I didn't listen and never looked back. Graduated from Nuke school and became a staff puke-up in Idaho.

Bottom line the Navy (as most places) is full of people that seem to try to prevent you from doing what they failed at for whatever reason.

[Starkist]

...and I guess that would be the last thing you did...  

Seriously though...how much credence do you put in the story that 6 of this guy's close friends commited suicide?  I was not a navy nuke, but I worked with active navy in the shipyard and ex-navy in the plants for a long time without ever hearing rumors of increased suicides in the population.

Good luck. 

Unca, its very likely I was in that class of nukes during prototype. The timing fits well anyway. During my training we had an unusual amount of suicides and other "odd" behaviors. I want to say "6" was an accurate number of suicides during my training.


@ OP. I also didn't finish 6 years. I was a good nuke, work center supervisor, EP evals, lots of quals, well respected in technical information (As long as I didnt touch anything haha), and was probably being fast tracked for a career. I was on watch one day, and I guess the lack of sleep for months, mounting stresses from home, multiple shipyards and pretty much 3 years straight at sea, a crappy div-o that did nothing but make my life miserable, and worthless chiefs that didn't support me beyond writing good evaluations eventually caught up to me; and I had a mental break down. Wound up keeping my NEC, but I was discharged medically thanks to my reactor officer writing Adm Donald to get me a waiver to get me out sooner. Thats not your "typical" scenario for a nuke, its just the path I wound up taking. That said, despite all that, I am proud and very thankful of my training and experience the navy allotted me. Being a nuke is much the same as any other career path, its what YOU make of it. If you are honest with yourself, and don't think you can handle stress well, then I would be remiss to recommend you continuing with being a navy nuke.