Nuke-to-be's wife has questions

[JsonD13]

I have just qualified for The Nuke program and I am engaged and have an 18 month old son.  I have a lot of questions.  If I decide to go Nuke what is the process for getting them to come to South Carolina with me.  Would I have to get married first?  After I finish all the schooling, how long approximately will I be away from them each year? Which is the vest route to go in order to be home as much as possible.  I just don't know if this for me, the whole Nuke program sounds wonderful but I am just a little nervous about joining the NAVY in general and about joining the Nuke program.

Yes you have to get married before you can move your fiancee in with you on base.  If you choose not to get married the Navy will not pay for him/her to move his/her stuff out with you, and you will not get paid BAH (housing allowance) if you choose to live with him/her for the whole time you are at NNPTC.  The time away from them if you do not move them is going to strictly depend on the needs of your division when you qualify on a real plant (this kind of also applies when  your'e married but not as much).  But while your in training there is an opportunity to go home at the end of each of the three schools.  Also, since you are technically a single parent (if you have custody) and do not get married, you need to provide some sort of child care for your child if you do not have your fiancee watching him/her, but it seems to me that is what you are going to be doing.  In my opinion, as a married sailor, since your going to marry them anyways (you said you are engaged), get married and move them all in.  Then you can be pretty sure that you would see your spouse and child every night/day while in training.

MM2 Hout
MTS-635 SPU