Be a Navy Reactors Engineer? [Merged]

[brentd49]

I recently attended attended a Job Fair, and after talking to the representative and telling him my GPA and that I am studying electrical engineering he suggested becoming a Naval Reactor Engineer.

It sounded like a good deal. They pay me for my last 24 months in college and then teach me all this stuff about nuclear engineering for free. But I am curious exactly what they teach and how long I am obligated to stay in the Navy. I say this because I am mainly interested in learning new things, and free education sounds good to me. But I don't want to be restricted to Naval Nukes for the rest of my life.

[moke]

The USN provides superior training that you will not find anywhere else. Like anything else in life; there is a price to pay & NOTHING comes for free.

In our country, we have many choices yet we need to be prepared to sacrifice in this world of give and take. Of importance is the fact that you need to decide if you want to represent our country or are you in it just for the ride?

If you simply intend to become a passenger then I recommend that you look elsewhere. The US Navy Nuclear program is superior and it deserves great committment by all!

Have an Awesome Week!

Moke

[pjkapinos]

Hello Brentd49,
Should you accept their offer, a lot will happen for you in the last two years of university.  For one, they will either pay for the school or you will be paid directly as a wage.  You will be in the US Navy from that point on and one the degree is completed, obligated to four years of service as a commissioned officer.

After college, you will be sent to OCS (Officer Candidate School) in Pensacola, Florida which is a quote unquote boot camp just for potential officers.

You will then have more schooling on the way.  First in Charleston,SC (Goose Creek) for Officer Nuclear Power School which will be about six months long, covering about a year and half worth of nuclear engineering material.
The school used to be in Orlando Florida until 1999 when that location was permanently closed.

After nuke school, you will go to Nuclear Prototype Training either in New York or in Charleston again. The training there is on an actual reactor plant, where one learns the ins and outs of the watch stations they stand and operates the equipment. That school is another six months long. 

Once that is done, you are a nuke officer ready to go to sea either on an illustrious underwater diving submarine vessel or a target of an aircraft carrier. 
I recommend subs.

You will not be limited whatsoever once you get out of the navy should you decided to get out or stay in and be the next Skip Bowman (Director of Naval Reactors).  With the experience you will gain there, I don't think you will have much of a problem and you will be picked up by any company you so choose once on the outside.
For now, I recommend, get out, see the world, operate atoms underwater, and see what you want to do from there.  If you don't like it, you can get out. 

Hope this helps. 

Best wishes to you and study hard.

pj kapinos

[Marlin]

   The previous posts are very true. Future employers will also value the leadership skills and self discipline that you will gain as a Navy officer, whether in the the nuclear field or not. I've also heard a rumor that chicks dig a guy in uniform.

[alphadude]

most ex navy eng officers i know of in utilities tend to "float' to the top very fast ($$$,$$$)

[brentd49]

I was told by the representative at the job fair that I would not have to spend time on a sub, unless I want to, but rather i would be working in some building in Washington, DC--I forgot the name.

So if I join, I do the following:
"Boot Camp": (relatively small amount of time)
School: 6 months
At Plant: 6 months
Sub or Aircraft: 4 years (and see above)

It really is a good deal. Are there any other engineering/physics programs similar to this in the Navy or armed forces in general?

By the way, I appreciate your help and information.

[Roll Tide]

NR (Naval Reactors) is the enforcement branch, kind of like NRC is for commercial plants. I believe most of these response  posts are written regarding assignment to a sea-going command.
The offer you have seems to be for the enforcement branch, not the "Operating Fleet" which the rest of us have seen.

Compare this to positions at www.NRC.gov site for equivalence. While it is an enticing offer, I would compare it to NUPOC (Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate) under the Naval ROTC program, especially if you want college paid for and some cash!

http://www.ans.org/pi/students/scholarships/ American Nuclear Society might help with funding if you decide the commitment is too long to USN!

[theshadowprocess]

brentd, from the prospective pipeline timeline you posted, it looks like you are talking about becoming a nuclear officer, not a naval reactors engineer...
two veeery different careers.
a nuclear officer goes to sea and controls the propulsion plants of nuclear warships(and possibly eventually the whole boat).
a naval reactors engineer is a big-brain who as far as i know mainly acts as a liaison between the navy side of the program and the prime contractors.
if you are looking for a conventional "military" career, then i doubt being a naval reactors engineer is probably not for you.
hope this helps.

[Already Gone]

We need to sort out the information here.
NR (Bureau of Naval Reactors) is the Nuclear Reactor Engineering, Research, & Development arm of Naval Sea Systems Command.
NRRO, Naval Reactors Regional Office, sends representatives to oversee the operations of the Navy's reactor plants and associated facilities.
Enforcement is strictly through the chain of command.
The officers (who always wear civilian clothes) of NRRO are mostly Limited Duty Officers who were promoted from the enlisted ranks.
A Naval Reactors Engineer is either a staff officer or a DIO who doesn't necessarily ever see an actual reactor.  These are the people whom we must thank for all those wonderful technical manuals and volumes of procedures.
The one thing that all these officers have in common with nuke Line Officers and NPS instructors is the interview with the Admiral.

If the recruiter says that you will be serving on a nuclear powered warship, he's talking about a line officer.  These are the guys with engineering degrees who are commissioned and enrolled in the NPS Officers' course.  Very few of these officers are assigned to shore stations until after a full rotation at sea.

[mt-tech_engineer]

Hello all,

I am a second year engineering student currently attending Montana Tech.  I recently received information from the Navy regarding the opportunity to join as a commissioned officer to be an NPS Instructor or NR Engineer upon completion of my degree at Tech.  I thought I had my career all mapped out, but I find this offer very interesting.  My question concerns my chances of being accepted.  I currently have a 4.0 GPA and have completed all math and physics requirements.  I am 24 years old.  Also, any information about the interviewing process would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[RCLCPO]

Please e-mail me your contact information, which I will then forward to the people in our Seattle office.  They will be able to provide you all of the information you need to explore the Navy options as an instructor, an NR engineer, or NUPOC candidate.

ETC(SS) Wilson
Nuke1_port@cnrc.navy.mil

[RCLCPO]

Has our Seattle office contacted you yet?

[mt-tech_engineer]

Yes, I have received information on becoming an instructor, engineer, and NUPOC candidate.  I believe the instructor or engineer position would best suit me, and I am currently working on the required paperwork.  Thank you for your help.

Thanks

Eric W. Hanley
ewhanley@mtech.edu

Also, can anyone give me an idea as to what to expect from OIS?  I am very interested in the possibility of becoming a Navy Officer, but this is a huge decision and I would like to be as informed as possible. 

[RCLCPO]

Just making sure.....if you don't get an answer to a question, just send it to me.  The important thing is to get you the information you want, not just the information you need.

[chloeast]

Hi, I'm also interested in becoming an NR engineer. I am a freshman engineering student at UC Berkeley. I'm also a member of the NROTC program and am double majoring in chemical and nuclear engineering. I was wondering if I could also get in contact with you about what my career path would look like after college if I decided to be an NR engineer. I wanted to know if I necessarily had to stay on the east coast after I finished my reactor training?

[CharlieRock]

You don't have to stay on the East Coast necessarily; however, the largest concentration of NR engineers are at NRHQ in DC, Pittsburgh Naval Reactors at Bettis in Pittsburgh, and Schenectady Naval Reactors at KAPL in upstate NY.  There are smaller branch or field offices everywhere there is some nuclear component (ships, nuclear shipyards, prototypes, etc.) Unfortunately (for you anyway) these offices are not very big and have few NR Engineers.  Most of the staff at the field offices are LDOs.  On the West Coast, I think the only offices are at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and down in San Diego, at the base there.  There is also a good sized office in Idaho at NRF and a small field office in Pearl Harbor.

Just remember - real men drive ships, others watch them do it.

[chloeast]

What kind of LDOs are posted at these field offices? Also, do you know how they select the NR engineers that go to the field offices?

[shayne]

A lot of the LDO NR guys that I knew are ex-enlisted Nuclear Trained.  There was one at the Bremerton Shipyard that was from the ship I was on.  Two of the NR reps for S8G prototype also were ex-enlisted Staff that got selected for the position. 

[Fermi2]

most ex navy eng officers i know of in utilities tend to "float' to the top very fast ($$$,$$$)

Not true. Not true at all.

Mike

[Marlin]

Not true. Not true at all.

Yes it is true, maybe not your world of Ops but in in many others yes. I'm not sure I understand your bias toward ex-Navy officers and I may agree that they do not fit all positions in the Nuclear field but there is a lot terrirory outside the control room and even off the plant sites.

[Fermi2]

Yes it is true, maybe not your world of Ops but in in many others yes. I'm not sure I understand your bias toward ex-Navy officers and I may agree that they do not fit all positions in the Nuclear field but there is a lot terrirory outside the control room and even off the plant sites.

I've been on Peer Visits to around 20 plants. I'm working at my second plant. I'd dealt with Managers at just about every plant in the country in some form or others. Ex Nuke Officers are BIG minority in this business and not just in Ops.

It has nothing to do with bias, it has to do with simple fact.

I have nothing against Nuke Officers in particular. Some do quite well. The only things I do take umbrage with are the myth that Nuke Officers have any special leadership skills or leadership training. Fact is they don't, and when they get into an environment where the people under them are not the modern equivalent to slaves their vaunted "leadership skills" tend to fail.

And I aloso scoff that Navy Nukes in general are more qualified to operate Nuke plants than non Navy personnel. It's a myth. Navy Plants are glorified Start Up sources, no more, no less.

And yes I'm a former Navy nuke and if you read my previous posts you'll see I had a good time in the Navy.

Also an earlier post said the Navy Nuke Training Program will teach you skills that no other program will.

That's laughable at best. It's a good kindergarten primer to nuke power, but that's about it.

Mike

[Marlin]

What does the percentage of people in the business have to do with it. Most of the people I knew did not enter the Nuke field and had no desire to do so. I had no desire to enter Ops. Is the Navy program different from civilian, there is no doubt, but how many reactor oprerators and supervisors in the commercial world start in thier positions at such an early age (early twenties). You seem to imply that ex-navy officers are failures in the commercial world and have no capability to adapt. The number of facilities that request ex navy personnel seem to fly in the face of your claims, recruiters have used the Navy pipeline as source since I got out of the Navy in 78 and many request them as a preference. I don't believe that Navy personnel are automatically superior, far from it, but they are a proven commodity compared to a new college graduate or someone off the street. I have seen a number of facilities that have hired ex Navy admirals as a means of recovery when the need has arisen.  Kindergarden? How many civilian programs have been given as many college credit equivalents as the Navy Program. From the people I know in the business yours is a minority opinion. You provide alternatives that seem reasonable for a pathway for an ex Navy officer through the engineering depatrtments but then you return to your anti Navy retoric. Anyone can change and adapt, it is a requirement even it the civilian world for transition from PWR to BWR to the services companies in the industry. I don't have a problem with your suggestions for transition into the commercial field it is a fact of life for any ex-Navy nuke enlisted or officer, I have a problem with your inference that they are substandard.

[chloeast]

Do NR engineers get an officer pin?

[Rad Sponge]

I agree with WT that nuke officers do not possess some sort of inherently superior leadership ability, neither do nuke chiefs, nuke firsts, whomever.

I figure its easier to be a "leader" when your people cannot quit or refuse to work. It might make for a poor work environment, but the reality is that the Navy show must go on, disgruntled or non-disgruntled in tow.

I am about to make the transition into the civilian world, where I imagine I will find the true test of leadership, where your subordinates can form unions, quit, or tell you to f off without going to mast the same day.

Anyone who feels that the nuke officer is some sort of intellectually superior breed is probably sniffing glue, regurgitating navlead palaver, or is one himself. Hopefully, I will find supervisors that are leaders because of knowledge, ability, and character and not because of a shiny collar device.

[taterhead]

I agree with WT that nuke officers do not possess some sort of inherently superior leadership ability, neither do nuke chiefs, nuke firsts, whomever.

Right on.

Brand Spanking New Nuke Officers possess a degree, are within standards,  and have desire to work in the field.

Now, just like a CPO, first class, second class, etc., they may have some inherent leadership ability.  But anyone can have this.  Otherwise, through experience, confidence is built, and an ability to lead may come out.

I figure its easier to be a "leader" when your people cannot quit or refuse to work. It might make for a poor work environment, but the reality is that the Navy show must go on, disgruntled or non-disgruntled in tow.I am about to make the transition into the civilian world, where I imagine I will find the true test of leadership, where your subordinates can form unions, quit, or tell you to f off without going to mast the same day.

This view is a bit jaded.  Do you think that all civilians love their bosses, and will just quit their jobs at the drop of a hat if their boss pisses them off?  This is not reality.  Even if there is not contractual obligation, there is still "life" that compels people to work even their boss sucks.  Bills gotta get paid.  Kids have to eat.

Further, I have seen plenty of sailors "quit", yet still get paid for the rest of their enlistment.  It is pretty easy to do...and is done all the time....we call it "skating".  Do just enough, never any more, never volunteer for anything extra, and count their days.  It reflects quite POORLY on a Navy leader if too many of his guys "quit".  Material condition will suffer, maintenance will be "half assed", and before long, everyone in the department will know it.  All of that reflects on the ability of the COC (CPO, LPO)  to keep sailors "happy" and working productively.

Anyone who feels that the nuke officer is some sort of intellectually superior breed is probably sniffing glue, regurgitating navlead palaver, or is one himself. Hopefully, I will find supervisors that are leaders because of knowledge, ability, and character and not because of a shiny collar device.

Right...no politics, no favoritism, from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.  This must be what the real world is like...

No methinks it is you who is sniffing acetone....

Taylor