Which Navy rating to choose

[s_Phoenix]

Work time's are a little wrong.  In RC div, we started work at 6:00 am, we would try to beat the flag "go home before the flag is up @ 8:00 am" if we didn't have training that day, other wise we stayed to 9-10 am.  About 4 times a qtr we stay late. 

EM's have been getting the shaft, because they keep messing up.  And have been staying untill 3-4 pm everyday but friday.  And underway they have training several times a day.

MM's are little differt on CVN's because there split in to 2 group's.  RM div work on shiny pipe a.k. stainless steal pipe.  They stay untill about 12 - 1 pm.
        M-div on CVN's, work on brown pipe, carbon steal pipe.  They tend to stay untill about 3 pm most day's.

ELT's just dont work, they hide and leave ASAP.  If you can get them to work they leave by 10 am.  They leave all there work to they duty section.

As for who advance's the fastest,  I've seen 6 EM make chief in 6 year's, but that's just because there dump enough to re-enlist when they get to the ship.  Em's dont trend to make 2nd untill several tries in the fleet as all the advancement is taken up by those that re-enlist.  Bujt they make 1st there first time up most of the time

      We've have 2 Et's make chief in 6-8 year's.  And for Sub Et's it can be just as quick or quicker.  Et's that dont re-enlist can make 2nd & 1st on there first time up at sea. 

MM are somewhere in between.  They can advance just as fast to 2nd & 1st, but tend to take longer to make chief.

ET2 (SW)
CVN 76

[bmr176]

This is just my two cents but, if you are planning on going for an officer program the rating you pick really won't make a difference.  Maybe MM because you will be through NukE school sooner than the others.
As far as seeing the world?  that all depends on what ship/boat you get on and what they are up to at the time.  When I first got to the mighty USS Norfolk we couldn't stay in port for more than two weeks at a time.  then just after I got out it went to the yards for 18 months.  I've heard guys do entire "sea tours" doing carrier overhauls and refits, while others do 8 month deployments to the gulf.
Each rating has its ups and downs too.  There is no one rating that is a good deal and no one rating that is a bad deal.  Sure ET's dont get as dirty and go home at 1000.  thats untill they get a little crazy chief that keeps them feild daying lube oil bays till 1600 everyday. 
Every palce you go and everyone you talk to will have different experiences.  I could completely talk you into any one rate on any one ship and it could seem like the dream job and you could get there and say "If I EVER meet that guy who talked me into this i'm gonna..."
Personally I was an electrician (EM) on subs.  I loved my job.  I was proud of  my work.  I made some of the best friends a person can ever have.  But I hated alot of the B.S. and knew I could do better.
Good Luck,
Rember nothing in life is free.  The more something seems like its to good to be true it probably is, and the more something seems to suck, the more rewarding it probably will be.

[sometoasteroven]

So, i deleted my thread because i found this... oh well...

anyways...

My primary question is one for direction, i'm trying to determine a little plan in my head on what would be best for me. I keep hearing little things all over the place but i was looking for a clear understanding of some of the responsibilities and avenues of each of the ratings.

I keep toying around with all of them because i don't know much more than very very basic information., which if anyone has anything they can add to that, it would be terrific, because the nuke recruting coordinator in my area (northern il) is fairly limited on what they tell me. a little bit of contrasting the three would help my understanding. i understand that there's gonna be more information spewed at me in the future... but i'd like to make a long and conscious decision about this. so anything that could help separate the three would be terrific. most specifically i'm inquiring about as much technical detail of job descriptions as would be allowed to be given, and secondly the demeanor of the programs, with specialites, and beliefs. and lastly i heard something once about nuke chem, and if anyone knows enough to enlighten me... please do so...

thanks

[shayne]

Choosing a Rate in the Nuclear Navy isn't much of a choice.  If you choose to go into the Nuclear Navy, your rate (EM, ET, MM) will be given to you.  You will be allowed to input what rates you want, however that doesn't mean you will get it.  The selection of your rate will be made when you are in Bootcamp.  I got lucky and choose EM, ET, then MM and got EM.  Most who choose MM first, get MM.  Regardless of your rate, you will still learn all the basic principles of each rate.  Approx 50% MM, 30% EM, and 20% ET.

MM work and operate the steam/water/lube oil systems in the plant and the machinery associated with it.  They perform maintenance on pumps, valves, air conditioners, and turbines.  They have the most in depth knowledge of mechanical engineering principles.

EM work and operate on the electrical generation equipment and motors.  They perform maintenance on the electrical systems in the plant such as switchgears, motor control centers, and generators (turbine and diesel).  Most in depth knowledge of electrical engineering principles.

ET work and operate on the instrumentation of the plant/reactor.  They perform maintenance on the reactor plant control systems.  In depth knowledge of nuclear engineering and control/process principles.

ELT/MM control the chemisty of the steam and reactor plant.  They also are the radiation technicians that do the monitoring of cleanliness (contamination) and personal exposure controls.  In depth knowledge of chemical engineering and radiation principles.  ELTs are trained to be MM first.  At prototype, they are choosen to be ELT and will stay in the pipeline learn the ELT job.

Most of time a Navy Nuke is on watch operating the plant when underway (w/ some maintenance).  In port most of your time will be doing preventive maintenance and some corrective maintenance (w/ some watchstanding).

Another good post for information:
http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,5193.0.html

[M1Ark]

Shayne is right on the money.

Most of the previous postings have been biased towards their respective rating.  I'll go ahead and add some of mine.

The question of which rate is the best is all based on perspective and also depends on your long term goals. Do you want to stay in or go commercial nuke or even non-nuclear civilian industry. All of the rates are given training in the other fields.  The one thing that no-one has really talked about is which rate has the opportunity to develop their leadership skills. Leadership is what helped propel my commercial nuclear power experience.

Surface cruiser life was the most horrible experience I have ever endured in my nuclear career.  I reported as a senior MM2 (4 year point) and shortly made MM1.  I was a staff pickup at prototype and was made the leading petty officer of M1 division (34 MM's).  We were understaffed... the sub fleet got their quota's filled followed by the carrier fleet.  While underway my division worked looong hours.  When in port we worked 4 section duty and 10-12 hour days to fix broken equipment and also perform a huge PM schedule.

I envy the other ratings that went home before the flag raising ceremony or even the ones that went home at 10 am while in port. I on the other hand had to figure out ways to make all of this work and convince 34 MM's to do their jobs while they watched their fellow nukes go home before lunch.  I had to hone my all of the leadership skills  to prevent a disaster.  After all I slept in the same berthing as these guys.  Other rates have leadership opportunities, but it's probably easier to lead when you're telling your workers to go home by 10 am.

I've now spent the past 12 years at a commercial nuclear plant and have received increasing levels of responsibilities.  I am currently a control room supervisor and surrounded by hundreds of ex-navy nukes on a daily basis. At my particular plant the 4 ratings are techicians in their respective field and the operations department is staffed with primarily mechanics. I'm not sure the exact reason why that is.  The ex-MM's we have tend to make very good reactor operators and control room supervisors.

Further examples:

Site Vice-President - Ex-MM1
Plant Manager - Ex-MM1
Engineering Manager - Ex-MM1
Operations Supervisor - Ex-MM1
Majority of licensed operators - Ex-MM1's

And yes... we still make fun of ET's and ELT's.

Hows that for biased?  Everything I've mentioned is true.  Nobody at our plant really thinks much of ones previous navy experience but know full and well ones current leadership ability.  I think that is what makes the real difference.

My .02 cents.

[Fermi2]

Great post M1Ark, right on the money.

Mike