Ya know, I really made an error in a previous post. Given the choice between just some guy off the street and a Navy Nuke I'd be an idiot not to choose the Navy Nuke.
Given the choice between a Navy Nuke and a person who isn't a Navy nuke but has worked in a commercial facility (deconner, RP, Maintenance, Chem Tec, Fire Protection) I'd say the later has an advantage and ends up paying for him or herself sooner. Mostly this is because what they lack in technical knowledge they more than make up for in their knowledge in how things are done at a commercial plant. Due to the nature of Navy training, much of it is "in rate" the Navy guys usually have a more limited scope and breadth of knowledge, though within their specialities they have a lot of depth. The depth they have in that one area on the bigger scale is small compared with the breadth they have to learn in the commercial world. There is no "in rate" as a commercial operator, it's all in rate.
Keep in mind this only applies in Operations. I can't speak for RP or Maintenance. I was at one time a Maintenance Supervisor at my old station. One thing I did find is dirt burners tended to be better in the maintenance departments than Navy Guys, mostly because in a dirt burner maintenance does a LOT more than the average navy nuke was exposed to. Once the Navy guy gets up and running and becomes a journeyman I doubt there is all that much difference.
I and C. Definitely Ex Navy Nuke. With one notable exception, one of the best I and C guys I ever had work for me was a Non Navy guy who worked as a contractor. At Perry they wanted to make him some sort of I and C Supervisor but he likes playing volleyball full time in the fall so he went the contract route. Most likely the FIRS Team guys at Fermi remember him, his name was Richard an he was African American/Philipino/American Indian and had the wickedest set of tats I've ever seen. Great guy, super I and C tech, Smart as all hell and fun to be around. I can tell you this, whenever he decided to go on the road he'd have a job within a day. As a whole Fermi was blessed with a huge percentage of very good I and C Techs, one thing I've found in the commercial world, there are a LOT of superior instrument people.
I had nothing but Non Navy Wire Biters working for me and I found them to be outstanding and a great bunch of guys. Hard Workers and you didn't have to supervise them a whole lot. ALTHOUGH they were a disrespectful lot.
The thing I think everyone should take away from this, when you get that interview your pedigree DOESN"T matter one bit. You have to sell yourself in that interview. Your resume only opens a door long enough for you to be a guest, if you want to reside in the house you'd best convince the interviewers you'd be a good resident.
Mike
