To STAR or Not to STAR!

[Jtweezy]

I have "most" of the information on it and at this point i see it as: E-5, BAH, and 45ishk (anyone know the number or how to get the number for an EM3?) for 2 years of my life....
But i figured i should as the knowledge here before i make any decisions. Thanks for the help.

[Roll Tide]

Do you love your job? Do you want to stay in for a couple of years extra? Will you make good use of that time?

Positive answers to any of those are good reasons to go STAR. New car, vacation, and overdue bills are not good reasons.

If you are going to get your degree in the extra time and EWS quals, it can be a net positive on your earnings in commercial nuke power (or non-nuke) after you get out.

[taterhead]

Unless a Sailor is altogether incompatible with the Navy, I recommend STAR to them.

Why?

Well, when a Sailor reports to the ship, he/she has approximately 4-4.5 years left on their contract.  Those years will be spent on the ship.  There is no shore duty option.  As we have covered before, sea duty is, well, sea duty.  Not much time given or available for the Sailor to take off duty courses or otherwise enrich themselves.

The money is always a plus.

A STAR reenlistment is a good deal because, if you keep your Sailor nose relatively clean, you can qualify SIR, ESWS/EAWS/SS, and get that 24 month sea duty waiver to go to Prototype as an instructor.  If you do this, you shorten your sea tour by 12-18 months and pick up a shore duty.  Shore duty is good for a whole range of reasons, not the least of which is the ability to pursue off duty education.  Also, if you don't plan on making a career out of it, shore duty is much more preferable for job-hunting.  It certainly makes it easy to job hunt when you are making circles in the Gulf.

There is no reason that every nuke (that wants to) can't serve 8 years, earn a college degree, put some money away, and conduct a successful job hunt before getting out.

Acting like you are selling two years of your life is a pretty defeatist way to view it.  Those two years are your two years to make yourself extremely competitive either for higher rank or civilian jobs.

Try using this SRB Calculator to get your award level:
http://staynavytools.bol.navy.mil/SRB/

[taterhead]

No, never recruited, but I have Sailors that ask these sorts of questions all the time.

Prototype is ALWAYS in need of staff.  That will not go away. 

Of course, your mileage may vary.  Screw up, go to mast a time or two?  Not so easy to get that command endorsement for instructor duty.  Go DINQ in your quals?  Not gonna send you to help baby nukes learn to qualify.  There is no reason that a squared away Sailor who has served over 3 years at sea can't get orders to Prototype shortly after the 3 year point, if it is done the right way.

Sure, you can get a job immediately following your 6 year tour fairly easily.  But wouldn't an instructor tour, possibly an EWS qual at Prototype,  and a college degree make it just a little bit easier, or make you a little more marketable?

[Rad Sponge]

In retrospect I did it for the money (30K and 60K).

I look back on my career with a touch of nostalgia, but the pinpoint question would be...

Would I have re-enlisted the second time w/o the bonus?

No

The first time I did it so I could be a SPU.

Now that I see the kind of money to be made out here for less work and a full size bed everynight, I would have to say that 8 and out would have been more than adequate to set up a civilian career.

Like it was stated before, the top reason to stay in aside from duty and core values would be time for additional quals and a college degree.

[M1Ark]

I served six years and the extra two years wouldn't have helped me.  I started out as an NLO and was in an RO class 3 years post navy and into an SRO class 7 years post navy.  My current plant just hired several 6 year nuke mechanics from a nimitz class carrier and they are in an accelerated RO class.  If they keep their nose clean they could make SRO class quicker than I did.  RO is a 100k/year job. It's a good time to be an ex-navy nuke.  Doing 8 years is not bad but not great either.  Landing an entry level job in commercial nuke after a 6 year enlistment is financially more rewarding than your STAR reenlistment.

.02 cents rolling on the table...

[huckawayne]

I am a LELT getting out after 11 years.  I STAR re-enlisted and I re-enlisted a second time at my eight year point.  I do not regret the STAR re-enlistment.  I transferred to NY prototype after 3.5 years at sea.  Prototype is not the best shore duty, but you have a great opportunity to get a degree  (if you go to NY you can get a BS in nuclear engineering from RPI) and qualify EWS.  Save the money from the STAR re-inlistment for money to fall back on while transitioning into a civilian job.  I would not, however, re-upped a second time.  My time onboard the USS Louisiana has not been the best experience.  (How you doing JMK?)

[Fermi2]

M1Ark hit it right on the head, there is nothing you can do in that extra two or so years that's gonna make you one bit more money in the commercial world. If you got out at the 6 year point you'd have made more in the two or so years you didn't reenlist for, AND you'd have put yourself in a position to make a lot more money in the future.

Mike

[taterhead]

I guess the question is whether or not the original poster plans to work in the nuclear field when he gets out of the Navy. 

[MCiko]

For the most part, I would agree with Taterhead with the exception of keeping your nose clean for three years and you will get screen for prototype staff instructor. I was the senior enlisted nuke at the Bureau during my last tour of duty. There are a couple of variables that must be considered in order to screen at the three year point on board.

1. The evals are the number one reason for a successful or unsuccessful instructor screen. Typically there will be only two rated evals available at your current command since you will be submitting your request at the 2.5 year point. The optimal number is three evals, but don't worry if you're a superstar then you could screen with two evals and a phone call from the Bullnuke to the bureau (don't allow anything to chance).

2. Since evals are the primary tool used for screening, ensure all of your accomplishments are documented. I cannot count how many good sailors got passed over due to poor evals!

3. Captain's mast = forget about it! It takes on average four years to overcome a misstep in judgment.

4. The best way is to re-enlist at the four year point (~two years on board) for orders to prototype. This will keep your options open and time to decide if you like nuclear power.

If you are not going to remain in nuclear power, I strongly recommend going to prototype and finishing your degree. The degree is very attainable now days with all the credits you have already earned.

Also I recommend enrolling into the apprentice program now and start accumulating hours.

[M1Ark]

I guess the question is whether or not the original poster plans to work in the nuclear field when he gets out of the Navy. 

yes... you're right.