Needs of the Navy

[jamdaws]

Well I just had an interesting meeting with the recruiter.  I am getting the paperwork rolling for nuke officer (NR route).  I asked him if he knew what the needs of the navy were (hoping they were dire so as to help me get selected).  He mentioned that all recruiters had a meeting last month and that nuke officers are a critical need right now; especially those that can raise their hand in oath and ship before june.  I am done with college and within PRT standards so I should be a good candidate I figure.  Can any of you recruiter types confirm this for me or is it smoke and mirrors?  Thanks for the info.

P.S.  he might have meant just his NRD had the meeting but I would imagine that all recruiters nationwide receive and then disseminate the same info.

[visserjr]

Never assume too much. Read the paperwork carefully, and remember you have the ability to walk away. It's like buying a car. We all wanna see you in a good one, but some salesmen are more honest than others. Best of luck.

[Marlin]

I don't know how much this affects you but the Naval Acadamy this year has a thirty percent increase in volunteers for submarines. Normally they provide about a hundred middies to the boats but this year will be over 130. The only officers that do not go through the nuke pipeline for subs are the supply officers and doctors. This may not mean anything but it would seem to imply that there will be a lower need for nuke officers from other sources. If you haven't been told, the ring knockers from the academy will generally get preference throughout thier careers, this isn't a written rule but it still exists in a heavliy traditional Navy.

[CharlieRock]

Nuke officers going the NR engineer route are still a need.  These folks are not line officers (i.e. they cannot command a warship, don't go to sea and get warfare pins, etc.) and so relatively few USNA folks take that path.  NROTC numbers are slightly higher taking the NR engineer path but most folks not specifically recruited for this field have the goal of command at sea.  The life that an NR engineer lives is vastly different from the traditional view of an officer's lot or career progression.