NukeWorker Forum
Career Path => Navy Nuke => Navy:Staying In => Topic started by: confusedandlost on Jun 12, 2011, 10:21
-
If I'm an enlisted nuke with a bachelor degree in a non-technical field: don't have classes in advanced calculus with physics or physics, how difficult will it be to get a commission as a nuke officer? My age upon boot camp will be 24 and I don't think naval academy would be an option. Am I SOL or do I still have a chance of getting commissioned as an officer if I get great grades in nuke school. Is STA-21 my only option? If I really wanted to, would it be smart to go back to school when my first enlistment is up and attempt to get that degree that will let me be an officer in the nuke field and the age waivers will generally give me 6 more years because that was my time in the service? Thanks.
-
http://www.cnrc.navy.mil/sanfrancisco/opo/general-information.htm#17
According to this site, the only two jobs waiverable to age 35 would be Naval Reactors Enginner or Nuclear Power School Instructor, I'm guessing you can't get waived more than the age exceeded even if you had prior service. My next question would be if I really wanted to serve in the Navy, I can't resign for any amount of time after my first enlistment because I would need to be under 31-32 by the time I start my 2nd bachelors degree in order to get commissioned before I'm 35?
-
If you go look at the regulations, you will find the only officer program you are eligible for is OCS. STA-21 and the Academy both get you a degree if you don't have one already.
-
So I'm assuming if someone who was in my spot ever wanted to be a nuke officer, I would have to be discharged honorably, get a 2nd bachelors in a technical field with good grads to be an officer through OCS and probably only be eligible to be a naval reactors engineer or nuclear power school instructor because those are the only two nuke type jobs that would consider waivers up to 35?
-
So I'm assuming if someone who was in my spot ever wanted to be a nuke officer, I would have to be discharged honorably, get a 2nd bachelors in a technical field with good grads to be an officer through OCS and probably only be eligible to be a naval reactors engineer or nuclear power school instructor because those are the only two nuke type jobs that would consider waivers up to 35?
Your opportunity to be a nuclear officer is likely limited.
Not sure from your initial post when you ship to boot or if you are already in the pipeline. What you need to do is take two semesters of calculus and two semesters of calculus-based physics. That is the "secret-handshake" that unlocks nuke to non-technical majors if you have a good enough GPA.
If you're already in, and you want to become an officer, you can always apply for OCS. There are officers jobs outside of nuclear power!
-
I also have a non-technical degree(B.S. Ag. Economics), but I switched to that major from Electrical engineering. I have about 3 semesters of Calculus, and more physics based(calc. based) credits than I know what to do with, but I completed an Economics degree. The grades honestly vary on those credits with A's and B's in the math classes and intro physics and some crummy grades in the higher end physics. I'm currently 26 years old with an approved waiver to nuke. What kind of officer programs would I be able to look in to?
I still have good memory on a decent amount of circuit analysis and calculus. I also wouldn't mind becoming a Chop since I have a good friend who is currently there, but I believe the Navy has kind of invested in me to become a potential nuke expert.