NukeWorker Forum
Career Path => Navy Nuke => Navy:Getting In => Topic started by: Roll Tide on Sep 08, 2004, 11:38
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My knothead son is determined to get a GED and take on the world. What does he need to do to take the ASVAB, and what fields are open?
??? ??? ??? ???
(No, I don't need to hear it is a stupid idea. I already know that. This decision is a lemon. Tell me how to make lemonade.)
>:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
Thanks to all but especially RCLCPO in advance.
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it's not a terribly bad idea, just one thats going to be a rough road! Now coming from experience, if he's a bright boy he'll have an easier time of it. I took that route myself from boredom in highschool. I don't know about your neck of the woods but in florida if you manage to make certain scores you can and will receive a regular diploma rather than the GED. I luckily managed to score an almost perfect score on the test and did receive a regular diploma. To my knowledge the test have changed since then though.
Now I know youre worried about say maybe getting into the nuke program. It wont happen with a GED or the diploma one receives from that even if everything else in the world recognizes it. UNLESS, you have college credits of some sort available which it's quite easy to acquire those in any community college. I really would recommend he try Voc rehab or job corp before actually setting out and getting his GED. Both will give real world job skills and provide income while he is getting his degree. Check with your local school board for the availability of those programs in your area. I've had friends in job corp that absolutely detested the experience but were definatly better people for going through it. It also doesn't hurt to take a trip down to the local recruiter and have them give him a crash course in what to expect if he inlist.
Decon and HP are still an option for the lad...I would recommend finding a course for hp as soon as he takes the test though since this working your way up thing is a bit harder than I thought it'd be! If you need any more information Ill see what I can dig up it's been a while since I've been to the recruiters and such myself trying to find out what I need but I'm sure I can find something out for you.
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Roll Tide, this comes straight from the source. I suggest your son contact his local recruiter for more help.
"Thank you for your interest in the US Navy. The navy does allow people with GEDs. But, along with the other basic requirements for active duty, the Navy has to have an opening at that time, the applicant has to score a 50% or better on an ASVAB test, and be at least 19 years old. The US Navy only allows so many people with GEDs in the navy every year, and those opening go fast at the first of the year. If you do not have a GED or High School Diploma you need at least 15 college credits or 22 semester hours. This requirement will also help you if you do have a GED, because it shows further education. Contact a recruiter near you for more details or call 1-800-USA-Navy"(taken from Navy.com forums).
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Here are the academic requirements:
1. All applicants for the NF program must be High School Diploma Graduates (HSDG) from a state accredited high school. Applicants who attend home school or any other non-traditional program during high school, applicants who attained HSDG status by any means other than a state accredited high school diploma, and applicants that graduated from a foreign high school require a NF Type 2 Non-Traditional Education waiver.
2. NF candidates must provide complete high school and (if attended) college transcripts.
3. Applicants must have completed one year of any high school or college level algebra.
4. Applicants must not have failed any math class (waiverable).
5. Applicants must not have withdrawn from, or repeated, any portion of any math class (waiverable).
6. All non-traditional education applicants must take (and pass) the Navy Advanced Placement Test (NAPT), which is the latest version of the "Nuke Test".
7. All applicants must have qualifying scores on the ASVAB. The overall ASVAB score is not especially important, just 65 or higher, but the combination of specific scores (line scores) is important. There are 2 calculations of line scores that determine eligibility for the NF.
In other words, if your son actually finishes a GED, he will not be eligible for the Navy's Nuclear Field. If he returns to a high school and gets a diploma, or takes classes at a local community college and gets a diploma, it is possible, if he meets all the other requirements, to submit a waiver for his non-traditional education.
To take the ASVAB, he can drop by your local Navy recruiting office. They will get a bunch of personal information from him to verify basic eligibility, and set him up to take the exam. They will also be able to tell him about his limitations wrt his education and joining the Navy in any of our ratings.
Good luck!
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In other words, if your son actually finishes a GED, he will not be eligible for the Navy's Nuclear Field. If he returns to a high school and gets a diploma, or takes classes at a local community college and gets a diploma, it is possible, if he meets all the other requirements, to submit a waiver for his non-traditional education.
To take the ASVAB, he can drop by your local Navy recruiting office. They will get a bunch of personal information from him to verify basic eligibility, and set him up to take the exam. They will also be able to tell him about his limitations wrt his education and joining the Navy in any of our ratings.
Good luck!
What age does he have to be to take the ASVAB?
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If he takes the ASVAB as part of a high school examination, where they test either everyone or those who ask for it, then there is no real age limit. If he takes it on his own, as a citizen interested in joining the military, he must be at least 17.
At your local Navy recruiting office, they can also give him a short test that will predict his ASVAB score +/- about 20% (referred to as the EST).
Best bet: try to broker some kind of arrangement with the high school for him to get the credits he needs for a diploma (the recruiters in your area may be able to help with this). Some high schools will accept credits achieved via on-line college courses, classes at a local community college, or alternative high school classes (usually at night, usually associated with a community college). Some high schools are more flexible than others, so if his school won't work with you, you may want to recon other schools within driving distance to see if they will work with you. Most of the schools within my territory (7 states) will do what they can to get a kid a diploma.
With diploma in hand, it's then up to his ASVAB score, police record, civil record, and physical evaluation.
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Is your son actually looking into the Nuke Field, or just getting into the Navy? I am a recruiter now and I can tell you that putting in someone who did not graduate is extrmely difficult. There are a lot of "extra" wickets that he must meet and most of the time it is not even worth the extra time to work with non-grads. Basically...HE MUST FINISH HIGH SCHOOL. RCLCPO was correct...the schools will work with the kids and recruiters to help them graduate i.e. I am working with a young lady who needs 22 credits to graduate. She has 10.5. She will be walking with her class June 2005. If that can be done, anything can happen. The unknown part of the equation is, what does your son want? Does he have the ambition to finish school? Does he just want his GED so he can get out of town? Either decision may be the right one for him. But the better of the two is definetly getting his High School diploma, from his High School and not the state.
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Is your son just fed up with his highschool? One of my suggestions is that he check out his local tech school. You can actually sign up for classes to finish you highschool diploma through tech schools in SC so this may be an option in your area.
My son wanted to do the same thing a couple of years ago, he actually signed up for new classes, art (photography) and year book and never looked back. He graduated (missed the military because of a stupid accident in 11th grade that blew his knee out).
He is currently working his first powerplant as a local hire, he didn't mind starting out this way. This could also be an option for your son.
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Sounds like a bad idea to me! It reminds me of a saying of how kids think. "When I was 18 years old, my Dad didn't know anything. Now that I am 24 and on my own, I ask advice from my Dad often. He sure did get smart in those six years!"
It looks to me like the future will accept GEDs less and less, and ultimately limit him to what he does later in life. He probably won'y be thinking to the future must more than the coming up week end, but he really ought to think a bit farter ahead.
AND KARMA TO JESSJEN FOR SUCH A NICE PICTURE ON HER POSTS! ;)
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OK,
I visited a recruiter this weekend for some advice on the knothead with a local flavor. It looks like the best bet is to "enroll" him in a private school and get another couple of credits externally and then graduate him so he will be eligible.
(Fewer credits for accredited private than accredited public school, and they can evaluate things such as his akido classes.)
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My wife was a successful Nuke ET and she had her GED. She took the ASVAB and got a 90 and the NFQT (the recruiters will set both of these up for him) she got a 72. His oppurtunities are pretty much directly linked to his ASVAB score, the higher the more options.
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As a Navy Recruiter myself I can confirm that all reply's so far have been acurate. One thing however, we can accept member's who are 18 year's of age with their GED. If your son still decides to get his GED he will be limited to only a few jobs the Navy has to offer, the jobs available change day to day based on the needs of the Navy.
Just to give you an idea of how hard it can be to enlist into the Navy Nuclear field, I had a young man who got his GED through one of the local high school's here in Hawaii. He scored a 99 on the ASVAB, a 73 on the NAPT (highest score anyone in my recruiting district has EVER heard of) was a National Merrit Scholorship Award recipient and scored a meager 1570 on his SAT. Because of the GED, he was shot down for any waiver's.
Good luck to your son
Michael
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UPDATE:
My knothead has finished (private) high school, and was at MEPS on his 17th birthday. He ships later this month as an Army Intelligence Analyst (96B)!
He is looking forward to not having to put up with my tough rules and unpleasant demeanor and my wife's high attention to detail. I am sure he will have a kind, considerate, generous drill instructor to make him feel welcome into the military. :o
Thanks for all the offers and support, both on this thread and via PM.
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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RollTide,
Yep, I'm sure those DIs will be more than accommodating in welcoming him into the Army. Congrats are in order, not only for your son, but for you in dealing with a knothead teenage boy ;).
I wish your son the best :).
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I heard if you feel like the DI is being to ruff or if (s)he is hurting your feelings you can ask for a "time out" and the will leave you alone. One of the last few people I talked to heading that way assured me that it was true. He said his recruiter told him so. God and Uncle Sam have a special place for the innocent - they are just opposite places.
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God and Uncle Sam have a special place for the innocent - they are just opposite places.
LOL ;D!
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UPDATE!
Knothead called from Ft. Leonard Wood. He is in the "Reception Battalion" awaiting start of Boot Camp on Monday. Don't worry: he told me that some prior service guys in his group assured him that Boot Camp isn't as hard as he had previously heard! :o :o
(I wish there was a hidden camera with microphone next week!)
;D ;D ;D
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reception battallion?
Sounds like a pot lock dinner.
He should be fine.