NukeWorker Forum
Career Path => Navy Nuke => Navy:Staying In => Topic started by: Valet on Aug 25, 2010, 09:09
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How has America's current economic climate affected the nuclear Navy? Or is it the same as it was 5 years ago?
(I personally found the search function unable to weed out unrelated posts with such a general question)
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What does it matter? You are DEP'd with a ship out date. Count yourself lucky, or not.
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How has America's current economic climate affected the nuclear Navy? Or is it the same as it was 5 years ago?
It's the same as it was 25 years ago.
The economy is like a sine wave. When jobs are plentiful, recruiters have a tough job. Today, DEPers are begging to get to boot camp early.
Nothing new in 2010. All deja vu.
Co60
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From a recruit's standpoint, it hasn't changed as much as you might think.
In 2005, navy recruiters were still having lots of success finding qualified applicants. The Army and Marines were having difficulties, largely to stories about Iraq and Afghanistan discouraging potential recruits.
Nukes still had long wait times in DEP.
What has changed is retention. More sailors are staying in and re-enlisting, rather than face unemployment in these difficult times. Additionally, recruiters are seeing a large influx of applicants. This allows the Navy to be more selective about who it lets in (usually in the form of approving less waivers).
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To steer the conversation in a different way, (unless it's been exhausted) I am also interested in any changes in the fleet. By the way, I care because I'm serving (as I'm sure you care, more so than I know). To not care would be criminal and not reflective of my character.
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What has changed is retention. More sailors are staying in and re-enlisting, rather than face unemployment in these difficult times.
Would you include Nuke sailors?
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Would you include Nuke sailors?
I haven't seen any nukes change their minds about reenlisting, based on the economy, in the past couple of years. Most of them have made their decisions based on whether they like the job or do not. Also, most nukes make that decision on their first sea tour. The people that have reenlisted for the bonuses, from what I have noticed, would have done it anyway.
The Post 9/11 GI Bill, that started in August 2008, also may be a factor in getting out. I know a couple of guys who told me that "if I don't find a job, I'll just go to school". Having BAH, to go to school, is a nice incentive to get out.
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Retention was up in '09 according to some Admiral's notice earlier this year. Subs are still short nukes due to prototype being a funnel for the burst of guys who have joined the Navy in the recession.
Nukes are still a special breed though, in that being a nuke can propel you to a lucrative career working in a technical field. Being a rating like BM propels you to a not so lucrative career working the desk at Jiffy Lube (retired BMC works at the local one here). As with anything, it's what you make of it, but you usually don't find people offering STS's close to 6-figure incomes before they even leave the Navy. Even in a bad economy, people who have proven themselves to be intelligent, motivated, and technically competent are always going to be in demand.
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To steer the conversation in a different way, (unless it's been exhausted) I am also interested in any changes in the fleet. By the way, I care because I'm serving (as I'm sure you care, more so than I know). To not care would be criminal and not reflective of my character.
Whelp, 22 years ago when I went through, if you wanted subs, it was pretty much a given you were going to get them, with a few 640 boats, the Tridents, and some 80-plus fast boats around, with only 8 nuke carriers and the cruisers going away (only Texas was left, IIRC.)
Nowadays, you've got a better than 50-50 chance of being surfaced, with only 55 SSN's, 14 Tridents, but 12 CVN's. Remember, a boat might only have 35-40 nukes on it (if fully manned), whereas a carrier has upwards of like 500 nukes.
So if you want to go submarines, and find yourself competing with lots of other people, how do you improve your chances? Obviously, the better you do in the pipeline, the more likely you are to get what you want. But you also have to put down REALISTIC choices on your "dream sheet".
If all you put down for your 1-2-3 choices is, San Diego SSN, San Diego SSN, and San Diego SSN, don't get all that upset when that's exactly what you DON'T get. Detailers have to fill all the slots, and when something isn't available with no realistic second choice on your part, needs of the Navy being what they are, you'll go where you're needed.
However, I wouldn't mind being on the Washington. Japan might be expensive as hell, but it was fun and a fascinating culture.
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The Navy has about half the ships it had 25 years ago. That includes SSBN's
See this site
http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/org9-4.htm#2000