After poking around for a while, I'm under the impression that having a certain number of college credits makes you eligible for an extra "college kicker" bonus. Currently, I have 50+ units, all in 100+ level classes, with a grade of "c" or better. My question is: Do you get both the bonus for college credits AND the enlistment bonus for being a nuke, or is it college bonus OR nuke bonus. Looking online, it sounds to me like its AND, but my recruiter told me that its OR. Personally, I don't really trust his answer. I wouldn't go so far as to say I think he's being deliberately dishonest, but there have been instances in the past where's he's been misinformed.
Can anyone answer this for me? Even better, has anyone enlisted recently and received both the college kicker AND the nuke bonus?
Thanks in advance.
Quote from: IsraelL on Jul 18, 2008, 02:31
After poking around for a while, I'm under the impression that having a certain number of college credits makes you eligible for an extra "college kicker" bonus. Currently, I have 50+ units, all in 100+ level classes, with a grade of "c" or better. My question is: Do you get both the bonus for college credits AND the enlistment bonus for being a nuke, or is it college bonus OR nuke bonus. Looking online, it sounds to me like its AND, but my recruiter told me that its OR. Personally, I don't really trust his answer. I wouldn't go so far as to say I think he's being deliberately dishonest, but there have been instances in the past where's he's been misinformed.
Can anyone answer this for me? Even better, has anyone enlisted recently and received both the college kicker AND the nuke bonus?
Thanks in advance.
I enlisted Nuke and I have around 50 credit hours completed. I did not get both.
Quote from: Gamecock on Jul 18, 2008, 02:43
You get both.
Thanks.
Does anyone have a link or any information I can cite about this? My recruiter was pretty adamant in his position that I don't receive both. It would be nice to have concrete information in hand when confronting him on the matter.
I enlisted 5 and a half years ago, and I recieved both a college kicker and a nuke enlistment bonus. However, I have not found any reference you may use with your recruiter. Your best bet is to go to the Navy Personnel Command website and dig around.
I've heard similar things. People with so many credits got an extra bonus for going enlisted. I know some guys didn't know about it so they missed out on it. Now how does one go about getting it? You could always wait until OCT and try to enlist. The government issues most of that money in quarters so they could be low on funds and not want to give it to you at this moment....
If you have that many credits you should just finish your degree. Go talk to an officer recruiter instead. Just some blue shirt advice.
Jeff
Quote from: AmericanPride on Jul 22, 2008, 10:16
If you have that many credits you should just finish your degree. Go talk to an officer recruiter instead. Just some blue shirt advice.
I thought about that, but a BA is still like 2 years away. Besides, to be honest with you, I've lived somewhat of a charmed life, one which I'm sure I'll go right back to after the Navy. I think one of the experiences I'm looking for is to put in some honest hard work for a purpose other than myself. I'm sure going enlisted will absolutely suck sometimes, but I also feel like the experience will help me to grow as a person.
That being said, I'll still probably try to get some more information on the officer route. I'm sure there are a lot of benefits there [money being the first thing that gomes to mind]. After all, there needs to be some kind of practicality involved in a decision like this.
Making the decision to finish college or to join as an enlisted nuke is a tough decision. I did just that and entered the navy as a nuke machinist mate with a college degree. The navy apid for part of my student loans and I received all of the standard bonuses. I stayed for a total of 7 years qualified everything that I could and moved immediately into the civillian nuclear commercial power world. With the college degree and the experience, I was far ahead of my former college peers who went straight into the workforce. In the nuclear industry the salary is much higher than the average college student will make outside the nuclear world and I was able to get a VA loan to buy my first house. The enlisted work is interesting and can be rewarding. I also wanted to challenge myself when I joined the navy, and see what I could do. I was not academically qualified for an officer program because my college grades were bad, but I do not regret the decision I made. I learned many things many nuclear officers will never know about equipment and repair. So, there are all sorts of opportunities as either an officer or enlisted. You may have to wash clothes, clean berthing or perform engine room cleanup, but so do all enlisted people during their career so you would not be doiong anything different than everyone before you in the program. It will all be about what you want to achieve, what will be your motivation to serve in the navy. When you can make that decision, then deciding whether to finish college or to join now as an enlisted member should be a straightforward confident decision that you can feel good about making.
Quote from: IsraelL on Jul 22, 2008, 02:26
Besides, to be honest with you, I've lived somewhat of a charmed life, one which I'm sure I'll go right back to after the Navy.
"But you have a private bedroom,right?
IsraelL,no disrespect intended,just poking a little fun at you.I thank you for your future service.
As part of your research you might want to watch the movie"Private Benjamin". Goldie is still a hottie.
Is anyone here old enough to remember Laugh-In
Quote from: proud dad on Jul 22, 2008, 11:31
"But you have a private bedroom,right?
IsraelL,no disrespect intended,just poking a little fun at you.I thank you for your future service.
As part of your research you might want to watch the movie"Private Benjamin". Goldie is still a hottie.
Is anyone here old enough to remember Laugh-In
...Poking fun at me for asking whether I'd have a private bedroom while on shore duty? Don't get me wrong, I'm not offended or anything, I just don't understand how thats funny...especially when my recruiter lead me to believe that would be the case [although he says a lot of things, few of which I really accept as fact]. The reason I made reference to my current lifestyle was not to say "this is what the military has to live up to". I was merely saying, that while opportunities to enter as an officer may exist, "I don't mind giving up these things while I am enlisted because I think it will help build character". Not everyone who leads a comfortable life before entering the military is a spoiled kid in for a rude awakening.
never mind.Not qualified,but going deep anyway
Quote from: IsraelL on Jul 23, 2008, 01:16
...Poking fun at me for asking whether I'd have a private bedroom while on shore duty?
It is not shore duty. Understand that. It is a TRAINING PIPELINE. The reason young junior sailors are there is to learn how to do their job. The lifestyle afforded them and the amenities they are provided are commensurate with their Navy Experience and "Value added" to the service.
As for shore duty, our junior sailors on shore duty have roommates, just as well as the ones in the pipeline do.
As a first class in the early 90's I had roommates. It was not until I made CPO that I was "Entitled" to a private room. You may want to take some of Proud Dad's advice and watch a couple of movies.
JB
Quote from: LDO4CNO on Jul 23, 2008, 06:52
It is not shore duty. Understand that. It is a TRAINING PIPELINE.
The question of a private bedroom actually came from another topic. I clarified there that I was talking about after A-school/NPS/Prototype.
Really, the answers to things like "will I have to share a bedroom?" won't really affect whether or not I enlist. Even if the answer isn't what I want to hear, if I know about it ahead of time, I'm OK with things. That is, it doesn't bother me anywhere near as much if I expect it. I'm sorry if that came off as me having a sense of entitlement because thats not really the case.
Quote from: proud dad on Jul 22, 2008, 11:31
Is anyone here old enough to remember Laugh-In
Barry Goldwater opening the window at show intro saying " I can dig it "
I miss living in that America....
Quote from: HydroDave63 on Jul 23, 2008, 12:25
Barry Goldwater opening the window at show intro saying " I can dig it "
I miss living in that America....
Richard Nixon looking straight into the camera and saying "Sock it to
me?"
But I think he meant Goldie Hawn go-go dancing in a skimpy bikini. Ah, yes, I remember it well.
Quote from: RDTroja on Jul 23, 2008, 02:08
Richard Nixon looking straight into the camera and saying "Sock it to me?"
But I think he meant Goldie Hawn go-go dancing in a skimpy bikini. Ah, yes, I remember it well.
Personally I think Nixon's best work was on "Futurama" as president of the World.