Newly Enlisted Nuke. Post your story.

[Jademarche]

Hello,

     I enlisted on July 22nd this year and am very happy with my decision to go into the Nuke field. This site was extremely helpful with determining if it was what I really wanted to do and I appreciate the people who have posted and the admins from constantly giving input. I ship out for Basic March 23, 2011, 8 months from now. I'm going to take some classes at a local community college, calc 2, physics 2, maybe chem, just to refresh some of the information I already know. I would be a Junior this year in terms of college but decided that the computer engineering path I was taking was not what I wanted.
     A friend who I worked with had joined the Navy said the 4 years active he server were some of the best hes lived. I looked into it and the more I did, the more I started to think how much better it fit what I was looking for. I met with a Navy recruiter and he suggested that maybe taking the ASVAB and seeing what I would qualify for would help me decide if it was what I wanted to do. I scored a 92 comfortably. The recruiter started pushing Nuke on me, which I hadn't really looked into, and said that based on how I scored on the test I had tested out of and Nuke qualification test that some other recruitee's may have had to take for Nuke. Needless to say I was won over and am now excitedly/nervously waiting in the DEP.
     The challenge ahead seem intimidating, but I have no doubt in my mind that I can come out in very good standing. My family and friends have all openly supported my decision and that alone has helped out tremendously. Its odd now telling people who I only see on occasion what I'm doing but I know that my decision was something that I made and am now proud to stick by, as I feel I should be.
     I'm sort of just rambling on now, partly because I feel like I owe some sort of post to this site as it has helped me so much and partly because I would like to ask anyone who reads this to tell a little about their story of joining Nuke and how it turned out for them. I'm still waiting to be shipped out so can't comment much on how its going to turn out but I have high hopes and great confidence. This was the biggest decision I have yet to make in my life and I'm looking forward to seeing it all the way through.

  Thanks for reading

[IPREGEN]

You may have second thoughts from time to time. When they yell at you in boot camp, when you struggle on a test, but it all goes by with time. Thousands have been through it, thousands more will follow. You will succeed if you want to put in the effort. It's always up to you.

[goldenmatt]

Congratulations on your enlistment. I was in the same place you are now about a year ago. I just classed up for Power School. I remember having a million questions about the whole process. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. There are plenty of people on this site who can answer them.

I can tell you that boot camp was not much fun. There were a lot of pointless things to it, but it was very important to orienting for the Navy life. Just remember that it is an 8 week mind game, then you can move on to what you signed on for.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[co60slr]

I can tell you that boot camp was not much fun. There were a lot of pointless things to it, but it was very important to orienting for the Navy life. Just remember that it is an 8 week mind game, then you can move on to what you signed on for.

Excellent summation.  Do what you're told, do it better than anyone else, await the next task.  The Navy is asking the question: "Are you trainable under extreme conditions?"   The answer is up to the individual.

Next stop:  NPS Comprehensive Exam.  Not so pointless. 

Congrats!

[JazSusana1717]

I am in the same boat as you! I joined in March and ship January 2011. I am trying to decide what classes would help me the most to take this term. I agree that this site has been extremely helpful. I have an associates degree but never touched physics in college can i jump into general physics? And do you have another class to recommend to take?

[co60slr]

I am in the same boat as you! I joined in March and ship January 2011. I am trying to decide what classes would help me the most to take this term. I agree that this site has been extremely helpful. I have an associates degree but never touched physics in college can i jump into general physics? And do you have another class to recommend to take?

Technically, if you passed your entrace exams, you have the tools you need.  However, BZ for wanting to continue your academics.   Many try to finish their Bachelor's degrees during their enlistment, so you might consider you next academic goal and what you can do this fall to prepare...for the Navy and your goal.   

For example, several combine two years of general education courses with credit granted for NPS/Prototype to finish a BS in Nuke Eng. Tech.  Some go on to SMU.edu to then get a ABET engineering master's degree.  It's not a BSNE, MSNE, PhD pathway at MIT, but it can serve your career well depending on your long-term goals. 

https://www.excelsior.edu/, http://www.tesc.edu/

You'll need the usual for a technical degree:  calculus, technical writing, chemistry, physics, etc.  Keep your math skills honed for NPS.

Co60

[MMM]

Do what you're told. 

Pretty good advice, for the first couple years, actually. Once you can do that, take the extra step and do something before you're told, then take a leadership position. Remember, treat your career as though you're going to do 20-30 years. Then if you change your mind right before you get out you haven't burned any bridges.

[haren]

I am in the same boat as you! I joined in March and ship January 2011.

Same. See you in a couple months lol.

[amazinz5]

I'm in a similar position...I haven't gone to MEPS or signed anything but I'm trying to do that ASAP.  I should be in Great Lakes in 6-7 months.  I just found this site today but what I've read has been extremely helpful in assuring I'm making the right choice.

[Tevin]

New future nuke here as well =)

I signed up back in February, and have just about finished my waiting in the DEP pool to ship off to Great Lakes (tomorrow is when I leave, actually *laughs*). I'd thought about joining up with the nuke program out of high school (man, they hounded me every week to consider the nuke program by phone...got to the point that it was "Oh hey, it's the Navy guy again" whenever he called xD), since I was in a tight financial situation with my family and whatnot, but I decided that going to college first was more important, bit the student loan bullet while working, and got an "edumacation". Five years later, equipped with a BA International Studies, I'm going in and doing my service (a shame my college credit rank advancement's going to waste, but ah well. =D), and hopefully will do proud the memory of a long tradition of military service within my family, even if none of them were career military.

I'm looking forward to the challenge that the field will bring, and I'd wished I'd looked at this site earlier during all those months waiting in DEP instead of finding this gem on my last day of civilian life (go career military!). I can't say I have any illusions about the upcoming job beyond that it'll be hard, but eh, living overseas for a year in a country whose language I couldn't speak was incredibly difficult too, but I wouldn't trade that experience for the world. I expect the same out of being a nuke. =)


To the OP, I can't give any first-hand advice about the job we're going to have, but I echo your decision on refresher courses at the community college, as any extra studying you can get in *before* you ship out will help out tremendously, if for nothing else than to get you extra practice on study habits; I didn't waste my time in the DEP pool, but I certainly didn't make the most of it and wish I'd taken some extra math classes while getting my degree. Just more than anything, get your mind in the game ahead of time, make sure you've the mental preparation for what you're going to be doing before you ship out, and you'll be fine.


And with that...see you guys in two months. =D

[JustinHEMI05]

<------------------ easiest boot camp experience... ever.


Thanks to the recent enlistees for your service. Good luck in you career and keep us posted! Thanks for sharing what you have learned, and I encourage you to keep sharing as you go!

[co60slr]

In the winter of 1982 I stood at the top of the world, I fashioned a throne of ice and snow, reclined into it and with my mortal eyes I drank in the expanse of God's firmament above me. In the distance behind me were two man-made sharks of steel, surfaced, quietly rumbling with some great inner power of fire and man's hubris, standing guard. But here, on the edge of their artificial illumination, where their contained power was barely perceptible, the vastness of what God has wrought was all too palpable. The cold of eternity, the quiet of space, the immensity of power unprovoked, waiting to be flung into chaos. The ice would groan, sometimes crack, and occasionally, tremble, otherwise, the silence was profound. There was no wind, it was still, cold, sharp. The stars were foreign but close.

All good until....your RCC came into the "throne room", tossed a trash can, and yelled "Wake up, NUBS!".   

The rest is all historically and officially documented on said DD-214. 

[Silvaboy4life]

I Took the ASVAB Monday november 29th got a 81 qualified for the NAPT the next monday i Went to a Hotel down by the MEPS offices and tuesday morning MY Physical started at 4 am. I ate breakfast and by 5 am i was standing in the long and boring lines at the MEPS office. For about 8 hours i took part in the physical and all other medical tests along with 50 others. At 13:00 i was finally done and i sat down at took the NAPT! took me awhile but when i was finally done i had to wait for my test results. I was happy when i heard i got a (67 out of 80) on the NAPT. There was only one hurdle left at that was to receive a waiver for my D in pre-cal when i was a junior in H.S. So now i am waiting for the MEPS office to call my recruiter and hopefully i will go sign a JOB!!!

[Fermi2]

Get used to the lines!