USS Enterprise questions

[zoomies]

Hello, would like to start by saying I am new to this site and my compliments on it. I recently got orders after prototype to the beloved USS Enterprise, I am looking for information on this ship, such as what to expect. What exactly will the schedule be like during the decommission for me? Also, I am about to hit my 2 year mark and will be re-upping, how long can I expect to be in base housing until I get BAH and such after getting E-5?
Thanks for reading, I am excited to be joining the true nuke community. 

[HydroDave63]

The authoritative Big E site...

http://www.mooj.com/rxdept.htm

lots of pictures and stories to boot!

[zoomies]

Edited, sorry about that but that was what I read from wikipedia... Thanks for the info Hydro!

[zoomies]

I have no idea how the navigation works on the mooj site, haha.

[HydroDave63]

Dude, if you can't navigate the mooj site, you'll never find the aft cafeteria for midrats! 

[zoomies]

I feel the appropriate response is "Im more of a 'hands-on' guy."

[Creeker]

Hey Zoomie,
The Mooj site has a bunch of Enterprise nuclear stories from the 60s to the present, but it won't have ships schedule or plans on there.  King Paul, the sites founder, is a little too salty to allow such stuff on his site, as it should be.  However, if you click on the link above, and then scroll down to the pages, (Page1,2,3 etc) and click on them, you'll get a flavor of what surface nukes of old and recent think and do.
Try Global Security.org. 
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/cvn-65.htm
This will give you good info that is in the public domain on the ship and it's history, as well as decomissioning plans.  It looks from reading there that current plans are decomm in 2012. (I feel I can say this as it is public info)  That means, when you get there.. GET HOT.  Fight like mad any plans to keep you out of the plants.  I'm sure the XO is even now levying Reactor and Engineering departments for more MAA and ventilation cleaners and other BS positions that ships need, but nukes generally dodge.  So, you get onboard, work your tail off from the get go, and don't let them sideline you to other non-nuclear duties to the best of your ability.  Otherwise, you'll be at 6 years, and not qualified senior in rate, cause they're de-comming her anyway. 
Next, the ship should send you a welcome aboard package, and hopefully assign you a sponser.
Finally.. just a suggestion..  Put off the reenlistment until you get there and find out what it's all about.  If it's great.. Then reenlist.  But look before you leap.

Best of luck on the Pig..  She's hard to get out of the yards, but once up and running, she's a very versatile reactor/steam plant platform.

Creeker

[zoomies]

Thanks for the advice creeker, that was pretty much the bulk of my question right there. I dont want to look back at the 6 year point and think of it as a waste of time, so I appriciate it. I have pretty much made up my mind on the 2 year re-enlistment though because I dont mind the work and I like the money.

[Fermi2]

The guy who runs The Mooj went to nuke school with me. We got into a couple minor troublesome issues while I was there. IIRC his Grandfather is an Admiral in the Indian Navy. Ram is a heck of a good guy. Love his band too!

[jay121]

She's not going anywhere. 

[merchantg]

Well its been almost a decade since I served on the Big E but you can expect a ton of work and the worst shift rotations known to man. Many other surface guys simply don't understand the Enterprise. Without going into extreme detail I will try and convey a few things about life on the E. It is a bastardized test platform that Rickover went along with. While we ran port and starboard rotations the rest of the ship was on 12 section duty. There is simply just more pieces on the Enterprise than all the other ships. In fact more than four times the amount. I loved being at sea and enjoyed the responsibility of senior watches for ORSE reviews as a nub. But the shipyard was hell. Two shipmates that I knew personally where shot on two separate occasions while being robbed and one died, literally within throwing distance of gate guards. I saw many shipmates simply lose it. Not wash out mind you, just simply give up on being human. We were operating on very little sleep and when we did lay down to rest someone was always needle gunning the deck over our berthing (night and day). It was pure f***ing torture. We always looked down on the people that found ways out of the hellhole for whatever reason, but looking back we really shouldn't have. I am normally a very encouraging sort of person. The kind of guy that would say it is what you make of it. But I can't polish this turd for you. I hope and pray it has gotten much better in the yards, and that your job is a fun and fulfilling experience. But if I could give you a simple piece of advice it is to put in for orders elsewhere as soon as the chance arises.  

[zoomies]

I figured it was bad haha, I appriciate the brutal honesty.

[DLGN25]

Dude, if you can't navigate the mooj site, you'll never find the aft cafeteria for midrats! 

Cafeteria?  What ever happened to Mess Deck?
Have ladders become stairs, passageways become hallways?
Are bulkheads now walls?
Are hatches now doors?
Are heads now lavatories, or men's or lady's rooms?
Are compartments now rooms?
Are decks and levels now floors?
Are galleys now kitchens?
Are scullery's now called dish washing rooms?

Just wondering how much terminology has changed and having a little fun.

[Marlin]

Cafeteria?  What ever happened to Mess Deck?
Have ladders become stairs, passageways become hallways?
Are bulkheads now walls?
Are hatches now doors?
Are heads now lavatories, or men's or lady's rooms?
Are compartments now rooms?
Are decks and levels now floors?
Are galleys now kitchens?
Are scullery's now called dish washing rooms?

Just wondering how much terminology has changed and having a little fun.

Can you still say "don't get your panties in a wad" or do the PC police hall you off to the brig especially if the person in qusestion wore panties. 

[radbrat]

Can you still say "don't get your panties in a wad" or do the PC police hall you off to the brig especially if the person in qusestion wore panties. 

Where is Fluffy Bunny when you need him/her?

[retread]

Where is Fluffy Bunny when you need him/her?

Excellent!!

[Marlin]

Ok, Ok, I followed the detour when I shouldn't have, back to http://www.mooj.com/rxdept.htm


Zoomies some of you initial questions may be answered here, try the Ombudsman tab.
http://www.enterprise.navy.mil/

[Gamecock]

Zoomies some of you initial questions may be answered here, try the Ombudsman tab.
http://www.enterprise.navy.mil/

Lots of good information is available if you read the sticky posts.

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,16169.0.html