Does MM = Future RO and ET = Future Tech?

[Hilariousity]

Hi everyone I'm pretty new here and I have a couple of questions that I want answered.

1. I'm kind of torn about what to put down for my desired rating on my dream sheet at boot camp. When I first enlisted at MEPS I was dead set on putting down ET for my desired rating because I imagined that its what Home Simpson does sitting at a control panel flipping switches all day and being payed large sums of money to do so. Now I'm not so sure.

From all I have read on this forum I'm really assuming there are two major types of jobs at nuke plants operators and Techs. I'm also going to go ahead and assume that techs are the control room guys and operators are more of the mechanic type guys. I'm also assuming that MM's are far more likely to be operators because they have a much better chance of passing the POSS test than the other two ratings. Finally, I've read on here that ROs make more money than techs and that sort of makes me want to put MM down for my desired rating on my dream sheet, BUT is all of my current information correct?

2. I'm a dropout computer science major and am wondering if ET or any of the ratings have anything to do with computer programming of any sort? The reason I ask is that I read a very very interesting article found here: http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/07/how-digital-detectives-deciphered-stuxnet/all/1 about how the Stuxnet virus was a cyber weapon designed by Israel to sabotage PLC's at Iranian Nuclear plants. I tried using the search function but the only information I found that I would consider even remotely valuable was this thread here http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,6407.0.html

[Fermi2]

Wrong

[HydroDave63]

Hi everyone I'm pretty new here and I have a couple of questions that I want answered.

1. I'm kind of torn about what to put down for my desired rating on my dream sheet at boot camp. When I first enlisted at MEPS I was dead set on putting down ET for my desired rating because I imagined that its what Home Simpson does sitting at a control panel flipping switches all day and being payed [ -5 sp]  large sums of money to do so. Now I'm not so sure.

Lots of good paying jobs don't require flipping switches, but lots of ex-nukes from all 3 ratings are paid well for operating valves and switches.

From all I have read on this forum I'm really assuming there are two major types of jobs at nuke plants operators and Techs. I'm also going to go ahead and assume that techs are the control room guys and operators are more of the mechanic type guys. I'm also assuming that MM's are far more likely to be operators because they have a much better chance of passing the POSS test than the other two ratings. Finally, I've read on here that ROs make more money than techs and that sort of makes me want to put MM down for my desired rating on my dream sheet, BUT is all of my current information correct?  

Flush out all of that jumbled mess out of your mind. All 3 ratings get sweaty in the engineroom to some degree, and all 3 ratings get hired into civilian nuclear plants doing the same things for the same pay. The separator between individuals and post-Navy jobs have more to do with having a college degree, passing POSS/MASS (and for the truly elite, SO/PD), and interview skills.

You should simply pick a rating in which you personally will achieve the greatest success in aptitude, personal satisfaction and maximum value to the ship and our Nation. "Anything less, you should have gone Air Force! "

2. I'm a dropout computer science major and am wondering if ET or any of the ratings have anything to do with computer programming of any sort? The reason I ask is that I read a very very interesting article found here: http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/07/how-digital-detectives-deciphered-stuxnet/all/1 about how the Stuxnet virus was a cyber weapon designed by Israel to sabotage PLC's at Iranian Nuclear plants. I tried using the search function but the only information I found that I would consider even remotely valuable was this thread here http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,6407.0.html

Without going into excessive detail and observing OPSEC:

1. ETs don't do much if any programming. Lots of low-voltage electrician work and Magic-The-Gathering, perhaps. The pipeline will teach what you need to know.

2. Stuxnet doesn't apply to what you might be doing in the propulsion plant. In my personal experience, some Siemens apps glitched and kluged up enough on their own to BE the bug.

Focus on the nuclear program as it is. If you reeeeeeeeeally want to code, consider the Advanced Electronics option instead.

[Starkist]

Wrong

I spat some of my beer out because of this post!!     


Thanks for the many laughs today Mikey! :p

[OldHP]

From all I have read on this forum I'm really assuming there are two major types of jobs at nuke plants operators and Techs. I'm also going to go ahead and assume that techs are the control room guys and operators are more of the mechanic type guys. I'm also assuming that MM's are far more likely to be operators because they have a much better chance of passing the POSS test than the other two ratings.

Wrong 

Given your initial statements and assumptions, I do believe Mike's response and Starkist's response about sum it up!  Read and reread what Dave had to say and it will lead you to the same!

[Hilariousity]

Focus on the nuclear program as it is. If you reeeeeeeeeally want to code, consider the Advanced Electronics option instead.

It would be nice to program for pay but I'm totally okay with doing something different. I was actually offered and accepted a contract for SECF before taking and passing the NAPT. Ironically, I chose the nuke contract over SECF because I thought that SECF wouldn't teach me any job skills I could apply to my future. I didn't realize there might be programming involved in SECF.

[Starkist]

It would be nice to program for pay but I'm totally okay with doing something different. I was actually offered and accepted a contract for SECF before taking and passing the NAPT. Ironically, I chose the nuke contract over SECF because I thought that SECF wouldn't teach me any job skills I could apply to my future. I didn't realize there might be programming involved in SECF.

Some ET's DO in fact get to learn how to do simulator programming, but those are far and few between. You must be "in the right place, at the right time, with the right attitude" so to speak.  They also do some SLIGHT programming (They have different controls then when you old timers were in ) on reactor controls and feedwater controls, but thats more manipulation of an existing program.
Those darn twidgets always seemed to do I/C maintenance on my watches .

Basically, Id suggest doing some soul searching. Theres no shame in going to college and doing a computer engineering major. Got a buddy that finished his software engineering degree at michigan, and got hired by microsoft to be a software test engineer (forget the acronym) for 70k + awesome benefits. That will go up substantially as well.

[atomicarcheologist]

Wrong

This display of verbosity has obscured your cognitive conjecture.

[Higgs]

This display of verbosity has obscured your cognitive conjecture.

Actually, that one word perfectly describes all of the assumptions in the OP.

Simply, wrong.

Justin

[peteshonkwiler]

Actually, that one word perfectly describes all of the assumptions in the OP.

Simply, wrong.

Justin

I wasn't disputing that, far from it.  I was attempting a kudos to Broadzilla without getting too warm and fuzzy , encouraging a slapfest  , getting on  board , having a flaming  , or taking this    off topic[OT]. That only brings out the moderators  and I get accused of stirring a non-boiling pot , or worse... .  I'm guessing  would be redundant, huh?

[Higgs]

I wasn't disputing that, far from it.  I was attempting a kudos to Broadzilla without getting too warm and fuzzy , encouraging a slapfest  , getting on  board , having a flaming  , or taking this    off topic[OT]. That only brings out the moderators  and I get accused of stirring a non-boiling pot , or worse... .  I'm guessing  would be redundant, huh?

LOL got it.

[EM1Badger]

Don't stress out too much over it.

EMs deal with big electrical things. ETs deal with small electrical things. MMs deal with mechanical things.
Pick the order in which you'd like to do those things.

Congrats, someone else that processes dozens of nukes every day will pick what you do based on class-up dates, projected manning, and voodoo that might involve looking at your dream sheet!

Worry more about getting in shape.
Nukes use computers to use Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Word. Oh, and most importantly: Powerpoint!

[fiveeleven]

I know that the current segway to the promised land has changed from long ago.Way back when,the only way for a young nuc swabbie to get to the land of milk and honey, (or bug juice and rainbow ham if it do ya), was to be a machinist mate. The salts know where this is headed. There's the wannabes and all the rest, and then theres the best. The wizards,the magic men,the confidants of the EOOW, the 1MC pagers who brought either great fear and trepidation, or confidence and relief to the ETs in the EOS -
"EOS...ELT". Set your aim on the top coordinate, strive for the zenithal end point, what you want to be, obviously, is an ELT.  MM2/ELT USS Nimitz CVN 68. 80-84. BOHICA

[x633ro]

Some ET's DO in fact get to learn how to do simulator programming, but those are far and few between. You must be "in the right place, at the right time, with the right attitude" so to speak.  They also do some SLIGHT programming (They have different controls then when you old timers were in ) on reactor controls and feedwater controls, but thats more manipulation of an existing program.
Those darn twidgets always seemed to do I/C maintenance on my watches .

Basically, Id suggest doing some soul searching. Theres no shame in going to college and doing a computer engineering major. Got a buddy that finished his software engineering degree at michigan, and got hired by microsoft to be a software test engineer (forget the acronym) for 70k + awesome benefits. That will go up substantially as well.

Is it possible to live on 70k/yr?

[AmmonSalmo]

Is it possible to live on 70k/yr?

Hardy har... wasn't I just thinking the same thing... 

[DLGN25]

"EOS...ELT". Set your aim on the top coordinate, strive for the zenithal end point, what you want to be, obviously, is an ELT.  MM2/ELT USS Nimitz CVN 68. 80-84. BOHICA

Yes, like the ELT who confused the chemicals used to chlorinate potable water with the chemicals used to maintain proper PH in the reactor.  Makes one think about chloride stress corrosion...

We went through a lot of distilled water, fortunately we were dockside, and a couple or more truck loads got us clean once again.   Unfortunately we were dockside, so Rickover and his henchmen paid us a visit.  That ELT was a very very unhappy camper, not to mention the Captain, the Chief Engineer, and others down the food chain.

The incident report made for some fun reading.

Oh, by the way, the Captain and the Chief Engineer did eventually make Admiral.  The Chief Engineer actually returned to command the ship later in his career.  I don't know what happened to the ELT, other then having to start from scratch to re-qualify, and then under extremely high scrutiny, and yes actually stand watches.  On top of that, he had to live with a nickname that was not so flattering.

Just having some fun with the "elite".

[Hilariousity]

I have one more question for you guys and hopefully you'll be able to understand this a little better.

1. After doing more research I've learned that after a nuke leaves the navy he/she hopes to obtain a job as an NLO and then eventually gets promoted to an RO and later to a SRO. However, after searching some job sites for the terms NLO and non-licensed operator. I haven't received any results. What am I doing wrong? Are there any companies hiring nukes as NLOs at the moment? Do companies post positions of this nature on the internet? Am I searching for the wrong job title?

[Higgs]

I have one more question for you guys and hopefully you'll be able to understand this a little better.

1. From what I have read, after a nuke leaves the navy he/she hopes to obtain a job as an NLO and then eventually gets promoted to an RO and later to an SRO. However, after searching some job sites for the terms NLO and non-licensed operator. I haven't received any results. What am I doing wrong? Are there any companies hiring nukes as NLO  at the moment? Do companies post positions of this nature on the internet? Am I searching for the wrong job title?

That isn't easily answered because NLO is just a generic term for an operator without a license, but all the different utilities call the same thing (NLO) by different names. Look for auxiliary operator, auxiliary equipment operator, plant operator, equipment operator, etc. Those are all terms I've seen used to describe the non-licensed operator position. I'm sure others will have more.

Justin

[withroaj]

While it makes sense to start your Navy Adventure with a post-Navy career in mind, you might also want to focus on your Navy Adventure itself.  Six (or eight, or more if it creams your Twinkie) years goes by in a flash, but it feels pretty hefty when you're in the middle of it.  If you go in as a nuke, manage your money with a shred of responsibility when you're in, and finish successfully you'll get a job with a decent income when you get out.

If you've already signed enlistment paperwork you don't need to worry about what comes after the Navy.  Make yourself a little pre-military bucket list and do some fun things (that won't get you into trouble and compromise your security clearance) before you ship out.  Once you're off to boot camp it'll be at least six months before you get any significant free time.  Since you're a college drop out you already know you're in the military for a reason, so you shouldn't wind up hating your life or compromising yourself while you're in.  That gives you an advantage over the folks who join right out of high school. 

Just have fun with your Navy Adventure and worry about post-Navy employment when you qualify senior-in-rate on your first ship.  Who knows, though?  You might end up loving it.

[drayer54]

I have one more question for you guys and hopefully you'll be able to understand this a little better.

1. After doing more research I've learned that after a nuke leaves the navy he/she hopes to obtain a job as an NLO and then eventually gets promoted to an RO and later to a SRO. However, after searching some job sites for the terms NLO and non-licensed operator. I haven't received any results. What am I doing wrong? Are there any companies hiring nukes as NLOs at the moment? Do companies post positions of this nature on the internet? Am I searching for the wrong job title?

The best way to search for these types of jobs is (in my opinion) to get on www.indeed.com and search nuclear operator. It will bring up most utilities and covers all of the different titles.  NLO= Aux Operator= Nuclear Station Plant Equipment Operator= Senior Nuclear Equipment Operator= valve turning dude who hasn't been to class yet.

It's a good job. Also, most utility job websites will send you email updates whenever a job in your category opens up. Nukeworker sends out job alerts as well based on category.

Good luck!