Nuke Deppers, Ship Dates, and Stories

[Roll Tide]

You'll just looooove Goose Creek!

Duck Ditch? If you want to get a little farther out in the country, Macedonia or at least Moncks Corner don't feel like the Commissary when you are at the Piggly Wiggly.

[MistarItalian]

Hey, I'm going Wednesday to talk to a different recruiter (other one was about useless). Anyway, I'm going in to be a Nuke ET. Any suggestions for when I should try to leave, or any other recommendations? Thanks.

MLV

[Bighouz107501]

yeah....the ET part isn't guarenteed....just know that before you make your decision.

[LRM]

ET guaranteed? HA! A guy in my boot camp company had his AS in Laser Technology.  He was in my MM A school class.  I thought I had ET easy based on my scores; thought I made the biggest mistake in the world when I found out I was getting MM.  I can't thank the classifier enough; Learned about ELT in BM (MM1/SS Foskey), set my goal to be one, and was one (very glad).

Lance

[Bighouz107501]

LRM, I leave in 2 days and I've yet to figure out what rate I want to "ask" for. I totally want to be and ELT by far...but I dont know if I can live with not getting it. Ahh the things I'm beginning to freak out about. haha I'm already changing.

[taterhead]

Trust me, you can live without getting ELT.

I don't get why there is this idea amongst deppers that being an MM is the end of the world.  Advancement is just as good and it pays the same.

If electricity or electronics interests you, then by all means, ask for an E-rate.  Being an ELT is a good deal, but being a real nuke MM is not any worse by comparison...I wouldn't trade my position with an ELT, knowing what I know now.

There are more important things to worry about at boot camp, like making your rack up nice and neat, stenciling your clothes, marching around, and showering with your friends.  Don't sweat the rate part...all of that will fall into place.

Good luck, and remember, no matter how bad it may seem, it all ends at some point.

[M1Ark]

Trust me, you can live without getting ELT.

Amen, Brother!

I realize that this is a smag website so all of the ELT/HP/RP loving goes without saying. I work now with ex ET's, EM's and ELT's and I can find no difference in knowledge and abilities. 

If you find yourself being FORCED to be an MM...it'll be a blessing in disguise. 

[LRM]

Certainly MM is not the end of the world.  But for some one who likes chemistry and physics and does not enjoy busting knuckles, ELT is much higher on the list.  How easy it will be to get depends on the needs of the Navy (number of billets is different for every class).  MM still gets the same schooling minus chemistry and rad con specialization.  It is possible for an MM to get some chemistry qualifications on a sub (not necessarily a guarantee), and a Rad Con shore billet (any rate qualifies) will give more Rad Con (HP) training and experience than ELT school.  QA as a MM or ELT is not a bad deal either.
It is also possible to go back for ELT after your first sea tour if you miss the opportunity the first time around (provided you are a top performer – I know several who did this.)
Which job you prefer depends on personality: none are intrinsically better or worse.  But your only guarantee is MM.  If I had it to do over again, I would take MM and attempt to make ELT; but that is just my preference.
No matter which rate you get, make the most of it.

Lance

[Fermi2]

I was an ELT. Trust me, it's not all that fascinating, and really doesn't get you anywhere that being an MM would get you. Some of the knowledge I learned has helped me in my current life, mostly by keeping chemists honest .

I'm not 100% sure what Lance meant about being interested in physics and being an ELT. I never learned anything about physics in ELT school that I already hadn't learned elsewhere and certainly never applied it. So far as Chemistry, the knowledge was great but don't even think the application of it had anything to do with chemistry, it was all cook bok procedure.

Mike

[LRM]

Yes, by no means is an ELT a chemist or physicist.  If that is what you want go to college.  An ELT is a Lab Tech, but saying it is just cook book oversimplifies.  My point is simply that the choice is a simple matter of personal preference (which can be linked to areas of interest).  The resulting usefulness may be equivalent, but I enjoyed being an ELT over MM.  And an ELT can be an MM (seen some that worked as MM and only maintain ELT quals).  But as many have pointed out, it may make absolutely no difference which rate you get after you leave the Navy.

[Fermi2]

LOL You forget you're posting to an ex ELT. It's about as cookbook a job as it comes. Heck even on a rapid cloride excursion the Chem Manual told you exactly what to do, what to add and how much no matter what your current chemistry was. If that wasn't cook book I don't know what is.

Mike

[LRM]

Task/Event basis: cookbook is the word.  Understanding day to day plant behavior-high power, low power, up/down, s/u, s/d, c/d, h/u, degass, etc.- many ELT don't fully get it; and sometimes it catches the real chemists (DON shipyard type) by surprise (been there).  The job is not just the sum of the parts.

Lance

[Bighouz107501]

Thanks guys for all the interesting info...I just thought that ELT was more intriging to me than a regular MM...I could live with being a MM now that I think about it, but I don't know how well though ha... I think I'm gonna "ask" for ET... considering it's more technical and I love technical things. I've read many many reviews and it seems like I can't find enough info on EM....do they have the same wuals for a job in the commercial field?

well guys thanks for everything...I leave for MEPS tomorrow, I've procrastinated everything and have to learn it all...good thing rtc will straighten me out...

thanks again......

graciously,
Dennis Lashley

[shayne]

I've read many many reviews and it seems like I can't find enough info on EM....do they have the same wuals for a job in the commercial field?

EM has the same opportunities as any other rate in the Nuclear Navy as it pertains to working in Commericial Power Plants, (Fossil or Nuclear).

We EMs didn't want anyone to know what we really did, most only saw us stand a few watches or walk around covered in carbon dust for the appearence that we were working hard.

[smoothtoaster]

I actually have my ship date now.

01 November 2006

-------------------------
smoothtoaster

[huyner]

Aug 30, 2006

anyone else leaving on this date?

anyone from southern california?

[huyner]

Anyone leaving for Great Lakes on August 30, 2006 from southern california??

i'm currently training for boot camp by going to the gym 4 days a week. If you're from OC, perhaps we can train/study together...

[huyner]

i'm leaving next week!!

[Fermi2]

Enjoy it! At times it may suck but overall its a great experience.

Thank you for your service!

Mike

[nn2j]

i leave sept 6, joined DEP dec 17 2005. My friend left two weeks ago for bootcamp, is there any chance i will see him? (walking somewhere, meal time etc). The buddy program was BS, what is this based on? We went to meps the same day and asked to ship off at the same time. Do we have to go to the same A school? I'd have joined regardless but id still like to know.

[ChiefRocscooter]

The buddy system only works well if you are in same program.  You do not have to be but if you are in different progs then they must have ship date with same day, rare unless you go with an undesignated program.  Face it unless you are both nukes your chances are slim of getting to go together!  UNLESS you wanted to give up nuke so you could spend 8 weeks with friend only to see him go off to his school while you go to your!!  Do not sweet this you will make friends in boot camp, most likely with the nuke in you company, and you will hopefully spend lots of time with the in the coming years!!!

[Rad Sponge]

Going back to that ELT bypass about cookbooking (no point in trying to split this topic into multiple threads).

I would not characterize the ELT job as a cook booked job. Everything is in the books, but hell, so is every other job function for any flavor of nuke to perform any task in a Navy plant.

Except maybe paralleling busses, thats an art.

I mean yeah, any nuke can follow steps in a procedure, but you have to be more than a trained monkey to understand situations that are not referenced in "the book". Having situational awareness requires more than book knowledge, it requires experience and that does not come directly from "the book".

I mean jeepers, just because the Chloride Casualty IAs tells you how much tri and di to add, does not mean the procedure is dumbed down, its because you got precious minutes or less to isolate and restore the system. I don't think the procedure writers intended for the CO and ENG to sit around and wait for the ELTs to use the nomagraphs while the U-tubes were wasting away. They figured out an amount to add to keep you somewhat in the box while you got rid of the contaminants.

I think most of the ELT procedures are written from an angle of expediancy and efficiency. All that theory stuff is readily available to RL-Div to discuss during training.

As far as preparation for post Navy life. ELT helps you become a Plant Chem Tech which is less cook booked in my opinion and more integrated plant knowledge, mostly because its a much slower pace.

As far as OPs goes, all flavors of nukes are represented in OPs.

[nn2j]

The buddy system only works well if you are in same program.  You do not have to be but if you are in different progs then they must have ship date with same day, rare unless you go with an undesignated program.  Face it unless you are both nukes your chances are slim of getting to go together!  UNLESS you wanted to give up nuke so you could spend 8 weeks with friend only to see him go off to his school while you go to your!!  Do not sweet this you will make friends in boot camp, most likely with the nuke in you company, and you will hopefully spend lots of time with the in the coming years!!!

I'd never give up nuke to ship with someone else. How will i find out who the other nukes are in bootcamp?

[ChiefRocscooter]

You will know trust me!  The nuke get a few extra medical checks (eye tests ect..) and will do more paper work, with money/school comes paperwork!!  Then remember they will be your room mates, about 80 to a room room mates you will have lots of time to talk and find out about them and once youget your rates (ET/EM/MM) yiou will know who is going to be in your long term group.

Any more question?

Rob

[KAMFRO]

Well first of all, Congrats on your choice...the nuke program is the best in the navy.  For any of you interested in firefighting, Goose Creek Rural Volunteer Fire Dept, is right down redbank rd.  That is probably the best fire dept i have ever been on.  They have alot of nukes, and will train you if you are green.  It allows for a great release and for time away from the base without worrying about spending money, or anything else.