Need all your positive thoughts and prays

[navytwinmom]

Well it is that time again my nukework.com friends...the twins are taking their comp for power school on 11 Sept. Any positive vibes you can send to them and their shipmates would be greatly appreciated. They have done very well in school having a bit of trouble with their PFA right now...I think to much studying and not enough running but what do I know. 

While this day is important to my family the date also holds so much more significance to our country. So when you wake up that morning please take a moment to say a pray for all the brave men and woman that lost their lives that day and everyday since. Each night I go to sleep in my warm comforatable home greatfull for all they do for us.

I also want to take a minute to express to you all how much fun I have on this site. I enjoy the every post I read. I love all the good hearted ribbing--the political views--the information about places around the country--even reading the messages to the fallen  show me how much you all care about each other.

I do hope that once the boys are done with the Navy they will be lucky enough to join the ranks of this marry band of gypsies...going form outage to outage or just working in one place but getting to work with what I can only describe as hardest working...hardest drinking...hardest playing group of people that I have ever known.....so watch out everyone only 7 more years and you to might to take a navytwinmom twin under your wing and so them the ropes. I just hope they stay away from LaFeet. 

[RDTroja]

That has got to be one of the strangest, most convoluted posts I have ever read... I love it. No wonder you feel at home with the rest of us. Karma to you. And to your sons.

[Fermi2]

Hey Donna,

Why 7 years? While most nukes care for each other what we are really looking for is that sign of weakness, which no matter how slight will have us like a pack of hyenas stealing a kill

One thing I learned early, NEVER let ANYONE in this business know something annoys you!!

Mike

[Marlin]

BZ sometimes is a little over the top on his advice but he is 100% right on this, particularly for young sailors.

Marlin

[navytwinmom]

Hey Donna,

Why 7 years? While most nukes care for each other what we are really looking for is that sign of weakness, which no matter how slight will have us like a pack of hyenas stealing a kill

One thing I learned early, NEVER let ANYONE in this business know something annoys you!!

Mike

7 years is because they have only been in 1 of their 6 years and both are going to star reenlist for 2more. No to be honest i think the ET is going to do 20....he has his mind set on it....might even put in an officer request...the EM is a money hunger dink!!

[JustinHEMI05]

7 years is because they have only been in 1 of their 6 years and both are going to star reenlist for 2more. No to be honest i think the ET is going to do 20....he has his mind set on it....might even put in an officer request...the EM is a money hunger dink!!

That sounds like a great plan, the only advice I might offer is to consider a regular re-enlistment instead of star. This is mostly because of the loss of negotiating ability that occurs when you star at your 2 year point. Instead, if they did a regular re-enlistment, lets say at their 3 year point on their ships, they could say to the Navy... "Hey I want to rotate to shore duty early and I will re enlist if you send me here." The Navy mostly says yes. Whereas if you star and you want to rotate early or request a special shore duty, most of the time the Navy says no. That all depends on the rate. But with manning of surface ETs the way it is... as it stands... he will most likely be locked into where the Navy tells him to go and when to go their (e.g full sea tour, or more) if he stars. This was my experience. Life was great my first few years on the boat and I starred. I tried rotating early several time with no luck because I have no negotiating power, and they were short 1st class ELTs on boats.... so stuck I was.

Justin

[cincinnatinuke]

Hey Donna,

Why 7 years? While most nukes care for each other what we are really looking for is that sign of weakness, which no matter how slight will have us like a pack of hyenas stealing a kill

One thing I learned early, NEVER let ANYONE in this business know something annoys you!!

Mike

Sad but true.

[mlslstephens]

Justin is right on the money here.  You have zero bargaining power once you've reenlisted STAR.  However, just as Justin pointed out, if you wait and desire to rotate to shore earlier than the normal sea shore rotation date, being able to pull out the reenlistement card puts the power on your side.
Justin's situation is all too common even with today's manning issues.  The STAR reelistment is only good for certain people in certain circumstances.  Make sure the guys thoroughly research this option.
Now, if one of the guys does well, and the manning supports, the Staff Pickup (aka JSI) is a good option for some.  This requires the STAR reenlistment option, but the two years you add to your contract is spent at NPTU.  Many pros and many cons to the SPU/JSI route.

Either way, best of luck to the twins!

[navytwinmom]

Thanks for the informtion on the 2 type of reenlistment. I will make sure they know. The countdown has begun on my part i leave for the great  city of Goose Creek on the 13th...

Have a great day and thanks again for the information

[Marlin]

Karma for all on this thread for helping out a proud service mother. 

[navytwinmom]

While most nukes care for each other what we are really looking for is that sign of weakness, which no matter how slight will have us like a pack of hyenas stealing a kill

One thing I learned early, NEVER let ANYONE in this business know something annoys you!!

Just throwing out the possibility that folks on the site are not using the search function due to the fact they know it bugs you....LOL   

HUGS Donna

[Mike McFarlin]

 I just hope they stay away from LaFeet. 

[/quote]Good, solid advice.

[Roll Tide]

That sounds like a great plan, the only advice I might offer is to consider a regular re-enlistment instead of star. This is mostly because of the loss of negotiating ability that occurs when you star at your 2 year point. Instead, if they did a regular re-enlistment, lets say at their 3 year point on their ships, they could say to the Navy... "Hey I want to rotate to shore duty early and I will re enlist if you send me here."

But your also forfeit two years of re-enlistment bonus, since only STAR sets aside your other 2 years (or at least that is how it worked out for a guy that reported in the same window as me, but didn't STAR in order to get better orders later)!

[MrHazmat]

Thanks for the informtion on the 2 type of reenlistment. I will make sure they know. The countdown has begun on my part i leave for the great  city of Goose Creek on the 13th...

Have a great day and thanks again for the information

GC is only a few miles from where I live, it's a nice small town. Enjoy the area and the weather while you are here in the Sunny South.

[jowlman]

I wish the twins the best for tomorrow. On the subject of re-enlisting, I think the best advice that can be giving is to wait until they get to their first sea duty. Its the only way to know what the real Navy is like.

[Rad Sponge]

Best of luck to your twinnukes as they prepare for an important and first of an innumerable number of right of passages into the nuclear navy.

Warm wishes,

jason

[Wirebiter]

But your also forfeit two years of re-enlistment bonus, since only STAR sets aside your other 2 years (or at least that is how it worked out for a guy that reported in the same window as me, but didn't STAR in order to get better orders later)!

I know many people who would gladly pay back 2 plus years of reenlistment bonus in order to have gotten the orders they wanted.  Its a role of the dice sometimes.  You just gotta be able to put a price on your happiness......

-Rob

[JustinHEMI05]

Ya thats true, you might give up some money. But like it was said, you just gotta weight your options... money vs orders.

Justin

[retired nuke]

Well it is that time again my nukework.com friends...the twins are taking their comp for power school on 11 Sept. Any positive vibes you can send to them and their shipmates would be greatly appreciated. They have done very well in school having a bit of trouble with their PFA right now...I think to much studying and not enough running but what do I know. 

OK, you shoulda got the phone call by now...howd dey du??? Been thinkin as positive as an ol crusty tech can these dayz.

[mlslstephens]

Well it is that time again my nukework.com friends...the twins are taking their comp for power school on 11 Sept. Any positive vibes you can send to them and their shipmates would be greatly appreciated. They have done very well in school having a bit of trouble with their PFA right now...I think to much studying and not enough running but what do I know. 

I know many are wondering...and NTM is probably getting ready for the trip to GC.   Congratulations to the Twins...one hurdle down.   

[navytwinmom]

They passed!!!! ET got a 2.96 and EM got a 3.4!!!! I did not sleep all night but did not pack either...ahhhhhhhhh

I am off to Goose Creek tomarrow for a fun filled week of apartment hunting and dotting on my boys.

Everyone thanks again for everthing...now just have to get thru Prototype. The boys will be staying in Goose Creek for that also.

[MrHazmat]

Congrats to both and enjoy SC.

[RDTroja]

They passed!!!! ET got a 2.96 and EM got a 3.4!!!! I did not sleep all night but did not pack either...ahhhhhhhhh

If you start referring to your sons as ET and EM, we are going to start a REAL intervention group.

[navytwinmom]

LOL  ...it do refer to them as my ET and my EM...when i leave them phone messages (becuase the never call me any more    ) i always say "ET phone home" or "EM phone home"

[Cycoticpenguin]

when i leave them phone messages (becuase the never call me any more    ) i always say "ET phone home" or "EM phone home"

hahahaha!!! that made me literally laugh out loud! thank you for putting a smile on my face after a long day of work