Is there a specific reason only ET's can manipulate rods?

[JustinHEMI05]

Now you are changing your story. Instant sro isn't what you were talking about when you mentioned I&c and others.

Point is, not just anyone can become "rod manipulators" in the commercial world, either, and no one without a license or in a licensing program can touch them.

Why does it bother you that MMs can't qualify RO in the navy?

[Cycoticpenguin]

Source Range envy,...

Im beyond "caring" anymore, if I was still crankin on a navy plant, maybe. I never cared to be honest, just a curiosity thing, i promise

[JustinHEMI05]

You're the one that said it was an itch. An itch is a bother. Just sayin.

[Cycoticpenguin]

You're the one that said it was an itch. An itch is a bother. Just sayin.

Touche sir. Im still in that phase where im comparing everything to the navy. I realized this week, I have no idea how to set up a normal dr visit

[JustinHEMI05]

LOL yeah, I know what you mean. The sooner you start forgetting what was bad about the navy and only remembering the good, the better off you will be. I held onto my bitterness for a few months out of the Navy, until Navliv smacked some sense into me. He said something like "You're out of the Navy now, the fact that you are still angry and bitter is on you." Woke me up, haven't looked back since. Now only think of the good things and tell sea stories like the rest of them, and refrain from Navy bashing.

After all... I am where I am today because of the Navy.

Justin

[OldHP]

Touche sir. Im still in that phase where im comparing everything to the navy. I realized this week, I have no idea how to set up a normal dr visit

And once you get through it (applies to all branches of the military) life becomes so much better and the negative shifts toward the positive!  Kudos for recognixing where you are in life!

[HydroDave63]

I have no idea how to set up a normal dr visit

But are you a normal patient? 

[Zog]

I was an EM on subs in the 90's. Qualified RT, EWS, SRO, and all the normal EM stuff. Wanted to qualify RO just because I wanted to. CO supported me and tried to get permission from whoever he needed to get permission from, it was denied.

So, qualified FT, ST, COW, and my favorite one, lookout. CO brought 4 cigars on every run. One for him and one for me headed out, and 2 more for pulling back in. Last run he gave me the conn and let me park it at the pier, never had to use the outboard. Fondest memories I have of the Navy were in the sail.

[IPREGEN]

The Navy lets you operate the equipment you have been trained to maintain.

But depending on the watch crew you may be able to try a variety of things "under instruction"

It gets boring out there and you will need diversions

[modex]

Smells like the legacy of Rickover.
Go through the applicable technical manual and count the number of incident reports regarding improper rod/plant operation due to unexpected system response whose root cause was incomplete understanding of the system.
At some point the old man probably declared: "Only ET's will stand RO" and law was made.

[Cycoticpenguin]

Smells like the legacy of Rickover.
Go through the applicable technical manual and count the number of incident reports regarding improper rod/plant operation due to unexpected system response whose root cause was incomplete understanding of the system.
At some point the old man probably declared: "Only ET's will stand RO" and law was made.

.

[Higgs]

Listen, XXXX XXXXXXXXX of the uss memphis in an inactivity shut down... you may want to get rid of that post.

Except even if he wises up, you've preserved it for posterity.

[Cycoticpenguin]

Except even if he wises up, you've preserved it for posterity.

nope, Id edit it out. Stupid shall be punished in this case.

[FishyT]

Deleted previous at recommendation. My fault, won't happen again.

[Cycoticpenguin]

Deleted previous at recommendation. My fault, won't happen again.

change your email address to private as well... putting first and last name + your ship + talking about illegal activity like its no big deal, what kind of nuke are you . Be smart please.

edit : i edited my post as promised.

[FishyT]

An explaination won't help my case, but I will work on my delivery in any future posts.

[OldHP]

An explaination won't help my case, but I will work on my delivery in any future posts. 

change your email address to private as well... putting first and last name + your ship + talking about illegal activity like its no big deal, what kind of nuke are you . Be smart please.   

You do realize you are both in the NCIS database as potential threats to the program, particularly after deleted posts and responses.    

[Already Gone]

The Navy lets you operate the equipment you have been trained to maintain.

But depending on the watch crew you may be able to try a variety of things "under instruction"

It gets boring out there and you will need diversions

That isn't true either.  I was the first (and probably only) MM to qualify Throttleman in the 704 boat.
All of the MM's were qualified Throttleman on the 724.  In either case, only ET's and EM's stood the watch on the regular rotation.  ET's and EM's are not trained to maintain the Main Engines, Reduction Gears, or the Hydraulic Throttle Control System.

I'm still waiting for someone to tell us about the days when Enginemen were qualified RO and IC's were the other source rating for ELT.  Maybe they are all long gone by now.

[DLGN25]

That isn't true either.  I was the first (and probably only) MM to qualify Throttleman in the 704 boat.
All of the MM's were qualified Throttleman on the 724.  In either case, only ET's and EM's stood the watch on the regular rotation.  ET's and EM's are not trained to maintain the Main Engines, Reduction Gears, or the Hydraulic Throttle Control System.

I'm still waiting for someone to tell us about the days when Enginemen were qualified RO and IC's were the other source rating for ELT.  Maybe they are all long gone by now.

While things may have changed since 1967-1970,  with the exception of the engineering watch officer, RO's had to qualify on every watch station in the engine room, including ELT as it related to the reactor coolant and SG's.  The qualification process included the understanding of the inner workings of the equipment associated with the watch station.  Now I am not saying that an RO knew as much as a MM when it became necessary to repair a piece of equipment, but he knew how it worked, how to operate it, and the part it played in the successful operations of the plant.

A fully qualified RO was capable of standing all watch stations in a start up, shutdown, or steaming mode.

As to EM's qualifying as shutdown reactor watches (not the case in my day), I suspect it was all about manpower issues.  Unlike all the other watch stations, the reactor watch (and charging station) had to be manned as long as there was fuel in the reactor.   

As I have stated elsewhere, there is no technical reason other ratings could not qualify as a RO other then the Navy saying NO. 

As to having a fun watch, I found EW ELINT (electronic surveillance and counter measures) watches to be more fun and challenging.  It was especially rewarding when you detected an approaching submarine before SONAR did.  One sweep of their radar was all it took, and you got them. (probably something not necessary these days)

Oh, another thing, back in the day, ET's IC's (RO's), MM's, and EM's frequently worked their rates outside of the nuclear program.  As an ET, I served as an RO on Bainbridge, and as OE Divison LPO on Decatur.  Also back then sea shore rotation was 2-3 years each, not the rotation those in the service now 'enjoy'.

Enough of an old man opining on the past.

[Cycoticpenguin]

DLGN -> that one post explained everything pretty much. It sounds like the RO's were far more involved with the plant at one point, probably taken more seriously then nowadays.

that 2-3 rotation would be amazing! Unfortunately, the way most of the people off my old boat "qualified", it would take two or 3 rotations to get senior in rate .

[Neutron Whisperer]

Back in the day (1967-72), RO's were either ET's or IC's (Interior Communications).  These ratings had the training in electronic theory necessary for maintenance of reactor instrumentation.  On Bainbridge, those who where or would become RO's were in Reactor Controls Division, which was responsible for reactor operation and instrumentation maintenance and repair.  ET's first qualified as Reactor Technician, basically on the instrumentation and instrumentation alley watch, the secondary control of the reactor.  Once qualified as an RT, you were assigned to instrumentation maintenance and repair.  RO was the next, and final qualification for an ET.  To get there, you had to qualify on all engine room and control room watch stations.   You had to understand all the electrical distribution and plant cross connections.  You had to understand the interaction of everything in the plant.  Back then, the RO was the second in line watch under the Engineering Watch Officer. 

Do I think other ratings could have qualified as a RO, sure, but only if RT was out of the loop.

Oh, when you qualified RO, you also qualified as the senior shutdown watch.  I wish they then allowed the Electricians to qualify shutdown, it would have made the in port watch rotation a whole lot nicer.

And another thing.  I could draw and talk tech and theory on the valve op system, but man did I have a difficult time looking at the actual maze of piping and making heads and tails out of it. 

For the most part, being an RO was boring, the guy who worked his tail off was feed control during rapid maneuvering.

It's Reactor Control Division.  There's just one.

[USSMiamiElex]

Im still trying to make sense of this. What specific training do ET's get that allow them to manipulate rods vs the other nuke rates? As a mechanic I could qualify watch supervisor, reactor technician, and ultimately watch officer (in a round about way), but why never able to control rods?  There is probably some specific reason, hoping someone can shine a lot on it for me

now I know a couple of you older gentlemen were able to on your subs, what was the difference there?

Old Ex-Nuc here, but I found it way more fun to be an EM than it looked to be an ET.  Loved being throttleman and EO on a 688 class boat.  I spent a ton of hours in Maneuvering, and sitting in the middle wasnt really a big deal...

Good times.  Enjoy them while they last.

[Higgs]

Old Ex-Nuc here, but I found it way more fun to be an EM than it looked to be an ET.  Loved being throttleman and EO on a 688 class boat.  I spent a ton of hours in Maneuvering, and sitting in the middle wasnt really a big deal...

Good times.  Enjoy them while they last.

Hey I am an ex Miami submariner. 00-04. MM/ELT.