What is the Navys deal on this? Army was 45 days restriction 45 days extra duty, 2/3 pay for 2 months and reduction in rank for E5 and below. Above was automatic discharge.
The navy's "deal" for unauthorized use of a controlled substance is...automatic separation with an Other-Than-Honorable discharge. It's not dishonorable (those are reserved for felony convictions etc), but it's definitely a Bad Thing(tm). I've heard of people being able to upgrade their discharge status after the fact, but I'm not very familiar with that.
From day one, when Joe Kid walks through the door and talks to the recruiter, they are told about the Navy's "Zero Tolerance" policy on drugs. They are required to watch a video on it. They are tested at the recruiter's office before going to MEPS. They are tested at MEPS before shipping out to boot camp. They are tested at boot camp. They are tested at nuke school. They are tested when they first report to a new command. They are tested randomly and at least once a year there is a command sweep where everybody gets tested.
Every single test is handled carefully to prevent any possibility of tampering or compromised results. At the lab, when a sample does come back positive, it is sent to ANOTHER laboratory for an independent check.
The reason for such rigorous methodology is that the consequences for failing a drug test are severe. Before the navy accuses a person of using drugs, they want to make absolutely certain of that fact. There are no second chances. There is no forgiveness. There is no We're-Going-To-Look-The-Other-Way-This-Time. It's game over.
The commercial nuclear industry is not some garbage bin that accepts people who "weren't quite good enough for the navy". It has the same high standards for its operators. If jong1239 chose to smoke pot in the navy
AFTER BEING TOLD AGAIN AND AGAIN THE CONSEQUENCES then I have little sympathy for him.
There's a lot of competition for jobs out there right now. Getting kicked out for drug use doesn't make you very competitive. I highly doubt that somebody could slide into an ops job at a commercial nuke plant immediately after something like this. Maybe after 5 years and successful completion of rehab.