Quality of Life

[Sejik]

So to make a long story short, I started off at the bottom when I first got to my boat, and over the past 3+ years, have grown to one of the top performers of the department. As such, the command really doesn't want to see me go.

Looking at things from a career perspective, I can imagine that stay on board my current boat will be in my best interests. However, I want to look at things from a quality of life perspective.

Right now, I'm on a SSN. Over the last month and a half or so, I've gotten to work before 7, and left after 7 every night. (This isn't counting days before or after this period of time when we were in shift work.)

I've been SRO qualified for about two years now, though I haven't qualified EWS for a few different reasons. (One of which being that chem/radcon is a pain in the ass/weak area. Others being that there were other people that got a higher priority.)

Either way, my current plan was to split tour to a SSGN/SSBN at my 4 year point. From that point, I would go to a shore duty. Something that gave me more time away from the boat, where I had easier working hours.

I've had a lot of bad experiences on my current boat, but a lot of good ones, especially recently. (That, and I really hate living on an island.)

So I guess the big question is, what exactly is the difference between quality of life between SSN vs SSGN vs SSBN?

[HydroDave63]

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,8349.0.html

[Sejik]

Yes, at one point I have read through that thread, and everything else I could find, both on these forums and on the internet.

I haven't seen what I'm looking for those. I guess I would just like some experience from someone who's been in my same sort of situation and wanted to or has split-toured to a different class of boat.

[Starkist]

You want quality of life after the navy? qualify PPWS....  that said, I was a target, so I have nothing else to say :p

split tour at your 4 year point? why wouldnt you just go to a shore command?

[DDMurray]

If you leave that boat without qualifying EWS, then you are shooting yourself in the foot.  Qualifying EWS is the single most important thing you can do to help you inside and outside the Navy.  My advice is to get over your fear of RL div stuff and bite the bullet and get qualified EWS.

As far as SSN vs. SSBN goes, it's a mixed bag, IMHO.  My first boat was an 627 class SSBN.  We did single crew upkeeps, standing port and starboard duty rotations.  Today, there are two-crew refits and off-crews are much more structured as I understand it.  My second boat was an SSN in Pearl Harbor.  It was tough duty, as you probably know, but I worked with some great people.  My third boat was new-con SSN.  It was pretty skate for the first six months, but after that it was like a two and half year upkeep, followed by a year and a half of POM work-up, except the shipyard owned about 90% of the schedule.  I did get a break during a lull in construction to ride an SSN for a deployment and launch missiles at Iraq.

I've known guys who went from SSN to SSBN.  They did very well for the most part.
I've known guys who came to my SSN from SSBN.  Most of them hated the lack of structure in the schedule and having to stand duty on the boat during "standdowns". 

Good luck with that EWS card.  If you are a top performer, the command will support you getting qualified.  Missing that milestone would be a mistake that you would regret later on.  BTW, it pains me to agree with Starkist, but I would strongly consider shore duty once you finish EWS.  You have earned it.

One last thing:  If you are thinking of someday going commercial nuclear power, you will need two years of standing EWS to maximize your job potential.

[Starkist]

Hhmmpph. And here I was thinkin everyone loved me... :p

[DDMurray]

This talk about SSN vs SSBN reminded me of one of my favorite quotes.  SSBNs typically get every part they need.  For some reason SSNs were subject to more bean-counting of where money went.  This may have been the difference between late 80's and late 90's, but anyway the SSN mantra went something like this:

"We, the few, have done so much with so little for so long are now qualified to do anything with nothing."

Everybody learned what SWIMS means at NNPS.  I also learned a different version when I was on an SSN:

S= Stop
W= Walk away
I= Implicate others
M= Make up a story
S= Stick to it

[Sejik]

@DDMurray, Yes, that was indeed one of the first things I learned when I got to the boat. A lot changes from prototype to a real boat.

@Starkist, I would love to go to a surface boat and see how that was for a tour or something. I wouldn't mind qualifying load dispatcher either.

As for qualifying EWS, yes, that kind of shot me in the foot. When I was looking for orders, electricians going to prototype are very slim and I would have had to be EWS to go at this point. I kind of didn't know what I was doing really when I got to my 3 year PRD, and just ended up extending for another year. I kept putting off qualifying EWS, that it wasn't until now that I seriously started considering it. By this point, there's a bunch of other people they want to qualify in front of me, people who will be on the boat for more than a couple of months. (Hell, there's been one guy who's been in quals for about a year now, along with about a half dozen other people, who are going to be on through next west pac, etc.)

So, that's the big reason why I'm not going to shore duty at this point. I do still plan on qualifying EWS before I do get out of the navy.

The split-tour at this point, well, I just need off this boat really. At least from a quality of life stand point. I'll be on the next boat until I qualify EWS, maybe a little bit afterwards, and then end up going to shore duty from there. At that point, I don't know what I'll be doing in my navy career. I am looking at getting out though. A lot depends on what happens.

(Oh, and thanks for your responses so far.)

[Starkist]

Dont bother qualifying if you wont be standing the watch for at least 2 years. :p

Do what you have to dude. I can say you need to get EVERYTHING you can out of the navy. The more you grab from the navy, the better your quality of life will be after you get out.

Load dispatcher is worthless anyway. Focus on watch sup.

[DDMurray]

Dont bother qualifying if you wont be standing the watch for at least 2 years. :p

This is bad advice (good to see that I'm back to disagreeing with starkist).  If you have the ability to qualify, then you should qualify.  EWS is more than a check in the box, even though it's an important check in the box.   The earlier you qualify the better, but don't let the two year thing deter you.  Have you been to a Career Review Board?  Would you consider extending on board if the command agreed to let you qualify EWS?   If you hate the boat so much that you'd rather go somewhere else, that's obviously your choice.  Talk to to someone in your chain of command about your goals.

[MMM]

I'm with DD on this one. I can tell you I did two back to back sea tours (7 years total) and didn't qualify PPWS on either of them. Then I didn't have the opportunity to until after my shore duty. My advice is, even if you don't think you'll stand it for two years, qualify it. It will help you make rate in the navy (it helped me out a lot on the chiefs exams), and, possibly, help you learn about that CRC stuff, which might help (a little) at a commercial plant.