Is nuke the right choice?

[jrb913]

I am a senior in high school interested in the nuke program, looking for feedback as i am unsure if it would be the right choice. Throughout high school i've gotten mostly A's and a few B's. I took the ACT last year and received a 29 with a 26 in math and 32 in science, but at the time i had not taken physics and i was only in algebra 2 as i am in trig now. My grades came with less effort than most would expect, as i spent most of my time focusing on sports and working on the weekends. I question if i could make the cut at nuke school, and would like to learn more about how difficult the classes are for someone with my experience coming out of high school. I am up for a challenge, but sometimes i question if it will be too much to handle or if i will enjoy the nuke program and life after. If anyone can give me advice or an opinion it would be greatly appreciated!

[spekkio]

Almost anyone can pass nuke school; all you have to do is put in the effort. The topics and concepts are not difficult, but the pace can be.

Before anyone can answer whether or not you will enjoy the nuke program, what do you envision your career as an enlisted nuke being like? Are you looking to go surface or submarines?

[Marlin]

Almost anyone can pass nuke school; all you have to do is put in the effort. The topics and concepts are not difficult, but the pace can be.

I think "anyone who meets the entry criteria" would make this statement true.

[song of the south]

It seems you and I are in somewhat in the same boat (figuratively speaking). I only recently signed my contract and I leave in July. First I have to finish high school. I don't have the experience to answer your question with my own opinion. However, I have been told that more than 70% of people who go to Nuke school fail. I believe it is a great opportunity and that with hard work and determination anything is possible. However, it is important to be realistic. It does seem that it is easier to get in the program than to complete it.

[drayer54]

It seems you and I are in somewhat in the same boat (figuratively speaking). I only recently signed my contract and I leave in July. First I have to finish high school. I don't have the experience to answer your question with my own opinion. However, I have been told that more than 70% of people who go to Nuke school fail. I believe it is a great opportunity and that with hard work and determination anything is possible. However, it is important to be realistic. It does seem that it is easier to get in the program than to complete it.

Don't believe everything you hear.

[Marlin]

It seems you and I are in somewhat in the same boat (figuratively speaking). I only recently signed my contract and I leave in July. First I have to finish high school. I don't have the experience to answer your question with my own opinion. However, I have been told that more than 70% of people who go to Nuke school fail. I believe it is a great opportunity and that with hard work and determination anything is possible. However, it is important to be realistic. It does seem that it is easier to get in the program than to complete it.

   Your source sounds dated. When those of us with a little wear and tear went through nuke propulsion program washout rates higher than 70% were not uncommon. That was for a country with a 600 ship fleet that could absorb washouts into the conventional fleet. The bottom third of my A-School class was de-nuked whether they passed or not that's a 33% loss planned into the pipeline. Less than 10% of those who enlisted nuke when I did made it through the entire pipeline. Today we have a much smaller fleet and lower budget, the Navy cannot afford the luxury of over staffing anymore. Washout rates today are much lower and anyone who makes it through the original screening criteria should make it through with effort. Both the Navy and the Airlines have cut back on "overbooking".

[Gamecock]

I have been told that more than 70% of people who go to Nuke school fail.

No, sorry, that is wrong.

[MacGyver]

   Your source sounds dated. When those of us with a little wear and tear went through nuke propulsion program washout rates higher than 70% were not uncommon. That was for a country with a 600 ship fleet that could absorb washouts into the conventional fleet. The bottom third of my A-School class was de-nuked whether they passed or not that's a 33% loss planned into the pipeline. Less than 10% of those who enlisted nuke when I did made it through the entire pipeline. Today we have a much smaller fleet and lower budget, the Navy cannot afford the luxury of over staffing anymore. Washout rates today are much lower and anyone who makes it through the original screening criteria should make it through with effort. Both the Navy and the Airlines have cut back on "overbooking".

[song of the south]

Thanks guys. I was worried. Those statistics sounded really harsh. I've been trying to do a lot of research on all things nuke, but it is all pretty deep. I'll just stay positive and try to prepare as much as possible. Thank you.

[Marlin]

I've been trying to do a lot of research on all things nuke, but it is all pretty deep. I'll just stay positive and try to prepare as much as possible. Thank you.

You'll do fine, a positive attitude will be your best asset  

[A Random ETN1]

That is absolute bs if someone is saying 70% fail. It is harder to not get masted or get somehow involved in a drug incident or an alcohol related incident than it is to fail in my opinion. (half of my A school class and about a 1/5 of power school class ended up getting masted/some kicked out for alcohol/drug abuse.)

[HydroDave63]

That is absolute bs if someone is saying 70% fail. It is harder to not get masted or get somehow involved in a drug incident or an alcohol related incident than it is to fail in my opinion. (half of my A school class and about a 1/5 of power school class ended up getting masted/some kicked out for alcohol/drug abuse.)

Sounds like time to bring back the rusty oiler in the IO ! 

[jrb913]

Almost anyone can pass nuke school; all you have to do is put in the effort. The topics and concepts are not difficult, but the pace can be.

Before anyone can answer whether or not you will enjoy the nuke program, what do you envision your career as an enlisted nuke being like? Are you looking to go surface or submarines?

At first i thought surface would be the best as i could use internet to stay in touch with family, but as i look into it more i have come to think submarine wouldn't be so bad because i like the smaller community. I come from a really small town 

[Chimera]

Only time will tell - with the clarity of 20-20 hindsight - it "nuke" is the "right" choice.  It is a choice which, like everything else in life, will have its positive and negative aspects.  However, if you want to be to challenged as you most likely have never been challenged before, "nuke" is definitely a "good" choice.  Looking back with that wonderful 20-20 hindsight over the past 40+ years . . . it was most definitely a "good" choice and I don't regret the subsequent choices either.

[jrb913]

A few more questions have come to mind as i look into the nuke field. How hard is it to find work if i were to do 6 and out? is there any difference if you stay longer? and what degrees might be the best to look into as far as transferring credits earned in the nuke program? would credits be transferable to other engineering degrees or only degrees in fields like nuclear technology? Sorry for all the questions, i just feel like you guys give better feedback than might be available based on a recruiters experience. thanks!

[MacGyver]

A few more questions have come to mind as i look into the nuke field. How hard is it to find work if i were to do 6 and out? is there any difference if you stay longer? and what degrees might be the best to look into as far as transferring credits earned in the nuke program? would credits be transferable to other engineering degrees or only degrees in fields like nuclear technology? Sorry for all the questions, i just feel like you guys give better feedback than might be available based on a recruiters experience. thanks!

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[Chimera]

A few more questions have come to mind as i look into the nuke field. How hard is it to find work if i were to do 6 and out? is there any difference if you stay longer? and what degrees might be the best to look into as far as transferring credits earned in the nuke program? would credits be transferable to other engineering degrees or only degrees in fields like nuclear technology? Sorry for all the questions, i just feel like you guys give better feedback than might be available based on a recruiters experience. thanks!

Which degree you pursue is one of those choices I mentioned earlier.  Your nuke background will only garner you points towards the first two years of a Bachelors program . . . whether you go straight science (i.e., physics) or engineering or ping-pong ball crushing.  The primary difference staying in longer will make is that you'll be older when you get out . . . unless you stay long enough to retire.  Then you'll be older with a retirement.  The questions you're asking now are ones that only you can answer.

[Gamma Glue]

The only people I saw not make it in the program were the ones who didn't try. The program has become more of a "Pump" than a "Filter" for people. Power School can be a little overwhelming, but if you stay on top of your studies it isn't very difficult. I took a couple classes in High School that I though were more difficult then anything they taught in Power School. Plus they have structured notes and there is always someone available to ask for help. I saw plenty of people who did struggle through power school excel in prototype. The biggest difference is prototype is not a classroom environment. Once you get to a crew, you have to actually be proactive or you won't get anything done.

As far as Sub or Carrier fleet goes, pretty much every Sub guy I knew said subs were the best, and every surface guy says surface is the best... In general I have learned that the surface has more freedom in their time off watch (Library, Limited internet, Phones (Free Sat phones if you know the code), Movie theater, 24 hour Halo tournaments, Movie marathons, and even some sports like Basket ball, Karate and Jui-Jitsu). That whole carriers being overly crowded is only a partial truth. The Air Wing isn't always on board, which accounts for a lot of people and there were plenty of times I had entire offices, ready rooms and berthings all to myself. However, I'm sure I would have had a good time on board a Sub as well, just not as much time to watch movies or practice my Jui-Jitsu.

I would also recommend the STAR re-enlistment program, not going to go into detail here as I am sure there is plenty of info on other posts, but it only adds 2 years and the bonuses were ridiculous when I got out (dudes were getting $60K+). Getting out after 9 years, I got a great job and there were plenty out there, and a bunch of guys I work with now only did 6 years. There are also a bunch that did 20, so it doesn't really seem to matter.

As far as education goes, getting a Bachelors is pretty easy. 6 classes and a few CLEPs is all it takes. I also got 3 Journeyman licenses while I was in, which was nothing more then filling out paperwork and turning it in every 6 months for review. In fact, my degree did help get me my current job. And using the POST 9/11 G.I bill to get a Masters is the way to go.

Bottom line; Be a nuke. Decide if you want to be in a vessel designed to either sink or float, get your degree(s) and get out (6, 8, or 20 years).

Good Luck!

[spekkio]

My advice to anyone is to be a nuke because you like being a technician/mechanic, are interested in nuclear power, and want to serve your country. If you're doing it for education benefits and whatnot, generally the same opportunities exist for you regardless of where you serve in the military -- you will get out, use the GI bill, go to college and major in something you want to do (which will count much more than your military service anyway), do some internships if necessary, and get a good paying job. Taking the hard route and going nuke for this purpose isn't going to net you too many brownie points unless you're looking to work at a support facility. Quite honestly, you could work half the hours as a STS/STG (sonar technician), do maintenance/diagnostics on more modern computers than the nuke plant has, and still get the same post-Navy educational benefits. The difference is you'll start boot camp as an E-1 instead of an E-3, but there's a LOT of work to go along with the boost in initial paygrade (and not a whole lot of respect to go with it, at least on submarines). So before you undertake the grueling lifestyle of a nuke, make sure that you want it for the sake of being a nuke. Many employers will look at military service all the same because they simply don't know what it entails and don't care to find out. "Oh you were on a submarine? That's cool. Must be tough in all those tight spaces, huh?" is the most in-depth conversation you'll have about what you did in the Navy. They will stereotype you based on your service (hard-working, reliable, disciplined) even if you are an FT (they do almost no maintenance whatsoever and stand watch at a computer). Universities, even technical ones, aren't going to welcome you with open-arms because you were a nuke; they will look at your high school GPA, coursework, SAT scores, and essays like every other applicant, and put you in the "non-traditional applicant" pile next to Marines, Soldiers, Airmen, and Sailors of all ratings and that 30 year old who was working for 10 years before he applied to college.

At sea:
Watch as a nuke will be relatively benign most of the time. As a mechanic, you will start in engineroom lower level where you will take hourly readings on equipment and stay on top of the vast amount of oil leaks all over the place (bonus if you can fix said leaks). In other words, the majority of your time will be spent cleaning equipment, often in hard-to-reach places. You eventually move to ERUL which has a bit less cleaning to do and more direct access to operating vital machinery, and eventually ERS where you supervise ERLL/ERUL and assist when needed.

As a wire rate you start by taking hourly readings on electronic equipment/motors and move into maneuvering where you sit and monitor panels for 6 hours. During deployment these panels will not change unless there is an issue, so the daily routine can be mentally draining.

During workup/inspection periods, you will do a lot of drills. To me, these were fun as you actually got to operate the plant and see how things work. But, it comes at a price -- you will have little free time on a sub when you are doing this and what little free time you do have will be spent sleeping.

During deployment you will have a lot more free time to do stuff because you won't be doing as many drills. You'll do an after-watch cleanup, do whatever PMS has to get done (typically very simple), and then have 3-4 hours of down time before your oncoming time starts. This is where the motivated nukes got into really good shape and the lazier ones just went to the rack and watched porn on their ipads.

You will have little to no involvement with the mission/tactical operations of the ship in subs or surface, so if you're looking for that then you don't want to be a nuke. The AEA and ERS used to do some tactical stuff, but the newer combat systems have automated what they used to do. This wears down on a lot of people mentally because there is no real "payoff" to doing your job -- you are the department that makes the boat go. If the boat goes, no one really cares about you until inspection time. If the boat doesn't go, they're on your ass to make it go again.

In port:
On a sub, you will be in a 3-section duty rotation at least 90% of your time on board the ship. If you are an ET you can look forward to port and starboard SRO watch rotations on some of those duty days. You will work longer hours in-port than any other rating because the Navy will expect you to fix your own equipment (at least if you are on an SSN, I don't know how SSBNs work), and because regulatory agencies put in strict pre-maintenance guidelines that must be followed (ie, more paperwork, more in-depth briefs, walkthroughs, etc) which adds to the time it takes for you to do your job because there is only one EDO and EDPO to go around. It is not uncommon for lines to form outside of maneuvering because of all the briefs that must occur prior to starting work, and the EDO has to conduct these briefs while also tracking procedures and EDPO has to directly supervise any primary plant operations as they occur, unlike the "cone" where the SDO gives an order and divisional leadership is responsible for the conduct and supervision of the evolution. You have to do this while still meeting the same training requirements as if you were at sea (lectures, monitored evolutions, etc). In-port life is arguably the most difficult as a nuke. Mentally, liberty is there, but you have so much work to do and so much red tape to cut through to do it that you just don't get a whole lot of time off.

[retired nuke]

My advice to anyone is to be a nuke because you like being a technician/mechanic, are interested in nuclear power, and want to serve your country. If you're doing it for education benefits and whatnot, generally the same opportunities exist for you regardless of where you serve in the military -- you will get out, use the GI bill, go to college and major in something you want to do (which will count much more than your military service anyway), do some internships if necessary, and get a good paying job. Taking the hard route and going nuke for this purpose isn't going to net you too many brownie points unless you're looking to work at a support facility. Quite honestly, you could work half the hours as a STS/STG (sonar technician), do maintenance/diagnostics on more modern computers than the nuke plant has, and still get the same post-Navy educational benefits. The difference is you'll start boot camp as an E-1 instead of an E-3, but there's a LOT of work to go along with the boost in initial paygrade (and not a whole lot of respect to go with it, at least on submarines). So before you undertake the grueling lifestyle of a nuke, make sure that you want it for the sake of being a nuke. Many employers will look at military service all the same because they simply don't know what it entails and don't care to find out. "Oh you were on a submarine? That's cool. Must be tough in all those tight spaces, huh?" is the most in-depth conversation you'll have about what you did in the Navy. They will stereotype you based on your service (hard-working, reliable, disciplined) even if you are an FT (they do almost no maintenance whatsoever and stand watch at a computer). Universities, even technical ones, aren't going to welcome you with open-arms because you were a nuke; they will look at your high school GPA, coursework, SAT scores, and essays like every other applicant, and put you in the "non-traditional applicant" pile next to Marines, Soldiers, Airmen, and Sailors of all ratings and that 30 year old who was working for 10 years before he applied to college.

I can back this up - I joined for the GI Bill (such as it was in the 70s) - was a cook. Ended up on Subs because it was either subs or carriers, and powdered eggs for 5000 didn't seem fun.
I had the scores for nuke when I enlisted - 6 yrs didn't interest me - I was gonna pay for college and be an architect.....

So.... long strange trip that it's been... I'm an RP, with a degree, NRRPT, etc etc etc. I've worked with a bunch of nukes (Art 108 / ELT / etc etc) and I can hold my own.

Kid I grew up with joined as a Nuke, same time I did. Was an ET. He hated it. Even though we grew up within 15 miles of a plant, he ended up running a hardware store with his dad (and continues that today... 30+ yrs later) when he got out. Wouldn't even put in an application at the plant....

Life is what happens while your plans are getting changed... good luck, thanks for your potential future service, and don't sweat it - if you work hard, and pay attention to opportunities as they come along, there will be cool stories to tell later on...