Any Navy/Ex-Navy personnel here?

[MisterGrubbs 5,000+ posts]

Considering going into the Nuclear field and just curious if anyone on this site has an experience with it in any way whatsoever.

Want to know what to expect from others points of view, and what will be the most challenging parts.

I've read a lot on other sites and yahoo answers in specific, but I'd still like to gather any more information available to me before making my 6 year agreement.

Note - Yes, no one here is probably Navy, but then again this site has surprised the shit out of me before, why not try? haha

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[gymfreak101 10+ year member]

I am a first class in the Navy. Nuke's are different than most Navy jobs but I really don't know to much about them. I do know they work long hours and have lots of watches onboard ship but they make rank faster than just about anyone and get huge reenlistment bonuses I have seen as much as 100 thousand dollars.

 

[MisterGrubbs 5,000+ posts]

I am a first class in the Navy. Nuke's are different than most Navy jobs but I really don't know to much about them. I do know they work long hours and have lots of watches onboard ship but they make rank faster than just about anyone and get huge reenlistment bonuses I have seen as much as 100 thousand dollars.

Yessir. E3 going in, E4 leaving basic/entering "A" school and then E5 upon the completion of the actual Nuke schooling.

Re-enlistment is at 125k right now, if I remember correctly.

I will not be a nuke on a sub. Point blank. I will fight for that fact.

And they have higher clearance than any other entry position I think? Other than Crypto, I think they have higher clearance.

Anddd yeah, it's 18 hours a day, straight up, of nothing but school and studying from what I'm getting.

 

[PepsiFiend69 10+ year member]

i is not a seamen. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

 

[MisterGrubbs 5,000+ posts]

True...

 

[regal8r 5,000+ posts]

xtremebassjunky is going in to be a nuke. he actually just left for basic...

 

[MisterGrubbs 5,000+ posts]

Really? Well perhaps he'll get on here once he gets back, I'd like to know how it is so far...

I've still got to make weight. It'll be another 6-8 months before I'm actually ready to go, just figured it was time to start researching now before I'm SOL when I get there.

 

[gymfreak101 10+ year member]

you will either be on a Carrier or a Sub not many options othen than that. Good luck to you, and hope you do not get the USS Enterprise because that old bastard sucks I know I deployed three times on it.

 

[azbass 5,000+ posts]

I though navy started out everybody at an E-1 or what ever. because I find it hard to believe leaving basic as an E-4

 

[MisterGrubbs 5,000+ posts]

If I'm not mistaken, gymfreak, you have somewhat of an option whether you want to be on a carrier or a sub. I'm praying I get that choice, anyways. I intend to quick fvcking my life up and pay attention, do my shit. If I do, I should be top 5 of my class reasonably.

And no, not everyone starts out as an E-1. Cryptology and Nuke, I know for a fact, go in as an E-3. If I'm not mistaken you can actually argue, so to speak, with your recruiter and go in as an E-2.

E-1 through E- is easy to move up. As a Nuke you're guranteed to be an E-5 as soon as you can be. E-4 is after my A school(I was wrong on that) and then 9 months later E-5 as that is as fast as you're allowed to progress.

I think you get a bit better ranking based on your job, which is generally based on your ASVAB and physical test. All I know for 100% for sure is that going in as a Nuke I enter basic an E-3, and 6 months later(or something to that affect) upon completion of A school I will be an E-4.

Edit - It requires a good physical test score as well as a 70 or 75 to get into crypt, and it's just a bit higher for the Nuke. Nukes require an 80 on the ASVAB IIRC??????

To give you an idea, Air Traffic Controller is a low to mid 60's score requirement. For the nuke field, however, you have to take another test to actually qualify. A certified nuke guy will come down and administer a test and then call me and let me know if I'm eligible. You cannot of failed any math or science classes in high school, blah blah blah. They can waiver half of the shit these days.

 

[gymfreak101 10+ year member]

Azbass everyone in basic training gets paid as e-1, some people leave basic as e-2 or e-3 based on things other than performance in basic. I left basicas an e-3 but that was based on my college credits. MisterGrubbs you can be an E-1 but once you leave A- school I do believe you will be an e-4 and your C-school will advance you to E-5, asvab scores aren't a overall measure of how smart someone is just their test taking abilities. And certain jobs just require you to have a high score in certain areas of your asvab. I scored a 99 on my asvab but am neither a Nuke or Crypto. I think also nukes are broken down to ET'S- electronics technicians or MM's machinist mates. Don't quote me on that though because I am not 100% sure I have always been Aviation.

 

[GabeC 10+ year member]

all this talk of Nuke's and Crypto's make the navy sound like another ghey mmo like WoW

 

[Twistid 5,000+ posts]

I find it hard to believe they will give a seargents rank to someone straight outta school. Thats usually something earned through the period of 5+ years. Its a position that gives authority over other personnel, and being out of school (even if its a year, year and a half long school) does not give that person the experience needed to hold that rank. Not saying that it isent true... I just find it hard to believe they just hand rank out like candy.

 

[MisterGrubbs 5,000+ posts]

I didnt much understand it either, but that's the way it's supposed to work. That's according to a current Nuke as well as my Recruiter

And I think you're right gym - I know that you have MM's and two other subcategories of Nukes. MM's are the scrubs so to speak, if I've understood correctly. It's the lower percentile of the class.

 

[Twistid 5,000+ posts]

After doing some research heres what I found.

*Enlist as E-3 for 4 year obligation w/ 2 year extensionRTC (boot), Great Lakes, IL - 2 months

NF A School, Charleston, SC (MM - 3 months, EM or ET - 6 months)

*Auto promote to E-4* (Unless you get in trouble)

Nuclear Power School, Charleston, SC - 6 months

Nuclear Prototype Training Unit, Charleston, SC or Ballston Spa, NY - 6 months

You are not automatically given E-5 at graduation from the C school (NPTU), but you have the option of STAR (Selective Training and Reenlistment) at your 21 month of service time. You re-enlist for 6 years, get a $45,000 bonus and get auto promoted to E-5.

So you sign up for 4 years, finish the program, then sign for an addition 6 years for the E5, for a total of 10 year commitment.