Any US Navy service members out there?

[Hurley_Reyes]

If there are any US Navy sailors in eGO, I have a couple questions for you.
First off, I'd like to thank you for your service, you are a huge inspiration for me.
So long story time:

As soon as I finish High School, I plan on going straight to the Navy as a career. I have been preparing mentally and physically for this ever since I began to speak with my counselor. I am planning to join the Nuclear Field, and from currently deployed Navy "Nukes" I have asked, they said that the school is basically college with extra stress. They also said while I am still in High School, to focus my attention towards Math and Science study skills, so I have. Practiced, got help from tutors, and even asked a recruiter what I should study. I know I have not even glimpsed at what the Naval Nuclear Power School is like, but I'd like some firsthand accounts for stuff like:

Food :laugh:
Sleeping Quarters (are they racks and coffin lockers)
What kind of stuff you learn
How much study time did you have to cut out of your day
Do you have time to relax

Basic stuff like that, and probably one thing that will leave an impression in your mind about the school. I know there might not be any Navy "Nukes" in eGO but if you have served in the Navy, I'd like to know about your experience as well, since there are always stories to tell.

Thanks for giving me a good welcome into eGO,
Hugo "Hurley" Reyes

 

[Raul Tha Monk]

There a couple of Navy people in here but Good luck on that bro i hope everything works for you

 

[Hurley_Reyes]

There a couple of Navy people in here but Good luck on that bro i hope everything works for you

Yeah, thanks!
I hope to even score high enough on my ASVAB, which I am taking as soon as the standardized testing seasons are over.

 

[Kaspitone]

Best of luck to you. The military is a hell of a career, where you'll have your fondest and worst memories of your life, possibly ten minutes apart.

I never served in the Navy, let alone the U.S. military, however, I'm pretty sure some advice is good no matter which military you are serving in.

First of all, it's sometimes easy to forget why you're fighting, and at some point you will hate your commanders for playing political chess with you as the pawn. Always remember who you're fighting for and why you signed up.

I'm sure you'll hear this a lot and I can't give you more important advice than this: the most important thing is to be mentally strong and determined. No one cares if you can lift a car if you can't operate under stress. No one cares if you placed first in the p.t. if you quit after a few hours of pressure. Remember, once you start questioning your abilities to complete whatever course/mission you're in, you will fail. With a positive attitude, you can, and will, accomplish whatever you want. It sounds stupid and cheesy, but repeating phrases such as "I can do this" and stuff like "other people have finished this before me, the hell if I'm going to quit" have actually been scientifically proven to improve results. I've seen the worlds biggest and strongest men last a few hours before breaking down into tears and I've seen skinny runts give 100% and finish some of the hardest and most demanding courses in the world.

And lastly, have a good time. If you find that this career isn't for you, there is no shame in requesting a transfer to another job in the military, or even discharging to the civilian world.

Best of luck, sir.

 

[Wi1D_K4rD]

Hi, I'm actually an ex-Navy Nuke. I'll try to be as objective as possible because my particular experience was soured through various bs and i don't want you to get the wrong idea.

Your recruiter I will say straight up probably doesn't know a thing about what it is like to be a nuke other than the propaganda big navy gives him.

Food - Enjoy it while you are in the training pipeline. It actually is pretty good. Just remember you will never have good food from the galleys again once you get to the fleet.

Sleeping Quarters is pretty dang good like hotel room minus the service. A school you'll have a roommate and you'll be sharing a bathroom with just 2 others in an adjoining room. Power School you upgrade to your own room sharing the bathroom only with another in an adjoining room. Prototype most likely living off base.

What kind of stuff do you learn? In "A" school you'll learn basic electrical theory unless your a mechanic and then you will learn thermodynamics early and other mechanical stuff. Power School Basic nuclear physics, how the plant works, more in depth thermodynamics, etc...

How much study time? Kind of a case by case basis. I put in next to 0 extra study hours having a relatively good photographic memory. Others had to do 40+ hours extra on top of the standard 40 hour "school" week. It really just depends how good you are at memorizing the notes as the test questions will be verbatim from the notes. Something that will remain true until prototype where putting in your own words isn't penalized.

Time to relax? Again based off the above case. If you're good at memorizing quickly you'll have all the time in the world while in training otherwise not really. Prototype is a bit different. It's shift work. Seven days of day shift, then 2 days off, 7 days of Swings shift, then 1 and a half days off, 7 days of mids shift, 2 days off, then 4 day t-week(training week), 4 days off, process repeats. How long you work a day is based on if you keep up with qualifications. 8 hrs normally but if you fall behind they will raise it up to a 12 hr workday and if you are really bad at qualifying Ports and starboards... aka 36 hrs at work 12 off until you catch up.

That's your main questions answered anything else I'd be glad to answer in fact I'm always in Battlefield rm 2 or 4 of vent usually if you just want to talk to me in "person" rather than type everything. If you want my honest biased opinion go air force if your that smart. There is a reason reenlistment bonuses are in the 100 thousand range. It isn't because people like their job. But if you do go navy nuke... Submarine fleet. The quality of life my submariner friends had to me and my fellow carrier mates was much better.

 

[Wi1D_K4rD]

And lastly, have a good time. If you find that this career isn't for you, there is no shame in requesting a transfer to another job in the military, or even discharging to the civilian world.

Best of luck, sir.

He goes nuke there is no request for transfer. Only way out is psych or disciplinary. Nuke field is hurting too much for people.

 

[Hurley_Reyes]

Best of luck to you. The military is a hell of a career, where you'll have your fondest and worst memories of your life, possibly ten minutes apart.

I never served in the Navy, let alone the U.S. military, however, I'm pretty sure some advice is good no matter which military you are serving in.

First of all, it's sometimes easy to forget why you're fighting, and at some point you will hate your commanders for playing political chess with you as the pawn. Always remember who you're fighting for and why you signed up.

I'm sure you'll hear this a lot and I can't give you more important advice than this: the most important thing is to be mentally strong and determined. No one cares if you can lift a car if you can't operate under stress. No one cares if you placed first in the p.t. if you quit after a few hours of pressure. Remember, once you start questioning your abilities to complete whatever course/mission you're in, you will fail. With a positive attitude, you can, and will, accomplish whatever you want. It sounds stupid and cheesy, but repeating phrases such as "I can do this" and stuff like "other people have finished this before me, the hell if I'm going to quit" have actually been scientifically proven to improve results. I've seen the worlds biggest and strongest men last a few hours before breaking down into tears and I've seen skinny runts give 100% and finish some of the hardest and most demanding courses in the world.

And lastly, have a good time. If you find that this career isn't for you, there is no shame in requesting a transfer to another job in the military, or even discharging to the civilian world.

Best of luck, sir.

Thanks for that comment man, I understand the military is tough and you must have seen some crazy stuff if you have seen the worlds strongest men.

 

[Kaspitone]

He goes nuke there is no request for transfer. Only way out is psych or disciplinary. Nuke field is hurting too much for people.

That sucks. How does it work if you want try out for a course like SWICCS/BUDS, will they let you try out?

 

[Wi1D_K4rD]

That sucks. How does it work if you want try out for a course like SWICCS/BUDS, will they let you try out?

You can't. My roommate in A school actually wanted to be a SEAL. His recruiter told him "Well in case you don't make it you should have a rating to fall back on." Found out he was really intelligent talked him into the nuke program. My friend got to Basic, the day they asked for volunteers for BUDS they threw in the caveat, unless your in a critical rating aka Nuclear Field.

 

[Hurley_Reyes]

You can't. My roommate in A school actually wanted to be a SEAL. His recruiter told him "Well in case you don't make it you should have a rating to fall back on." Found out he was really intelligent talked him into the nuke program. My friend got to Basic, the day they asked for volunteers for BUDS they threw in the caveat, unless your in a critical rating aka Nuclear Field.

Yeah, makes sense.
I've heard the Navy considers Nukes too valuable to just "let go" and put in jobs like SEALs. Would that be true to an extent?

 

[Wi1D_K4rD]

Too valuable to let go under all but the most extreme cases. You can be borderline the worst operator ever and they'll keep you to the bitter end. To the dismay of your fellow operators as they'll be forced to pick up the slack and when they get burnt out from doing all the work they are the ones who get in trouble not the terribad operators...

 

[Trappin]

i dont know any at the moment but their overpaid salary comes out of my check every week

 

[Wi1D_K4rD]

i dont know any at the moment but their overpaid salary comes out of my check every week

Not sure what world you live in but if I translated my pay to per hour when I was a second class petty officer I was only making roughly 5 dollars an hour... But hey you can think that's overpaid... I'll take whatever you're getting paid over 5 an hour as it's obviously too much.

 

[Kaspitone]

Not sure what world you live in but if I translated my pay to per hour when I was a second class petty officer I was only making roughly 5 dollars an hour... But hey you can think that's overpaid... I'll take whatever you're getting paid over 5 an hour as it's obviously too much.

I made around .30 u.s. cents an hour. Count your blessings.

 

[Trappin]

Yes, but you're provided with housing, food, etc. And when you move up in the ranks and do your time.. the money is ridiculous. I have the utmost respect for the military, but its easily abused

 

[Wi1D_K4rD]

I made around .30 u.s. cents an hour. Count your blessings.

Of course I wasn't saying we're paid the least just that to imply we got overpaid is to imply the people dying for them are overpaid. Our renlistment bonuses are not indicative of any "salary." Out of 70 people in my Reactor Department I know of 4 that reenlisted. The average nuke will not reenlist making them on par with anyone else in their paygrade of the military.

I think the topics a bit irrelevant anyway as this thread was meant to answer Hurley's questions about a very important life changing decision not belittle the sacrifices of service members. Heck I only answered on this thread because I'm fairly certain I'm the only ex-nuke and I know for a fact no service member current or former unless they knew someone or were one themselves knows what its like to be a navy nuke. It's just not the same environment. So unless it's about the actual job I'm not gonna say anything else because pay is irrelevant when in the face of service.

Yes, but you're provided with housing, food, etc. And when you move up in the ranks and do your time.. the money is ridiculous. I have the utmost respect for the military, but its easily abused

Overcooked rice and 3 month old shrimp is not food... Housing unless you live on the ship housing is not provided for... unless you are referring to BAS and BAH which I was in fact accounting for in that conversion.

 

[Trappin]

Im referring mostly to other divisions, I know navy is much different

 

[Hurley_Reyes]

Im referring mostly to other divisions, I know navy is much different

I just have a huge respect for navy life and I think that people overreact to their tax money going towards the military. Nearly every country taxes its' citizens and its a way for the government to get money. As for the higher ranks getting money, my cousin is in the Navy, has been for 13 years, and is only a 2nd Class Petty officer. They don't get promoted on a daily basis.

 

[Sinful1]

I was in for 2 years. My hubby did 9. He was selected to join the nuke program.....but a little trouble before boot camp killed that idea. After what he went thru and the stories we heard, he was glad to not go nuke. It is a high stress job. Months at a time submerged..well.....figure it out. You do have down time, but what can you REALLY do underwater for hours at a time??

He ended up being an ET, and since his discharge, the experience has been invaluable. If you are REALLY smart, go with something practical to fall back on. Don't pin all your hopes on just one rate.

Also.....the last I heard, any branch of the military is requiring an associates degree to enlist. Not sure how true that is, but it might not hurt to look into it.

 

[Hurley_Reyes]

I was in for 2 years. My hubby did 9. He was selected to join the nuke program.....but a little trouble before boot camp killed that idea. After what he went thru and the stories we heard, he was glad to not go nuke. It is a high stress job. Months at a time submerged..well.....figure it out. You do have down time, but what can you REALLY do underwater for hours at a time??

He ended up being an ET, and since his discharge, the experience has been invaluable. If you are REALLY smart, go with something practical to fall back on. Don't pin all your hopes on just one rate.

Also.....the last I heard, any branch of the military is requiring an associates degree to enlist. Not sure how true that is, but it might not hurt to look into it.

I've looked into it, and I don't think the associates degree thing is true. They prefer to recruit students straight out of high school, is what a recruiter told me.

Ah, and I thank you and your husband for serving our country.
P.S Yeah I know very well that it is a high-stress job, I was told it had stress levels nearly as high as the BUD/S school. I am mentally ready!