Just signed a contract with the US NAVY

[S130Z]

Hey guys!

 

About 1 hour ago, I signed a contract with the US Navy going into the Nuclear Propulsion field. I get shipped out to basic on Jan. 18 2011. I start off as an E3 and get a nice little sign on bonus to go along with it. But there are some things I want to get done before I get shipped off, like a turbo Isky cam and paint. So look forward to seeing some posts of the new impovements within the next few months. BTW, I'm going to paint the S130 Imperial Blue off the 2010 Camaro.

 

Any other Navy guys here?

[CamH]

Wow, that is some contract. I enlisted in to the Marine Corps in 2007 as an E1 (Private) -- wish I could've joined as an E3! How did you pull that off, anyways?

 

 

edit: I didn't get a sign on bonus either! You are lucky

Edited April 27, 2010 by CamH

[thrustnut]

Wow, did you pick to wait that long, or was that the next opening? I wanted to wait 'till after the summer of my graduating year (1997) to join the Air Force. I think it was only three months or so between signing and basic, my recruiter called me every other week trying to get me in earlier. Congrats and thanks for serving!

[Namor]

Not only am I a Navy guy, I am a Nuclear Electrician on the USS Georgia. I have 303 days left in the Navy and cannot wait until I get out. I must ask what are your reasons for 1. going Navy and 2. Going Nuke

 

if there are any questions you want answered let me have at them.

 

p.s. If you do have questions, I hope you come up with them quick because I leave for deployment in under a week...joy

Edited April 27, 2010 by Namor

[S130Z]

Thanks for the replies guys! Nuke program is a "specialty" field, which is why I am automatic E3 and got a bonus. That date was the next opening, which I don't mind too much because it gives me time to prepare and get some things done.

 

Namor, just curious as to why you can't wait to get out? The USS Georgia is a sub, correct? Curious as to how you like being on a sub. I am going to go the aircraft carrier rout, but they didd asked me if I wanted to go subs.

 

I chose the Navy because I feel like it's a little more sophisticated than the other branches. My father was also a Navy Nuke and graduated from the Naval Accademy, so it's nice to follow in his footsteps. I chose Nuke because 1, I pre-qualified for it, and becasue I feel like it will be a great career path.

[Namor]

The USS Georgia is indeed a sub, and as far as that is concerned I think you are making the right choice by going to an aircraft carrier. The reasons I cannot wait to get out count so high it is quite ridiculous.

 

First off, 2007 was the worst year of my life. I was in the shipyard up in Portsmouth, VA and would often spend upwards of 120 hours a week at work (simple math will clue you into the fact that there are only 168 hours in a week). During that year I also went underway on a different ship to support my qualifications. Upon return from my 3 month underway, I went straight back to work with no time off because we had **** that had to get done and testing that needed to be completed. Oh and my entire division felt as though I just got back from a 3 month vacation (honestly it was kind of like a vacation from the shipyard).

 

As an electrician, underway time is completely consumed by fixing things that other people on the boat do not know how to operate and therefore break (like the cooks spraying a steam kettle down to clean it and shorting it out, or being told something is broken and spending hours proving that it actually works properly).

 

On top of this, I entered under the assumption that we have blazing fast advancement. Boy was I wrong, sure you start out at E-3 and get automatic E-4 upon the completion of A-School but then you are stuck at E-4 until you can advance off the test (impossible for electricians, not so much for Mechanics or ET's) or until you hit 2 years and STAR re-enlist. I know multiple people on my boat who were not nukes who made E-5 well before I did.

 

When we are not out to sea, we have duty every 3rd day which means you come into work one day and leave after work the next day. For a carrier its every week or so.

 

Almost all of this can be considered not applicable since you are going to go surface but honestly my largest gripe is that in large due to the excellent job opportunities guys in the nuke field have, the people who stay in are really the worst of the bunch. I can handle working for an idiot, but it just makes it so much worse when they KNOW you can't quit and that they are damn near untouchable.

 

If I were to give any advice, it would be to go to look into the NUPOC program. They will pay for school and pay you for 30 months at the end of which you get commissioned and can either be a Nuclear officer on a Carrier/Sub, an instructor at power school or work for Naval Reactors. So you can receive similar training (considered slightly better if you are looking to work in nuclear power post-navy) and a college degree all courtesy of the navy.

 

Also, if you are on the fence about volunteering subs, wait until you get designated (EM/ET/MM) and if you get ET then go for it, life will be easy. If you get EM DO NOT DO IT, life WILL suck. Finally if you get MM, wait until prototype and if you get chosen to be an ELT then go for it. Otherwise stick to the surface and your life should be ok (at least from what I've heard)

 

I have definitely hated my time in, I do however recognize that it has changed me as a person (largely for the better, somewhat for the worse) and has allowed me to live unlike I would have been able to if I were to have gone to college. I also am looking at a very nice job once I get out, but you have to realize that there really is no difference in what is possible at the end of the line, most people just wouldn't be willing to put in the work required if they weren't forced to.

 

I wish you luck in your journey and hope things workout better for you than they did for me, but just realize that they aren't paying you that sign on bonus for nothing, you will work for it and then some. (it's 20k now, right?)

[woldson]

SSBN Michigan, STS3 Gold crew.

 

I was in during Clinton administration, not good.

 

Anyhoo, DO NOT become Nuke waste, not good, you will still be on the hook for 6yrs, possible as an e3.

 

After the push button crows, advancement was stagnate, at least at that time, about the only was to advance was to re-up.

 

Just seemed to become too much of a political organization, hence, many things did not make sense, lots of waste in work and materials.

 

I do see Reactors in the future, if you make it through you could be set for life! Nukes from the navy go to the head of the class in the civilian world.

 

You can't get into the Nuke program without being smart, this though can cause pain later....hard to ignore ignorance.

 

Hopefully you will get a Command that you like, a fellow that is in it for right reason, not just climbing a political ladder.

 

Thankyou for serving.

[S130Z]

Namor, thanks for the advice. My intentions were to be picked up in an officer program. NUPOC is something I am deffinately looking into. The sign on bonus for me was $15,000, last year it was $25k. And yes, I expected 100% that I would be working for it, nothing comes easy...right?

 

And Woldson, thanks for the words as well. My biggest fear now is becoming Nuclear waste. I plan on working my @$$ off and make as little mistakes as possible, as I reaslize this could possibly have me set (in a good way) for the rest of my life. I never had an interest in the political side of the military, and hopefully I don't get sucked in.

[thrustnut]

Politics is the reason I got out of the AF. I think if you get high enough in the food chain it's unavoidable... you have to go to the dark side. I was a shift lead running the flight line C-130 engine shop, cool job but the political side was ridiculous. I went to three meetings a day to keep those above me in the loop. I had a 7:00 am brief with the big dogs (which was the beginning of my shift) and I was expected to know everything that happened from the time I left the day before till I got in that morning. One of the worst reamings I ever got was because I changed my mind without prior approval. I told the Captain and Chief that I was gonna do things one way to get an aircraft FMC, then changed my mind on the fly and figured I would handle the situation a little differently to make the process more streamlined. Well I did it, and it worked, shaved about an hour off the time I had estimated and got the plane mission capable. Then I got my butt chewed for the effort. I guess your not allowed to change the plan even if it makes things more efficient. It's the same on the outside working in aviation, so I guess it was good practice. Just keep your head down, work hard (it won't be appreciated and you will be expected to work harder) do it for yourself and make rank. At least then you will get paid well to not like your job.

[LoneStarS30Z]

Directed toward Navy personnel - "Atleast you guys have cool looking uniforms", quote, the Air Force guys.

 

 

Agreed with above, the AF is run by a bunch of pinging nonners, but kept afloat by all the hard working airman on the flightline.

 

 

I have one question for you though that you gotta let me know, I heard the blue camo's turn orange when it comes into contact with sea water. Sounds cool!

 

Anyways, enough caveman talk, welcome to the armed forces man, enjoy your travels and learn to put up with alot of bull, but you're gonna get to do some awesome stuff sooner or later. You'll learn to hate the rank structure sometimes, you'll be surrounded by retards constantly and you'll go through some tough times. But the steady paychecks, awesome benefits, paid travel will be well worth your efforts at work. Also like said above, make rank fast and get paid well enough to set aside the hatred for your job.

 

I'll keep all the homosexual Navy jokes stuffed away for now

Edited April 28, 2010 by LoneStarS30Z