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Okay, but you need to realize that you will be signing a contract that you can't easily get out of if you don't like it.
I don't know about the Navy, but, in the Air Force, work with nuclear weapons carry strict standards (as they should). You will be entered into the Personal Reliability Program, meaning that you can't take so much as an over-the-counter Tylenol without telling someone. You will also be limited in base selection (if you like Wyoming, North Dakota, and Montana, then this will be perfect for you).
Also, it's great that you talked to recruiters, but remember that recruiters are at best salesman that don't have your best interest at heart and at worst outright liars. Even the ones that mean well don't know much about specific career fields beyond what they are told in their training. Therefore, I would recommend speaking with someone that is actually working in this field.
I know this. I have to think for awhile before I actually ever sign the contract. If I don't like it, I'm still going to be grateful for the things that I will be given and the new knowledge and pride I'll have. I would rather be optimistic about the future I could have than to be always thinking that it will turn out bad. I most likely will end up with the Navy because nucs travel much more it seems (just from the base selection you just told me). I have talked to people in the nuclear field. They all say it's a very great program and that I should do it. My recruiter actually was offered the opportunity that I am being offered. He knows quite a lot about the program and what it takes. I know obviously he is trying to sell me on most things but it's not like every single thing he tells me is necessarily appealing and he knows that. Also, my parents were in the military and they went with me and tried to call him out anytime he was "lying".
I have worked with a lot of Nuclear power techs [Reactor operators, ELTs, etc] and Nuclear Weapons personnel [MTs, FTBs, ETs].
I am that kind of ET. My A school had MTs, FTBs, and ETs lumped together. We were separated out by our rates for our C schools. Most of my career as an ET was in direct support of nuclear weapons. Though as a side line we also navigated the boat.
Would you mind telling me the difference between A school and C school? Also explaining the acronyms. I know I must sound dumb.
Would you mind telling me the difference between A school and C school? Also explaining the acronyms. I know I must sound dumb.
Ooops, sorry.
Your first school is A school. These are generally basic. In my case they grouped a bunch of different technicians together and the basics that apply to all were taught there: Algebra, electricity, Ohms law, flip-flops, digital circuitry, simple hydraulics. For a nuc your would include more physics [my A school's physics only focused on coriolus].
My A school grouped together the nuclear weapons rates MTs, FTBs, ETs. Missile Techs, Firecontrol Techs [ballistic] and Electronics Techs.
Missile Techs work on the missiles, missile launch tubes, MRVs [the payload that carries a bunch of warheads when it is in orbit around the planet], and a lot of micro-hydraulics.
Firecontrol Techs [ballistic] over see loading the orbital paths and targets into each MRV and launch sequence.
Electronic Techs provide the missiles with very accurate data about where they are located, so when they launch they still know where they are.
C school is the longer more detailed schooling that focuses in on the details of your rate. Specific equipment you will use, how to operate that equipment, how to trouble shoot it when it fails, and how to make repairs to the components.
PRP, I think someone else already spoke about it.
But that was me on subs.
Now you;
Nucs: Machinist’s Mate (MM), The MM-ELT, Electrician’s Mate (EM) and Electronics Technician (ET).
I know this. I have to think for awhile before I actually ever sign the contract. If I don't like it, I'm still going to be grateful for the things that I will be given and the new knowledge and pride I'll have. I would rather be optimistic about the future I could have than to be always thinking that it will turn out bad.
I'm not saying that you shouldn't be optimistic about the future. However, I've seen many people join the military, sign very long contracts, and regret it because they didn't know what they were getting themselves into.
This can be mitigated to some degree. The Air Force has a program called Palace Chase. In this program, you do half of your commitment as active duty, then do twice as much in the reserves (so if you sign a 6 year contract, then you do 3 years active duty and 6 years in the reserves). I know many people that are doing this (of course, your commander must approve it). I don't know if the Navy has something similar.
Quote:
I most likely will end up with the Navy because nucs travel much more it seems (just from the base selection you just told me). I have talked to people in the nuclear field. They all say it's a very great program and that I should do it. My recruiter actually was offered the opportunity that I am being offered. He knows quite a lot about the program and what it takes. I know obviously he is trying to sell me on most things but it's not like every single thing he tells me is necessarily appealing and he knows that. Also, my parents were in the military and they went with me and tried to call him out anytime he was "lying".
One thing to consider is that the military is a very different entity than it was even 10 years ago. Many people that have been in for a while have told me that it has changed for the worse.
Just something to consider when you take advice from older generations.
Again, I'm not trying to be negative, but you have to be realistic about things. There are still many positives to joining the military and I do not regret joining. However, I would not do it again.
Here is an article about 38 junior female NCOs that are currently going through training, to serve on subs. The photo is of an E5. The article does not say how many E4s, E5s, or E6s will be in this first group.
They should hit the fleet in late 2015 / early 2016.
Navy plus-nuclear job translate easily to civilian jobs including operating a nuclear power plant. Even if you finish only the first of the three schools, you will have a job training and experience that easily transfers to a civilian job including working at a non-nuclear power plant. See several countries.
Navy minus-long hours work at sea, poor living conditions on ship, food depends on the ship and the cooks (officers like to steal the good cooks for themselves), tiny showers, 6 months minimum at a time at sea with few port visits. Limited storage on ship.
Air Force plus-great living conditions, like an apartment. Great recreation facilities. Good food. More likely to get stationed in USA. If you like golf, Air Force is your branch. Easiest physical fitness test and boot camp of all branches of the military. If stationed in USA, you can take college courses at a nearby university and have a degree when you leave the service.
Air Force minus-if you don't get certain ratings, advancement is slow. Not as easy to transfer nuclear missile skills to non-military related civilian jobs. Hearing members of other branches make jokes about the Air Force. Don't take that last one seriously. We all make jokes about other branches, ain't that right grunts?
Navy plus-nuclear job translate easily to civilian jobs including operating a nuclear power plant. Even if you finish only the first of the three schools, you will have a job training and experience that easily transfers to a civilian job including working at a non-nuclear power plant. See several countries.
Navy minus-long hours work at sea, poor living conditions on ship, food depends on the ship and the cooks (officers like to steal the good cooks for themselves), tiny showers, 6 months minimum at a time at sea with few port visits. Limited storage on ship.
Air Force plus-great living conditions, like an apartment. Great recreation facilities. Good food. More likely to get stationed in USA. If you like golf, Air Force is your branch. Easiest physical fitness test and boot camp of all branches of the military. If stationed in USA, you can take college courses at a nearby university and have a degree when you leave the service.
Air Force minus-if you don't get certain ratings, advancement is slow. Not as easy to transfer nuclear missile skills to non-military related civilian jobs. Hearing members of other branches make jokes about the Air Force. Don't take that last one seriously. We all make jokes about other branches, ain't that right grunts?
Funny, this is a question I never asked while stationed at Pearl:
Are there "days off" at sea?
I'm thinking not.
Most of my time at sea was 6on/12off in 18hour 'days'. Though I have spent some time doing 6on/6off, or 12on/12off [these are called port/starboard], and rarely 6on/6on/6off [called port and re-port, where I stood one watch station for 6, then rotated to another watch station for 6, and the third rotation was off, this was usually long surface transits like the Panama canal]
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