I was 8838 EM NFAS, 8904 NNPS. I was honorman of my section in 'A' School, and top in my section in NNPS. I "aced" the ASVAB (per the proctoring dude - he had me stand up and congratulated me on the spot). I did NPTU in Ballston Spa, and served four years on CVN-71.I like to think I got more out of USN than I gave - the training is intense but excellent. I now work for a global corporation as a technican and make $40 an hour, with no further formal training past NFAS/NNPS/NPTU.Study. Do homework right away. Ask questions. Help classmates. Rewrite notes. Stamp your stuff CONFIDENTIAL as your supposed to do. Don't be late. Don't get into trouble. Don't stand out in any way except militarily or academically. Stand up if your nodding off. Caffeine is your friend.
I started with class 9006 nuke school in Orlando and graduated with 9101 (had a death in the family at week 13 and I had to go home and take care of that, so I was rolled). I went to Prototype in Connecticut, S1C. I graduated at the bottom of my classes but I excelled in the fleet. After the Navy I did industrial engineering which I learned in MM A school and I made a decent living. Nuke school made me work hard which helped when I went to college while working full time. I eventually went to law school and gladly gave up engineering. If you’re accepted to the program, stay humble. You’re not as smart as they’re telling you. And if you fail out, like I almost did, don’t worry. It’s not the end of the world.
As a Navy Nuke, we were made to think we were God’s gift to the Navy. I suspect it began in the recruiter’s office and continued through Nuke school. Naïveté! My advice, get rid of the ego. Today, I think I would smile (I am now) if someone bragged about their ASVAB, Nuke test scores or how many flags they won in boot camp. Yes, Nuke school was tough. I cannot imagine how much easier it would be with access to UA-cam, Khan Academy, etc. There are other careers in the Navy that are just as difficult and in high demand. On a carrier, one soon realizes it’s all one big team. Respect them all. It’s amazing what is happening on the flight deck every day. There are others on the ship just as smart or smarter than you. Others may not be as book smart as you but they know more about their job (planes) than you. Be wise! Prepare Before Nuke School I read another post where the person said not to prepare. I disagree, 1000%. Study all you can, especially math. In “A” school (EM) I had a tough time with “order of operations”. I had not seen them in a long time. I did not have Google, UA-cam, etc. I had to get up and go to the instructor. I got really frustrated. Years later, I taught DEV classes at a community college. The math was not hard; it was the rules (order of operations) that people had forgotten or never grasped. Now, many of them were going to be nurses and they had math requirements. I also taught HS advanced math and science (AP Physics). I once showed a video that showed the importance of math and how one could cover ALL HS math in 3-6 months. My advice: Go back and review, refresh and learn HS math. Go to Khan Academy and begin in K-gten and go as far as you can. You may be surprised at what you learn (or relearn) in 6th grade math. I’d say the math in Nuke school is not super hard; however, it may be super hard if you haven’t gone back and relearned some things. I had HS students that didn’t know the multiplication tables. First thing, I gave them a test on it. They knew them after that. Know that, what is 14x14? Know basic algebra... manipulating equations like I=E/R. You will prob see that equation even if you are a MM. Do not waste your time before going to school. Make a plan and spend time studying. Know Sine, Cosine, etc... know the formulas. Know how to use a calculator. It would NOT hurt to start memorizing things. One can increase memory. It’s like a muscle. You will be required to memorize things and just know things, especially in prototype - “draw the reactor coolant system”. Getting Kicked Out Most people I knew that got kicked out were kicked out for drugs (marijuana) or underage drinking. I played basketball a lot... it’s amazing how many former Nukes I saw handing out basketballs. Nuke “A” / Power / Prototype Some did great in “A” school but not in Power. I knew one guy who thought he was God’s gift to intelligence in Power school but did poorly in Prototype. Later on the ship, it seems he got in serious trouble. I did average in “A” school, better in “Power” but excelled in Protype. I could have been an instructor. I quailed 1st I think. Not bragging just worked hard and good timing. Joe R I remember Joe R. He was quiet and focused. He would come into Power School and sit down. He started working and 45 minutes later he put his books up and left. He was never arrogant, that I recall. I think he must have had some of the things previously in a college class or had a really good Physics teacher. Others messed around... laughing, etc. we were there till midnight while Joe was relaxing watching a movie or getting rest. My last advice : If you can go in as an officer ... do it. Let the Navy pay for your college. If you can go to college instead ... do it. There is a reason most people are 6 and done. Seek the Lord early (Psalm 105:4). Nothing else matters more. Salvation is in Christ (Acts 4:12, 2:38). USS Enterprise (CVN-65) 1989-1995
I just recently graduated High School and am only 17. This passed week I went to MEPS where I received my dream job as Nuke leaving January 4th, 2021, which is the first day I am eligible to leave due to my age. My question is, would it be wise to study the concepts of Nuclear Fission and physics or just let the Navy teach me those concepts? Also, what specific math skills are used in Nuke?
Maxwell Gubler I served 1989-1995. I went to boot camp and Nuke School in Orlando, prototype in Windsor, CT and then to the USS Enterprise (CVN-65). I could have been a prototype instructor. You have a little over 5 months before boot camp. You can do things now that will help you be successful in boot camp and Nuclear School. 1. Read my previous posts. 2. Are you in good shape? How is your stamina? Immediately start a workout regimen (Dr approved). In 5 months you can get in great shape. It matters. 3. Let the Navy teach you their nuclear power. NP in the Navy is different than civilian NP. I learned civilian while in the Navy for my degree and it frustrated me. 3. Are your math skills good? I would go to Khan Academy and start at a low level - 2nd grade and just do it all. You will be surprised the little things you will pick up. Go as high as you can. Spend 1 hr per day or so. 4. Do you have good time management skills? Find a course that will help you map out your day. Trust me here. 5. Talk to your recruiter. Ask him the things you can do to prepare for boot camp. We had to know those 10 rules for watch standing. I had them memorized before BC. Others did not. My recruiter did marching on Saturdays. Ask him/her ways you can get ready. 6. Read my posts again. 7. Work on your memory. You can train yourself to memorize better. In school you will need to know things, remember things. In prototype and on the ship you will need to be able to draw systems and label parts. Memory is important. 8. Get rid of bad habits. If you smoke - stop? Drink - stop. Drugs - stop. Many of those things get people in serious trouble in the Navy. 9. Take a Dave Ramsey course. Financial Peace University (FPU). I’ve led 2 classes. Determine you will learn about $ and how to save it. Even $50-100 month at 17/18 will make you a millionaire in your 40’s and 50’s. 10. Read my posts again. 11. Get rid of any ego!! Nukes are NOT God’s gift to the Navy. There are scores of jobs in the Navy that are just as important as your job as a Nuke. There are smart people in every position on the ship. 12. Psalm 105:4
@@maxwellgubler9618 Congrats on getting into Nuke school. For math, it is up to college algebra but they do go over the math that you will mostly use in A school. If it is a weaker subject for you, I would practice. Its not tricky stuff but they do go over exponentials and log/base 10 stuff. For the other subjects, I will tell you it is really helpful to know basic chemistry, thermodynamics, heat transfer, fission process, decay half life and the formulas that go with it. It makes understanding some of the courses much easier. I didn't have a science background before becoming a nuke and I was a bit behind understanding the concepts. It wasn't until I took college courses in the sciences after I got out to fully grasp how much those classes would have helped. And depending on your rate (et, em, mm) learning a bit on power, current, magnetism, electrical and electronic components will also greatly help. Good luck with everything.
Peter, thanks for the info...I also got caught up in stereotypes, man...I expected you to say you had an engineering or math degree from MIT, etc etc...I've never met an Asian brother who was into Humanities (I am too)...you probably hear that a lot LOL. Anyway, thanks for your service and the info!
Lots of changes since I went through Nuke Pwr School in Bainbridge, MD, 68-2 back in 1968. School was 8 months long, then 8 more months at NPTU in Ballston Spa. D1G was being refueled, so did S3G instead. Best thing I remember most was Moe's Sub Shop in Port Deposit, MD. Best friend to this day met his wife in Fiddler's Green one evening, and still married to this day. Most of those in 68-2 had college. Some even with 4-yr degrees. They did not want to be an officer. There were two of us just out of high school among all the "adults" in the class. 6yrs, 3mos, 28days later discharged exactly to the hour in Long Beach, CA. 4yrs and 2mos in #1ER and RX on the USS Truxtun DLG(N)-35 had us see almost every emergency and casualty procedure from MM A-school, except for a major steam leak. Even went dead in the water in the Tasmanian Sea while doing emergency training. Scrammed both reactors after the EOOW in #1 told the EPCP operator to switch load centers following a simulate major steam leak in #2ER. Dead bus. Too late. Was on upper level ER watch leaning on the LP turbine casing when I heard the main engine start to wind down. Was talking to a young 17yo non-Nuke kid who caught the ship in Perth. He was asking me what would happen if #2RX went down. I said we'd go dead in the water. Almost simultaneously that's when the main engine wound down. That young 17yo kid eventually years later was head of the IT Department at the Johnson Space Flight Center in Houston, TX. Dozens of stories. Should write a book. Scariest was when the EPCP operator tried to sync a 30Hz TG with a 15Hz MG set. It looked like the CTG jumped about a foot off the sub deck mounting simultaneously creating an energy ball that totally cooked the breaker just behind the TG workbench. We were told if the energy ball had come out of the breaker housing it would have bounced around the deck and may have killed us. Also, shot of water into a 10K SSTG totally wiped the Kingsbury thrust bearing clean of all babbit, leaving a deep blue burn in all the individual thrust plates. And, loss of main lube oil on main engine drill, engaged jacking gear but shaft started to turn before the locking plate could be engaged. Brass worm gear actually drove the gear to the jacking gear motor turning it toward 10K rpm before it blew apart. Pot metal was found all over the engine room, even by the DFT and Feed Control. I was just recently qualified on lower level ER TG watch. Amazing no one was killed with all that metal flying around the ER and the Still operator, Alan Souza (Maui, HI), standing directly above the jacking gear motor on deck grating. Dozens of more stories about what happened in the ERs over those 4 years and 2 months. Came aboard as an MM3. Discharged as the MM1 ERS. Great experiences to say the least. Definitely memorable! Would be interesting to visit Nuke Pwr School via SKYPE to answer questions from new Nukes these days.
Yeah, that was pretty much the way is was for me. I went through Orlando and Balston Spa in '79-'80 as an "EM". The last of the "IC" rating was just ending at that time. Spent 4 years on USS Nimitz CVN-68. Studying never stopped because you're always learning your next watch station or teaching the new guys. Most people I talk to have no clue what I used to do. But most everything that I've done since has seemed a little easier because of what I went through to make it. Congrats on qualifiying RO. I've often wondered what its all like down there now after almost 35 years. I'm sure they've made a lot of changes.
Got into A school thinking I was the smartest guy I knew. Everyone in your class at NNPTC was probably the smartest person at their school. There will be geniuses among other geniuses. School was rough as hell. Glad I'm out now
I was Mando 35 in Nuke School Orlando as an ET. Got to prototype in Idaho Falls, first to qualify. Class is much different than in the field. Many were smarter than me in regards to academics, turns out I was better at putting it all together. Still in the Nuke Field in a Nuclear Power Plant. And you get paid more than you can imagine with OT and no degree.
This was a very informative video. Thanks for discussing the rigors of Nuke school. If I didn’t have a graduate degree, I’d go for it. I like learning, but after going through two graduate programs, school has gotten tiring. I still want to join the navy, but will try for a job related to my graduate degree.
Thanks for the helpful and honest video! I, like you, lean more to the arts, but I do believe the nuke program is the more prudent decision for my future. I will be picking the nuke program! Thanks again!
I went to Nuke School Orlando from 90-91. EM. Prototype at NPTU Idaho until Nov 91, then off to the sub fleet at Pearl Harbor. USS Indianapolis from Nov 91- Jan 96 , EM2 and ship's diver. Stayed in Hawaii after for GI Bill at U of Hawaii...as my wife was born and raised there. At the time in 96...the economy was booming(first .com boom) and re-up bonuses for us was between 45 - 60K....in the mid 90's. I didn't even consider re-upping, which should tell you how much I hated it toward the end.
9 years later after this video. You gave me a lot of confidence. I'm extremely nervous about the school. I'm very excited to go in, I'm hoping to continue with goverment work through DOE or Nasa. Something of that nature. Thank you for this video
Hey Future Sailor here, bout to hit the road for Great Lakes in September then off to Nuke School. Thanks for the tips, I can't help but be nervous for the future but your pointers are sure to help.
Well said, Brother Lee. Well done. Class 7803 Sec.12 (Orlando) & MARF (S7G) Prototype (NY) EO here. Plankowner: Arkansas (CGN-41). Made EM1 a year before EAOS.
So I have a 3.9 GPA in Physics and already have my BS. I am currently going to a Ph.D. program in nuclear engineering, they decided to disqualifies me because of a college transcript that I have when I was 18 and was in a dark place of my life. I joined the Air Force to turn myself around and get a degree at a different college. I never got a grade of under a B since I joined the Air Force 6 years ago but they are going look at my transcript from 10 years ago to tell me that I am a poor student with horrible academic record. I try explaining it to them that this was a bad time of my life and I have change so much since I enlist in the military and would like to continue serving my country in the Navy. They told me that they will only look at my cumulative GPA and that they are doing me a favor since I would not be able to survive course work at Naval school on my poor academic record. Me having a 3.9 Physics degree, know that these people does not know how to listen.
Know that the nuke school is full of people who have already been thrown out of some of the best schools in the country. Know that there are people with degrees in chemistry and nuclear engineering who were only accepted in the enlisted nuke school because their gpa in college was inadequate. Know also that the school has processed hundreds of thousands of nukes through the pipeline and they have it down pretty well. If they are telling you that you would not make it through I think it is probably you that should listen.
@@braddawson4496 I think it's a huge difference when you're talking about myself graduating with a 3.9 GPA and been selected as a Ph.D. candidate vs. some lazy guy that graduated with a 2.0 GPA. Did you even read my comment? I am sure the Navy has done this a long time, and they are pretty good judges when it comes to traditional students. I'm not traditional, I graduated at the top of my class in 2021. When I first started my engineering school in 2012, I didn't have my life together.
@@caposolomon8745 well, you do sound like so many nukes I have met in the past. In fact I refer to those individuals as the archetypal nuke. It is actually a shame that you did not get into the program, because pass or fail you would have learned a very valuable life lesson. As mentioned in other comments, success or failure is not 100% about grades, but academics are in fact what gets most people. Something else I learned during my subsequent 32 year career as a nuclear engineer (with only a NPS formal education). All US institutions of higher learning are not equal. (I sort of had a hint of this when one of the biggest rocks I came across in my time as a NAVY nuke in fact had a degree in nuclear engineering from Penn State). Anywho.. If you are a Ph.D from MIT or Cornell, etc. that is one thing. If you are Ph.D from elsewhere, maybe that is something different. Based on those I have met, even MIT is questionable in my mind frankly. One other thing to be aware of since you mention GPA. Nuke school uses a 4.0 scale, but not in the typical manner of a high school or university. It's an absolute scale. Each class is graded on that scale, then there is a comprehensive exam (which covers every topic in the school) that is graded on that scale, then there is your overall grade which is the your total points earned for the entire school including the comp divided by the total points possible. For example, a 3.90 score in NPS is 3.90 * 25 = 97.5% which means you would need to get 4,875 out of a possible 5,000 points over 6 months of school. That's an average of missing a total of only 21 points a month over 4 exams at least 2 hours in length per month .. It's not the same as a 3.9 GPA in HS or college. Also to note, with the exception of math, there is no "partial credit" on any test or exam. An answer is either 100% correct, or it isn't so its easy to lose points. In math, you can actually get a correct answer, but if you do not show all work, or used an incorrect procedure to solve, you get no points.
@@braddawson4496 I was a bit emotional when I replied to you, so I will have to acknowledge that. I try my best to act as professionally as possible when talking about the military. I have a really good job in the federal government doing engineering law at the moment. It has always been my dream to commission and do nukes because I think it's the best source of energy. I sacrificed much being enlisted in the Air Force, and to hear that they don't even care about my service was a big hit. I had worked really hard to get my degree while having to deal with a full time enlisted blue collar job and the toxicity that comes with it. I worked really hard to keep my GPA high and was counting down the day I could be a Nuke officer. It was definitely hard to hear that I'm not good enough, considering the sacrifice I had made. I made many videos on my channel explaining that I had been trying to commission for 3 years and I had served for 7. I had many people coming on to those videos telling me to give up. I always stayed strong but after getting rejected over and over, it really does break you slightly.
Dear Peter Lee, I am currently a freshman in college and I decided to join the Navy at the end of the semester. I am going through the enlistment process and my recruiters keep insisting that I give NF a shot and I've been considering it for a bit, and I decided to do some research on it. My questions to you are: 1) What did you find the most difficult part of NF? 2) What were your duties as a Nuke in the Navy? 3) What was your favorite subject that you liked to study? 4) What made you decide on joining the Navy and going Nuclear? And possibly the most important question- 5) Was it worth it? If you could go back and do it again, would you still go around and do NF? I hope to hear from you shortly! ZA
Hi Zac, I'll try to answer some of the questions best I can. 1) Difficult part while in nuke school was the pace of subjects, they cover lots of math, science, operations very quickly. Think school from 8 to 4 ish 5 days a week and study sessions daily after classes and weekends. Also tests are written or oral. So it can be taxing when doing it for 6 months straight at a go. There are 3 different blocks of schooling so its around 18 months of school depending on your rate. In the fleet, you put what you learned to practice, so there is pressure to qualify quickly. The most difficult part of being a nuke is fatigue. I was a fast attack nuke ET so many times sleep was something you wished you had but hardly got. 2) start off qualifying junior watchstation. As a submariner ET, I actually qualified an EM watchstation first. But basically stood stood watch over the reactor equipment or was the operator of the nuclear reactor while its running or shutdown. Also qualified all the EM watchstations too. There are also supervisor watchstations to qualify as well and support stuff like running a training program or paperwork. Also lots and lots of maintenance and cleaning
3) I was a history/business major in college so the sciences were new to me but I liked the chemistry aspect of the classes. 4) Im from a big family so didn't have enough money to keep going to college. I did get a bachelors degree after I got out using GI Bill and currently working on getting into med school. 5) I think many parts were worth it. It definitely helped stretch my limits and endurance. I can fix many things or figure out how something works. I met many brilliant people and have a good network of friends. But it is not easy and will depend totally on your effort and it will take up 6 yrs off your life. Hope that helps and if you have any other questions feel free to ask. Whatever you choose to do good luck and take care Zac.
Im a junior in high school ive been talking to my local navy recruiter and he said he could help me become a navy nuke its something ive always wanted to do since i was about 9 ive always loved science and math but i feep as if i wont be good enough your video helped me releave some nerve but im still i bit nervous about going to basic and NNPS
If you join right after highschool i think youll be fine. I struggled because i had taken basically a 2 year hiatus from learning and it was a rude awakening getting to NNPTC. I didnt even really learn how to properly study and learn until prototype and now im definitely a completely different person than i was in the beginning. I feel like if i went back i would do miles better than i originally did.
NPS 8903 (proto in Idaho) then 5 years on SSN-646. Oh, and then 16 years in the Marine Corps. Orlando is long gone but the ghosts still inhabit the dark side...
Hey I just want to say thanks for this video I’m starting nuke school in a couple months and I’ve been freaking out about it this video given me a semblance of confidence on the matter so thank you sir
@D. Almighty And after seven months in the Engineering Department, you get to Crank for the Cooks for 45+ days! "Geedunk?" On the Boat, the Dolphins on your chest mean A HELL OF A LOT MORE than the chevrons on your sleeve!!!!
Hi Peter! Thank you so much for your video -- it provided a lot more insight compared to the other videos and posts I've seen on the internet thus far. I was originally looking into being a corpsman and am putting that on the back burner as I've heard that advancement is slow and currently not in high demand. My recruiters have been pushing me towards the nuke program because of my ASVAB score, however, I am reluctant to sign into the nuclear field as I would like to hear more about the daily life on the fleet? I hear it is rough but the enlistment bonus is very tempting and was told that career opportunities are 'endless' after finishing the contract, so I'm trying to do as much research as I can before signing because everyone's said that it's a very hard job but you're compensated fairly for it? What was your experience with this? Do you also know anyone who went the officer route after A school? *I read into several of the comments and your replies; I saw that you got your degree using the GI bill and have plans for medical school (congratulations!)* I was wondering if you could provide some insight as to how were/are career opportunities in the nuclear field after you finished your contract (or for anyone else you've known)? Sorry that my post isn't the most concise -- I've wanted to be a dentist ever since freshman year of high school and had a change of heart after getting my BS in Biology this year and although I've been exposed to STEM courses, engineering and the like haven't been on my radar until now so any and all input/advice is very much appreciated! Thank you in advance!
Sorry, I just saw your post. For some reason it didn't populate in my email. There are many opportunities after the Navy. My friends from the nuke program range from CPA, pharmacists, executives of fortune 100 companies, and a CEO of a company. Many have gone into commercial power and make really good money. People actively search for nukes. If you have a degree they will probably push you for an officer program. Officers do not get into the nitty gritty of working on equipment which I think they lose out cause they won't be experts in the technical aspects of engineering. The expertise an enlisted gains is what translates so well outside the Navy but officers do get paid well and have a better quality of life. Hope this helps. Again, sorry I missed your post.
Hello. Thank you so much for the video! I am considering joining the nuclear program, and I have the qualifications to get into the school. But the problem is I'm a girl. I've dealt with gender separation with under my physics degree, and something I noticed is that most of my classmates were definitely nice people, but they weren't willing to accept me into things such as study sessions and as a member of the group as easily as if I'd been a boy. Even though this is something I don't agree with, I can deal with it. What I am very apprehensive about all the horror stories I've gotten from women going through military camps. I hope these stories are outdated, and I hope in the educated community its less prevalent than the general recruits. But I would really really appreciate an honest assessment of what it's like for a woman going through these programs, especially if you're stuck on a sub. There seems to be a lot of slut shaming and abuse in general. This is four years of my life I cannot quit. It's very important to me that I get a general idea before I sign that paper.
The Navy nuclear program, if going through the enlisted side, will be a 6 year commitment, 2 yrs of school and 4 yrs at a sea command so that may be something to consider. In nuke school, there are some women and they are put to the same standards as men as far as the education is concerned but there definitely are more men than women in nuke school. They also have their own berthing area where men are not allowed to go to. I had two good female friends in nuke school and we did help each other and do study groups and hang after classes so women are not treated as outsiders or anything like that but lots of guys so many of the women were asked out or hit on constantly. Its not college where there may be a broad spectrum of students learning different things and where the student can act as they choose. Nuke school is still the military and there are standards that everyone must follow and acting badly to another person will only get you in trouble. Also the nuke program is focused on engineering so it is expected that everyone, male or female, wants to learn about STEM type courses. I only have a limited amount of personal experience with women on a sub and they were officers, either from a test training program or cadets. They were also onboard for only short cruises. They were treated respectfully and on a fast attack had their own berthing area but again this was not a long term situation and they were officers. No one had issues with women onboard at least for these situations. I hope this helps some but my experience is limited on how well women on subs are integrated as long term crew members.
It really helps! I would love to go into the program but I"m worried about being ostracized by the crew. I'm glad women are held up to the same standards as men as far as intelligence because if you let a bunch of dolts into the program, it will be set up for failure from the beginning.
My friends were nuke techs and they both really hated it. One got dis honorable discharge cuz he hated the military overall. The other one eventually ended up becoming an electrical engineer after the navy. He’s been working with power now for over ten years. What did you ended up doing after the navy? Or are you still in. I Have one more year left for my EE degree after this semester.
I am currently a Foster parent and stay at home dad to my adoptive kids. My husband was also a nuke ET. He worked his way up after the Navy and is part of the strategy team for Schneider Electric. I was working towards medical school after the Navy but I had health issues so that my hands shake so that kinda quashed that dream. I have nuke friends that are now CPA's, pharmacists, physicist, a friend that works for NASA, and a few that work for power production facilities. Lots of opportunities that Navy Nuke can bring you because it really helps build discipline and the ability to take a ton of stress.
the only problem i have with the oral part of the education system here is that i would like to see more hands on practice to be honest... in general even because its one thing to say that you understand what your doing from a book but doing it in real life is always different..
Gruesume A school and power school has very little hands on or lab type curriculum. Prototype is almost all hands on with an emphasis on self learning. But nothing will compare until you are out on the fleet. That is were everything is put to the test and will be doing tons of maintenance with experienced crewmembers along with watchstanding and other engineering evolutions. If you put in your 6 on an active sub or carrier, you will have a good set of technical engineering skills that translate very well.
I rolled right into Power School, only had 2 weeks of T-Track. 4.0'd my first exam, so it's so far so good! I have a few questions for you, hoping it might be better to get a perspective from someone who is out instead of the all biased staff here on site. Did you feel that your time spent in school and out to the fleet was worth the outcome? Did you use the Post-9/11 GI Bill or the MGIB? Did you feel like you had enough free time for yourself while underway/attached to your sub? Do sub EM's lives suck as bad as everyone is telling me? What did you do for fun during your off time? Do people really hire people straight from getting out of the fleet, or do you need a degree to get anywhere?
Billers Plum I'll tell you that if you apply yourself and learn from your time on the boat, that experience is gold. Yes, it can really suck. On one westpac on my fast attack, we had 7 days off in 6 months because it was right after 9/11. Then we rolled right into ORSE workups which you will be familiar with soon. In a major overhaul I was on 16 on 8 off for weeks at a time. But being on a fast attack, you get thousands of hours of hands on experience on whatever your specialty may be but also get thousands of hours on working with everything in engineering so you get full system knowledge. Also get good at painting and cleaning too lol. I know that there are companies that look specifically for nuke submariners cause they will be well rounded and have worked in very stressful conditions. Most of my nuke friends went straight into work when they got out. Most started at 60k+ and within a few years 80k + with no college degree. A few are upper management now and make well over 100k with a few still no degree. But up to you how you work it. I got the college fund and have used both types of gi bill. I like the post 9/11 much better and you can use it for online schools and still get some money. Not the full amount but some and they pay for the school so a good option if you need flexibility with time after the Navy. Hope that answers some of the questions.
Peter Lee update: reading my old comments and realized how naive and innocent I was.. ended up getting picked up as a staff pickup and reenlisting. I'm not as optimistic as two years ago but I'm just grinding out work, and I may be going to a new construction in Newport news. hope everything is good dude.
dude i massively appreciated this. got a 92 on asvab and considering a job in IT, CTI, or NF. i want to challenge myself so nuke school is enticing but i’m not sure what rate to push for. i’d say i enjoy physical labor so MM sounds up my alley but could you attest to the other rates? also what is kinda apart of daily life on a carrier/sub? am i pulling 24hr shifts often?
Thanks for liking the video, I'll try to answer your questions the best I can. I can only speak for fast attack subs but I would say EM does lots of physical machinery maintenance, then MM, then ET but we all work on equipment and then there are many engineering wide evolutions and testings that require all personal to work on/with various equipment inside the engineroom out of your typical rate experience. You'll get a good deal of experience regardless of what rate you get. I would say the focus is MM = some machinary & pumps EM = various electrical throughout boat and motors/generators ET = electronics. On duty (shift work) rotation, fast attack subs will usually have it the worst. Smaller crew, so more work. Usually the worst rotation is ET then EM and MM are tied depending on manning. ET is a small division but mandatory to be there daily. I would say typically ET usually is one 24 shift onboard then 2 days not on duty. If it's a weekday, they also work all day. On a duty day, they will do some watchstanding and work. Typically may get a little sleep, then work the next day. It can get grueling because of the lack of sleep and short duty rotation. Usually MM and EM are 1 day duty 3 day not or if they have tons of people 1 day duty and 4 days no duty. On carriers, I hear the rotation is better but I don't have first hand knowledge. But you get used to it and work around it the best you can.
A day at sea on a submarine is not 24 hours long but 18 hours long. I was an RO during a refueling overhaul. At one point during the overhaul, the engine room was to be pressure tested. I was SRO before the test started and was on watch during the test. Only the EWS and I were in the engine room during the test which took 18 hours. As LPO of RCDIV, my station during drills, maneuvering watch, etc. was RO. One night toward the end of my SRO watch, I performed a reactor start up and right away the maneuvering watch was set. We put to sea for battle stations missile all day after which maneuvering watch was set to reenter port. By the end, I had stood a 25-hour watch. Forty years later I can look back with fondness but at the time I seriously regretted my career choice. I'd pay to be able to do it again.
Hello I'm super interested in a career with the nukes. I'm a high school senior and I wasn't the most attentive student in math classes. My question is whether or not I should self study things like physics and chemistry before even taking my asvab or just focus on things like algebra and trig? Thank you in advance
I qualify for nuke school (90 on the ASVAB), but I don't think I would enjoy this job EVEN WITH an 11K enlistment bonus that I'm being offered. I hate school aka memorizing pointless things.
Your going to have to go through some sort of A school in the Navy but if Nuke school is not for you that's okay, you should do what you like. 6 years is a long commitment.
What would possess someone to volunteer to work in a nuclear reactor that's on a boat and the boat is underwater? We have some amazing people in this country!
How would the math and science portions be taught?If its a written test would that mean me having to break down an equation of sorts? My focus in highschool wasn't really towards math and physics. What kind of Math is there(like calc, trig, or algebra). I am just really nervous about the math portion, I am really good at memorization and comprehension.. thank you
Hi Matt, the first two schools you will go to, A school and Power school are classroom settings with someone lecturing and you taking lots of notes. At the time I went through, I had a taken up to trig and college algebra and did not have problems with the math portions. In the A school portion, they will have a math section that goes through much of what skill sets you will need for the remainder of the schools. I am not sure how strong you are in math but that is something you can study up for before the Navy if you think it is a weakness. The tests will be written, essay type of questions but if you can memorize well than you will be at an advantage since many times they want specific definitions and concepts written in a particular way. This is the first two schools, the last school Prototype, is mostly oral in nature and you will have to speak about specific things that you self studied to pass. Hope this helps some, if you have other questions feel free to ask.
ORSE definitely was a huge deal for us too on a fast attack. Not sure about a vid about it though unless it was very general. Too much classified stuff around what happens in an engine room and wouldn't want Naval Reactors knocking on my door 😅 Nice suggesstion though, thanks!
Im looking into the Naval Reactor Engineer position within NUPOC, would I still be considered an officer? Also once I finish training and schooling in the program, the position said I'm non-operational and I wont be at sea. is that true? My guess is that I will be working for the fleet at different bases?
I am not very familiar with the nuke officer program or the pipeline out of it. I just know that for subs, junior officers just finished with officer nuke school. They learn to manage front of the boat and engineering and qualify to be line/command officers. Then after their first tour they do other things like work at Naval Reactors, etc. I remember Naval Reactors being the governing board for nuclear ships/boats for the Navy as well as a testing center for new equipment and technology. I am not sure about your path directly to a non sea command. But you probably would need to go to sea or a sea command to be a line officer and be engineer for a propulsion plant for a carrier or sub.
I have an associates degree, I want to finish my degree while in the Navy, I took the NAPT, and now I’m due to ship out sometime next year. I want to get my degree in physics while in the Navy, how do I go about that? Online courses or can I go to school while in the program?
To be frank, it will be really hard to finish a science degree while you are in the pipeline as a student. And in the fleet as well since most likely you will be out to sea for long periods of time and working. It may be 4-6 years after joining that you will have time for school as a nuke at a shore command. If you are seriously considering a physics degree, you should start it now and then consider the Navy afterwards. Physics and other science degrees require brick and mortar schools to be worthwhile. The labs from those classes can't really be done online for an accredited science degree and you will need that accreditation if you want to be taken seriously and work in physics.
thank you for sharing your experience, are you still serving your contract? questions questions: how competitive is rate selection? does everybody want to be et? how many ppl in your class did you observe to be in over theor heads? do you plan to stay in for 20 or what are your plans if you don't mind me asking? okay thank you again, appreciate your time
Jason Pearson Hi Jason, I've been out for some time now. Served 6 yrs and got out. Not everyone wanted to be an ET but many did. It is a competitive rate to get into. My A school class had 14 people and would say most had some college and asvab in the mid 90's. Not always the case since I knew some ET with mid 80 asvabs. We still had a good 40% attrition due to academics and people getting picked up as officers. Currently, Im trying to be a doctor so a change of profession but what I learned as a nuke has helped tremendously. Hope that helps.
Peter Lee Hey Peter, Im supposed to ship April of next year. I have my Associate of Arts degree(I couldn’t decide what to be and that has the most transferable credits), after taking the ASVAB my recruit has pushed me in to Nuke(I’m really excited to go because I’ve been pretty aimless). Despite being excited to be a Nuke, I’ve decided that I want to be an officer, in your opinion how doable is this going in with an Associate of Arts degree? How do I go about making the journey, I’m a hard worker and long night with no sleep, is not a bother to me. I just want to be an officer.
Hey Peter good video. My son is going to GL in a few weeks and then it will be off to GC SC. He is looking at pursuing the EM rate. He has volunteered to be a submariner. Can you talk about being on a sub, what to expect..., what his rate will be like while on a sub. Thank you.
It will be a bit intense going to a sub. If he is going on a boomer, there is a set rotation with crews. On a fast attack, he is going to be qualifying rapidly and standing his junior watchstation pretty quickly, then he will be working on qualifying his position as a electrical operator and a shutdown reactor operator. Also he will be qualifying subs and doing lots of maintenance and evolutions with his division and the rest of Engineering. Usually very busy for the first year and a half on the sub before any real chance to pursue anything like online college etc. Also lots of at sea time. My highest level of sea time was 10 months out in a year. So it can get busy but it depends on operational tempo.
Thank you for that. He is shooting for fast attack. However, first thing first, getting out of propolsion and prototype schools. He will like the quick pace as you have described.
Hey Andrew, don’t mean to bother but may I ask how things turned out for your son? I am leaving for bootcamp soon and was just wondering how things turned out for him. Thanks in advance
That's hard to quantify. I can only say from my class experience. As an ET, in A school, we didn't lose anyone to academics. We started with 14 but finished with 12. 1 got health discharged and other some kind of family emergency. Power school we had like 35ish people in 2 classes of ET and like 2 failed academically but we lost a bit to other things. About the same in prototype. But ET is not the best one to figure out for academic dismissal. Most ETs in my class had asvabs in the high 90's and some college. One of my friends there was an Ivy league dropout and a few others from big named schools as well. Sorry can't be more help.
That helps a lot and makes me feel better about it. I have a 4 yr degree. I think I will do fine as far as understanding the subjects but may have to put in some time studying large amounts of information.
@@jonathanmerritt2094 just have to stay on top of it all. Lots of subjects and 8hrs of school a day with a test every few days but it isn't overly complex like upper level science classes. But if you slack and get on hours, that can be the hard part because it is very draining. 75 + hours a week of school and being cooped up in a classroom is difficult. Good luck!
As someone whose goal it is to get to nuke school, I have a slew of questions. If I had to pick just one, though, it would probably be- If I study hard to get the required ASVAB score to be able choose, say, Machinist Mate (Nuclear Option), would that be worth it in terms of competition? I went right into the workforce right after graduating high school instead of going to college, so I can't be a reactor engineer, but the MM (NO) looked to be the enlisted equivalent. I would hate to be wasting my time right now studying for an ASVAB score I don't even need when a different one would suit me better. I chose MM (NO) because it looked like the only one that was what I wanted that wasn't on a submarine. I don't think that I could handle a sub.
Hi Ren, if you want to try for the nuke program, you should go for it. Many people I know came straight out of high school with no college. Unless things have changed, there should not be some degree or college credit requirement for the three rates(specialties) of nukes. You can try for MM, EM, or ET. The ET rate is the one that will qualify you as a Reactor Operator in the Navy. Work on getting a good ASVAB score and there is a nuke test as well which is general engineering in nature and you should have a good chance as long as you have a clean background. There is no guarantee you won't be on a sub since they fill the demands of the Navy at the time of your sea duty assignment but if you don't sign up for subs, good chance you will not get a sub. Hope that helps. If any other qurstions feel free to ask.
Hi Peter Lee, I found your video very helpful. I am a current student majoring in Nanotechnology, but due to money issues I am considering joining the Nuclear Power Program. Would you recommend it? I see you said it was challenging coming from a non-STEM related major, do you think the transition might be easier since I am studying a STEM program?? What are salaries like? Frankly I don't understand what I read online about their salaries. Thank you so much in advance!!
Moneywise in the Navy you will make what the base rates are for your rank ie after boot camp e-3/e-4 pay. Easy to get to e-5 if you reenlist and the other pays don't kick in until later as well as the bonuses. You wont make a lot in the Navy as enlisted but after you get out there is much better opportunities. I can tell you that it will be much easier with a college science background. I am completing chem, physics, bio etc to get into medicine and can say that it would have helped. But expect fast paced work and difficult testing since everything is in a written or oral format.
+Peter Lee Thank you Peter Lee. You are very helpful, and the fact that you mentioned you are in school to het into medicine definitely brings my hopes up. my wishes are to return to school, science is my passion. In Nanotechnology I go ti school from 7am to 5pm usually so I'm aware of the complexity and it's even more exciting! I have one more important question and it is more of curiosity, what did you like more: submarine or aircraft carrier?
+etienne palos I was on a 688 class fast attack and never went on a carrier so only have second hand knowledge on the surface fleet. Fast attack sub life is hard but have the chance to be proficient in many things and opportunity to learn the most since it is a small crew compared to carrier or boomer.
@@robertpearson6760 ah, sorry to hear that. A school can be stressful and having someone not being nice makes everything harder. Hope you had a good Navy experience after that.
My class, 9836-T in Orlando, was the last class that did Radar. After us it was Generic I&C, in Charleston. We were the last rats off of that sinking ship, and when one of our classes ended, they'd empty out the room and send the gear up to Charleston. The radar stuff was cool. The instructors would keep the set with the antenna the highest up tuned the best. You could easily see the buildings downtown a few miles away, and even the space shuttle launch pads at Cape Canaveral 40-50 miles away, but you could also watch traffic coming and going at the stop light just off base. It was kind of cool.
Hi, Peter! I hope this comment finds you doing well. Quick question. For this contract, are we able to spend most years on reserve after all the appropriate schooling?
Chavez For the Navy Nuclear program, its a minimum of 6 years active duty, 2 years of school + 4 years in the fleet. There is no reserve program for the nuclear rates. Hope that helps.
I got a 74 on my asvab and I got 254 on my NUC(VE+AR+MK+MC) score which makes me eligible for the nuke program without taking the NAPT but my recruiter wants me to retake the asvab. So that I can get a EL(AR+MK+EI+GS) of 252 also because it was too low. If i got high enough scores on both of these what are my chances of getting into the program because I am going to be a senior in high school next year and my grades have not been good for my previous years.
RustCakes You should try to take the asvab again if you can. Mid 80's would be good. Its hard to tell you your chances to get into the nuke program because it changes depending on the needs of the Navy. But the better the ASVAB score the better your chances. Also if your grades are not that great, you can get waivers for that just try your best this year. Good luck on your nuke journey.
Can anyone tell me about NUPOC? I am thinking about applying. I am a junior chemistry major at a well known university in the southeast. I have a 4.0 GPA and a 29 on the ACT (both of which they look at apparently).
A high school student here planning on attending Nuke School in the future, mathematics has never been my strong suit, but I've always had an interest in nuclear power and chemistry. What level of math should I preferably attain before attempting Nuclear Power School after college and OCS? I know majoring in an engineering capacity would help, but what is the Navy really looking for at Nuke School? Leaders? Good learners?
Ethan Brendmoen I am not sure what math will be for the officer side of nuke school. I remember seeing the officers going through nuke school but they had a different curriculum than us enlisted people. For enlisted, college algebra and trig were good enough. From my experience out of the Navy, I would think at least calc 2 since that's what I needed to get my degree but it may need more. I would talk to an officer recruiter for more details though.
Interesting that they had separate curriculum. Thank you for all your replies Peter, they are better than anything on reddit. lol. Seriously though, can you talk about the MM route? Is it the shorter one in terms of time? Do you recall seeing anyone in their thirties during your program?
Daniel Bedoy It is the shorter route but not by much, it's only three months shorter. There are plenty of people here in their thirties, but way more in their early twenties.
Daniel Bedoy I'm here in Goose Creek rn and I'm almost done with NPS. I'm an MM and it is about 3 months shorter in terms of your time here at NNPTC. The oldest person I've seen in the enlisted pipeline was 27 but I've heard of people being a little older.
Cool. I got a 96 on the ASVAB back in 2002. And the only reason I didn't score better than that is because I didn't know what a cam was. No mechanical knowledge. I was in the Army back then. Didn't quite make it through combat medic school though. They also have "firehose" learning. Like drinking from a firehose. "Here, learn this as fast as you can" "Here, learn how to bring someone back to life, and keep him / her alive". I just like learning about Nuke School, because I did take AP Physics in high school. Good luck to all of you!
I didn't have any issues with clearance but I knew some people in A school/ power school that were on holds waiting for their clearance, not sure what happened to them though. Sorry, can't help much on this question.
As a high school student who is considering, do I just take the ASVAB and if I do well on it I qualify? Also, I took a practice ASVAB, and I did well in the math portion but struggled a little on the english, and I didn't know anything on mechanics... Will that hinder me? Or if I do well in math enough I'll qualify. Or is it I have to get a higher general score v higher math score. Thanks
It will depend on the Navy's need at the time you apply but if you can score 75 + on the ASVAB you have a chance, if your in the upper 80's, they will push hard for nuke. Then they want to see decent grades, pass background check, drug test etc. There is also a nuke test to take as well. As a nuke your going to have to get security clearance so clean record is a must. Nuke school is a ton of writing, there is no multiple choice, it is all written or oral. You can still practice your writing skills in high school if that is a weakness for ya. I will say having a strong reading and writing skill is a big asset in the nuke world. You will have to read and understand technical manuals and schematics in the fleet and at prototype, so working on those skills will help you very much.
did you take your asvab out of high school? I was thinking of doing community college because my grades are not the best. I was then going to transfer to a UC then try to apply as an officer. Do you recommend that or trying out of HS?
+Joseph Cacuyog I took the ASVAB out of high school. Career wise, I think is a personal decision. Community college is a good way to test the waters and if the Navy is where you want a career, officer is better pay/benefits than enlisted. Also there is nuke officer training as well if you want to go that route.
Rudy Bravo If you have a degree, may want to talk to an officer recruiter. I am not as familiar with the officer path. Although enlisted side would give you experience in a plant, you probably can find other options outside the Navy. Nuclear program is a 6 yr commitment, so that is something to think about.
Hey man how was the culture in the navy? Especially being an Asian American how was it in there? I recently finished college with a chemical engineering degree. Wondering about enlisting or officer. Thanks a lot for your story it was really helpful
Will Yu Its been awhile since I was in but it was a bit harder as an Asian. There were hardly any Asians in the Nuke program and on the sub, there were like 2-3 total for the entire crew. I worked hard and got many personal awards but could never get a school or the good benefits. Saw that a ton with all the minorities. Was very hard to get things like that. Not sure how it is now but it definitely was harder for an Asian 10+ yrs ago.
Will Yu if you have your degree, would go the officer route. Many more options available for you and better pay. I am done with the Nuke side and working on becoming a medical doctor.
@@PYLeeoye nice, were you required to have a security clearance. How much physics did they require? I just graduated with an engineering degree dont know what I want to do. And I've always thought about serving in the Navy even in highschool.
Just like you, history and English were my best subjects. But I qualified for the Nuke program, made it through by the hair of my teeth, did my six years and got out. Did not like it. But I am grateful for the discipline nuke training instilled in me, which has made every other challenge in life seem easy in comparison.
Our son is being recruited by the Navy for the Nuke Program. Does it make sense to go in as an officer or go enlisted? What is your advise. He is in college now and the Navy would like him to start boot camp in the Spring. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.
Michael Koenig If your son is doing well in college and likes what he is doing, should finish college, the nuke opportunity will still be there. On the question of enlisted vs officer, there are major differences. Enlisted will be hands on; working on the power plant, learning the technical skills associated with nuclear power, and working in an industrial environment. Depending on what he specializes on, he can possibily be a reactor operator and run a nuclear reactor. But the downside is that it will be many hours of stressful work. An officer will be more of a manager and really won't be working on equipment and getting their hands dirty with the equipment from my experience on the sub. He will have better living conditions and get a chance to try different jobs in the Navy both on the nuclear side and the warfare side. Also advancement and pay can be much better as an officer. Ultimately, its going to be up to you all, don't let the recruiter push something because the nuclear program is not easy and for many is not a good fit. Also there will be a large time commitment involved with not very many days off but the upside is that when your done there are many opportunities out there for former nukes.
Usually, there are gyms and such on base. Nukes on the sub can be Navy divers and they have to be very fit. We had at least 2 qualified as such all the time.
So i just graduated college with a math minor ( highest maths i have are calc 3 and linear algebra) Im going in to the nuke program around march or so. Im wondering of how much of a hard time i would have class wise. I dont plan on having much of a life lol
Math will help you a bit with Nuke school since there are math sections in A school(mostly college level algebra) and many equations used in the physics/chemistry side of Nuke school. Also calc 1 will help ya a bit with understanding the radioactive decay graphs but most of the enlisted side nuke stuff is more about concepts and memorizing them until you can understand how it all fits together. If your a good memorizer or really good at grasping many scientific concepts, then nuke school won't be bad. It is much more engineering science heavy than math heavy if that makes sense.
@@PYLeeoye Do you have to learn about the dynamics of nuclear reactor cores? How they get started up, slowed down, and how things like temperature, pressure, and density affects the nuclear reactions? Do you have to know how to solve the Navier-Stokes equations?
@@cryora you will learn many things about how a reactor works. Most is semi specific and much of it is classified so I can only talk about it in general. Power school which lasts 6 months 40 hrs a week is all about nuclear power. The equation you were asking about is a bit to complex for enlisted power school. They don't do much with calculus related equations and the Navier-Stokes equation would be more for those engineering a reactor not so much for those working on/with a reactor. I am not sure for officer nuke school, they did more theory and higher level calculus physics.
@@cryora nobody on this planet can solve the Navier-Skokes equation buddy. There has been multiple multi-million rewards out there for those that could solve it, but so far nobody has claim it yet. This is almost like saying "can we reach absolute 0"
Anthunie Gonzales I personally didn't try for officer programs but there seemed to be lots of opportunity. I remember a few that put in during A school, Power school time that got accepted as an officer candidate and a few on the submarine for officer programs. I really don't know the specific programs though so may have to talk to a career counselor or an officer recruiter for that.
Peter, I know you can't explain what the reactor/ engine room looks like, but could you qualitatively describe the engine room as a work environment. Roomy? lol. Hectic? Did you lose your mind working in such a work space? Thanks
Engine room on a destroyer or cruiser is somewhat cramped, but you have to ask the submariners about tight quarters. It's hot and noisy. Drink liquids and wear ear protection.
TW0T0NGUE I worked in a 688 class fast attack sub so room was at a premium. It can get hot back there, especially during drills and walkways are sized for a single individual. Head room was okay unless your 6' 3" +. But yeah, if you want to chill in the engineroom, your sitting on the ground or a toolbox. I hear the boomers and carriers had much more room though.
Congrats on A school, that's a good gpa. They are gonna go through many subjects in Power school, some cross-rate and some that are new. So if you run into problems, don't be afraid to ask and also check out sources like khan academy cause they cover a variety of subjects and explain things well. Other than that stay focused and keep up the good work.
Thanks! Appreciate it! I really am doing my best. Was it fairly easy for you to find a civilian job? What would you recommend I do while in the Navy? I plan on getting my bachelor's degree, hopefully even master's while in the Navy. But that won't be for a couple more years. Any other advice would be great. Thank you.
Hafa Adai lots of opportunity when you get out. Can always do civilian nuke plants but most people I know that went to energy, went alternative energy like natural gas or solar boiling water plants and they make good money. I can only vouch for sub nukes tho. Can also go outside of doing energy, thats where most of the people I know went. Many in tech field since the experience translates well. A close friend became a CPA so a world of opportunities. Im graduating from college in November and will be applying to med school next year so figure out if you like being a nuke in the next few years and see from there. Also, network with your nuke and Navy friends, many that I know got jobs from former nukes. When you get to your boat or ship see if you can take classes. It may be tough though depending on how much you go out to sea. Also, learn all you can at a sea duty, that experience is worth it when you get out.
So currently i’m a high school student and i’ve already sworn in as a GSE(Gas turbine electrician).My ship date is after high school which is july 15th,2020.... However, i actually qualified myself to be a nuke. My recruiter told me all the good things about it that day and i said that i’ll consider changing my rate to be nuke(mainly because of money). Nowww, if i were to go to nuke school,my fear is being the dumbest one there. I got an 86 on the asvab which barely qualified me to take the NAPT test. I just took the test today and failed it. Somehow, the guys at the office wants me to retake it after a month or two... I’m just not sure what to do anymore...
The world can open up for you if you are successful and finish your time as a nuke. But the program is not easy. If you want a challenge and have the discipline to study hard and go through many stressful events, I would suggest it since it seems you are going into the Navy anyway. Might as well make the most of it if you are putting in the time. Don't worry so much about the ASVAB score. There are plenty of successful nukes with scores in the upper 70s. If you can work hard and study hard that is much more important than what a standardized test says. You can also prepare yourself for the nuke program by studying up on your math, physics, and chemistry. Learn up on basic electronic, electric, and mechanical principles and you will make your life easier in nuke school. Much of this can be found in a college algebra textbook, college general physics, and college chemistry book that you can self study for. One of the most successful nukes I know had an ASVAB of 88, joined right out of high school, and had an A school, power school GPA of 3.0. He did great as a nuke. He now is a lower level executive in a multi-billion dollar energy tech company just 12 years out from finishing up his time as a nuke. The nuclear program opened up a ton of doors for him and his company hires nukes all the time making great money. Hope this helps. The decision is yours though, you know yourself the best. Good luck to you.
Bless Gillette For me it was, because there were parts of the test where i had no way of knowing the answer (like things i never even learned in school, yet). I would suggest doing some research and studying, it shouldn’t be that hard.
Bless Gillette So i took the test before my senior year started and back then the highest math i got to was Math 3. I forgot exactly what i got but i remember being 4 points lower than the passing score. Then second time i took it (which was after completing the 1st semester of my senior year), i already had some Pre-calculus and some basic physics knowledge, and after doing some research and studying the night before, i was able to get 67/80
@@rileyberget6704 Im about to graduate prototype in two weeks and moving to japan, so i think it worked in my favor lol. If you are going to go through with being a nuke, keep in mind that the school is a lot longer and more rigorous but if you really want to be here then you’ll get through it easily.
It will depend on a few things. Mostly, if your allowed to take "leave" aka vacation days, it will be between your nuke schools. There may be time between your nuke A school and nuke power school. Then between power school and protoype. Basically every 6-7 months there will be opportunity to visit home. But you have to have the vacation days available and the scheduling has to work out. In the fleet, it will totally depend on the ship/boats operational tempo.
If you are married, they have family housing so they could move with you and live together while you are in school. I am not as familiar with all that but I remember students with families while I went to nuke school. I would ask the recruiter for more details about that. Also I may have misunderstood your question. If you are talking about free time and schedules, your first two years your schedule will be reliable and set. School 5 days a week with study hours. So you will have time for your family. Your last school, prototype will be on a shift work schedule but you will know when you are working ahead of time.
This is my experience, I was on a fast attack which has a very high at sea tempo and was an RO so had to stay on the boat a ton. My in port rotation was 24 hrs on the boat then two days not having watchstanding duty. If it was my non duty days during the workweek than show up in the morning, work, than go home in the afternoon. Basically, stay on the boat and don't go home once every three days. If it is the work week than do a full days work. So not much time at home but RO aka nuke ET there isnt many of us so the rotation is harsh. If you were a nuke MM than you could be on a one day of duty than four days of non duty. From what I hear, the rotation for carrier and ballistic sub is not as harsh. Also for out at sea, it can be very demanding depending on the needs of the navy. I had one year we were gone 9 out of the 12 months out at sea and other years like 4 out of 12 months.
Question about Nuke School; I want to be a Navy Reactors Engineer, how hard is that based on stories you have heard perhaps? I am a college junior & I appreciate your youtube video on Nuke school. Awesome stuff
There are 2 paths in the Navy Nuclear Program, enlisted and commissioned officer. Enlisted side, you can become up to a reactor operator. On the officer side, you manage the enlisted sailors and can be the Engineer of the reactor plant. Not sure which path you are referring to atm. Both sides require a bit of scientific capability and lots of hard work. Also a commitment of time. In the case of an Engineer, that can take a decade or so if you are able to reach that status. I only know a limited amount on exactly what an officer has to go through to be qualified to work in a nuclear plant but if you have questions on the enlisted side, I can help out.
There are 2 paths in the Navy Nuclear Program, enlisted and commissioned officer. Enlisted side, you can become up to a reactor operator. On the officer side, you manage the enlisted sailors and can be the Engineer of the reactor plant. Not sure which path you are referring to atm. Both sides require a bit of scientific capability and lots of hard work. Also a commitment of time. In the case of an Engineer, that can take a decade or so if you are able to reach that status. I only know a limited amount on exactly what an officer has to go through to be qualified to work in a nuclear plant but if you have questions on the enlisted side, I can help out.
I'm currently lined up to enter the Nuclear Program, but I'm nervous about the entry exam. I took Chem,Chem II, Physics, and Pre-Calc. Am I suited well for it?
Nicole Shepard From what I remember of the ENLISTED entry examine, it was geared toward basic engineering and math. So may want to review simple circuitry, how basic machines work, etc. If you have a strong base of physics, it will help you. Don't stress too much, if they have you with a good asvab and want to push you nuke, you should get in. I think the nuke test at meps helped a bit towards what rate you would get. If you are talking officer nuke program though, I have no idea. I took the test with very little prep and none of the classes you took and I did okay.
Peter Lee, Thank you for your advice. I'm slated to take the test the 22nd and I am kinda nervous. I hope I do well because this is all I want. I just hope I do well. P.S. I have to memorize all the formulas correct?
As part of nuke ET A school we learned and worked on a radar system but I was in the last few ET classes in Orlando. I dont think they had a radar in Goosecreek and they had much more microprocessor classes there instead. But basically, we used it more for troubleshooting an electronic equipment rather than learning the use of the radar. Hope that answers your question.
LOL you can tell a fellow nerd when he uses the word "hammered" to mean working and studying hard.
I was 8838 EM NFAS, 8904 NNPS. I was honorman of my section in 'A' School, and top in my section in NNPS. I "aced" the ASVAB (per the proctoring dude - he had me stand up and congratulated me on the spot). I did NPTU in Ballston Spa, and served four years on CVN-71.I like to think I got more out of USN than I gave - the training is intense but excellent. I now work for a global corporation as a technican and make $40 an hour, with no further formal training past NFAS/NNPS/NPTU.Study. Do homework right away. Ask questions. Help classmates. Rewrite notes. Stamp your stuff CONFIDENTIAL as your supposed to do. Don't be late. Don't get into trouble. Don't stand out in any way except militarily or academically. Stand up if your nodding off. Caffeine is your friend.
Good advice!
Thank you for helpful advice
I started with class 9006 nuke school in Orlando and graduated with 9101 (had a death in the family at week 13 and I had to go home and take care of that, so I was rolled). I went to Prototype in Connecticut, S1C. I graduated at the bottom of my classes but I excelled in the fleet. After the Navy I did industrial engineering which I learned in MM A school and I made a decent living. Nuke school made me work hard which helped when I went to college while working full time. I eventually went to law school and gladly gave up engineering. If you’re accepted to the program, stay humble. You’re not as smart as they’re telling you. And if you fail out, like I almost did, don’t worry. It’s not the end of the world.
@@andrethegiant7226 i was 9020 a school and 9101 nnps
As a Navy Nuke, we were made to think we were God’s gift to the Navy. I suspect it began in the recruiter’s office and continued through Nuke school.
Naïveté!
My advice, get rid of the ego. Today, I think I would smile (I am now) if someone bragged about their ASVAB, Nuke test scores or how many flags they won in boot camp.
Yes, Nuke school was tough. I cannot imagine how much easier it would be with access to UA-cam, Khan Academy, etc.
There are other careers in the Navy that are just as difficult and in high demand. On a carrier, one soon realizes it’s all one big team. Respect them all. It’s amazing what is happening on the flight deck every day.
There are others on the ship just as smart or smarter than you. Others may not be as book smart as you but they know more about their job (planes) than you. Be wise!
Prepare Before Nuke School
I read another post where the person said not to prepare. I disagree, 1000%. Study all you can, especially math.
In “A” school (EM) I had a tough time with “order of operations”. I had not seen them in a long time. I did not have Google, UA-cam, etc. I had to get up and go to the instructor. I got really frustrated.
Years later, I taught DEV classes at a community college. The math was not hard; it was the rules (order of operations) that people had forgotten or never grasped. Now, many of them were going to be nurses and they had math requirements.
I also taught HS advanced math and science (AP Physics). I once showed a video that showed the importance of math and how one could cover ALL HS math in 3-6 months.
My advice:
Go back and review, refresh and learn HS math. Go to Khan Academy and begin in K-gten and go as far as you can. You may be surprised at what you learn (or relearn) in 6th grade math.
I’d say the math in Nuke school is not super hard; however, it may be super hard if you haven’t gone back and relearned some things.
I had HS students that didn’t know the multiplication tables. First thing, I gave them a test on it. They knew them after that. Know that, what is 14x14?
Know basic algebra... manipulating equations like I=E/R. You will prob see that equation even if you are a MM.
Do not waste your time before going to school. Make a plan and spend time studying. Know Sine, Cosine, etc... know the formulas. Know how to use a calculator.
It would NOT hurt to start memorizing things. One can increase memory. It’s like a muscle. You will be required to memorize things and just know things, especially in prototype - “draw the reactor coolant system”.
Getting Kicked Out
Most people I knew that got kicked out were kicked out for drugs (marijuana) or underage drinking.
I played basketball a lot... it’s amazing how many former Nukes I saw handing out basketballs.
Nuke “A” / Power / Prototype
Some did great in “A” school but not in Power. I knew one guy who thought he was God’s gift to intelligence in Power school but did poorly in Prototype. Later on the ship, it seems he got in serious trouble.
I did average in “A” school, better in “Power” but excelled in Protype. I could have been an instructor. I quailed 1st I think. Not bragging just worked hard and good timing.
Joe R
I remember Joe R. He was quiet and focused. He would come into Power School and sit down. He started working and 45 minutes later he put his books up and left. He was never arrogant, that I recall.
I think he must have had some of the things previously in a college class or had a really good Physics teacher.
Others messed around... laughing, etc. we were there till midnight while Joe was relaxing watching a movie or getting rest.
My last advice :
If you can go in as an officer ... do it. Let the Navy pay for your college.
If you can go to college instead ... do it. There is a reason most people are 6 and done.
Seek the Lord early (Psalm 105:4). Nothing else matters more. Salvation is in Christ (Acts 4:12, 2:38).
USS Enterprise (CVN-65)
1989-1995
Great advice, I agree with you on many of your points, especially the studying up before going. Thank you for sharing your experience.
I just recently graduated High School and am only 17. This passed week I went to MEPS where I received my dream job as Nuke leaving January 4th, 2021, which is the first day I am eligible to leave due to my age. My question is, would it be wise to study the concepts of Nuclear Fission and physics or just let the Navy teach me those concepts? Also, what specific math skills are used in Nuke?
Maxwell Gubler
I served 1989-1995. I went to boot camp and Nuke School in Orlando, prototype in Windsor, CT and then to the USS Enterprise (CVN-65). I could have been a prototype instructor.
You have a little over 5 months before boot camp. You can do things now that will help you be successful in boot camp and Nuclear School.
1. Read my previous posts.
2. Are you in good shape? How is your stamina? Immediately start a workout regimen (Dr approved). In 5 months you can get in great shape. It matters.
3. Let the Navy teach you their nuclear power. NP in the Navy is different than civilian NP. I learned civilian while in the Navy for my degree and it frustrated me.
3. Are your math skills good? I would go to Khan Academy and start at a low level - 2nd grade and just do it all. You will be surprised the little things you will pick up. Go as high as you can. Spend 1 hr per day or so.
4. Do you have good time management skills? Find a course that will help you map out your day. Trust me here.
5. Talk to your recruiter. Ask him the things you can do to prepare for boot camp. We had to know those 10 rules for watch standing. I had them memorized before BC. Others did not. My recruiter did marching on Saturdays. Ask him/her ways you can get ready.
6. Read my posts again.
7. Work on your memory. You can train yourself to memorize better. In school you will need to know things, remember things. In prototype and on the ship you will need to be able to draw systems and label parts. Memory is important.
8. Get rid of bad habits. If you smoke - stop? Drink - stop. Drugs - stop. Many of those things get people in serious trouble in the Navy.
9. Take a Dave Ramsey course. Financial Peace University (FPU). I’ve led 2 classes. Determine you will learn about $ and how to save it. Even $50-100 month at 17/18 will make you a millionaire in your 40’s and 50’s.
10. Read my posts again.
11. Get rid of any ego!! Nukes are NOT God’s gift to the Navy. There are scores of jobs in the Navy that are just as important as your job as a Nuke. There are smart people in every position on the ship.
12. Psalm 105:4
@@maxwellgubler9618 Congrats on getting into Nuke school. For math, it is up to college algebra but they do go over the math that you will mostly use in A school. If it is a weaker subject for you, I would practice. Its not tricky stuff but they do go over exponentials and log/base 10 stuff.
For the other subjects, I will tell you it is really helpful to know basic chemistry, thermodynamics, heat transfer, fission process, decay half life and the formulas that go with it. It makes understanding some of the courses much easier. I didn't have a science background before becoming a nuke and I was a bit behind understanding the concepts. It wasn't until I took college courses in the sciences after I got out to fully grasp how much those classes would have helped. And depending on your rate (et, em, mm) learning a bit on power, current, magnetism, electrical and electronic components will also greatly help. Good luck with everything.
I'm signing up for nuke rn and I really want to study but idk what to study or where to find it
Peter, thanks for the info...I also got caught up in stereotypes, man...I expected you to say you had an engineering or math degree from MIT, etc etc...I've never met an Asian brother who was into Humanities (I am too)...you probably hear that a lot LOL. Anyway, thanks for your service and the info!
Lots of changes since I went through Nuke Pwr School in Bainbridge, MD, 68-2 back in 1968. School was 8 months long, then 8 more months at NPTU in Ballston Spa. D1G was being refueled, so did S3G instead. Best thing I remember most was Moe's Sub Shop in Port Deposit, MD. Best friend to this day met his wife in Fiddler's Green one evening, and still married to this day. Most of those in 68-2 had college. Some even with 4-yr degrees. They did not want to be an officer. There were two of us just out of high school among all the "adults" in the class. 6yrs, 3mos, 28days later discharged exactly to the hour in Long Beach, CA. 4yrs and 2mos in #1ER and RX on the USS Truxtun DLG(N)-35 had us see almost every emergency and casualty procedure from MM A-school, except for a major steam leak. Even went dead in the water in the Tasmanian Sea while doing emergency training. Scrammed both reactors after the EOOW in #1 told the EPCP operator to switch load centers following a simulate major steam leak in #2ER. Dead bus. Too late. Was on upper level ER watch leaning on the LP turbine casing when I heard the main engine start to wind down. Was talking to a young 17yo non-Nuke kid who caught the ship in Perth. He was asking me what would happen if #2RX went down. I said we'd go dead in the water. Almost simultaneously that's when the main engine wound down. That young 17yo kid eventually years later was head of the IT Department at the Johnson Space Flight Center in Houston, TX. Dozens of stories. Should write a book. Scariest was when the EPCP operator tried to sync a 30Hz TG with a 15Hz MG set. It looked like the CTG jumped about a foot off the sub deck mounting simultaneously creating an energy ball that totally cooked the breaker just behind the TG workbench. We were told if the energy ball had come out of the breaker housing it would have bounced around the deck and may have killed us. Also, shot of water into a 10K SSTG totally wiped the Kingsbury thrust bearing clean of all babbit, leaving a deep blue burn in all the individual thrust plates. And, loss of main lube oil on main engine drill, engaged jacking gear but shaft started to turn before the locking plate could be engaged. Brass worm gear actually drove the gear to the jacking gear motor turning it toward 10K rpm before it blew apart. Pot metal was found all over the engine room, even by the DFT and Feed Control. I was just recently qualified on lower level ER TG watch. Amazing no one was killed with all that metal flying around the ER and the Still operator, Alan Souza (Maui, HI), standing directly above the jacking gear motor on deck grating. Dozens of more stories about what happened in the ERs over those 4 years and 2 months. Came aboard as an MM3. Discharged as the MM1 ERS. Great experiences to say the least. Definitely memorable! Would be interesting to visit Nuke Pwr School via SKYPE to answer questions from new Nukes these days.
Yeah, that was pretty much the way is was for me. I went through Orlando and Balston Spa in '79-'80 as an "EM". The last of the "IC" rating was just ending at that time. Spent 4 years on USS Nimitz CVN-68. Studying never stopped because you're always learning your next watch station or teaching the new guys.
Most people I talk to have no clue what I used to do. But most everything that I've done since has seemed a little easier because of what I went through to make it. Congrats on qualifiying RO. I've often wondered what its all like down there now after almost 35 years. I'm sure they've made a lot of changes.
Excellent video. Very relatable and informative
Finally found a good Video abut NF training. Thank you. I know its all classified, the meat of it. But this information was very valuable to me.
Got into A school thinking I was the smartest guy I knew. Everyone in your class at NNPTC was probably the smartest person at their school. There will be geniuses among other geniuses. School was rough as hell. Glad I'm out now
Wait til you get out to the fleet, being surrounded by nukes 24/7 can get crazy. Congrats on finishing up.
I was Mando 35 in Nuke School Orlando as an ET. Got to prototype in Idaho Falls, first to qualify. Class is much different than in the field. Many were smarter than me in regards to academics, turns out I was better at putting it all together. Still in the Nuke Field in a Nuclear Power Plant. And you get paid more than you can imagine with OT and no degree.
This was a very informative video. Thanks for discussing the rigors of Nuke school. If I didn’t have a graduate degree, I’d go for it. I like learning, but after going through two graduate programs, school has gotten tiring. I still want to join the navy, but will try for a job related to my graduate degree.
You're right, it's not college. But when combined with a hitch in the fleet, the company recruiters look past the college grads with no experience.
Thanks for the helpful and honest video! I, like you, lean more to the arts, but I do believe the nuke program is the more prudent decision for my future. I will be picking the nuke program! Thanks again!
The nuclear program can open many doors, good luck to you!
Im one month away from going to boot camp and then nuke school and this absalutely has helped me ease my nerves
Cool! Glad it helps ease the mind. Good luck in boot camp and Nuke School.
How’d you do in nuke school, Lucas?
@@2yoked70 it was certainly hard but I graduated and am out in that fleet now
Lucas Lauber awesome!!!! 👏
@@lucaslauber1708 Hooyah! Any tips
Good informative video for the ones who want to prepare and what to expect at the Navy Nuke school.
Thanks for the video! I hope you put up the second part you hinted at soon. I ship out next month for the nuclear program.
I went to Nuke School Orlando from 90-91. EM. Prototype at NPTU Idaho until Nov 91, then off to the sub fleet at Pearl Harbor. USS Indianapolis from Nov 91- Jan 96 , EM2 and ship's diver. Stayed in Hawaii after for GI Bill at U of Hawaii...as my wife was born and raised there. At the time in 96...the economy was booming(first .com boom) and re-up bonuses for us was between 45 - 60K....in the mid 90's. I didn't even consider re-upping, which should tell you how much I hated it toward the end.
9 years later after this video. You gave me a lot of confidence. I'm extremely nervous about the school. I'm very excited to go in, I'm hoping to continue with goverment work through DOE or Nasa. Something of that nature. Thank you for this video
did you end up going? if so how was it?
@@frankwood1525 I didn’t pass the special physical for it so I don’t know. I ended up going to MA
Hey Future Sailor here, bout to hit the road for Great Lakes in September then off to Nuke School. Thanks for the tips, I can't help but be nervous for the future but your pointers are sure to help.
Shawn Wilson Good luck with Nuke School and I wish you fair winds in your Naval career!
How has the journey been so far @shawn wilson
this is 6 years later how was it?
Well said, Brother Lee. Well done. Class 7803 Sec.12 (Orlando) & MARF (S7G) Prototype (NY) EO here. Plankowner: Arkansas (CGN-41). Made EM1 a year before EAOS.
Thanks for this! I look forward to any other vids you might make.
So I have a 3.9 GPA in Physics and already have my BS. I am currently going to a Ph.D. program in nuclear engineering, they decided to disqualifies me because of a college transcript that I have when I was 18 and was in a dark place of my life. I joined the Air Force to turn myself around and get a degree at a different college. I never got a grade of under a B since I joined the Air Force 6 years ago but they are going look at my transcript from 10 years ago to tell me that I am a poor student with horrible academic record. I try explaining it to them that this was a bad time of my life and I have change so much since I enlist in the military and would like to continue serving my country in the Navy. They told me that they will only look at my cumulative GPA and that they are doing me a favor since I would not be able to survive course work at Naval school on my poor academic record. Me having a 3.9 Physics degree, know that these people does not know how to listen.
If you're seriously getting a PhD in nuclear engineering, you DO NOT want to be a navy nuke, not as an officer or enlisted. There are better options.
Know that the nuke school is full of people who have already been thrown out of some of the best schools in the country. Know that there are people with degrees in chemistry and nuclear engineering who were only accepted in the enlisted nuke school because their gpa in college was inadequate. Know also that the school has processed hundreds of thousands of nukes through the pipeline and they have it down pretty well. If they are telling you that you would not make it through I think it is probably you that should listen.
@@braddawson4496 I think it's a huge difference when you're talking about myself graduating with a 3.9 GPA and been selected as a Ph.D. candidate vs. some lazy guy that graduated with a 2.0 GPA. Did you even read my comment? I am sure the Navy has done this a long time, and they are pretty good judges when it comes to traditional students. I'm not traditional, I graduated at the top of my class in 2021. When I first started my engineering school in 2012, I didn't have my life together.
@@caposolomon8745 well, you do sound like so many nukes I have met in the past. In fact I refer to those individuals as the archetypal nuke. It is actually a shame that you did not get into the program, because pass or fail you would have learned a very valuable life lesson. As mentioned in other comments, success or failure is not 100% about grades, but academics are in fact what gets most people. Something else I learned during my subsequent 32 year career as a nuclear engineer (with only a NPS formal education). All US institutions of higher learning are not equal. (I sort of had a hint of this when one of the biggest rocks I came across in my time as a NAVY nuke in fact had a degree in nuclear engineering from Penn State). Anywho.. If you are a Ph.D from MIT or Cornell, etc. that is one thing. If you are Ph.D from elsewhere, maybe that is something different. Based on those I have met, even MIT is questionable in my mind frankly. One other thing to be aware of since you mention GPA. Nuke school uses a 4.0 scale, but not in the typical manner of a high school or university. It's an absolute scale. Each class is graded on that scale, then there is a comprehensive exam (which covers every topic in the school) that is graded on that scale, then there is your overall grade which is the your total points earned for the entire school including the comp divided by the total points possible. For example, a 3.90 score in NPS is 3.90 * 25 = 97.5% which means you would need to get 4,875 out of a possible 5,000 points over 6 months of school. That's an average of missing a total of only 21 points a month over 4 exams at least 2 hours in length per month .. It's not the same as a 3.9 GPA in HS or college. Also to note, with the exception of math, there is no "partial credit" on any test or exam. An answer is either 100% correct, or it isn't so its easy to lose points. In math, you can actually get a correct answer, but if you do not show all work, or used an incorrect procedure to solve, you get no points.
@@braddawson4496 I was a bit emotional when I replied to you, so I will have to acknowledge that. I try my best to act as professionally as possible when talking about the military. I have a really good job in the federal government doing engineering law at the moment. It has always been my dream to commission and do nukes because I think it's the best source of energy. I sacrificed much being enlisted in the Air Force, and to hear that they don't even care about my service was a big hit. I had worked really hard to get my degree while having to deal with a full time enlisted blue collar job and the toxicity that comes with it. I worked really hard to keep my GPA high and was counting down the day I could be a Nuke officer. It was definitely hard to hear that I'm not good enough, considering the sacrifice I had made. I made many videos on my channel explaining that I had been trying to commission for 3 years and I had served for 7. I had many people coming on to those videos telling me to give up. I always stayed strong but after getting rejected over and over, it really does break you slightly.
Thanks for the info. The nuke school seems to be my best option in the military.
Good Luck!
Hey Peter, great video, saw you don’t upload anymore. Hope all is well
Dear Peter Lee,
I am currently a freshman in college and I decided to join the Navy at the end of the semester. I am going through the enlistment process and my recruiters keep insisting that I give NF a shot and I've been considering it for a bit, and I decided to do some research on it.
My questions to you are:
1) What did you find the most difficult part of NF?
2) What were your duties as a Nuke in the Navy?
3) What was your favorite subject that you liked to study?
4) What made you decide on joining the Navy and going Nuclear?
And possibly the most important question- 5) Was it worth it? If you could go back and do it again, would you still go around and do NF?
I hope to hear from you shortly!
ZA
Hi Zac, I'll try to answer some of the questions best I can.
1) Difficult part while in nuke school was the pace of subjects, they cover lots of math, science, operations very quickly. Think school from 8 to 4 ish 5 days a week and study sessions daily after classes and weekends. Also tests are written or oral. So it can be taxing when doing it for 6 months straight at a go. There are 3 different blocks of schooling so its around 18 months of school depending on your rate.
In the fleet, you put what you learned to practice, so there is pressure to qualify quickly. The most difficult part of being a nuke is fatigue. I was a fast attack nuke ET so many times sleep was something you wished you had but hardly got.
2) start off qualifying junior watchstation. As a submariner ET, I actually qualified an EM watchstation first. But basically stood stood watch over the reactor equipment or was the operator of the nuclear reactor while its running or shutdown. Also qualified all the EM watchstations too. There are also supervisor watchstations to qualify as well and support stuff like running a training program or paperwork. Also lots and lots of maintenance and cleaning
3) I was a history/business major in college so the sciences were new to me but I liked the chemistry aspect of the classes.
4) Im from a big family so didn't have enough money to keep going to college. I did get a bachelors degree after I got out using GI Bill and currently working on getting into med school.
5) I think many parts were worth it. It definitely helped stretch my limits and endurance. I can fix many things or figure out how something works. I met many brilliant people and have a good network of friends. But it is not easy and will depend totally on your effort and it will take up 6 yrs off your life. Hope that helps and if you have any other questions feel free to ask. Whatever you choose to do good luck and take care Zac.
Im a junior in high school ive been talking to my local navy recruiter and he said he could help me become a navy nuke its something ive always wanted to do since i was about 9 ive always loved science and math but i feep as if i wont be good enough your video helped me releave some nerve but im still i bit nervous about going to basic and NNPS
If you join right after highschool i think youll be fine. I struggled because i had taken basically a 2 year hiatus from learning and it was a rude awakening getting to NNPTC. I didnt even really learn how to properly study and learn until prototype and now im definitely a completely different person than i was in the beginning. I feel like if i went back i would do miles better than i originally did.
NPS 8903 (proto in Idaho) then 5 years on SSN-646. Oh, and then 16 years in the Marine Corps. Orlando is long gone but the ghosts still inhabit the dark side...
Hey I just want to say thanks for this video I’m starting nuke school in a couple months and I’ve been freaking out about it this video given me a semblance of confidence on the matter so thank you sir
Glad it helped out some. Wish you the best on your Naval journey and the Nuke program.
I got into Nuke!
Nicole Shepard Congratulations Nicole!
@D. Almighty And after seven months in the Engineering Department, you get to Crank for the Cooks for 45+ days! "Geedunk?"
On the Boat, the Dolphins on your chest mean A HELL OF A LOT MORE than the chevrons on your sleeve!!!!
Current nuke in NPS, just finished first half.
Hi Peter!
Thank you so much for your video -- it provided a lot more insight compared to the other videos and posts I've seen on the internet thus far. I was originally looking into being a corpsman and am putting that on the back burner as I've heard that advancement is slow and currently not in high demand. My recruiters have been pushing me towards the nuke program because of my ASVAB score, however, I am reluctant to sign into the nuclear field as I would like to hear more about the daily life on the fleet? I hear it is rough but the enlistment bonus is very tempting and was told that career opportunities are 'endless' after finishing the contract, so I'm trying to do as much research as I can before signing because everyone's said that it's a very hard job but you're compensated fairly for it? What was your experience with this? Do you also know anyone who went the officer route after A school?
*I read into several of the comments and your replies; I saw that you got your degree using the GI bill and have plans for medical school (congratulations!)* I was wondering if you could provide some insight as to how were/are career opportunities in the nuclear field after you finished your contract (or for anyone else you've known)? Sorry that my post isn't the most concise -- I've wanted to be a dentist ever since freshman year of high school and had a change of heart after getting my BS in Biology this year and although I've been exposed to STEM courses, engineering and the like haven't been on my radar until now so any and all input/advice is very much appreciated! Thank you in advance!
Sorry, I just saw your post. For some reason it didn't populate in my email. There are many opportunities after the Navy. My friends from the nuke program range from CPA, pharmacists, executives of fortune 100 companies, and a CEO of a company. Many have gone into commercial power and make really good money. People actively search for nukes.
If you have a degree they will probably push you for an officer program. Officers do not get into the nitty gritty of working on equipment which I think they lose out cause they won't be experts in the technical aspects of engineering. The expertise an enlisted gains is what translates so well outside the Navy but officers do get paid well and have a better quality of life. Hope this helps. Again, sorry I missed your post.
Hello. Thank you so much for the video! I am considering joining the nuclear program, and I have the qualifications to get into the school. But the problem is I'm a girl. I've dealt with gender separation with under my physics degree, and something I noticed is that most of my classmates were definitely nice people, but they weren't willing to accept me into things such as study sessions and as a member of the group as easily as if I'd been a boy. Even though this is something I don't agree with, I can deal with it. What I am very apprehensive about all the horror stories I've gotten from women going through military camps. I hope these stories are outdated, and I hope in the educated community its less prevalent than the general recruits. But I would really really appreciate an honest assessment of what it's like for a woman going through these programs, especially if you're stuck on a sub. There seems to be a lot of slut shaming and abuse in general. This is four years of my life I cannot quit. It's very important to me that I get a general idea before I sign that paper.
The Navy nuclear program, if going through the enlisted side, will be a 6 year commitment, 2 yrs of school and 4 yrs at a sea command so that may be something to consider.
In nuke school, there are some women and they are put to the same standards as men as far as the education is concerned but there definitely are more men than women in nuke school. They also have their own berthing area where men are not allowed to go to. I had two good female friends in nuke school and we did help each other and do study groups and hang after classes so women are not treated as outsiders or anything like that but lots of guys so many of the women were asked out or hit on constantly.
Its not college where there may be a broad spectrum of students learning different things and where the student can act as they choose. Nuke school is still the military and there are standards that everyone must follow and acting badly to another person will only get you in trouble. Also the nuke program is focused on engineering so it is expected that everyone, male or female, wants to learn about STEM type courses.
I only have a limited amount of personal experience with women on a sub and they were officers, either from a test training program or cadets. They were also onboard for only short cruises. They were treated respectfully and on a fast attack had their own berthing area but again this was not a long term situation and they were officers. No one had issues with women onboard at least for these situations. I hope this helps some but my experience is limited on how well women on subs are integrated as long term crew members.
It really helps! I would love to go into the program but I"m worried about being ostracized by the crew. I'm glad women are held up to the same standards as men as far as intelligence because if you let a bunch of dolts into the program, it will be set up for failure from the beginning.
My friends were nuke techs and they both really hated it. One got dis honorable discharge cuz he hated the military overall. The other one eventually ended up becoming an electrical engineer after the navy. He’s been working with power now for over ten years. What did you ended up doing after the navy? Or are you still in. I Have one more year left for my EE degree after this semester.
I am currently a Foster parent and stay at home dad to my adoptive kids. My husband was also a nuke ET. He worked his way up after the Navy and is part of the strategy team for Schneider Electric. I was working towards medical school after the Navy but I had health issues so that my hands shake so that kinda quashed that dream. I have nuke friends that are now CPA's, pharmacists, physicist, a friend that works for NASA, and a few that work for power production facilities. Lots of opportunities that Navy Nuke can bring you because it really helps build discipline and the ability to take a ton of stress.
I actually was supposed to retake the NAPT but dont have any more time to. Im really sad however I do have an Elite Job that I think would be fun.
the only problem i have with the oral part of the education system here is that i would like to see more hands on practice to be honest... in general even because its one thing to say that you understand what your doing from a book but doing it in real life is always different..
Gruesume A school and power school has very little hands on or lab type curriculum. Prototype is almost all hands on with an emphasis on self learning. But nothing will compare until you are out on the fleet. That is were everything is put to the test and will be doing tons of maintenance with experienced crewmembers along with watchstanding and other engineering evolutions. If you put in your 6 on an active sub or carrier, you will have a good set of technical engineering skills that translate very well.
"Hey there everyone! My name is Chairman Mao!" (my intrusive thoughts)
Graduated EM 'A' School last month with a 3.70! Super excited to start NPS and get into the operator perspective of my job. Good video!
Awesome, Congrats on A school! Are you rolling right into Power School or have to do the waiting game for other classes? Good Luck in Power school 👍
I rolled right into Power School, only had 2 weeks of T-Track. 4.0'd my first exam, so it's so far so good! I have a few questions for you, hoping it might be better to get a perspective from someone who is out instead of the all biased staff here on site.
Did you feel that your time spent in school and out to the fleet was worth the outcome? Did you use the Post-9/11 GI Bill or the MGIB? Did you feel like you had enough free time for yourself while underway/attached to your sub? Do sub EM's lives suck as bad as everyone is telling me? What did you do for fun during your off time? Do people really hire people straight from getting out of the fleet, or do you need a degree to get anywhere?
Billers Plum I'll tell you that if you apply yourself and learn from your time on the boat, that experience is gold. Yes, it can really suck. On one westpac on my fast attack, we had 7 days off in 6 months because it was right after 9/11. Then we rolled right into ORSE workups which you will be familiar with soon. In a major overhaul I was on 16 on 8 off for weeks at a time. But being on a fast attack, you get thousands of hours of hands on experience on whatever your specialty may be but also get thousands of hours on working with everything in engineering so you get full system knowledge. Also get good at painting and cleaning too lol. I know that there are companies that look specifically for nuke submariners cause they will be well rounded and have worked in very stressful conditions. Most of my nuke friends went straight into work when they got out. Most started at 60k+ and within a few years 80k + with no college degree. A few are upper management now and make well over 100k with a few still no degree. But up to you how you work it. I got the college fund and have used both types of gi bill. I like the post 9/11 much better and you can use it for online schools and still get some money. Not the full amount but some and they pay for the school so a good option if you need flexibility with time after the Navy. Hope that answers some of the questions.
Peter Lee update: reading my old comments and realized how naive and innocent I was.. ended up getting picked up as a staff pickup and reenlisting. I'm not as optimistic as two years ago but I'm just grinding out work, and I may be going to a new construction in Newport news. hope everything is good dude.
dude i massively appreciated this. got a 92 on asvab and considering a job in IT, CTI, or NF. i want to challenge myself so nuke school is enticing but i’m not sure what rate to push for. i’d say i enjoy physical labor so MM sounds up my alley but could you attest to the other rates? also what is kinda apart of daily life on a carrier/sub? am i pulling 24hr shifts often?
Thanks for liking the video, I'll try to answer your questions the best I can. I can only speak for fast attack subs but I would say EM does lots of physical machinery maintenance, then MM, then ET but we all work on equipment and then there are many engineering wide evolutions and testings that require all personal to work on/with various equipment inside the engineroom out of your typical rate experience. You'll get a good deal of experience regardless of what rate you get. I would say the focus is MM = some machinary & pumps EM = various electrical throughout boat and motors/generators ET = electronics.
On duty (shift work) rotation, fast attack subs will usually have it the worst. Smaller crew, so more work. Usually the worst rotation is ET then EM and MM are tied depending on manning. ET is a small division but mandatory to be there daily. I would say typically ET usually is one 24 shift onboard then 2 days not on duty. If it's a weekday, they also work all day. On a duty day, they will do some watchstanding and work. Typically may get a little sleep, then work the next day. It can get grueling because of the lack of sleep and short duty rotation. Usually MM and EM are 1 day duty 3 day not or if they have tons of people 1 day duty and 4 days no duty. On carriers, I hear the rotation is better but I don't have first hand knowledge. But you get used to it and work around it the best you can.
A day at sea on a submarine is not 24 hours long but 18 hours long. I was an RO during a refueling overhaul. At one point during the overhaul, the engine room was to be pressure tested. I was SRO before the test started and was on watch during the test. Only the EWS and I were in the engine room during the test which took 18 hours. As LPO of RCDIV, my station during drills, maneuvering watch, etc. was RO. One night toward the end of my SRO watch, I performed a reactor start up and right away the maneuvering watch was set. We put to sea for battle stations missile all day after which maneuvering watch was set to reenter port. By the end, I had stood a 25-hour watch. Forty years later I can look back with fondness but at the time I seriously regretted my career choice. I'd pay to be able to do it again.
Hello I'm super interested in a career with the nukes. I'm a high school senior and I wasn't the most attentive student in math classes. My question is whether or not I should self study things like physics and chemistry before even taking my asvab or just focus on things like algebra and trig? Thank you in advance
I'm in the same boat and I'd like to have an answer to this question aswell
@@zacharygamero7086 i would like an answer aswell
same situation here
Hey nice video, thanks for it.
I qualify for nuke school (90 on the ASVAB), but I don't think I would enjoy this job EVEN WITH an 11K enlistment bonus that I'm being offered. I hate school aka memorizing pointless things.
Your going to have to go through some sort of A school in the Navy but if Nuke school is not for you that's okay, you should do what you like. 6 years is a long commitment.
What would possess someone to volunteer to work in a nuclear reactor that's on a boat and the boat is underwater? We have some amazing people in this country!
Because it's badass
Money
How would the math and science portions be taught?If its a written test would that mean me having to break down an equation of sorts? My focus in highschool wasn't really towards math and physics. What kind of Math is there(like calc, trig, or algebra). I am just really nervous about the math portion, I am really good at memorization and comprehension.. thank you
Hi Matt, the first two schools you will go to, A school and Power school are classroom settings with someone lecturing and you taking lots of notes. At the time I went through, I had a taken up to trig and college algebra and did not have problems with the math portions.
In the A school portion, they will have a math section that goes through much of what skill sets you will need for the remainder of the schools. I am not sure how strong you are in math but that is something you can study up for before the Navy if you think it is a weakness.
The tests will be written, essay type of questions but if you can memorize well than you will be at an advantage since many times they want specific definitions and concepts written in a particular way. This is the first two schools, the last school Prototype, is mostly oral in nature and you will have to speak about specific things that you self studied to pass. Hope this helps some, if you have other questions feel free to ask.
Thank You!
Good video
You should do a video about ORSE!!! ORSE is treated as Religion out in the fleet.
MMN2 Class 9606 Served on USS CARL VINSON(CVN-70)
ORSE definitely was a huge deal for us too on a fast attack. Not sure about a vid about it though unless it was very general. Too much classified stuff around what happens in an engine room and wouldn't want Naval Reactors knocking on my door 😅 Nice suggesstion though, thanks!
What is a fast attack?
What's an ORSE by the way?
Operational Reactor Safeguards Examination
I think it would be the FBI instead of Naval Reactors ;-);-);-)
What do you do for a living now?
Im looking into the Naval Reactor Engineer position within NUPOC, would I still be considered an officer? Also once I finish training and schooling in the program, the position said I'm non-operational and I wont be at sea. is that true? My guess is that I will be working for the fleet at different bases?
I am not very familiar with the nuke officer program or the pipeline out of it. I just know that for subs, junior officers just finished with officer nuke school. They learn to manage front of the boat and engineering and qualify to be line/command officers. Then after their first tour they do other things like work at Naval Reactors, etc. I remember Naval Reactors being the governing board for nuclear ships/boats for the Navy as well as a testing center for new equipment and technology. I am not sure about your path directly to a non sea command. But you probably would need to go to sea or a sea command to be a line officer and be engineer for a propulsion plant for a carrier or sub.
I have an associates degree, I want to finish my degree while in the Navy, I took the NAPT, and now I’m due to ship out sometime next year. I want to get my degree in physics while in the Navy, how do I go about that? Online courses or can I go to school while in the program?
To be frank, it will be really hard to finish a science degree while you are in the pipeline as a student. And in the fleet as well since most likely you will be out to sea for long periods of time and working. It may be 4-6 years after joining that you will have time for school as a nuke at a shore command.
If you are seriously considering a physics degree, you should start it now and then consider the Navy afterwards. Physics and other science degrees require brick and mortar schools to be worthwhile. The labs from those classes can't really be done online for an accredited science degree and you will need that accreditation if you want to be taken seriously and work in physics.
Ty
thank you for sharing your experience, are you still serving your contract?
questions questions:
how competitive is rate selection?
does everybody want to be et?
how many ppl in your class did you observe to be in over theor heads?
do you plan to stay in for 20 or what are your plans if you don't mind me asking?
okay thank you again, appreciate your time
Jason Pearson Hi Jason, I've been out for some time now. Served 6 yrs and got out. Not everyone wanted to be an ET but many did. It is a competitive rate to get into. My A school class had 14 people and would say most had some college and asvab in the mid 90's. Not always the case since I knew some ET with mid 80 asvabs. We still had a good 40% attrition due to academics and people getting picked up as officers. Currently, Im trying to be a doctor so a change of profession but what I learned as a nuke has helped tremendously. Hope that helps.
Peter Lee Hey Peter, Im supposed to ship April of next year. I have my Associate of Arts degree(I couldn’t decide what to be and that has the most transferable credits), after taking the ASVAB my recruit has pushed me in to Nuke(I’m really excited to go because I’ve been pretty aimless). Despite being excited to be a Nuke, I’ve decided that I want to be an officer, in your opinion how doable is this going in with an Associate of Arts degree? How do I go about making the journey, I’m a hard worker and long night with no sleep, is not a bother to me. I just want to be an officer.
Hey Peter good video. My son is going to GL in a few weeks and then it will be off to GC SC. He is looking at pursuing the EM rate. He has volunteered to be a submariner. Can you talk about being on a sub, what to expect..., what his rate will be like while on a sub. Thank you.
It will be a bit intense going to a sub. If he is going on a boomer, there is a set rotation with crews. On a fast attack, he is going to be qualifying rapidly and standing his junior watchstation pretty quickly, then he will be working on qualifying his position as a electrical operator and a shutdown reactor operator. Also he will be qualifying subs and doing lots of maintenance and evolutions with his division and the rest of Engineering. Usually very busy for the first year and a half on the sub before any real chance to pursue anything like online college etc. Also lots of at sea time. My highest level of sea time was 10 months out in a year. So it can get busy but it depends on operational tempo.
Thank you for that. He is shooting for fast attack. However, first thing first, getting out of propolsion and prototype schools. He will like the quick pace as you have described.
Hey Andrew, don’t mean to bother but may I ask how things turned out for your son? I am leaving for bootcamp soon and was just wondering how things turned out for him. Thanks in advance
How many people don’t make it through the pipeline because of failing exams?
That's hard to quantify. I can only say from my class experience. As an ET, in A school, we didn't lose anyone to academics. We started with 14 but finished with 12. 1 got health discharged and other some kind of family emergency. Power school we had like 35ish people in 2 classes of ET and like 2 failed academically but we lost a bit to other things. About the same in prototype. But ET is not the best one to figure out for academic dismissal. Most ETs in my class had asvabs in the high 90's and some college. One of my friends there was an Ivy league dropout and a few others from big named schools as well. Sorry can't be more help.
That helps a lot and makes me feel better about it. I have a 4 yr degree. I think I will do fine as far as understanding the subjects but may have to put in some time studying large amounts of information.
Should do well with the hands on
@@jonathanmerritt2094 just have to stay on top of it all. Lots of subjects and 8hrs of school a day with a test every few days but it isn't overly complex like upper level science classes. But if you slack and get on hours, that can be the hard part because it is very draining. 75 + hours a week of school and being cooped up in a classroom is difficult. Good luck!
As someone whose goal it is to get to nuke school, I have a slew of questions. If I had to pick just one, though, it would probably be- If I study hard to get the required ASVAB score to be able choose, say, Machinist Mate (Nuclear Option), would that be worth it in terms of competition? I went right into the workforce right after graduating high school instead of going to college, so I can't be a reactor engineer, but the MM (NO) looked to be the enlisted equivalent. I would hate to be wasting my time right now studying for an ASVAB score I don't even need when a different one would suit me better. I chose MM (NO) because it looked like the only one that was what I wanted that wasn't on a submarine. I don't think that I could handle a sub.
Hi Ren, if you want to try for the nuke program, you should go for it. Many people I know came straight out of high school with no college. Unless things have changed, there should not be some degree or college credit requirement for the three rates(specialties) of nukes. You can try for MM, EM, or ET. The ET rate is the one that will qualify you as a Reactor Operator in the Navy. Work on getting a good ASVAB score and there is a nuke test as well which is general engineering in nature and you should have a good chance as long as you have a clean background. There is no guarantee you won't be on a sub since they fill the demands of the Navy at the time of your sea duty assignment but if you don't sign up for subs, good chance you will not get a sub. Hope that helps. If any other qurstions feel free to ask.
Hi Peter Lee,
I found your video very helpful. I am a current student majoring in Nanotechnology, but due to money issues I am considering joining the Nuclear Power Program.
Would you recommend it?
I see you said it was challenging coming from a non-STEM related major, do you think the transition might be easier since I am studying a STEM program??
What are salaries like? Frankly I don't understand what I read online about their salaries.
Thank you so much in advance!!
Moneywise in the Navy you will make what the base rates are for your rank ie after boot camp e-3/e-4 pay. Easy to get to e-5 if you reenlist and the other pays don't kick in until later as well as the bonuses. You wont make a lot in the Navy as enlisted but after you get out there is much better opportunities.
I can tell you that it will be much easier with a college science background. I am completing chem, physics, bio etc to get into medicine and can say that it would have helped. But expect fast paced work and difficult testing since everything is in a written or oral format.
+Peter Lee Thank you Peter Lee. You are very helpful, and the fact that you mentioned you are in school to het into medicine definitely brings my hopes up. my wishes are to return to school, science is my passion.
In Nanotechnology I go ti school from 7am to 5pm usually so I'm aware of the complexity and it's even more exciting!
I have one more important question and it is more of curiosity, what did you like more: submarine or aircraft carrier?
+etienne palos I was on a 688 class fast attack and never went on a carrier so only have second hand knowledge on the surface fleet. Fast attack sub life is hard but have the chance to be proficient in many things and opportunity to learn the most since it is a small crew compared to carrier or boomer.
Weren't you in my 'A' School Class? I believe is was 1004MT. Or maybe it was 1005.
I don't think so, I was in A school in Orlando in 98 like the last few who did A school there.
@@PYLeeoye Okay. That explains it. Honestly, you seem a lot cooler than the Lee I knew in 'A' school. That guy was a jerk.
@@robertpearson6760 ah, sorry to hear that. A school can be stressful and having someone not being nice makes everything harder. Hope you had a good Navy experience after that.
Did you still learn radar systems and theory, even though reactors don't have waveguides?
When I went through as an ET, I did learn and trouble shoot basic radar in A school but never used it in the fleet.
My class, 9836-T in Orlando, was the last class that did Radar. After us it was Generic I&C, in Charleston. We were the last rats off of that sinking ship, and when one of our classes ended, they'd empty out the room and send the gear up to Charleston. The radar stuff was cool. The instructors would keep the set with the antenna the highest up tuned the best. You could easily see the buildings downtown a few miles away, and even the space shuttle launch pads at Cape Canaveral 40-50 miles away, but you could also watch traffic coming and going at the stop light just off base. It was kind of cool.
Hi, Peter!
I hope this comment finds you doing well. Quick question. For this contract, are we able to spend most years on reserve after all the appropriate schooling?
Chavez For the Navy Nuclear program, its a minimum of 6 years active duty, 2 years of school + 4 years in the fleet. There is no reserve program for the nuclear rates. Hope that helps.
Draw a bubble in the pressurizer.
+7700Purplexity Its been years... for some reason "marmkes" still is in my brain haha
I got a 74 on my asvab and I got 254 on my NUC(VE+AR+MK+MC) score which makes me eligible for the nuke program without taking the NAPT but my recruiter wants me to retake the asvab. So that I can get a EL(AR+MK+EI+GS) of 252 also because it was too low. If i got high enough scores on both of these what are my chances of getting into the program because I am going to be a senior in high school next year and my grades have not been good for my previous years.
RustCakes You should try to take the asvab again if you can. Mid 80's would be good. Its hard to tell you your chances to get into the nuke program because it changes depending on the needs of the Navy. But the better the ASVAB score the better your chances. Also if your grades are not that great, you can get waivers for that just try your best this year. Good luck on your nuke journey.
@@PYLeeoye Its funny looking at this comment a year ago because i retook the asvab and got a 90 and I am now in EM A school and I have 1 month left.
@@RustCakes Congratulations! Glad your doing well in A school. Enjoy your time in SC and good luck in Power school and prototype.
Can anyone tell me about NUPOC? I am thinking about applying. I am a junior chemistry major at a well known university in the southeast. I have a 4.0 GPA and a 29 on the ACT (both of which they look at apparently).
A high school student here planning on attending Nuke School in the future, mathematics has never been my strong suit, but I've always had an interest in nuclear power and chemistry. What level of math should I preferably attain before attempting Nuclear Power School after college and OCS? I know majoring in an engineering capacity would help, but what is the Navy really looking for at Nuke School? Leaders? Good learners?
Ethan Brendmoen I am not sure what math will be for the officer side of nuke school. I remember seeing the officers going through nuke school but they had a different curriculum than us enlisted people. For enlisted, college algebra and trig were good enough.
From my experience out of the Navy, I would think at least calc 2 since that's what I needed to get my degree but it may need more. I would talk to an officer recruiter for more details though.
Interesting that they had separate curriculum. Thank you for all your replies Peter, they are better than anything on reddit. lol. Seriously though, can you talk about the MM route? Is it the shorter one in terms of time? Do you recall seeing anyone in their thirties during your program?
Daniel Bedoy It is the shorter route but not by much, it's only three months shorter. There are plenty of people here in their thirties, but way more in their early twenties.
Daniel Bedoy I'm here in Goose Creek rn and I'm almost done with NPS. I'm an MM and it is about 3 months shorter in terms of your time here at NNPTC. The oldest person I've seen in the enlisted pipeline was 27 but I've heard of people being a little older.
Cool. I got a 96 on the ASVAB back in 2002. And the only reason I didn't score better than that is because I didn't know what a cam was. No mechanical knowledge. I was in the Army back then. Didn't quite make it through combat medic school though. They also have "firehose" learning. Like drinking from a firehose. "Here, learn this as fast as you can" "Here, learn how to bring someone back to life, and keep him / her alive". I just like learning about Nuke School, because I did take AP Physics in high school. Good luck to all of you!
how was the security clearance process? my father still has a Chinese green card
I didn't have any issues with clearance but I knew some people in A school/ power school that were on holds waiting for their clearance, not sure what happened to them though. Sorry, can't help much on this question.
My mother has an English green card and I got my clearance before I went to boot camp
As a high school student who is considering, do I just take the ASVAB and if I do well on it I qualify? Also, I took a practice ASVAB, and I did well in the math portion but struggled a little on the english, and I didn't know anything on mechanics... Will that hinder me? Or if I do well in math enough I'll qualify. Or is it I have to get a higher general score v higher math score.
Thanks
It will depend on the Navy's need at the time you apply but if you can score 75 + on the ASVAB you have a chance, if your in the upper 80's, they will push hard for nuke. Then they want to see decent grades, pass background check, drug test etc. There is also a nuke test to take as well. As a nuke your going to have to get security clearance so clean record is a must.
Nuke school is a ton of writing, there is no multiple choice, it is all written or oral. You can still practice your writing skills in high school if that is a weakness for ya. I will say having a strong reading and writing skill is a big asset in the nuke world. You will have to read and understand technical manuals and schematics in the fleet and at prototype, so working on those skills will help you very much.
did you take your asvab out of high school? I was thinking of doing community college because my grades are not the best. I was then going to transfer to a UC then try to apply as an officer. Do you recommend that or trying out of HS?
+Joseph Cacuyog I took the ASVAB out of high school. Career wise, I think is a personal decision. Community college is a good way to test the waters and if the Navy is where you want a career, officer is better pay/benefits than enlisted. Also there is nuke officer training as well if you want to go that route.
I graduated with Mechanical Engineering degree. is this program right for me?
Rudy Bravo If you have a degree, may want to talk to an officer recruiter. I am not as familiar with the officer path. Although enlisted side would give you experience in a plant, you probably can find other options outside the Navy. Nuclear program is a 6 yr commitment, so that is something to think about.
Hey man how was the culture in the navy? Especially being an Asian American how was it in there? I recently finished college with a chemical engineering degree. Wondering about enlisting or officer. Thanks a lot for your story it was really helpful
Will Yu Its been awhile since I was in but it was a bit harder as an Asian. There were hardly any Asians in the Nuke program and on the sub, there were like 2-3 total for the entire crew. I worked hard and got many personal awards but could never get a school or the good benefits. Saw that a ton with all the minorities. Was very hard to get things like that. Not sure how it is now but it definitely was harder for an Asian 10+ yrs ago.
@@PYLeeoye that's awesome, great accomplishment man. have you progressed into civilian nuclear energy field of work after your service?
Will Yu if you have your degree, would go the officer route. Many more options available for you and better pay. I am done with the Nuke side and working on becoming a medical doctor.
@@PYLeeoye nice, were you required to have a security clearance. How much physics did they require? I just graduated with an engineering degree dont know what I want to do. And I've always thought about serving in the Navy even in highschool.
Just like you, history and English were my best subjects. But I qualified for the Nuke program, made it through by the hair of my teeth, did my six years and got out. Did not like it. But I am grateful for the discipline nuke training instilled in me, which has made every other challenge in life seem easy in comparison.
Hey PY. What about a followup vid regarding the life of a Nuke on a sub and tell us your Rate too. Thanks Cheers!
Thanks for watching. I was a nuke ET. I'll make a few more vids for nuke life and sub life. Hopefully, next few weeks.
Our son is being recruited by the Navy for the Nuke Program. Does it make sense to go in as an officer or go enlisted? What is your advise. He is in college now and the Navy would like him to start boot camp in the Spring. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.
Michael Koenig If your son is doing well in college and likes what he is doing, should finish college, the nuke opportunity will still be there.
On the question of enlisted vs officer, there are major differences. Enlisted will be hands on; working on the power plant, learning the technical skills associated with nuclear power, and working in an industrial environment. Depending on what he specializes on, he can possibily be a reactor operator and run a nuclear reactor. But the downside is that it will be many hours of stressful work.
An officer will be more of a manager and really won't be working on equipment and getting their hands dirty with the equipment from my experience on the sub. He will have better living conditions and get a chance to try different jobs in the Navy both on the nuclear side and the warfare side. Also advancement and pay can be much better as an officer.
Ultimately, its going to be up to you all, don't let the recruiter push something because the nuclear program is not easy and for many is not a good fit. Also there will be a large time commitment involved with not very many days off but the upside is that when your done there are many opportunities out there for former nukes.
Is it possible for a nuke to be as fit as a Navy SEAL?
Usually, there are gyms and such on base. Nukes on the sub can be Navy divers and they have to be very fit. We had at least 2 qualified as such all the time.
So i just graduated college with a math minor ( highest maths i have are calc 3 and linear algebra) Im going in to the nuke program around march or so. Im wondering of how much of a hard time i would have class wise. I dont plan on having much of a life lol
Math will help you a bit with Nuke school since there are math sections in A school(mostly college level algebra) and many equations used in the physics/chemistry side of Nuke school. Also calc 1 will help ya a bit with understanding the radioactive decay graphs but most of the enlisted side nuke stuff is more about concepts and memorizing them until you can understand how it all fits together. If your a good memorizer or really good at grasping many scientific concepts, then nuke school won't be bad. It is much more engineering science heavy than math heavy if that makes sense.
@@PYLeeoye Do you have to learn about the dynamics of nuclear reactor cores? How they get started up, slowed down, and how things like temperature, pressure, and density affects the nuclear reactions? Do you have to know how to solve the Navier-Stokes equations?
@@cryora you will learn many things about how a reactor works. Most is semi specific and much of it is classified so I can only talk about it in general. Power school which lasts 6 months 40 hrs a week is all about nuclear power. The equation you were asking about is a bit to complex for enlisted power school. They don't do much with calculus related equations and the Navier-Stokes equation would be more for those engineering a reactor not so much for those working on/with a reactor. I am not sure for officer nuke school, they did more theory and higher level calculus physics.
@@cryora nobody on this planet can solve the Navier-Skokes equation buddy. There has been multiple multi-million rewards out there for those that could solve it, but so far nobody has claim it yet. This is almost like saying "can we reach absolute 0"
@@iRul3TheSky1995 They use computers and numerical methods to find numerical solutions to it right? That's how they make those simulations and stuff.
How is it going from E to O as a Nuke
Anthunie Gonzales I personally didn't try for officer programs but there seemed to be lots of opportunity. I remember a few that put in during A school, Power school time that got accepted as an officer candidate and a few on the submarine for officer programs. I really don't know the specific programs though so may have to talk to a career counselor or an officer recruiter for that.
Peter, I know you can't explain what the reactor/ engine room looks like, but could you qualitatively describe the engine room as a work environment. Roomy? lol. Hectic? Did you lose your mind working in such a work space? Thanks
Engine room on a destroyer or cruiser is somewhat cramped, but you have to ask the submariners about tight quarters. It's hot and noisy. Drink liquids and wear ear protection.
TW0T0NGUE I worked in a 688 class fast attack sub so room was at a premium. It can get hot back there, especially during drills and walkways are sized for a single individual. Head room was okay unless your 6' 3" +. But yeah, if you want to chill in the engineroom, your sitting on the ground or a toolbox. I hear the boomers and carriers had much more room though.
@@PYLeeoye On the OHIO class SSBNs we had a 2 lane bowling alley in the missile compartment lower level.
Hey, I just passed MM A-School with a 3.40 avg. Any advice for power school would be much appreciated??
Congrats on A school, that's a good gpa. They are gonna go through many subjects in Power school, some cross-rate and some that are new. So if you run into problems, don't be afraid to ask and also check out sources like khan academy cause they cover a variety of subjects and explain things well. Other than that stay focused and keep up the good work.
Thanks! Appreciate it! I really am doing my best. Was it fairly easy for you to find a civilian job? What would you recommend I do while in the Navy? I plan on getting my bachelor's degree, hopefully even master's while in the Navy. But that won't be for a couple more years. Any other advice would be great. Thank you.
Hafa Adai lots of opportunity when you get out. Can always do civilian nuke plants but most people I know that went to energy, went alternative energy like natural gas or solar boiling water plants and they make good money. I can only vouch for sub nukes tho. Can also go outside of doing energy, thats where most of the people I know went. Many in tech field since the experience translates well. A close friend became a CPA so a world of opportunities.
Im graduating from college in November and will be applying to med school next year so figure out if you like being a nuke in the next few years and see from there. Also, network with your nuke and Navy friends, many that I know got jobs from former nukes.
When you get to your boat or ship see if you can take classes. It may be tough though depending on how much you go out to sea. Also, learn all you can at a sea duty, that experience is worth it when you get out.
+Hafa Adai Howd it go? haha
Not bad so far. Definitely the most i have ever been challenged. I am currently a month away from graduating Power School!
👍👏👏👏
So currently i’m a high school student and i’ve already sworn in as a GSE(Gas turbine electrician).My ship date is after high school which is july 15th,2020....
However, i actually qualified myself to be a nuke. My recruiter told me all the good things about it that day and i said that i’ll consider changing my rate to be nuke(mainly because of money).
Nowww, if i were to go to nuke school,my fear is being the dumbest one there. I got an 86 on the asvab which barely qualified me to take the NAPT test. I just took the test today and failed it. Somehow, the guys at the office wants me to retake it after a month or two...
I’m just not sure what to do anymore...
The world can open up for you if you are successful and finish your time as a nuke. But the program is not easy. If you want a challenge and have the discipline to study hard and go through many stressful events, I would suggest it since it seems you are going into the Navy anyway. Might as well make the most of it if you are putting in the time.
Don't worry so much about the ASVAB score. There are plenty of successful nukes with scores in the upper 70s. If you can work hard and study hard that is much more important than what a standardized test says. You can also prepare yourself for the nuke program by studying up on your math, physics, and chemistry. Learn up on basic electronic, electric, and mechanical principles and you will make your life easier in nuke school. Much of this can be found in a college algebra textbook, college general physics, and college chemistry book that you can self study for.
One of the most successful nukes I know had an ASVAB of 88, joined right out of high school, and had an A school, power school GPA of 3.0. He did great as a nuke. He now is a lower level executive in a multi-billion dollar energy tech company just 12 years out from finishing up his time as a nuke. The nuclear program opened up a ton of doors for him and his company hires nukes all the time making great money. Hope this helps. The decision is yours though, you know yourself the best. Good luck to you.
Bless Gillette For me it was, because there were parts of the test where i had no way of knowing the answer (like things i never even learned in school, yet).
I would suggest doing some research and studying, it shouldn’t be that hard.
Bless Gillette
So i took the test before my senior year started and back then the highest math i got to was Math 3.
I forgot exactly what i got but i remember being 4 points lower than the passing score.
Then second time i took it (which was after completing the 1st semester of my senior year), i already had some Pre-calculus and some basic physics knowledge, and after doing some research and studying the night before, i was able to get 67/80
@@Jon-zy8zd what’s happened since I had the same plan of going gse and barely scraped through into nuke but I don’t know if I should bail or not
@@rileyberget6704 Im about to graduate prototype in two weeks and moving to japan, so i think it worked in my favor lol. If you are going to go through with being a nuke, keep in mind that the school is a lot longer and more rigorous but if you really want to be here then you’ll get through it easily.
how often do you get to go home while being a nuke?
It will depend on a few things. Mostly, if your allowed to take "leave" aka vacation days, it will be between your nuke schools. There may be time between your nuke A school and nuke power school. Then between power school and protoype. Basically every 6-7 months there will be opportunity to visit home. But you have to have the vacation days available and the scheduling has to work out. In the fleet, it will totally depend on the ship/boats operational tempo.
so I wouldn't get to go home to see my wife or child?
If you are married, they have family housing so they could move with you and live together while you are in school. I am not as familiar with all that but I remember students with families while I went to nuke school. I would ask the recruiter for more details about that.
Also I may have misunderstood your question. If you are talking about free time and schedules, your first two years your schedule will be reliable and set. School 5 days a week with study hours. So you will have time for your family. Your last school, prototype will be on a shift work schedule but you will know when you are working ahead of time.
Sorry, I meant after all the schooling and I do my duty. would I go home at the end of the day or would I be on a ship or in a sub working for weeks?
This is my experience, I was on a fast attack which has a very high at sea tempo and was an RO so had to stay on the boat a ton. My in port rotation was 24 hrs on the boat then two days not having watchstanding duty. If it was my non duty days during the workweek than show up in the morning, work, than go home in the afternoon.
Basically, stay on the boat and don't go home once every three days. If it is the work week than do a full days work. So not much time at home but RO aka nuke ET there isnt many of us so the rotation is harsh. If you were a nuke MM than you could be on a one day of duty than four days of non duty. From what I hear, the rotation for carrier and ballistic sub is not as harsh.
Also for out at sea, it can be very demanding depending on the needs of the navy. I had one year we were gone 9 out of the 12 months out at sea and other years like 4 out of 12 months.
Question about Nuke School; I want to be a Navy Reactors Engineer, how hard is that based on stories you have heard perhaps? I am a college junior & I appreciate your youtube video on Nuke school. Awesome stuff
There are 2 paths in the Navy Nuclear Program, enlisted and commissioned officer.
Enlisted side, you can become up to a reactor operator. On the officer side, you manage the enlisted sailors and can be the Engineer of the reactor plant.
Not sure which path you are referring to atm. Both sides require a bit of scientific capability and lots of hard work. Also a commitment of time. In the case of an Engineer, that can take a decade or so if you are able to reach that status.
I only know a limited amount on exactly what an officer has to go through to be qualified to work in a nuclear plant but if you have questions on the enlisted side, I can help out.
There are 2 paths in the Navy Nuclear Program, enlisted and commissioned officer.
Enlisted side, you can become up to a reactor operator. On the officer side, you manage the enlisted sailors and can be the Engineer of the reactor plant.
Not sure which path you are referring to atm. Both sides require a bit of scientific capability and lots of hard work. Also a commitment of time. In the case of an Engineer, that can take a decade or so if you are able to reach that status.
I only know a limited amount on exactly what an officer has to go through to be qualified to work in a nuclear plant but if you have questions on the enlisted side, I can help out.
7904
hi sir: How can I help my country build a nuclear power plant for electricity? Thanks.
I'm currently lined up to enter the Nuclear Program, but I'm nervous about the entry exam. I took Chem,Chem II, Physics, and Pre-Calc. Am I suited well for it?
Nicole Shepard From what I remember of the ENLISTED entry examine, it was geared toward basic engineering and math. So may want to review simple circuitry, how basic machines work, etc. If you have a strong base of physics, it will help you. Don't stress too much, if they have you with a good asvab and want to push you nuke, you should get in. I think the nuke test at meps helped a bit towards what rate you would get. If you are talking officer nuke program though, I have no idea. I took the test with very little prep and none of the classes you took and I did okay.
Peter Lee,
Thank you for your advice. I'm slated to take the test the 22nd and I am kinda nervous. I hope I do well because this is all I want. I just hope I do well. P.S. I have to memorize all the formulas correct?
1
Did you still learn radar systems and theory, even though reactors don't have waveguides?
As part of nuke ET A school we learned and worked on a radar system but I was in the last few ET classes in Orlando. I dont think they had a radar in Goosecreek and they had much more microprocessor classes there instead. But basically, we used it more for troubleshooting an electronic equipment rather than learning the use of the radar. Hope that answers your question.