How long to move off base after Power School if staying in GC?

[hk1853]

Hi!

I know a few people answered, but thought I would start a discussion so that it will hopefully get more traffic.  My bf graduates power school March 8 and just wondering when he would be able to move off base if he is staying in Goose Creek.

[glo2012]

My son graduated from Power School in early March, and was on grad hold for about 2 months.  In early May, they told him he was being assigned to GC, he would need to move to an apt. in a week or two...not much notice!  He is now on prefill, assigned to NPTU at GC.  Some others in his class were assigned to Prototype right away after graduation, and there wasn't really any distinction (like best grades, or other qualifications) on who they selected to go first.  For him, he was able to move off base once he was assigned to NPTU.  There is another discussion group about finding a place to live in GC...after reading the entire posts and sending recommendations to my son, he selected the Atlantic Palms Apartments with 2 of his classmates, and is happy there. 

[Chris 2 Sailors Mom]

I'd like to know as well. My son graduates from Power School at the end of August, and he said there is a wait for Prototype School, so he could be in GC for at least 6 months. That means he'll be there when his brother arrives after Christmas.

 

[NF Mom]

There is one distinction on who goes first.  Re-enlistment trends by job type.  When my son graduated Power School about 16 months ago they needed ETs in the fleet and MMs not so much, so MM's generally stayed in Grad Hold in the barracks longer,  either at Goose Creek or shipped off to the Sub Base in Georgia for their grad hold ( if it were going to be over six months).

My understanding is they went to Georgia if their Grad hold was going to be six months or longer.

ETs were in grad hold zero, two or four months back when my Son finished power school ( March or April 2012 time frame ).   In my son's case it was two months in Grad Hold and another month or two in Pre-Fill at Goose Creek.

Pre-Fill being transferred to the Prototype Command, reporting for work at the Prototype command each day, living outside the barracks either in Base Married Housing or off the base in an apartment or house.  Pre-Fill included make work assignments for some number of weeks or months until they classed up for prototype.

So no one really knows when they are moving out of the barracks until a week or two before they must be out of the Barracks, or in the case of those single guys going to Georgia, they know it is going to be at least six months.

Prototype classes are scheduled to start on a regular basis, so it would seem one could estimate off of that, but if they need the Barracks rooms for incoming sailors from Boot Camp, they move some grad hold students ( who are going to prototype at Goose Creek eventually )  to prefill earlier than otherwise needed, so it is really very difficult to estimate.

[glo2012]

I asked my son the latest on this topic.  He says that ET's typically have 2 months after graduation before they start prototype.  He has heard that EM's usually wait for 4 months in grad hold before they are assigned.  After you are assigned to Goose Creek or Balston Spa, you might be in Prefill for a while, also.  My son is an ET currently at Goose Creek, Prefill.  He thinks there are 3 prototype classes in Goose Creek at the moment, with working units.

[NF Mom]

My understanding is there are typically three prototype classes working on each MTS at Goose Creek at a time.  The Junior class having a projected graduation date 2 months after the Senior class, and the third class having a projected graduation date 4 months after the Senior class.

The senior class having priority for scheduling quals on that boat.

So three classes would be the same as it was in March with just one MTS ( of the two expected ) up and running.

This may explain why some moms are reporting Nuke departures for boot camp being delayed by three or four months.

New York uses a land based reactor, rather than an MTS, for training ...  at least that is what I have read.

[glo2012]

My son is starting prototype school on Monday.  To summarize what happened:  Graduated from Power School on March 8, 2013 and put on grad hold.  2 months later in nearly May, he was given 1 week to move off base and was assigned to NPTU at Goose Creek, prefill.  There was about 1 week of "official" notice that he was starting Prototype on July 15th.  So, total time from graduating Power School to starting Prototype was just over 4 months.  He is an ET.