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Comment by LLovesmysailor on July 22, 2009 at 10:21pm

Mark , Thanks for the explainations. The Nukes are the second fastest advancement rates in the Navy. How do I know this? My oldest is in the fastest track in the Navy.He's a CTN. He left BC in May 2007 as an E3. Graduated A school as an E4. He made E5 on the first aniversary of his enlistment. This puts him in line to make Chief in 5+ years. He takes great joy in pointing that out to his brother who made Petty Officer 2nd this summer. Ah, the joys of sibling rivalry. LOL

Comment by Mark on July 22, 2009 at 9:38pm

I'll let someone else take the bonus question; I know that one has changed since my time. The advancement to E-4 is the last automatic advancement the nukes get. The remaining ones have to be earned by competing on their advancement exams against all of the other MMs, EMs, and ETs (respectively) Navy-wide, and having decent performance evaluations. The most motivated sailors will make E-5 about the time they finish prototype - they're usually first eligible to take the advancement test around halfway through prototype. The earliest advancements to E-6 are around four years into enlistment, and the earliest to make Chief (E-7) do it at around seven years.

Comment by Mark on July 22, 2009 at 8:41pm

Actually FN does have more to do with fires, and has nothing to do with missiles. The Navy has three E-3 ratings, Seaman (SN), Fireman (FN), and Airman (AN). An is for an E-3 who is designated for any of the aviation ratings. FN is for E-3s who are going into engineering ratings. Engineering ratings are all the jobs associated with keeping the ship running, whether its propulsion, electrical power, damage control, refrigeration and air conditioning systems, catapults etc... The "fire" part is a legacy from when most ships were powered by coal, or oil fired boilers - hence "fireman". In the nuke world everyone enlists as an E-3, they just still call everyone "Seaman Recruit" there, because everybody is more or less equal in boor camp. Note that the nukes are receiving E-3 pay regardless, though. Nukes don't make E-4 until they graduate from A-school so the EMs (electricians) and MMs (mechanics) are firemen, and the ETs are seamen. Nuke ETs are the only ETs in the Navy who are part of engineering in their shipboard jobs, so they just make them seamen like all the other ETs in the Navy, who usually work on electronics gear associated with weapons and navigation, and aren't considered to be part of engineering, but instead are in departments like Weapons, or Operations and the like, but not Engineering.

Comment by LLovesmysailor on July 22, 2009 at 2:49pm

Lynda, are you sure he didn't mean SN. At basic they are all Seaman Recruits or Seaman Aprentise. When Nukes graduate they become Petty Officers. Their rates are then either ET, MM or EMs. FN is not a nuke rate.
Angela, Send as many letters as you can. I use to go to the store and buy encouragement cards and send those on the days I didn't write a letter. They get mail call everyday at BC.

Comment by Pat L. in IL on July 21, 2009 at 11:32pm

FYI, Our son flew out of Ohare to Charleston. I think they send them out from whatever airline they can book seats on. And we did meet him at the airport to give him cell, Ipod, etc.

Comment by LLovesmysailor on July 21, 2009 at 3:56pm

Why do people keep telling us its like they're in College? When was the last time a college student missed Thanksgiving or Christmas? When was the last time a College student had small arms training or was responsible for the safe operation of a nuclear reactor? But most of all when was the last time a mother of a college student didn't get to hear from them for 4 months or see them for a year. Nope, its not at all like they are in college. They are defending their country. Sorry if I sound pissy (can I use that word here?) but I've always felt that that comparison de-values what our kids are doing.

Comment by BunkerQB on July 21, 2009 at 12:09pm

RE: PAMPERING YOURSELF
Think bigger, ladies.
1. Hair cut w extra moisturizer after wash (option hair highlights) 2. Facial 3. Eye brow coloring 4. Eye brow shaping (waxing) 5. Facial wax 6. Mani 7. Pedi. When done, go shopping. Since I am not making any money, I told our two boys that as of this month, we were spending their inheritance. Our sailor said "Go ahead. Spend away. I'll be fine." Our younger son thought we should spend his older brother's half first.
Bea

Comment by Lorraine on July 20, 2009 at 7:47pm

Lori, We got the call today, too. Scott completed A School and passed! Woo hoo! How quickly that seemed to go. We won't be going down this time so if you go, would you find my tall sailor in glasses and get a picture for me? Have fun with your sailor this weekend. Scott won't be home until the end of August.

Comment by Pat L. in IL on July 20, 2009 at 7:38pm

Lori, Congratulations on your new Petty Officer. Wishing you safe travel and a sweet reunion.

Welcome ArkansasMom and Darrick's Mom!! Glad to have you here.

Comment by June - Jon's Mom on July 20, 2009 at 2:56pm

Hi Kim. My son was in Groton but was transferred to Norfolk in April. He liked Groton much better than he likes Norfolk, but he is getting more aquainted with it now.

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