Life after school...

[Emily-aaronsgirl11]

So what is life like for our Nukes once they finish school.. My sailor is only in A school, but I'm trying to plan my future as far as colleges go, and maybe coordinate it with his. I've heard that Protoype is crazy, but what kind of shifts do they work when they get to their first command?

Any advice as far as college goes is welcome, too! :)

[Casey~ Ryan's Wife, Nuke ELT MM2]

Hey girlie :)

Well your timing on this question is perfect, haha. When prototypes are running perfectly and all the schools are moving according to plan, the whole schooling (aka, "Nuke pipeline") takes about 18 months. Usually when the guys finish prototype, they get assigned to a carrier or sub and you move according to where his orders station him. There is another option for Sailors who are interested in staying in Charleston or Ballston Spa (wherever he gets stationed for Prototype) called "Staff Pickup" (SPU). If they do well enough in Prototype, they can apply to teach there. In the case they're picked up, they'll be stationed for 18 additional months in Charleston/Ballston Spa.

Ryan just finished Power School March 19th, so he hasn't even started Prototype, so I can't say much about what it's like at the first command, but I will say that there is a huge hold right now for guys classing up for Prototype, at least in Charleston. I think the NY ones are working fine now, so if y'all get stationed there, it'll PROBABLY just take the normal 6 months for him to finish Prototype. However if he winds up getting assigned to Charleston's prototype (which is probably what you'd want if you're trying to do schooling and avoiding transferring a lot) there is an indefinite hold, at least right now, because both the prototypes are being worked on. Some of our friends have no clue when they're starting Prototype. Ryan's supposed to start at the end of July but nothing's definite in the navy :) I've heard some guys be told they're gonna be on "hold" for 18 months even before they can start Prototype.

So you can see where this plays a huge role in spouses who are trying to go to school! For instance, I'm hoping to start grad school at MUSC next May. My program lasts for 27 months. Ryan's going for Staff Pickup and if he gets it, he'll finish his duty around the time I finish my grad school, maybe a little earlier though (in which case he might have to move while I still have a couple months that I'd just stay here for). However if he's put on hold for a longer period of time, then I'll definitely get to finish with him still here in Charleston. If he doesn't get Staff Pickup, then we'll move and I'll just apply to grad school wherever we get stationed.

You'll definitely learn to roll with the punches when it comes to schooling and career. There ARE resources for us - I made a discussion a couple weeks back with some links to resources specifically dealing with military spouses who are trying to fund schooling or find employment. Some of the other girls chimed in with info they've picked up over time. Might want to check it out :)

I'm crossing my fingers for you - no matter what, keep your chin up and keep following those dreams! :) Let us know if you have any more specific questions too.

[Emily-aaronsgirl11]

I'm hoping for Charleston. Okay, praying for Charleston! I've found a few schools in that area, but haven't had much luck with New York :(

An 18 month hold!? Holy cow!!! Between that and Staff Pickup I could definitely spend some time in SC with him. I'm just not going to count on it. I was thinking maybe to stick around Ohio while he's in prototype. I'll be taking some college courses at a branch campus during my senior year, so maybe I can continue that for my freshman year of college. I'm hoping by that point he would get orders, and I could move with him to his first command. But if he's going to be working crazy shifts while he's at his first command, then it might be more logical for me to stay here. That is, unless he would get his first choice which is 5 minutes from my brother's base. I just don't want to be moving across the country at 18 and end up all by myself. :S

I'm sooo used to having a set plan, and I'm trying to learn how to deal with not having a specific plan and location. Not an easy thing to do!!

[Ashia]

I wouldn't suggest staying away during prototype. My husband starts week 8 of prototype next week, and that means shift work. They may be gone 12 hours day, but they come home to you everynight. No one knows what kind of schedule you'll be on when you get to the first command, because it depends on which boat and crew. But I know hand fulls of girls who always tell me to enjoy prototype, because they saw more of their husbands then than they do now. I don't know what kind of hours your hubs is on, but I see more of him now, in Prototype, than I did in A-school or Power school.

I was in school here for a while, but had to take a break because I had a baby. I tried one semester when he was first born, and it was just too much to deal with. But school will always be there. If you get to a stopping point, take it. Enjoy whatever time you get with your sailor, because it's not always guarenteed. At least at NNPTC/NNPTU you have a general idea of a schedule for time off, and can spend time together and take trips together. My husband and I are going all over the place while he's still in prototype because for all we know, in October, when he reports, he could go straight out, and not even be home for the holidays or our son's first birthday.

In regards to the hold situation, not to try to undermine Casey in anyway (I love you girl!) But NNPTC and NNPTU don't really talk. Until they are actually stationed at Prototype, anything said/heard is just rumor or speculation. It's lame, I know. But it's kind of like all the bs that recruiters tell you, they aren't there, they don't really know. Alot of the guys in Prototype aren't really sure either. But so far, Tanner's been told that they will grad on time. And if they do, then there won't be any extravagant hold times (I'm defining extravangant as over a year). They originally told Tanner's class it would be about an 8 month old, but once he got orders to NNPTU, discovered that it was barely 4 months for him, and only got the double hold because he paternity leave fell during the first class up. But right now Tanner has been given a date for when the boat will be repaired. The possible 18 month hold time would only occur if they needed to dry dock both boats at the same time. There is one already in VA, and will be back sometime around September. The one here will be fixed around middle of July, and in the meantime, they aren't halting anything here. It's just going to be extremely difficult to become qualified because they won't be able to stand watches until the boat is fixed.

Oh, and aaronsgirl- I know how ridiculous it can be to just pick up and move to a strange place and not know a single person. I didn't even think about networking online with out navy girlfriends/fiancess/wives. It took me 6 months to make friends here. But in the military it just becomes a part of life.

[Casey~ Ryan's Wife, Nuke ELT MM2]

Not at all! :) You didn't undermine anything I said and I love having someone chime in who is experiencing Prototype (you're the only "Prototyper" who's really chiming in). I was just telling her the experience WE are having, in this indefinite hold before Prototype starts, and how that affects spouses who are trying to do schooling. So you've only helped things by shedding light on your experiences :)

I agree to not stay away during Prototype. Things are going to be crazy for him and you'll want to be there for each other, just like how Ashia mentioned: "They may be gone 12 hours a day, but they come home to you every night". There's plennnty of things to do around here to keep you occupied while he's gone, including taking online classes here in Charleston from one of the tech/community colleges, or taking some in class ones even depending on when your man starts his specific schools. You'll only be alone if you choose to be - there's women all over base who hang out and I've made such a close group of friends here. You just have to make it happen for yourself, you know? Ryan has told me countless times how much he loves coming home for lunch and after work, because he gets a homecooked meal and is with people he really loves and not just Sailors all the time. Kind of gets a mental break.

The only time we (wives) ever talk about going home is for when our husbands are deployed, especially if we have kids and no family support system in the city you're located, and you don't have a job or anything holding you to the city. Otherwise, you'll probably want to be together!

[Emily-aaronsgirl11]

Thanks ladies! There's just so much to think about and so many things to consider. Both my education and my sailor are really important to me, and I want to make the best decision for both things. Plus, I'm not so sure how my parents are going to take the whole me wanting to get married really young thing. Ahhh. I just don't know what to do!

[Casey~ Ryan's Wife, Nuke ELT MM2]

Well hey, the beauty of it is, you have time. There's no rush or deadline for marriage! Just give yourself the gift of time to be able to think over your school plans and his schedule so you can both figure out what's right for you both :) We're here for ya!

[Kathy]

Hi! I've probably written to you before on fb..but this topic gets addressed so many times! I recommend looking into schools and talking to advisors BEFORE you get here. it really helps..there's a lot involved with transferring and it takes more than a few weeks.

Once you get here, visit the navy college office on base. I just did a final paper a few weeks ago and interviewed the lady in charge. They have a LOT of programs/advice..there's even schools on base that spouses can go to that are military friendly (SOCNAV) this means, wherever you go, your transfers are guaranteed to transfer as long as the school is in the SOCNAV network. If you want a more traditional school, the college of charleston (where I went!), Trident Technical College, and Charleston Southern University are the closest. Keep in mind, CofC and CSU cost more :)

Also, if you have any current scholarships at your school, find out if they will transfer to a school here. Luckily, one of mine did and I was able to use the FAFSA and MYCAA to pay for the rest. The navy college office also provides help on finding financial aid.

When you get here, I'd recommend taking as many classes as you can. When I transferred, I lost 23 credits and went from a junior to a soph. I did NOT want to transfer again, so I made sure I finished on time..so I crammed 72 credits into a year and a half. If you are close to being done or want to make things easier, just go for it. by then time your sailor is done here, you won't know where you're going next or when you're moving (til last minute)..and that just adds more time onto getting your degree :( Good luck :)