Our son wanted memories of home. We got a friend to fly me over our property so i could take aerial photos of our house/yard/creek. Then we had a blown up photo metal print made of it for him to hang in his room wherever he goes. He loved it.
Also gave him a shadowbox with one of his G'pa's Navy sailor hats and a US flag that we had flown over the USS Constitution on his commissioning day.
He had no interest in a sword or box for his dresser or other "Navy" stuff -- he wanted stuff to remind him of home & family.
Our son is heading to OCS shortly. I have no idea what to expect, what to do and when. Would love to hear helpful advice, things to do/not do, items for him to pack etc. thank you! We're proud and thrilled and a bit emotional too!
Take a deep breath! All will be okay..... in regards to the thing you have give your son they are wonderful but her won't be able to have them until after graduation. All will fall into place. Tell him to be in shape. He will be Marine trained. Make sure you know what your sons gym shoes look like so when the pictures from OCS start posting you can pick him out. Sounds odd but they all kinda look alike. My daughter looked so much like another candidate. The only way her parents and us could tell was by the pe shoes. My daughter was class 02-15 hotel. That being the second class in the fiscal year of 2015. Best of luck Mama. Congrats to your son!
Your son should get a list from his recruiter as to what to pack. My daughter took two pairs of workout shoes that she liked and knew they fit well. She wore her first pair out!! Also, if you aren't already, join Facebook and look for the group Naval Training Command Newport, and also the friends and family page for your son's class. You will see other groups with the name US Navy OCS class xx-xx Friends and Family, once your son gets there he will call you with his class number. Also join the classes three and six weeks ahead of him so you know what will be coming up next for his class. Best of luck to your son!!!
Thanks for all the helpful advice. I'm looking forward to the connections as we navigate this journey. Quick question: when do we first hear from them? I've heard that they can call home to let us know mailing address etc? And we have many family members who want to write to him. I've heard plain envelopes and include nothing but the letter. Is this right?
CTNavyMom: That's correct; send nothing but plain envelopes and letters until your son reaches the Candio (Candidate Officer) stage at week 10. Then he can receive goodies. Make sure everyone to whom you give his mailing address knows this. Someone in my son's class got sent cookies at week three by his dear Auntie, and had to do 800 pushups as punishment, and he didn't even ask for them to be sent! My son would have been furious!
They are allowed to call home within the first 48 hours, then you likely won't hear from him again until they get email privileges about week 4. If you have a phone call come in from an unknown number in Rhode Island, answer it! Make sure he knows your phone number and email address by memory. His personal phone will be taken and stored as soon as he gets there, so he will have to dial your number by memory. When he gets email, he will be using a closed government server and will not have access to his usual email program, so he will also have to type in your full.email address.
You will find more discussion about OCS at the group "OCS Graduate Moms" here on Navy for Moms. Join that group and read as many posts as you can, and the discussion forums at the top. We have answered many questions recently for new OCS moms in that group, so you will find more info specific to OCS there. Some of the officers of "Moms of Officers" went through NROTC or the Naval Academy, not OCS.
The mailing address should be on the OCS.navy.mil website, or maybe one of the moms here with a recent graduate can tell you. My son went through 5 years ago, and much has changed, so I usually defer to those with more recent info.
I am a new mom of a NUPOC daughter heading to OCS... I am so emotional over the unknown... Can someone guide me... When should I expect to hear from her... When will I be able to see her
NukeMomCarol, Welcome! I see that you have also found the OCS Graduate Moms group that is specific to OCS, but read the posts here too, as we have also answered many OCS questions here lately in this group.
As far as when you will be able to see your daughter, probably not until OCS graduation. When my son was at OCS, they could not have visitors, and they were not allowed to leave the base until the very last weekend before graduation.
Hello everyone, new to this site. My son graduated college and was commissioned two weeks ago through NROTC. He started nuclear power school today in Charleston, beginning of becoming submarine officer.
Congratulations and welcome to all of the mothers who have joined us. The Navy will be an exciting ride for all of you as your loved ones embark on this next stage. Our son was an ROTC graduate 20 years ago. it has been quite an adventure.
Thanks Helomom. I went through Army ROTC back in the day (graduated in 1990) and was Chemical officer in the reserves. I'm still trying to translate the officer rank between the two services and as my son reminds me, things have changed since my days in the service. Glad to find this place.
You might also want to join the group "NUPOC Moms" here on N4M's.
Yes, the Navy ranks are different from Army/AF/Marines. My son is an O-3, (full Lieutenant in the Navy) and he is presently stationed at Yokota, Japan, which is actually an Air Force base. As an O-3, he wears two bars on his collar and is constantly being addressed as "Captain" by the AF enlisted! He loves it, because a Captain is a much higher rank in the Navy (O-6) than in the other services where an O-6 is a full Colonel. When he corrects them that he is a Lieutenant, they are even more confused, because LTs in the other services wear only one gold or silver bar. They probably teach the Navy ranks in the boot camps of the other services, but they learn to just address Navy officers as "Sir/Ma'am" to be safe!! haha
M's mom - In 2001 when our son was an 0-3 (Lieutenant) and in flight school he was always assigned a Marine Corp 0-3 instructor during Primary. It was intended to psych him out when he had to call his instructor Captain. They thought it was pretty funny.
Helomom: Your son should be getting close to being a REAL Captain by now, if not one already! Is he still flying, or just "piloting a desk" now, as they say? I know it is somewhat of a disappointment to some pilots to be promoted to a command position and not get to fly anymore.
Hi M's mom - He just finished his extended command tour in March and should make 0-6 during this current set of orders. He's on a desk now at CNAF making use of that Masters in National Security and Strategic Studies. We were at the base for the deactivation ceremony of the squadron at the end of his command. It was really moving.
Helomom: Congrats to your son! My son is working on his Master's degree. He is in Intel, and he considered getting his master's in Homeland Security, but instead is working on a degree in International Relations. Before he went to Japan, he spent a semester studying East Asian Studies at the Navy Post-Graduate School in beautiful Monterey, CA. (Tough duty assignment, but he did it in service to his country, of course!) haha
Moms: Lets all keep the crew of the USS Fitzgerald in our hearts and prayers, especially the families of the seven sailors who were killed, and the injured including the Commanding Officer, because of the tragic collision over the weekend. If you didn't hear what happened, google "USS Fitzgerald." I talked to my son who is stationed at Yokota, which is about 45 miles from Yokosuka, the home port of the Fitzgerald, and he said the entire US Navy community in Japan is understandably upset. Such a tragedy. My heart goes out to the families.
GalleyMom: Good advice from the Ombudsman. Thanks for posting. There are always scumbags out there who make money off of people's generosity after a tragedy.
Please do not fund any Go Fund Me pages. The Red Cross is working with the families and sailors. To recover there losses. Prayers go out to these families and the LOS
Has anyone talked to there officer about this situation. I have due to she had to do her SWO and is doing ASWO now until she leaves for engineering school. I found it to be very interesting at what she had to say
Alaskan Mom
My daughter is also a LT, she was trying to explain it all to my husband and I. I asked could a cargo ship turn its course within 25 minutes, which this one did and you not know its heading for you. She said there wasn't enough time for this to happen. The radar dosent show a this turning. It shows movement but might have been to close. Our SWOS hold the life's of everyone on the ship. I pray for the OD and the parents of the OD that night, and all of crew that was on board.
My husband sent me this post by a co-admin from the NavyForDads site:
"Please understand that this is a rare occurrence. The crew saved the ship, and as many of their shipmates as possible. One man was diving back in to berthing to pull out as many as he could, until all the air pockets were gone. By all accounts, those we lost did not suffer.
Here are the official organizations who are helping the crew, as about 100 sailors lost everything, down to their wallets:
USNmom2017: I have no knowledge of P'cola, but if you join the group "Naval Aviation" here on N4M's, most of those moms have flyers who have rotated through there, and they could probably answer you.
Welcome, submom ! Will your son be going to Charleston? There is a group here on N4M's called "NUPOC MOMS." They could answer your questions about nuclear power school. Congratulations to your new Ensign. Now the real adventure begins!
Sub mom
I'm going to take a tour of Goose Island in August. My daughter is a SWO (surfacewar fare) doing ASWO (anit-submarine warfare officer) right now till she goes to school at MIT for Nuclear Engineering.
M's Mom,
The Navy actually flew her out to California to visit one of the Nuke ships. She was actually in the Nuke program. When she got there they made her attend the tour and then decided to tell her they didn't want her. No reasons why! That's the Navy! She called crying, something in her transcript from ST. Louis University. She carried a 3.8 GPA. So the Engineering program pick her up right away. No interviews like the Nuke Program. I guess they didn't see it as a mistake and it was their gain. The Navy told her this dosent happen this way getting in without interviews etc. she must be special.
Noni: Well, obviously she IS special! Sounds pretty smart, too. I'm not sure reading a dissertation in nuclear engineering would be something I would want to tackle, and I studied college-level physics and chemistry! haha
I'm confused, though. You say she WAS in NUPOC, but now is in "the nuclear engineering program." I thought those were the same thing, but apparently not.
M's Mom
You would think, but you can go like 10 different ways in engineering. I knew she would pick Nuke do to the Chemestry background from collage. The children how go Nuke are going to be dedicating their lives to school and testing. Every year they must recert. If the don't score to standards they loose their jobs. Very stressfull! When I talked to her yesterday. I asked if she was sure she wanted to be a Nuke Engineer and not the doctor she dreamed of. The answer was are you crazy. Then she precedes to tell me she told her comander she wants to deploy. My answer. Are you crazy! Why did you transfer from the Princeton then? Got no answer on that one. So she might leave the big Z and go to another ship. She wants to apply her new skills as a ASWO before going to school. I just don't understand her. Next June the big Z will leave for Rimpac. Go there! She was at Rimpac with the USS Princeton last year.
M’s mom> I don’t know anything about the ROTC or nuclear engineering programs the Navy offers. NUPOC is a Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidacy Program offered by the Navy. Recruiters canvas universities looking for candidates with declared science, math, and engineering majors who have completed their freshman year. Some of the candidates are pursuing undergraduate degrees in engineering, many are not. To the best of my knowledge, a lot of calculus and physics courses are/were required. An extremely high GPA appears to be one of the criteria however I’m sure other criteria exist/existed. It’s actually a delayed commissioning program that’s 2.5 years not 2 that presumably culminates once they are commissioned as officers.
About 15 out of a pool of 1,000 made it into the program in 2014. The screening process was extensive and lengthy. Presume it still is.
Thanks LTB and M's mom. Trying to learn what I can and not ask too many stupid questions. My son was ROTC and was selected for subs. I am assuming from what I have read that he isn't NUPOC since he has already commissioned?
I am so excited! My son is finishing up Prototype and taking his board exam this week! It has been a long stressful journey but it is finally coming to an end and he will finally be in the real world... He will be coming home for about a year (Which I am really excited about) since the sub he will be stationed on is brand new and coming out of the shipyard and is here for about a year before heading to its homeport.
submom⚓️pwm> you posted this, "I am assuming from what I have read that he isn't NUPOC since he has already commissioned"
I learned not to assume with the Navy. ;)
NUPOC is a program that they generally seek your kid out for. I'll do my best to share what little I know about the screening process and my understanding of same.
All those qualified by a recruiter and accepted are NUPOCS. As another mom said, they’re invited to fly to San Diego where they’re encouraged to explore and talk to those actively serving but also to be evaluated. I believe evaluations included a psychological component and there most likely was additional testing, it’s been three years since our son went. The candidates were flown home and were notified if they were selected to continue in the program. Those who were selected were then invited to visit Newport RI or maybe it was Charleston SC…. can’t recall. More evaluations and more testing only it was a tad bit more rigorous. Candidates were again flown home and were informed they would be notified if they were chosen to continue, Full physicals were required throughout the process. At some point in time, the Navy began the process of procuring a security clearance of some sort for candidates. Can’t recall when. Those chosen to continue who were able to receive a security clearance were invited to visit a prototype school I believe. Again, it’s been a while. Same deal with flying them out and evaluations and testing. At this point, the candidates were informed that about 25 of them would receive a formal invitation to DC in the mail and that if they didn’t receive one, they were no longer in the pool. Those chosen to move forward in the screening process would be provided with study materials and would be flown out to DC for oral exams. I got the impression the oral exams were brutal. Our son studied for weeks. Those who successfully made it through the oral exams moved on to a final interview with the admiral and he would decide after meeting privately with them which candidates he wanted to continue in the NUPOC program. Those he chose were asked to sign on the dotted line then and there and I believe they were asked to choose reactor engineer, unrestricted sub warfare officer, unrestricted surface warfare officer, or instructor at that time. About 12 or 13 ended up being asked to continue by the Admiral. Those who weren’t selected were flown home and a reception with a photo shoot followed for those who made the final cut after which they were flown back to finish their undergraduate degrees.
This was our take on the process as parents looking in from the outside but it’s the Navy and it’s an adventure and things change year to year and week to week.
Thanks LTB! We have experienced the hurry up and wait. My son interviewed on Tuesday in DC and commissioned on Thursday of last week. Everything is moving very quickly now. My son gets tired of a mom's many questions. Thanks for the explanation. Time for me to switch gears from ROTC. Sounds like there are many paths to reach their goals :)
LTB,
My son didn't hardly do any of those steps. He was approached at college by a recruiter who talked to him about the program. He then flew him out to San Diego to check out the program to see if it was something he would be interested in. He then sent him to DC to interview with the Admiral, the first day they prepped him for the interview and the next day he did his interview and after the interview they swore him in. He then had to do his physical and they started the background security check and he left for Newport, RI for OCS school, then to Power School, then Sub School and lastly Prototype which he finishes up this week. This has all taken place within the past 2 years.
submom⚓️pwm> I have no clue how many paths there are... we're just very grateful ours did an about face and chose one to serve in the Navy. He'd wanted to serve as a Missionary since he was in elementary school and we all know where they assign kids fluent in Spanish.... in third world countries with collapsed economies. The paycheck that comes with being in the Navy will be nice too. Missionaries don't get paid.
myvampress> They prepped your kid for the interview? They provided ours with materials to study and when they got out to DC, they broke out into little study groups the first night and the next day to review what they could. The following day they each had two oral interviews. One right after the next and they were long. It's my understanding all of them were sweating bullets by the time they were informed who would be interviewed by the Admiral.
Physicals and security clearances were definitely completed long before they went to DC. Our son just left for Charleston last month. Sounds as if he's at the beginning of the schooling where your son is at the tail end. I take it your son is an unrestricted submarine warfare officer candidate now?
We'd like to visit our son. Would you be in a position to tell me if we should or if we should wait until the next school?
I don't know, maybe it depends on the background of each candidate on how the process works. My son didn't have any study materials prior to his interview although he did major in Bio Chemical Engineering in college so maybe that is why? No idea. Their are still kids in Charleston who have already been through OCS who are still waiting for their clearances, my son's 3 ex room mates are still waiting and they were at OCS with my son so the Military has them working 4 hours a week in the mail room. A local friend of my son's who he met when they went to DC for the interview and to OCS together and he graduated OCS before my son just got his clearances about 2 months ago and this kid never went to San Diego, his recruiter never told him about it. I have asked my son why is it taking so long for them to get their clearances and he told me that he believes it is due to the security breach the Government had when their systems were hacked but not sure.
As far as visiting your child, yes do visit but make it on a weekend and don't make a lot of plans on what you want to do. They are in school for 12+ hours a day and are off on weekends but they still go to school and study on the weekends. Everything they do is on base, they are not aloud to bring anything home with them to study. They are not aloud to talk about any of it. I told my son when he first went to Charleston that since he was in school and his room mates were not that he could study with them and that could help them all out and he told me no, he can not discuss anything about it with his room mates.
If you would rather wait until your son goes to Prototype to visit he will have more free time but his schedule is different. He will be working 1 week 7am til 7pm, another week will be 7pm til 7am and another week 12pm to 12 am although they normally go in early to study on their own time. They do get a 4 day weekend off about once a month or 2 so my son would drive home or meet his girlfriend in NYC for the weekend or if he would drive home to see his girlfriend I would meet him for lunch since his girlfriend is an hour and a half away and I know she is more important than mom...lol
Thanks, LTB, for clarifying. NUPOC is an undergraduate college program like ROTC where they join the Navy before they graduate from college, then after college graduation they go to OCS, and then to Charleston, SC for nuclear power school. I think Noni said her daughter was originally in NUPOC, but then they said they didn't want her, so she was commissioned as a Surface Warfare Officer, but now she is transferring into nuclear engineering after being in the Navy for awhile. Is that right, Noni?
My son was a senior and graduated in April of this year from college. He has friends that started NUPOC earlier in their college career. He flew to San Diego and then had a phone interview and MEPS and then was told he made it through to the DC interviews. He did that June 16th and made it in and was sworn in and flew home the next day. He reports to Newport Naval Base for OCS July 16th. He has chosen ship not sub.
J/J Mom
Our son wanted memories of home. We got a friend to fly me over our property so i could take aerial photos of our house/yard/creek. Then we had a blown up photo metal print made of it for him to hang in his room wherever he goes. He loved it.
Also gave him a shadowbox with one of his G'pa's Navy sailor hats and a US flag that we had flown over the USS Constitution on his commissioning day.
He had no interest in a sword or box for his dresser or other "Navy" stuff -- he wanted stuff to remind him of home & family.
congrats to all!!
Apr 24, 2017
CTNavyMom
May 6, 2017
Noni
May 6, 2017
Anna
CTNavyMom,
Your son should get a list from his recruiter as to what to pack. My daughter took two pairs of workout shoes that she liked and knew they fit well. She wore her first pair out!! Also, if you aren't already, join Facebook and look for the group Naval Training Command Newport, and also the friends and family page for your son's class. You will see other groups with the name US Navy OCS class xx-xx Friends and Family, once your son gets there he will call you with his class number. Also join the classes three and six weeks ahead of him so you know what will be coming up next for his class. Best of luck to your son!!!
May 6, 2017
CTNavyMom
May 6, 2017
M's mom
CTNavyMom: That's correct; send nothing but plain envelopes and letters until your son reaches the Candio (Candidate Officer) stage at week 10. Then he can receive goodies. Make sure everyone to whom you give his mailing address knows this. Someone in my son's class got sent cookies at week three by his dear Auntie, and had to do 800 pushups as punishment, and he didn't even ask for them to be sent! My son would have been furious!
They are allowed to call home within the first 48 hours, then you likely won't hear from him again until they get email privileges about week 4. If you have a phone call come in from an unknown number in Rhode Island, answer it! Make sure he knows your phone number and email address by memory. His personal phone will be taken and stored as soon as he gets there, so he will have to dial your number by memory. When he gets email, he will be using a closed government server and will not have access to his usual email program, so he will also have to type in your full.email address.
You will find more discussion about OCS at the group "OCS Graduate Moms" here on Navy for Moms. Join that group and read as many posts as you can, and the discussion forums at the top. We have answered many questions recently for new OCS moms in that group, so you will find more info specific to OCS there. Some of the officers of "Moms of Officers" went through NROTC or the Naval Academy, not OCS.
The mailing address should be on the OCS.navy.mil website, or maybe one of the moms here with a recent graduate can tell you. My son went through 5 years ago, and much has changed, so I usually defer to those with more recent info.
Good luck to your son!
May 6, 2017
NukeMomCarol
May 23, 2017
M's mom
NukeMomCarol, Welcome! I see that you have also found the OCS Graduate Moms group that is specific to OCS, but read the posts here too, as we have also answered many OCS questions here lately in this group.
As far as when you will be able to see your daughter, probably not until OCS graduation. When my son was at OCS, they could not have visitors, and they were not allowed to leave the base until the very last weekend before graduation.
May 23, 2017
NukeMomCarol
May 23, 2017
Duchess2006
Hello everyone, new to this site. My son graduated college and was commissioned two weeks ago through NROTC. He started nuclear power school today in Charleston, beginning of becoming submarine officer.
May 25, 2017
Helomom
May 25, 2017
Duchess2006
Thanks Helomom. I went through Army ROTC back in the day (graduated in 1990) and was Chemical officer in the reserves. I'm still trying to translate the officer rank between the two services and as my son reminds me, things have changed since my days in the service. Glad to find this place.
May 25, 2017
M's mom
Welcome Duchess2006,
You might also want to join the group "NUPOC Moms" here on N4M's.
Yes, the Navy ranks are different from Army/AF/Marines. My son is an O-3, (full Lieutenant in the Navy) and he is presently stationed at Yokota, Japan, which is actually an Air Force base. As an O-3, he wears two bars on his collar and is constantly being addressed as "Captain" by the AF enlisted! He loves it, because a Captain is a much higher rank in the Navy (O-6) than in the other services where an O-6 is a full Colonel. When he corrects them that he is a Lieutenant, they are even more confused, because LTs in the other services wear only one gold or silver bar. They probably teach the Navy ranks in the boot camps of the other services, but they learn to just address Navy officers as "Sir/Ma'am" to be safe!! haha
May 25, 2017
Helomom
May 31, 2017
M's mom
Helomom: Your son should be getting close to being a REAL Captain by now, if not one already! Is he still flying, or just "piloting a desk" now, as they say? I know it is somewhat of a disappointment to some pilots to be promoted to a command position and not get to fly anymore.
May 31, 2017
Helomom
May 31, 2017
M's mom
Helomom: Congrats to your son! My son is working on his Master's degree. He is in Intel, and he considered getting his master's in Homeland Security, but instead is working on a degree in International Relations. Before he went to Japan, he spent a semester studying East Asian Studies at the Navy Post-Graduate School in beautiful Monterey, CA. (Tough duty assignment, but he did it in service to his country, of course!) haha
Jun 1, 2017
M's mom
Moms: Lets all keep the crew of the USS Fitzgerald in our hearts and prayers, especially the families of the seven sailors who were killed, and the injured including the Commanding Officer, because of the tragic collision over the weekend. If you didn't hear what happened, google "USS Fitzgerald." I talked to my son who is stationed at Yokota, which is about 45 miles from Yokosuka, the home port of the Fitzgerald, and he said the entire US Navy community in Japan is understandably upset. Such a tragedy. My heart goes out to the families.
Jun 19, 2017
M's mom
GalleyMom: Good advice from the Ombudsman. Thanks for posting. There are always scumbags out there who make money off of people's generosity after a tragedy.
Jun 19, 2017
Noni
Jun 19, 2017
Noni
Jun 19, 2017
Noni
My daughter is also a LT, she was trying to explain it all to my husband and I. I asked could a cargo ship turn its course within 25 minutes, which this one did and you not know its heading for you. She said there wasn't enough time for this to happen. The radar dosent show a this turning. It shows movement but might have been to close. Our SWOS hold the life's of everyone on the ship. I pray for the OD and the parents of the OD that night, and all of crew that was on board.
Jun 19, 2017
CindyN
My husband sent me this post by a co-admin from the NavyForDads site:
We are all part of this Navy family whether you still have a son or daughter serving or not. If it's in your means to donate, please do so.
Thank you. Please say a prayer for the crew of the USS Fitzgerald."
Jun 20, 2017
USNmom2017
Jun 23, 2017
submom⚓️pwm
Jun 24, 2017
M's mom
USNmom2017: I have no knowledge of P'cola, but if you join the group "Naval Aviation" here on N4M's, most of those moms have flyers who have rotated through there, and they could probably answer you.
Jun 24, 2017
M's mom
Welcome, submom ! Will your son be going to Charleston? There is a group here on N4M's called "NUPOC MOMS." They could answer your questions about nuclear power school. Congratulations to your new Ensign. Now the real adventure begins!
Jun 24, 2017
submom⚓️pwm
Jun 24, 2017
Noni
I'm going to take a tour of Goose Island in August. My daughter is a SWO (surfacewar fare) doing ASWO (anit-submarine warfare officer) right now till she goes to school at MIT for Nuclear Engineering.
Jun 24, 2017
Debbie1215
Jun 25, 2017
M's mom
Noni: How long will your daughter study at MIT before she goes to Charleston? (I'm assuming she's going to remain in the Navy?)
Jun 25, 2017
Noni
Oh she's making a career of it. I believe the program is 2 years. I cannot wait to read her dissertation.
Jun 25, 2017
Noni
The Navy actually flew her out to California to visit one of the Nuke ships. She was actually in the Nuke program. When she got there they made her attend the tour and then decided to tell her they didn't want her. No reasons why! That's the Navy! She called crying, something in her transcript from ST. Louis University. She carried a 3.8 GPA. So the Engineering program pick her up right away. No interviews like the Nuke Program. I guess they didn't see it as a mistake and it was their gain. The Navy told her this dosent happen this way getting in without interviews etc. she must be special.
Jun 25, 2017
M's mom
Noni: Well, obviously she IS special! Sounds pretty smart, too. I'm not sure reading a dissertation in nuclear engineering would be something I would want to tackle, and I studied college-level physics and chemistry! haha
I'm confused, though. You say she WAS in NUPOC, but now is in "the nuclear engineering program." I thought those were the same thing, but apparently not.
Jun 25, 2017
Noni
You would think, but you can go like 10 different ways in engineering. I knew she would pick Nuke do to the Chemestry background from collage. The children how go Nuke are going to be dedicating their lives to school and testing. Every year they must recert. If the don't score to standards they loose their jobs. Very stressfull! When I talked to her yesterday. I asked if she was sure she wanted to be a Nuke Engineer and not the doctor she dreamed of. The answer was are you crazy. Then she precedes to tell me she told her comander she wants to deploy. My answer. Are you crazy! Why did you transfer from the Princeton then? Got no answer on that one. So she might leave the big Z and go to another ship. She wants to apply her new skills as a ASWO before going to school. I just don't understand her. Next June the big Z will leave for Rimpac. Go there! She was at Rimpac with the USS Princeton last year.
Jun 26, 2017
LTB
M’s mom> I don’t know anything about the ROTC or nuclear engineering programs the Navy offers. NUPOC is a Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidacy Program offered by the Navy. Recruiters canvas universities looking for candidates with declared science, math, and engineering majors who have completed their freshman year. Some of the candidates are pursuing undergraduate degrees in engineering, many are not. To the best of my knowledge, a lot of calculus and physics courses are/were required. An extremely high GPA appears to be one of the criteria however I’m sure other criteria exist/existed. It’s actually a delayed commissioning program that’s 2.5 years not 2 that presumably culminates once they are commissioned as officers.
About 15 out of a pool of 1,000 made it into the program in 2014. The screening process was extensive and lengthy. Presume it still is.
Little bit more on the NUPOC program here, https://navynupoc.com/ and much more here, http://todaysmilitary.com/videos/inside-the-nupoc-program
Jun 26, 2017
submom⚓️pwm
Jun 26, 2017
Noni
My daughter is commissioned and she will be entering the Nucular Engineering Program
Jun 26, 2017
NukeMomCarol
that is so cool Noni... MIT is my daughter's dream school... she keeps saying that is where she wants to go for her masters!
Jun 26, 2017
myvampress
Jun 26, 2017
Noni
My daughters as well....Thank God it's on the Navy and not I.
Jun 26, 2017
LTB
submom⚓️pwm> you posted this, "I am assuming from what I have read that he isn't NUPOC since he has already commissioned"
I learned not to assume with the Navy. ;)
NUPOC is a program that they generally seek your kid out for. I'll do my best to share what little I know about the screening process and my understanding of same.
All those qualified by a recruiter and accepted are NUPOCS. As another mom said, they’re invited to fly to San Diego where they’re encouraged to explore and talk to those actively serving but also to be evaluated. I believe evaluations included a psychological component and there most likely was additional testing, it’s been three years since our son went. The candidates were flown home and were notified if they were selected to continue in the program. Those who were selected were then invited to visit Newport RI or maybe it was Charleston SC…. can’t recall. More evaluations and more testing only it was a tad bit more rigorous. Candidates were again flown home and were informed they would be notified if they were chosen to continue, Full physicals were required throughout the process. At some point in time, the Navy began the process of procuring a security clearance of some sort for candidates. Can’t recall when. Those chosen to continue who were able to receive a security clearance were invited to visit a prototype school I believe. Again, it’s been a while. Same deal with flying them out and evaluations and testing. At this point, the candidates were informed that about 25 of them would receive a formal invitation to DC in the mail and that if they didn’t receive one, they were no longer in the pool. Those chosen to move forward in the screening process would be provided with study materials and would be flown out to DC for oral exams. I got the impression the oral exams were brutal. Our son studied for weeks. Those who successfully made it through the oral exams moved on to a final interview with the admiral and he would decide after meeting privately with them which candidates he wanted to continue in the NUPOC program. Those he chose were asked to sign on the dotted line then and there and I believe they were asked to choose reactor engineer, unrestricted sub warfare officer, unrestricted surface warfare officer, or instructor at that time. About 12 or 13 ended up being asked to continue by the Admiral. Those who weren’t selected were flown home and a reception with a photo shoot followed for those who made the final cut after which they were flown back to finish their undergraduate degrees.
This was our take on the process as parents looking in from the outside but it’s the Navy and it’s an adventure and things change year to year and week to week.
Jun 26, 2017
submom⚓️pwm
Jun 26, 2017
myvampress
My son didn't hardly do any of those steps. He was approached at college by a recruiter who talked to him about the program. He then flew him out to San Diego to check out the program to see if it was something he would be interested in. He then sent him to DC to interview with the Admiral, the first day they prepped him for the interview and the next day he did his interview and after the interview they swore him in. He then had to do his physical and they started the background security check and he left for Newport, RI for OCS school, then to Power School, then Sub School and lastly Prototype which he finishes up this week. This has all taken place within the past 2 years.
Jun 26, 2017
LTB
submom⚓️pwm> I have no clue how many paths there are... we're just very grateful ours did an about face and chose one to serve in the Navy. He'd wanted to serve as a Missionary since he was in elementary school and we all know where they assign kids fluent in Spanish.... in third world countries with collapsed economies. The paycheck that comes with being in the Navy will be nice too. Missionaries don't get paid.
myvampress> They prepped your kid for the interview? They provided ours with materials to study and when they got out to DC, they broke out into little study groups the first night and the next day to review what they could. The following day they each had two oral interviews. One right after the next and they were long. It's my understanding all of them were sweating bullets by the time they were informed who would be interviewed by the Admiral.
Physicals and security clearances were definitely completed long before they went to DC. Our son just left for Charleston last month. Sounds as if he's at the beginning of the schooling where your son is at the tail end. I take it your son is an unrestricted submarine warfare officer candidate now?
We'd like to visit our son. Would you be in a position to tell me if we should or if we should wait until the next school?
Jun 26, 2017
myvampress
I don't know, maybe it depends on the background of each candidate on how the process works. My son didn't have any study materials prior to his interview although he did major in Bio Chemical Engineering in college so maybe that is why? No idea. Their are still kids in Charleston who have already been through OCS who are still waiting for their clearances, my son's 3 ex room mates are still waiting and they were at OCS with my son so the Military has them working 4 hours a week in the mail room. A local friend of my son's who he met when they went to DC for the interview and to OCS together and he graduated OCS before my son just got his clearances about 2 months ago and this kid never went to San Diego, his recruiter never told him about it. I have asked my son why is it taking so long for them to get their clearances and he told me that he believes it is due to the security breach the Government had when their systems were hacked but not sure.
As far as visiting your child, yes do visit but make it on a weekend and don't make a lot of plans on what you want to do. They are in school for 12+ hours a day and are off on weekends but they still go to school and study on the weekends. Everything they do is on base, they are not aloud to bring anything home with them to study. They are not aloud to talk about any of it. I told my son when he first went to Charleston that since he was in school and his room mates were not that he could study with them and that could help them all out and he told me no, he can not discuss anything about it with his room mates.
Jun 27, 2017
myvampress
Sorry, yes my son is an unrestricted submarine warfare officer.
Jun 27, 2017
myvampress
If you would rather wait until your son goes to Prototype to visit he will have more free time but his schedule is different. He will be working 1 week 7am til 7pm, another week will be 7pm til 7am and another week 12pm to 12 am although they normally go in early to study on their own time. They do get a 4 day weekend off about once a month or 2 so my son would drive home or meet his girlfriend in NYC for the weekend or if he would drive home to see his girlfriend I would meet him for lunch since his girlfriend is an hour and a half away and I know she is more important than mom...lol
Jun 27, 2017
M's mom
Thanks, LTB, for clarifying. NUPOC is an undergraduate college program like ROTC where they join the Navy before they graduate from college, then after college graduation they go to OCS, and then to Charleston, SC for nuclear power school. I think Noni said her daughter was originally in NUPOC, but then they said they didn't want her, so she was commissioned as a Surface Warfare Officer, but now she is transferring into nuclear engineering after being in the Navy for awhile. Is that right, Noni?
Jun 27, 2017
ANavyMom
My son was a senior and graduated in April of this year from college. He has friends that started NUPOC earlier in their college career. He flew to San Diego and then had a phone interview and MEPS and then was told he made it through to the DC interviews. He did that June 16th and made it in and was sworn in and flew home the next day. He reports to Newport Naval Base for OCS July 16th. He has chosen ship not sub.
Jun 27, 2017