Nuke School Charleston

He says he finally gets to start classes next week. He's been so ready for this experience for so long that the doing nothing but clean for the last week has been a drag!

im glad to hear your son will be starting classes next week    he will be kept busy  between classes and study hours     my son said it is a good idea to relax on the weekends   he usually goes to see a movie on the weekends.

crazyd925, congratulations on classing up quickly. He'll be pretty busy with A School & learning the "Navy way" with school work. He will get used to the "hurryupandwait".  My son was on T-track (between A School and Power School)for about 2 months. Grad Hold (between Power Scool & Prototype) seems to vary widely. My son was disappointed that his grad hold was only 2 wks long (he would have prefered 2 months after Power School), but several of the MMs have been on grad hold for longer than 5 months... 

good morning everyone!!

rachel---you could still go down for a visit at thanksgiving.    your son has a good attitude about the navy.   he goes with the flow.  

i believe they get leave for christmas.  you can ask others, but i believe school closes for christmas and new years.  my son got ten days leave during a school.

This is a great article about helping your sailors and their wives, husbands, & kids readjust after a deployment.

http://likeitfortime.com/2011/05/06/reintegration-its-more-than-com...

anyone else have a family member in the july 13 A school graduating class in charleston, sc.?

what is T track. if i understood my son correctly, he said he will  be on T track after he graduates from A school.  just trying to figure things out and was hoping to go to visit him

thanks for the info.  still trying to learn all the terminology.  my son grads from A school in july, but doesnt get to come home until mid august.  i was hoping to connect with some other moms who have kids in this class, but no luck yet,

My husband is getting ready to graduate BC and fly to Charleston afterwards, can anyone tell me if I can meet him at the airport in Charleston when he arrives or if he will have time to see me If I drive there?(even if only on base) I can't make his PIR, not with and 18 month old baby. Last I talked to him he said he would arrive and have 2 weeks (app) before A school started.

hello all!!

juanita---how soon were you thinking?  my son and his fiance are getting married between power school and prototype because they usually have time from school then.

liza----i dont think you will be able to see him at the airport.   maybe there is a wives group here that might be able to help you.   i know they dont start classes right away, but they do have meetings (i guess thats what you could call them) and they have to do things to phase up.   someone here might have a better answer for you.   just trying to help.

Thank you so much everyone for your help! I think I will drive there when he gets there, as it will be the weekend and deliver his cell. I can't move to be with him yet until we get this darn house rented out, which is why I was hoping to see him before his school officially started.

My son graduated from BC at GC on June 1st 2012. He is now in SC getting ready to start A school. He is an EM. Does anyone else have a Sailor out there going into A school in SC and is an EM. If so I would love to know and stay in contact with each other and see if we can help our Sailors if we can.

hello all!!

juanita----i sure you two will figure out a good time.  good luck!!!

mercerdesmom----yes there are!   if a sailor doesnt make it through nuke school, the navy will help them find another job.    they dont give up on them!!!!

Don't want to burst any bubbles about "what happens if Nuke school is not a good fit" but there are those that, while extremely intelligent, just can't get the hang of learning at the pace required to get through the pipeline - MOST are re-rated into something else, but not always something they would have chosen on their own.  In the end, most that get rerated do enjoy the less stressful life of the new job.  But not all are particularly fond of the job the Navy picked out for them but somehow make it work for them.  At the same time, there have been those that are told there are no other jobs available and are sent home, discharged from the Navy.  As a mom that has watched a lot of both, I am not sure there is a rhyme and reason to how they choose but it is not evident.

hello all!!

thanks penny for your info.  i am glad you were able to help. 

mercerdesmom--sorry i gave you wrong info.   i have more things to learn too!!

Thanks for the info!

Penny, you might want to remove your name name from the earlier post since this is an open site...

I'm not sure who it was on here but someone was talking these material rag that is filled with beads to keep cool. I am not a sewer but would love the info again and the measurements on what to buy. What are these beads? And where do you get them?

Thanks.

hello all!!

alicia----no, she still lives at home.    after they get married, then she is moving down with him.    

I believe they have to be E-5 before they are paid BHA with the exception of Prototype where there is no choice but to live off base.  The only exception to that is if they are married.

good morning all!!

alicia---my son will be graduating from power school in july.   they are going to live one base.  i believe if they are sent to ballston spa for prototype, they live off base.  i really dont know much about off-base living.

I haven't been on Navy 4 moms since PIR, back in March, son is in class 1224 M/T still in A school currently doing "digital". Anyone else ? He seems super busy and stressed out.

LuvMySailor, I copied the info in the cooling rags.  I think the beads are from a floral dept of the craft store.  I will look up the pattern. 

@Alicia24 -  They typically fly out on Saturday after PIR.  They could leave anytime that day.  They may leave for the airport just after midnight and fly out a few hours later.  They may arrive at the airport a little later and be there all day taking an evening flight out.  When my son PIR'd, the Nukes left in groups throughout the day on Saturday.  There was one group that didn't leave until Sunday morning. There is no one airport that any sailor leaves from.  You need to be prepared for various airports at any time of day on Saturday and possibly Sunday.  Your SR won't know until right before PIR.  We didn't find out when Sailor was leaving until after PIR.

@alicia, all I can offer is what my experience was, don't know how typical it is. My son was taken to the Chicago airport at 4 am and didn't fly out until around 7pm, we just stayed at the airport with him most of the day until he left. The USO was really nice to them. I agree with CM, your SR won't know until right before PIR, and we didn't find out until after PIR, congrats to your SR  and good luck with it all.

Talked to my son tonight. He sounds good but this whole weekend has been about studying, studying, studying. He is in class 1237MT. Anyone else have a sailor with my son?

M/T is a combination of EMs and ETs in the same class.  The MMs are in a separate class.

My son said he was in class 1237.  What does the MT stand for?

There are so many MMs, EMs, ETs and MT to keep track of. Its crazy. My son is in class 1237MT and he is an EM electricians mate. Anyone else have a sailor with mine?

@ LA - see my post right below yours.

In the nuke program you are either a MM, EM, or ET.  MM's have a different A school schedule and are put in classes together.  EM's and ET's have a very similar A-School and are classed together in classes that denote that - hense the M (for EM)/T (for ET).  It's only toward the end of their 6 month A school that the EMs and ETs separate.  

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY EVERYONE!!!   MAY EVERYONE HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!!!

LuvMySailor, I just made a bunch of the neck coolers you are talking about. You should buy 44-45" wide material, that is the length of the scarf, then cut a strip 3-1/2" wide. Fold lengthwise with right sides together and sew one end and the long edge, leaving one end open. It is nice if you taper the sewn end. Then you will turn it inside out and iron it flat. You will then sew a crosswise line 12-14" from the sewn end. Then you will pour 1/4 tsp. of the water storing crystals into the tube, measure 4" and sew another line. Repeat until you have 4 pockets each filled with 1/4 tsp. of the crystals (the crystals will swell a bazillion times their original size, so don't put more than 1/4 tsp. in each section). The other end should also be 12-14" to match the sewn end. Sew the end up and you are done! You can buy the water storing crystals in most gardening centers, I got mine at Walmart. Check the package to make sure it is non toxic.

Here is a picture of a neck cooler I made:

hello all!!

bb--nice to hear from you again.  congrats on your husband making it through A school!!   so your husband is in power school now.  my son will be graduating from power school this month.   good luck to you and him!!!

hello all!

well my son has graduated from power school!!  so proud of him and the other sailors!!  graduation was great!!

congrats on your son graduating.    my son will be starting power school when he gets off t track.  what is advice on helping them through this?  dont mean to put you on the spot, but  any words of wisdom or things you did that really helped your son? 

hello all!!

i just gave him encouragement and told him to do his best!  that is all anyone can ask of someone.    i also would ask him of there is anything he would like when i knew i would be sending him packages.  then i would put something (a favorite snack or a note) extra in.  i sent a package about once a month.  the thing i did the most was pray for him!!!

Ozzie's mom, the best advice I can give is to make sure he knows to put in the hours every single day.... but give himself an evening off on Friday after the end of the school day and again on either Saturday or Sunday.  As my son told me, "mom, the first week of school they told us uf we want to do well put in an additional 4-5 hours of study each day and so I did that".  My son was not only the A-school class honorman but also the highest in his class in Power School as well.  He's not a brainiac by any stretch, he just figured that this is what he signed up for, was his job and his career, why not do what they suggested.  Times aren't always easy nor fun, but send encouragement, pray regularly, and always let him know how proud you are of him.

Wow Penny.....   That is exactly how my son placed. He was A-school honorman and highest in his section in Power School.  He,  however has not had any mandatory study hours. (except once when the class was talking too much) He only put in an extra 5 hours a week. He figured he would put in extra hours if his grads started slipping. He is home on leave now and will be returning to GC on Sunday and starts college classes on Monday. More School!!!! So far, he loves what he is doing. Right up his alley.I hope he feels that way after he has experienced deployments.

TonysMom--Congrats on your son being pinned (next month) Chief! That is something my son has set his eyes on--he's an MM3 in Power School. I'm in complete awe of all of our sailors. I'm going up Labor Day weekend to spend 3 full glorious days with him. CAN'T WAIT! Then PS grad in November! It's hard--and then NOT hard--to believe it's almost a year since he left for boot! Woof! Again, many many congrats on your son's achievement!

hello all!!

tonysmom--congrats to your son!!  we are all proud of him!!    my son is on gradhold right now in goose creek.   he just got married.  i am soooo proud of him.

sue---i wish you a very enjoyable time with your sailor!!   i too am amazed by our sailors!!! 

Well, this Friday marks my son's first anniversary of his navy career - he was off to boot camp, now is set to graduate from Power School Sept. 14.  Looking forward to graduation and he will be home for 10 days.  How does PS graduation compare with boot camp graduation?

power school graduation is nice.  it is outside if it doesnt rain.  where something light because it will probably be hot.   we had a slight breeze blowing when i was there.  you can talk to your sailor before the ceremony and take pictures all during it.  you are also allowed to walk up to the stage to take pictures while your sailors section id getting their certificates.   we got there about 8:30 am.  you drive up to a gate and they will ask for ID.  we had ID for everyone in the car.  it didnt take long to get through.  we really enjoyed it!!     i am sure you will too! 

Power school graduation is awesome! It's really nice. My husband just graduated last month on the 20th. It's a lot shorter than boot camp graduation I can guarantee that. They give the family's plenty of space and opportunity to take pictures. My husband didn't wanna stop to take a picture so a chief yelled at him to make him to stop and take a picture. lol. The parking was terrible though. Make sure you get there early to get a good spot! Hope you guys enjoy it! I know I did!

illusha---my son graduated last month on the 20th also!!

good morning all!!

teri--your sailor should be told the date of graduation  soon of he has started his classes.  i am pretty sure my son was told.  good luck to your sailor!!