CTN

My son loves living there, I wonder if it is the same place LOL! He has sent me pictures and It looks really nice. He has a full size bed, full size frig, microwave, two closets, a recliner and desk. I also mailed something to him recently and it got there quickly. He does live on the "campus" on not actually on the base if that makes sense. What shocked me in the picture was how clean and tidy his room was, not like that when he lived at home.

Who knows maybe he is telling me its not bad so I won't worry LOL!  I guess I will have to wait until spring to see for myself! Maybe I was overcome by the shock of such a clean room that I overlooked the other stuff LOL! He is loving the snow flurries, I told him that will soon wear off and he will miss the beach! He did finally get his leave approved so home for Christmas!

sarah - As far as colored blindness, it's a risk to the crew of a submarine to have a normal crew member that is colored blind.  Being on a sub is totally different that to be on a ship.  If we have a crew member that is sick or god forbid a casualty, we can easily helo in another sailor.  The boat has to be self contained, and they must be able to provide for themselves.  That's why it is so hard to earn the Dolphins. 

For lots of info colored blindness on subs do a google search on "NSMRL Memo Report 98-01" on try this like which is really long.

Colored Blind on Subs

ctnRetired - I actually agree with the rule that is in place concerning advancement test if sailors are cross rating.  I would hate to have a sailor close to their High Year Tenure to not have a chance of taking the test just because they haven't started school yet.  Let them try, and if they make it, so be it.  They will be very few and far between (just guessing). 

Don't take this the wrong way, but lets say a ET1 takes the test and advances to ETC, but is trying to cross rate to CTN,  would I have a problem with that?  No, because as far as I beleive, Chiefs and above should allow their LPO's to thrive and learn the ropes to become a Chief.  Chief should focus more on the paperwork and awards to help their sailors move along.  So, I would have no problem if they took the test, as long as they were awaiting for their school to start.  Which is how the Navy rule is written also. 

Here is the rule:

(2) If otherwise qualified, personnel ordered to Class
“A” school for rating conversion may compete for advancement in
their present rating until the class convening date.

And here is the link

Advancement 

sarah - I forgot to add, that the only ratings that can be colored blind on subs are CSS, SKS, YNS.  (I forgot what the SK's are called now).  These are the only ones...

Craig, understand the old rule, but E-6 won't be able to change rating if they are close to HYT anyway. E-5 maybe not a problem with that. Chiefs are supposed to be the technical expert in their rating first, then leadership ... or at the same time equally, but you cannot say that someone that has no clue what a CTN does should make chief just because they passed their old rating's exam. It's happening now, and the rate will suffer in the long run. You're gonna have CTN3s that know more about the rating then their Chief?

To be fair, it's a tricky situation when you have E-6 and aboves convert rates.  I had a Senior Chief in my MA-A school and was wondering how he was supposed to be in a senior enlisted position in a rate he know pratically little about.  I've also had E-5's and above convert into the aviation rates and didn't know as much about the job as I did when I was an airman but they did know the general navy information such as awards and evals which is essentially the biggest part of my job right now as an E-6.  But I do agree, even though I'm in the position to take the test while awaiting to class up that it would be difficult as a chief or even at my pay grade to not know about as much about the rate as junior sailors.  But it is my job to catch up on the rate as quickly as I can so I can provide accurate information to my junior sailors.

I agree that E7 and above should be the guru's with paperwork.  They need to know the system and how to get their guys promoted and to look after them.  I wouldn't mind if some PS chief (PSC), converted to my rating of CTM.  I would have actually liked it.  I know the PSC would know all the loop holes in the system, and how to figure different ways to help his guys. 

The days of the "Goat Locker" are kind of over now for chiefs.  It use to be the LPO would run everything, and the Chief was called only when something weird happened.  But now, the new era has the chief being the "worker bees" too. 

I guess that E5 can't retire at 20 years anymore, and they they could serve all those years only to be booted for High Year Tenure has got me thinking.  Just because they are in crappy ratings that have zero advancement opportunities just isn't right.  Just look at the HT (FTS)  rating.  It's 150% manned.  As if they will ever make advancement before getting the boot....

We all assume that people come into the rating with zero knowledge.  There are probably many that are in other ratings and have gone to college and take different courses  like :

» Cisco Certified Design Associate
» Cisco Certified Design Professional
» Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician
» Cisco Certified Network Associate
» Cisco Certified Network Associate - Accelerated
» Cisco Certified Network Professional

Here is what was in this weeks Navy Times for CTN's...

Hey Sarah - Medina Texas is a huge NIOC base.  There are alot of CTN's, but not as many as Ft. Meade or Ft. Gordon.  He can actually pull up the billets using his CAC Card Reader. 

He actually probably won't be in Medina for long, He will probably go immediate to the big conference in P-cola in Mar.

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Good Morning Craig, et al.

I have not been on here lately as I have been waiting for the son to progress through the school.  Last week class put in request for duty station.  Just curious what odds are of getting first choice. Any thoughts, comments would be appreciated.

north - My son wasn't 1st in his class, he was kind-of in the middle.  However, he got his 1st choice, Hawaii.  I think he said mostly everyone got the orders they wanted. 

One thing your son should have done was used his CAC card reader to locate all the open billets for CTN.  Some of the newer billets include PEP duty, which would be so cool.  Without looking for the billets, these newbie sailors are only putting down duty stations that they hear about in school.  Which are the normal ones.  The fun duty stations are the ones that aren't the normal ones.....

Thanks clockard!!!  I am glad I got onto this group before he leaves for Pensacola.  So many questions that all of a sudden will pop in my head. 

No assignment yet for him or his classmates.

NavyWife - ION school is NEC 9308 & 9309.  This is one of those areas that ia real hard to keep unclassified.  So I will say no more other than to give you what the description is in the NEC manual (below).  Just do a search on 9308 & 9309.  Beleive me, once you earn those nec's, you will never have to worry about finding a job in the civilian world......  Maybe CTNretired can get you a better unclassified version. 

http://www.persnet.navy.mil/NR/rdonlyres/89E4DCCF-5161-4DC7-9FF1-07...

Here are the link to PTS -

http://www.npc.navy.mil/NR/rdonlyres/55EAE85D-ABC7-40E2-B394-F79190...

momoffour

Just curious about your son's choices. My son has submitted his choices but there apparently is some delay in getting orders the last 4-6 weeks because of some budget (?) problems.  Anyway, he requested HI first, Ft. Meade second but is pretty sure he will be headed to Ft. Meade. Sorry about your son's group not getting HI, but sounds like there might be hope if the groups around him got orders there.

My son left for Pensacola very early this morning with 69 other Sailors!!! I got two calls already from both airports and he was happy.  He was able to take his cell phone back to RTC as well as others as long as they were locked up so I didn't need to worry about getting his cell to him.

PIR was one word AWESOME!!!!  I am so glad to have had the honor of attending such a wonderful part of my sons life.  Now looking forward to this next journey with him.

himmiemom - We love bantering back and forth with the Marines.  It's part of the brotherhood of being in the Navy & Marines.  It's an extremely tight bond.  We are like to rival teams trying to out do each other.   One thing for sure, if a civilian tries to stop the bantering, then the Marine and Navy guys will form a Catalyst and all of our efforts will be against the civilian.  Civilian have not earned the right to join in our bantering.... It goes against rule #11 of the "Rules for the Non-Military....

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Rules for the Non Military

Dear Civilians, 'We know that the current state of affairs in our great nation has many civilians up in arms and excited to join the military. For those of you who can't join, you can still lend a hand. Here are a few of the areas where you can be of assistance:

1. The next time you see an adult talking (or wearing a hat) during the playing of the National Anthem---kick their @ss.

2. When you witness, firsthand, someone burning the American Flag in protest---kick their @ss.

3. Regardless of the rank they held while they served, pay the highest amount of respect to all veterans. If you see anyone doing otherwise, quietly pull them aside and explain how these veterans fought for the very freedom they bask in every second. Enlighten them on the many sacrifices these veterans made to make this Nation great. Then hold them down while a disabled veteran kicks their @ss.

4.  If you were never in the military, DO NOT pretend that you were. Wearing battle dress uniforms (BDUs) or Jungle Fatigues, telling others that you used to be 'Special Forces,' and collecting GI Joe memorabilia, might have been okay when you were seven years old. Now, it will only make you look stupid and will get your @ss kicked.

5. Next time you come across an Air Force member, do not ask them, 'Do you fly a jet?'  Not everyone in the Air Force is a pilot. Such ignorance deserves a good @ss-kicking (children are exempt).

6. If you witness someone calling the US Coast Guard 'non-military', inform them of their mistake---and kick their @ss.

7. Next time Old Glory (the US flag) prances by during a parade, get on your darn feet and pay homage to her by placing your hand over your heart. Quietly thank the military member or veteran lucky enough to be carrying her---of course, failure to do either of those could earn you a severe @ss-kicking.

8. Don't try to discuss politics with a military member or a veteran. We are Americans, and we all bleed the same, regardless of our party affiliation. Our Chain of Command is to include our Commander-In-Chief (CinC). The President (for those who didn't know) is our CinC regardless of political party. We have no inside track on what happens inside those big important buildings where all those representatives meet. All we know is that when those civilian representatives screw up the situation, they call upon the military to go straighten it out. If you keep asking us the same stupid questions repeatedly, you will get your @ss kicked!

9. 'Your mama wears combat boots' never made sense to me---stop saying it! If she did, she would most likely be a vet and therefore, could kick your @ss!

10. Bin Laden and the Taliban are not Communists, so stop saying 'Let's go kill those Commies!' And stop asking us where he is! Crystal balls are not standard issue in the military. That reminds me---if you see anyone calling those darned psychic phone numbers, let me know, so I can go kick their @ss!

11. 'Flyboy' (Air Force), 'Jarhead' (Marines), 'Grunt' (Army), 'Squid' or ‘Bee’ (Navy), 'Puddle Jumpers' (Coast Guard), etc., are terms of endearment we use describing each other. Unless you are a service member or vet, you have not earned the right to use them. That could get your @ss kicked.

12. Last, but not least,