JNMnavymomOH - It's been a while (my son is in the last year of his contract), but I would encourage your son to get a driver's license. My son had a permit, but not a DL when he went into the Navy. It was however, understood that each sailor needed transportation while in proto. My son got his DL when he came home on leave between PS and prototype. His buddy was assigned to Ballston Spa for proto, so he bought his truck. His buddy had bought it when they were in A school.
I think there is quite a learning curve when they are in proto - professionally and personally. They have to step up and do a lot of adulting. The Navy does not house them or feed them during this time frame (they do receive BAH and $ for food - those initials escape me). There is no guarantee that those he lives with will have the same schedule or even same boat assignment. While I am sure that his shipmates would help out, the schedule is grueling. It is not really fair to expect others to provide a ride daily. With regards to the recruiter knowing that he did not have a DL, unless he was a nuc, he probably has limited info on the particulars of the pipeline.
Good luck to you and your son. The pipeline is quite the ride!
Thank you! The recruiter did encourage my son (as did I, even paid for driving lessons like 2 years ago) to get his. When it came time to renew right before he left, he chose not to. I told him he would need it, but we were not aware of how exactly the pipeline worked. When I see him for PIR, we will talk about it. Not sure what he is going to do. He will have to adult quickly here. I will do what I can. Thank you ladies.
3B'smom - HI!! It is so good to hear from you!! Thanks for chiming in. As my son was on the other end of having to help his buddy out, when he could, it can make it difficult for the other roommates. I am glad you mentioned the fact that they have to provide their own food at the time.
MyKidsMom - Do you know if things had changed with regards to eating area or something at Prototype? I know my son said that something had closed, so we helped him buy a lunch bag and some containers as well as ice packs, because he had to not only fix his food for when he was not at school, but also while he was at school, and then not too far into Prototype, he accidently left his lunch bag and lost it.
He also accidently dropped his CAC card and it fell in behind some shoes by the door or something - it was actually his wallet, because for about a couple of days or so, I was having issues with the post office delivering his mail correctly - then having to help replace his driver's license. NFCU froze his account and his debit card, as well as dealing with his CAC card - Needless to say, he managed to find it accidently - and he had searched everywhere he could think of - That was a major big thing for both him and I! So, Yes, they "Adult" fast!
MomofJoseph - thanks for sharing your son's experience as well.
JNMnavymomOH - So, did you son originally have a driver's license? If so, he could still renew it, possibly by mail, unless you are dealing with REAL ID issues. He might have to pay a penalty for letting it lapse, but even that is not something he wants to do. Even if switching to a different state, you need to be able to show you still have a current valid driver's license. To make getting a new one in the new state a lot easier to do than if you have an expired license. Of course, you probably know this but convincing our kids is a different story, sometimes.
JNMnavymomOH - the drivers license is definitely needed for prototype and if he were to end up in Norfolk he will for sure need a car. Naval Station Norfolk is the world's largest naval station!
He only had his Temps here. They were due to expire before he left and he decided to just get an ID at that point. He does not have the REAL ID, which is what I wanted. I think it was his way of making an "adult" decision even though I tried to tell him otherwise. It seems we both will have a huge learning curve for this. I just hope that I can be of some help to him.
JNMnavymomOH - There's a line in The Office that my husband and I repeat often in regards to our kids: "How do you tell someone you love - I TOLD YOU SO." LOL. It is so hard when they don't listen and then they suffer the consequences of not listening. I'll be praying for him to find time to get his license. Hugs!
JNMnavymomOH - Depending on which Nuke rate he is assigned, MM, EM or ET, will dictate how long his A school is, then his T-Track may or may not be short. That is the transition time between A school and Power School while they wait for the new classes to have enough of the sailors graduate to "class up". Then I am getting rusty here, but I think PS is about 6 months, so he could have almost a year before needing a car and his license to drive to Prototype. During T-track, they will be standing watches, on various shift changes around NNPTC, so their time is not necessarily their own either.
The best you can do, is to just be the listening ear, and the gopher if you have to head to your DMV for something or other, or mail records of his completed driving courses. Search online for driver manuals for the state. Like MomofJoseph said, we can't tell them, "I told you so", we just have to smile through the phone and be available to help as we are able, but also let them take the responsibility for their decisions. THAT is what I find to be one of the hardest lessons I as Mom have had to learn, and I have 5 to practice on. I am still not sure that I have achieved that goal yet, myself!!
Prototype isn't that far from NNPTC, just down the end of Red Bank Rd. When my son was there, he shared a house rental up in Summerville with 3 other sailors. One of them didn't have a driver's license and either rode with one of the others or bicycled. Kind of a long way on a bicycle, especially in the summer, but no hills, he was young, and an avid cyclist.
When my son was in Prototype, there were several apartments in Bryant at Summerville that had nukes, but I'm not sure how many live there now. It's convenient to the highway and within walking distance of a Walmart. We drove our old truck to him to use when he was there and he ended up driving others when their shifts lined up.
As to eating when on duty for prototype, he always had a stash of beef jerky handy just in case he was extra hungry or didn't have time for anything else.
My biggest concern for my son was always coming off of the night shift and driving home around 7 AM, trying to stay awake, despite the fact that he shared an apartment with 2 others (one who did not have a DL) that was one of the closest apartment complexes to Prototype.
My son will be starting Prototype sometime in the near future. He is currently on hold, along with a bunch of others, waiting for the next course opening. Does anyone have any recommendations on what this group should do during this time?
He should be enjoying this time off! Go see some sites and enjoy what he can do within the limits they set.
On a side note....ALWAYS keep your phone with you when your sailor is deployed because when they're back you'll get that call! :) Mine is back and I'm smiling from ear to ear!
Please be sure to read the ***NEW MEMBERS*** info at the top of the page. Lots of good info there. Also take a look at the Pages (20) to the right under the member profiles - be sure to hit "view all". And the discussion forum above has some good info too - be sure to read Chipmunks "Nuke A School Daily Schedule". And of course, feel free to ask any questions you may have.
Good Morning all! Well the youngest and his fiance found the venue for their wedding and picked a date. But it's not until 3/22/2024! Good grief that seems so far away. I'm sure it will be here before we know it, but right now it's 590 days away lol!
Good Morning NonnaB - I hope things are going well for you.
B'sNukeMom - thanks for bringing us little rays of sunshine!!
I have been super busy, and I have another deadline this morning, but I finally had a nice long conversation with my sailor and DIL last weekend. I have information to share on what to do while waiting for Prototype to start but just have not had a chance to post it here yet.
I know we have several Nuke Moms who are in the BC Mom group, so looking forward to seeing new names and faces on this page as they come to say Hi!
How are all of my friends doing? Be sure to send me an update on your sailors. I cannot believe it has been almost 5 years since I first found this site and was trying to figure out what to expect for PIR.
Hi all. So far, it seems that my son is making good choices during his on hold time for Prototype. In addition to learning more about the area between duty and time off, he is taking this time to work out and figure out what he would like to make/package for meals. As for the training/educational aspect of Prototype for those sailors while on hold, am curious if there is a strategy to take advantage of this time to learn some of those areas they felt weak on. Are there any recommendations for this?
emilyl - With regards to studying before Prototype this is what my son said. " Honestly no, there's not much of prototype you can study beforehand except maybe some math.
A lot of it is System Knowledge, which is specific to the ship you are on. Most of the point of Prototype is to teach you how to qualify on the Fleet Ship, and because it's required by Congress and the NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) I suppose they could review some Radiation Fundamentals, that's Google-able."
Hi all - Thank you for the input in relation to on holds prior to Prototype! Believed this was probably the case, though wanted to ensure he was not missing out on opportunities such as this. Boy, what an adventure it has been so far. Wishing everyone and their sailors well!
Hello Everyone - gosh, I can't remember the last time I checked in. For some reason, I haven't had any notifications for months and I have been so busy that it just didn't occur to me that I was not receiving any. I will check my settings later, but just wanted to take a quick moment to pop on and say "HELLO" and hope everyone is enjoying summer. Some have started school in places already...
My sailor is into his second deployment now. Since he entered bootcamp in 2017, I truly haven't had much contact or quality conversation with him. After he graduated and left GC he went directly to his boat and has had rare time on land (it seems) with all the underways and deployments.
KayCee - recently, I was reminded that you can also accidently turn off notification in your emails if you click on the wrong link in that feed as well. Or if you click the "stop following" here below the comment wall. Hard to believe yours has been on two deployments and mine has only been on underways for the most part.
3B'smom
JNMnavymomOH - It's been a while (my son is in the last year of his contract), but I would encourage your son to get a driver's license. My son had a permit, but not a DL when he went into the Navy. It was however, understood that each sailor needed transportation while in proto. My son got his DL when he came home on leave between PS and prototype. His buddy was assigned to Ballston Spa for proto, so he bought his truck. His buddy had bought it when they were in A school.
I think there is quite a learning curve when they are in proto - professionally and personally. They have to step up and do a lot of adulting. The Navy does not house them or feed them during this time frame (they do receive BAH and $ for food - those initials escape me). There is no guarantee that those he lives with will have the same schedule or even same boat assignment. While I am sure that his shipmates would help out, the schedule is grueling. It is not really fair to expect others to provide a ride daily. With regards to the recruiter knowing that he did not have a DL, unless he was a nuc, he probably has limited info on the particulars of the pipeline.
Good luck to you and your son. The pipeline is quite the ride!
Jul 31, 2022
JNMnavymomOH
Thank you! The recruiter did encourage my son (as did I, even paid for driving lessons like 2 years ago) to get his. When it came time to renew right before he left, he chose not to. I told him he would need it, but we were not aware of how exactly the pipeline worked. When I see him for PIR, we will talk about it. Not sure what he is going to do. He will have to adult quickly here. I will do what I can. Thank you ladies.
Jul 31, 2022
Chipmunk
3B'smom - HI!! It is so good to hear from you!! Thanks for chiming in. As my son was on the other end of having to help his buddy out, when he could, it can make it difficult for the other roommates. I am glad you mentioned the fact that they have to provide their own food at the time.
MyKidsMom - Do you know if things had changed with regards to eating area or something at Prototype? I know my son said that something had closed, so we helped him buy a lunch bag and some containers as well as ice packs, because he had to not only fix his food for when he was not at school, but also while he was at school, and then not too far into Prototype, he accidently left his lunch bag and lost it.
He also accidently dropped his CAC card and it fell in behind some shoes by the door or something - it was actually his wallet, because for about a couple of days or so, I was having issues with the post office delivering his mail correctly - then having to help replace his driver's license. NFCU froze his account and his debit card, as well as dealing with his CAC card - Needless to say, he managed to find it accidently - and he had searched everywhere he could think of - That was a major big thing for both him and I! So, Yes, they "Adult" fast!
MomofJoseph - thanks for sharing your son's experience as well.
JNMnavymomOH - So, did you son originally have a driver's license? If so, he could still renew it, possibly by mail, unless you are dealing with REAL ID issues. He might have to pay a penalty for letting it lapse, but even that is not something he wants to do. Even if switching to a different state, you need to be able to show you still have a current valid driver's license. To make getting a new one in the new state a lot easier to do than if you have an expired license. Of course, you probably know this but convincing our kids is a different story, sometimes.
Aug 1, 2022
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Aug 1, 2022
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
JNMnavymomOH - the drivers license is definitely needed for prototype and if he were to end up in Norfolk he will for sure need a car. Naval Station Norfolk is the world's largest naval station!
Aug 1, 2022
JNMnavymomOH
He only had his Temps here. They were due to expire before he left and he decided to just get an ID at that point. He does not have the REAL ID, which is what I wanted. I think it was his way of making an "adult" decision even though I tried to tell him otherwise. It seems we both will have a huge learning curve for this. I just hope that I can be of some help to him.
Aug 1, 2022
MomofJoseph
JNMnavymomOH - There's a line in The Office that my husband and I repeat often in regards to our kids: "How do you tell someone you love - I TOLD YOU SO." LOL. It is so hard when they don't listen and then they suffer the consequences of not listening. I'll be praying for him to find time to get his license. Hugs!
Aug 2, 2022
Chipmunk
MomofJoseph - I love it!!
JNMnavymomOH - Depending on which Nuke rate he is assigned, MM, EM or ET, will dictate how long his A school is, then his T-Track may or may not be short. That is the transition time between A school and Power School while they wait for the new classes to have enough of the sailors graduate to "class up". Then I am getting rusty here, but I think PS is about 6 months, so he could have almost a year before needing a car and his license to drive to Prototype. During T-track, they will be standing watches, on various shift changes around NNPTC, so their time is not necessarily their own either.
The best you can do, is to just be the listening ear, and the gopher if you have to head to your DMV for something or other, or mail records of his completed driving courses. Search online for driver manuals for the state. Like MomofJoseph said, we can't tell them, "I told you so", we just have to smile through the phone and be available to help as we are able, but also let them take the responsibility for their decisions. THAT is what I find to be one of the hardest lessons I as Mom have had to learn, and I have 5 to practice on. I am still not sure that I have achieved that goal yet, myself!!
Aug 2, 2022
Chipmunk
NNPTC = Naval Nuclear Power Training Command (navy.mil)
Aug 2, 2022
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Aug 2, 2022
WearsLargeHats
Prototype isn't that far from NNPTC, just down the end of Red Bank Rd. When my son was there, he shared a house rental up in Summerville with 3 other sailors. One of them didn't have a driver's license and either rode with one of the others or bicycled. Kind of a long way on a bicycle, especially in the summer, but no hills, he was young, and an avid cyclist.
Aug 2, 2022
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Aug 3, 2022
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Aug 4, 2022
sunflower
When my son was in Prototype, there were several apartments in Bryant at Summerville that had nukes, but I'm not sure how many live there now. It's convenient to the highway and within walking distance of a Walmart. We drove our old truck to him to use when he was there and he ended up driving others when their shifts lined up.
As to eating when on duty for prototype, he always had a stash of beef jerky handy just in case he was extra hungry or didn't have time for anything else.
Aug 4, 2022
Chipmunk
My biggest concern for my son was always coming off of the night shift and driving home around 7 AM, trying to stay awake, despite the fact that he shared an apartment with 2 others (one who did not have a DL) that was one of the closest apartment complexes to Prototype.
Aug 4, 2022
emilyl
My son will be starting Prototype sometime in the near future. He is currently on hold, along with a bunch of others, waiting for the next course opening. Does anyone have any recommendations on what this group should do during this time?
Aug 5, 2022
CSW
emilyl
He should be enjoying this time off! Go see some sites and enjoy what he can do within the limits they set.
On a side note....ALWAYS keep your phone with you when your sailor is deployed because when they're back you'll get that call! :) Mine is back and I'm smiling from ear to ear!
Aug 5, 2022
Chipmunk
CSW - That is a good point about taking time to see some sites!
WooHoo on the phone call!!
Aug 5, 2022
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Welcome to our newest member ~ Emilyl!
Please be sure to read the ***NEW MEMBERS*** info at the top of the page. Lots of good info there. Also take a look at the Pages (20) to the right under the member profiles - be sure to hit "view all". And the discussion forum above has some good info too - be sure to read Chipmunks "Nuke A School Daily Schedule". And of course, feel free to ask any questions you may have.
Aug 6, 2022
Chipmunk
Emilyl - I was hoping to ask my sailor for his ideas, but he is currently unavailable.
Aug 6, 2022
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Aug 8, 2022
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Aug 9, 2022
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Aug 10, 2022
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Good Morning all! Well the youngest and his fiance found the venue for their wedding and picked a date. But it's not until 3/22/2024! Good grief that seems so far away. I'm sure it will be here before we know it, but right now it's 590 days away lol!
Aug 10, 2022
Chipmunk
All the best to them!!!
Aug 10, 2022
CanukaVet
Happy Homecoming USS Abraham Lincoln. Tuesday are still pushing it into the docks.
Aug 11, 2022
CanukaVet
Oops... tugs are doing the work, not Tuesday.
Aug 11, 2022
Chipmunk
LOL!!!
Aug 11, 2022
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Welcome Home USS Lincoln! Nice article on their return:
Families Greet USS Lincoln
Aug 11, 2022
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Aug 12, 2022
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Great article regarding Navy Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt:
1st Woman to command aircraft carrier recounts mission
Aug 12, 2022
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Aug 15, 2022
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Aug 16, 2022
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Aug 17, 2022
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Aug 18, 2022
NonnaB
B'sNukeMom, thank you for all the daily affirmations. I always look forward to them
Aug 18, 2022
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Awe NonnaB - thanks! Just trying to spread a little sunshine lol!
Aug 18, 2022
Chipmunk
Good Morning NonnaB - I hope things are going well for you.
B'sNukeMom - thanks for bringing us little rays of sunshine!!
I have been super busy, and I have another deadline this morning, but I finally had a nice long conversation with my sailor and DIL last weekend. I have information to share on what to do while waiting for Prototype to start but just have not had a chance to post it here yet.
I know we have several Nuke Moms who are in the BC Mom group, so looking forward to seeing new names and faces on this page as they come to say Hi!
How are all of my friends doing? Be sure to send me an update on your sailors. I cannot believe it has been almost 5 years since I first found this site and was trying to figure out what to expect for PIR.
Aug 19, 2022
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Aug 19, 2022
emilyl
Hi all. So far, it seems that my son is making good choices during his on hold time for Prototype. In addition to learning more about the area between duty and time off, he is taking this time to work out and figure out what he would like to make/package for meals. As for the training/educational aspect of Prototype for those sailors while on hold, am curious if there is a strategy to take advantage of this time to learn some of those areas they felt weak on. Are there any recommendations for this?
Aug 19, 2022
Chipmunk
emilyl - I put in a request to my son for some information, I will see if he is able to share anything or not.
Aug 19, 2022
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
emilyl - here's a discussion from a former nuke regarding prototype (he did proto in NY but it's still basically the same process):
Nuke School - Prototype
Aug 19, 2022
Chipmunk
emilyl - With regards to studying before Prototype this is what my son said. " Honestly no, there's not much of prototype you can study beforehand except maybe some math.
Most of the point of Prototype is to teach you how to qualify on the Fleet Ship, and because it's required by Congress and the NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission)
I suppose they could review some Radiation Fundamentals, that's Google-able."
Aug 21, 2022
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Aug 22, 2022
B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)
Hi all - Happy Monday! Today is my youngest's 28th birthday! Gahhhh....how did that happen lol!
Aug 22, 2022
Pizanche
B'sNukeMom - happy birthday to your Baby
Aug 22, 2022
emilyl
Hi all - Thank you for the input in relation to on holds prior to Prototype! Believed this was probably the case, though wanted to ensure he was not missing out on opportunities such as this. Boy, what an adventure it has been so far. Wishing everyone and their sailors well!
Aug 22, 2022
KayCee
Hello Everyone - gosh, I can't remember the last time I checked in. For some reason, I haven't had any notifications for months and I have been so busy that it just didn't occur to me that I was not receiving any. I will check my settings later, but just wanted to take a quick moment to pop on and say "HELLO" and hope everyone is enjoying summer. Some have started school in places already...
My sailor is into his second deployment now. Since he entered bootcamp in 2017, I truly haven't had much contact or quality conversation with him. After he graduated and left GC he went directly to his boat and has had rare time on land (it seems) with all the underways and deployments.
Happy Birthday to your youngest B'sNukeMom!
Aug 22, 2022
Chipmunk
Happy Birthday to your youngest, B'sNukeMom!!
KayCee - recently, I was reminded that you can also accidently turn off notification in your emails if you click on the wrong link in that feed as well. Or if you click the "stop following" here below the comment wall. Hard to believe yours has been on two deployments and mine has only been on underways for the most part.
Aug 22, 2022
NonnaB
B'sNuke, Happy Birthday to your youngest. My baby is 31, so I know what you mean.
Aug 22, 2022