NUKE moms

AZ_RACCOON - yes, there are 3 graduations and they are very different!  The A school graduation is small and intimate.  The Power School graduation is HUGE and amazing.  The Prototype graduation is mid-size and is held on the Yorktown.  All three are excellent!!!

momc - I loved your update.  My son said that his class would be the first to graduate from Ballston, but that obviously didn't happen :-)

MomofJoseph -Thanks for letting me know! I don't know if I'll be able to attend all three since I am in AZ, but that's good to know! 

MomofJoseph - I'm guessing your son meant the "first to graduate" from Ballston Spa in recent time.  B graduated from Ballston back in 2015.

Hello All -- We all have similar, but not exactly the same experiences through the Nuke Pipeline. As Chipmunk said "timing is everything".

My son finished BC on Friday (late June) and was on a plane to GC early the next morning. We had him all day Friday until 8 pm then went, very early a.m., to the airport to deliver the things he could not have on base...computer, cell phone, a few civilian clothes, etc. A few weeks later I sent another box but he preferred to get what he needed himself.

He classed up (ETN) about three weeks later. He signed up for ETN when he enlisted, final assignments are made during BC...based on the "needs of the Navy".

My husband & I drove his car from California to GC, timing our arrival for the day before Thanksgiving. So, he had a long liberty with us at the hotel. By Sunday noon, he was ready to get back to studying. Then, he flew home for the holidays for about a week); in late January, we flew A-school graduation. He was glad to see us but also wanted to spend time chillaxing with his buddies. He did not get leave at this time, being so close after the holidays. We saw him 3 times in 6 weeks but wouldn't see him again for over 13 months.

T-track, between A-school & Power School varies from 1-7 weeks or longer. PS starts about every 8 weeks; limited by available classrooms. Because there was a PS grad the same day he had to wait 7 weeks; with a car, he enjoyed exploring on & off-base.  Those behind him weren't as lucky because the base soon locked down for COVID. PS graduation was held without guests; we did see a video & photos. 

Prototype started about a week later, again, no leave due to COVID. Prototype is more or less a self-paced series of check-offs, depending on motivation & staff availability. The target completion is 6 months (graduation date). Again, no holiday leave due to the lockdown. Also, COVID was going around the students & staff so most of the class did not finish by the target date. There was no graduation ceremony anyway. At this point, nukes are getting their final assignments and leaving at staggered times, as needed by the Navy.

He had about a week for paperwork before detaching for a slow, solo cross-country drive. He added on some of the banked leave so ended up with over six weeks before reporting to his ship (exactly 2 years after leaving for BC).

He has spent the last 4 years being homeported in his home town so, except for 3 deployments, lived with us. This gave me a big insight into what happens when ships are not sailing. It is much like a regular week-day job with periodic duty days (24 hours onboard).

He is now detaching from the Navy and has moved into his own place. As someone else said, he didn't hate it but didn't enjoy it either. He was older when he enlisted so he is ready to get on with life. (Enlisted nukes are pretty much stuck in the fleet-shore duty is primarily as an instructor or recruiter). He also wasn't fond of the chain of command structure--he, like me, prefers to be the worker bee rather than supervisor.

Regarding re-enlistment: there will be tremendous pressure. For my son, this started about the 2 year mark however, I believe it starts even earlier now. In GC, he was advised to wait until he was in the fleet to decide, he was glad that he waited.

Lastly: Alcohol: As I said, my son was mid-twenties when he enlisted so the newness/mystery of drinking was long past. He would have a beer occasionally. At GC, the nuke schools are dry but there are clubs on the base where those 21+ can imbibe. However, the rules are very strict...if alcohol is found where an under 21 is present, everyone gets in trouble. His first roommate was under 21 (assigned alphabetically) so when they went out together, my son could not have a drink on the table. He made sure that all his prototype roommates were over 21.

BNMH's to everyone.

Hi Canuka - Thanks for the update!! Congratulations to your son. 

And you brought up a good point about the alcohol!! 

My son was under 21 when he got to NUKE school and did not celebrate his 21st b'day until after he was sent to the fleet. I used to be concerned about him not going out with more of his "friends", but later when I had a chance to speak to him, I found out that he did not want to have to be put into any sort of "mandatory" reporting of anyone w/ regards to alcohol, or for there to be anything misconstrued. So, he usually stuck to NNPTC, he would call home, Skype with is brother and ride his bicycle by himself or help his classmates who had difficulties with keeping up their run time, practice on the weekends, besides studying.

And yes, they still do a lot more PT at Nuke School!! 

COVID - That was difficult all around for everyone, no graduations, no trips home and not family traveling to our sailors!!

Power School graduation is held outside - UNLESS, it is raining as in my son's case. So, it was held inside and we were split between two graduations that morning, all with last minute instructions, that my son wasn't even sure of and people standing outside the building selling goodies but in uniforms that look like they might know what was going on, but didn't - so remember to talk to your sailor and get information from them as best as possible, but if they don't know - BE PATIENT - Semper Gumby never ends - you still stretch after BC!! 

Canuka - thank you for the update!  I didn't know any of that about the craziness of covid (since my son went to BC fall 2021).  I love that your son got to live with you - that is AMAZING!!!

B'sNukeMoM - yes, I meant that he was told he would be the "first to graduate" once it reopened.  But he did tell me that they tell every class that, so he wasn't surprised when he did prototype at GC.  (And we were thrilled because GC is closer to us than NY!)  :-)

Chipmunk-yes it rains on graduations in GC. Our A-school grad was the same day as a big PS grad, just a bit earlier (7:30 vs. 9 am). We met our son really early at the mini-Nex so he could help get us through the gate (with the same pre-submitted info). We got a close in parking spot but it soon filled up. Our ceremony was inside but the corridors were packed with early PS attendees trying to get out of the rain. As soon as he changed, we got out of there. We flew out on Monday, seeing him off & on over the weekend. We did have a nice day trip to Savannah, without him, should have done an overnight. Since he was relaxing for the first time in weeks, he wanted spend time with his friends too.

Where are the potential locations for Prototype? And are A School and Power School both in South Carolina?

A School and Power School are both at Goose Creek in SC.  Prototype is also currently at GC.  But it's rumored that eventually Prototype will be in NY (and I don't know if they'll keep some Prototype students at GC).  But when my son started A School (Jan 2021), they told his class that they would be the first class to graduate after Ballston, NY reopens, but obviously that didn't happen. :-)  I have no idea what the timeline is for the move to NY.  (Maybe some of the other moms might know.)

Here's some info on the MARF Defueling in Ballston Spa.  It's been shut down as a training facility for quite some time but it looks like it's getting closer to re-opening.  My son graduated prototype from there back in January 2015.

MARF - Defueling

val - good to hear that it's going to be active again soon!  B really liked it there in NY.  He requested prototype there and was happy he got it!  I believe he said at the time (2014) they were sending more single sailors there because it was cheaper than relocating a whole family...either way it worked out for him!

This was at Prototype graduation - January 2015, Ballston Spa, NY.

B'sNukeMom - I love the pictures too!!

Crazy that it was 10 years ago!  How time flies ;-D

Great pictures!!!

val - Do you know if there is housing in NY?  A week doesn't seem long enough if they have to find housing!

MomofJoseph - they have to find their own housing in NY.  Same as prototype in GC....my son lived in the "Winners Circle" apartments.  Super nice - at least at the time.  It was B and 2 of his good buddies in a nice 3 bedroom place.  There were quite a few of his friends that all lived in the same complex.

B'sNukeMoM - When your son lived in those apartments what type of transportation did he use? My daughter doesn't drive or have a vehicle. My dummy self thought that she would be living on base during A school, power school, and prototype. I figured that would be her housing situation up until deployment! 

AZ_RACCOON - Your daughter will need to live off base for her Prototype training. And most of the Sailors have their own transportation to and from the Prototype location. I am surprised that her recruiter did not insist on the fact that she needed to have her driver's license. But not all recruiters are aware of the circumstances with Nuke school. 

My son's roommate did not have a car, and I think he was working on getting a driver's license. It was difficult for him to get rides and he and my son were not always on the same rotation cycle. They start learning how to stand watch times with when they go in for training at Prototype. Also, my son was still a fairly new driver himself. He had a bicycle for almost the first year he was at GC and so did not get a car (from his sister, till we drove it out to him), and so he had to refresh his memory even though he had a DL. But as a young, male driver, I would not let him take his roommate out to get any driving practice in for his driver's license.

Any of you who have had sailors at GC more recently with any updated information on transportation please reply. I recall there being a bus at NNPTC at times, but that still did not always work with my son's schedule. 

Dang, well that sucks, now I feel like a terrible mother. I wonder if she will have time to obtain one before then. Hopefully there will at least be some type of public transportation. She figured she wouldn't have to worry about having a car for years even. Geez, being a noob at this sucks.

We shipped our son his car at the end of power school because we knew he would be leaving for NY.  Like Chipmunk said, I'm surprised her recruiter didn't tell her she would need a car during prototype.  Everyone lives off base then (although there is some base housing in GC but it's normally reserved for families).  I don't think there was any type of public transport in NY - and their hours are all over the place. 

They work crazy shifts:

Swing - 11:30am-11:30pm

Mids 7pm-7am

Days 7am-7pm

And the shifts constantly rotate....I believe every so many days (weeks?) they would then have 4 days in a row off. It's not a fun schedule - but good thing they are young!

And if she ends up stationed in Norfolk she will definitely need a car.  Norfolk Naval Base is "the largest naval complex in the world".

Yeah, the recruiter didn't say anything, sigh. Now I am super stressed, poor kiddo.

For prototype,  I believe my son said that they try to assign roommates to the same watch shifts so they don't have 3 or 4 vehicles coming from the same place. BUT, that is not guaranteed. Best for each person to have their own transportation. 

Also, a vehicle is almost a must in the fleet too. Many base areas,, especially Norfolk & San Diego, don't have good public transportation systems. Also, ships/boats are in homeport more than they are deployed. It depends on timing, when they report vs. boat/ship's movement. When home, it is like a regular work week with evenings and weekends off, except for 24 hour duty days. So, there is time to get away for short times. Being stuck on the boat//ship will get old, fast.

AZ_RACCOON - First of all, you are NOT a terrible mother!  You are an amazing, concerned, caring mother!

Second, your daughter has time to get a DL and a car.  It will be AT LEAST a year after PIR before she goes to Prototype.  There's not much free time during A School and Power School, but there are breaks before and after each school, so she can get her license and get a car during those times.

Third, when my son was in Prototype (2023), they assigned roommates to the same shifts so that they could carpool. In practice, though, once both of his roommates had cars, my son often chose to drive separately so that he could stay later without inconveniencing his roommates.

Thanks for the help ladies!

How soon will my SR know if she will get ETN, EMN, or MMN? She has her PIR on May 8th.

Happy 1st Day of Spring!

AZ_RACCOON - I think my son found out about 6 weeks into BC what his Nuke rate was going to be. 

And You are NOT a terrible mother!! And you are not the first one to get on here and ask about cars and driving and such. I just wish the recruiters would have more of a clue about the Nuke Program and the logistics of the housing. But Canuka is correct, even sailors without a Nuke rate find out when they get to their duty station, such as Norfolk & SD that a personal vehicle is almost a must.

AZ_RACCOON - My son also found out about six weeks into BC.  They had to pick their choices in order of his Nuke Rate they wanted.  MMN, EMN, ETM.  He is now EMN and about to graduate A school.  The final decision is where they need the Sailors.  

When my son arrived to A school after BC he just took Uber with his friends when they needed to go somewhere!  We finally shipped his Jeep to GC from WA state.  

I am still new to all of this.  Everyone here has helped us!! 

AZ_RACCOON - One more thing none of his friends from BC had cars.  They were all planning to get cars when needed when they got to A school in GC and before Prototype.

Ditto!! My son was in prototype in 2022. His roommates all had cars he did not. Never had a transportation problem. They all worked the same shift. He did apply to be a prototype instructor following graduating the new program. That process started a few months before he was done and there was a deadline to get a car at that point. His application would not be accepted until he had his own transportation. He bought an old car while he was waiting to get a Ford maverick which was hard to find at the time (and $5000 over MSRP if you could find it). He never did get that Ford maverick. Right before he was scheduled to move to his first duty station last year, he did buy a nicer car and sold the beater. The Navy paid to ship his vehicle to his duty station in Hawaii.

I might add that he paid cash for his new car so it was easy to transport it to his new duty station. IF he had a loan or lease, there would’ve been an approval needed from the lien holder and lot more paperwork to move the car to Hawaii, I don’t know if it would’ve been approved or not.

B'sNukeMom - Thanks for posting the shift schedule! I couldn't recall the exact times or names. Those crazy shift schedules stay with them through the fleet and shore duty. I think my DIL has had a worse time of crazy shifts on shore duty than she did in the fleet. (She is not a Nuke). But while on the ship my Nuke son had a hard watch, because they don't have as large a pool of sailors to pull from like some of the other rates do. 

The shift changes are some of the hardest things they have both dealt with, being in the Navy. 

Reserves on the other hand, has been a good option for my son now that he is out. 

You ladies have all been so helpful, thank you so much!! I think the one that my daughter is hoping for the most in MMN, but she understands that you get what you get.

AZ_RACCOON - That’s the spirit!

FYI: The housing situation, looking way forward. The contract your sailor signed says that the Navy will provide her with a bed, one bed; where & type is up to the Navy.

At GC, this is a barracks room for A school and PS. Since there are no berthing facilities at prototype, the Navy provides housing allowance or extra pay to partially cover off-base housing. This is a big exception to normal allowances which don't kick in until the sailor reaches higher ranks or time in rank. At GC, my son rented a new 4 bedroom house in Moncks Corner with 3 others. The total rent was around $2200 a month and they each got $1700 a month so they banked some extra cash.

The fleet situation varies greatly by boat/ship and home port area. The contract bed is obviously on the boat/ship and even then, may be shared (hot racking, especially on subs). While in port, sailors will live full time on the boat/ship unless they qualify for an on-base barracks room (subject to availability) or housing allowance (which varies by rank and city). Otherwise, they have to pay the full cost of an apartment out of their own pocket (many home ports are very high cost of living). 

So the lower ranks, even E-4 nukes, are stuck on the ship/boat full-time. Depending on timing of the vessel's operational movements, this could be months to over a year. Availability of on base rooms depends on the base and the number of ships home at the same time. Here in SD, we have 3 homeported carriers and all three are often here at the same time. It is up to the ship to decide who gets the allocated rooms. I don't know how cramped the Pt. Loma sub base is. Other non-carriers or subs tie up at SD Naval Base which has several bachelor quarter buildings, but many schools and shore based commands in addition to the ships. All these bases are huge and not always convenient to local amenities or public transportation.

The above is only for single sailors. This is all different for sailors with dependents. There are many military housing sites in SD, but some are quite a commute from specific bases.

Bottom line, a personal vehicle is a very good idea. There are storage options while long-term deployed.

I know this is down the road for your sailor but we mom's like to know what is coming for our babies even if they are too busy or don't care right now.

Good luck to all.

Canuka - Thank you very much for all of the housing and other information.  It is very helpful and we appreciate it!!

Have a good weekend everyone!