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  • Alicia(12/053 - AO)♥

    Jessica B, thank you so much for sharing all of that info! Most of those things I never really even thought about getting my son into the habbit of doing now so it's easier for him later.  I appreciate your advice!!
  • Momof3

    Arwen and Wm in Nashua Thanks for all the info, it really helps. What happpens to the sailors who don't make it through the nuke program? Do they get reassigned to any open job or is it called rating? I am trying to learn all the ins and outs of the Navy Lingo, so sorry if I'm using the incorrect trems.

     

  • William in Nashua

     

    Momof3 the recruits from my son's division I was talking about were recruits, not even sailors yet.  During boot camp 42 percent of them were dropped.  Some were reassigned to other ratings during boot camp.  Some were sent back in boot camp to repeat part of it.  Some were discharged and sent home, they never became sailors.    I do know that the nukes got twice as many shots as the rest of their division and had more medical tests.  They also get more medical exams at Goose Creek.  Some medical conditions they might find let you stay in the Navy (but not as a nuke) and some wind up with a medical discharge.  It is hard to say because once they graduate boot camp they do not see those people any more so who knows the outcome.

     

    A rating is what they earn by graduating A school.   Nukes earn the rating ET, EM or MM depending on which school the Navy told them to attend.  The nuclear contract only guarantees you a seat in nuclear A school.  After the first day the Navy met its obligation, now it is up to you to earn your spot daily.

     

    During the first week of nuclear A school in Goose Creek, SC, which is called  Indoctrination, all the new students were ordered to witness a Captain's Mast held against six students who were further along in the pipeline.  He thinks they were all kicked out of the Navy.  They have Captain's Mast just about every week (they only make the kids witness it once).  People are being kicked out every week mostly for underage drinking, or seeing underage drinking but not reporting it, or other dereliction of duty.

     

    If you fail A school for any reason you get denuked and drop in rank to a E-1 or E2.   They might keep you in the Navy. For a disciplinary punishment, they get discharged, or denuked. If they get a second chance they are usually stripped of rank back to E-1 if in A school,  and lose all their enlistment bonus, and lost pay also, and are restricted to a "military division" where they lose all privileges.   They might have to repeat A school or nuke school.  But they keep their clearance and are not denuked.  As bad as this sounds, that is far from the worst punishment.

     

    If you pass A school then you are rated ET, EM or MM and that stays with you even if you are later dropped from the nuclear program.

     

    For students who passed A school and have their rating, if they fail power school for purely academic reasons (and can prove they were giving their 100% best the whole time) they are denuked and given another job in the Navy.   Failing tests for lack of trying is considered  dereliction of duty.  If they get denuked for dereliction of duty or misbehaving they can wind up scraping paint off a ship's hull in the hot sun for the rest of the six years.    For the ones who passed A school and tried their best but could not hack it in power school or prototype, they do try to give them good jobs elsewhere in the Navy.

     

    The nuclear program is not like SEAL training where you can just "give up" during Buds and ring the bell three times, and quit.  Nukes once they volunteer for the nuclear field, cannot leave the program due to lack of volunteering.  The only way to leave is to fail, i.e. to be kicked out of the program by the Navy.

     

     

     

  • Arwen

    Actually, those who are denuked are sent to the fleet to scrape paint, they do eventually get to go to another school.  After one year, sailors sent to the fleet without a job are given the option of going to another school for which they qualify (ASVAB scores, etc). If they work hard enough to earn a recommendation, they can get into other tech ratings, such as IT, CT, or OS.

     

    If they continue to show the behavior that got them kicked out of school, they either get kicked out of the Navy, or simply finish their days in the Navy as an E-3. . Those who do okay can take the E-4 exam for BM, GM, or another rating that doesn't require an A school. Many eventually become E-4, E-5, etc, and do well in other parts of the Navy.  So they're not a Nuke, but there are other paths in the Navy. Jobs with less stress and more oporotunity to do something other than carriers and subs.

  • Carol Aileen

    Hi  - just cruising through - saw some of the posts on the Nuke program and thought I'd jump in :)  My son made it most of the way through the nuke pipeline, he was selected for the Sta-21 enlisted to officer program so is now waiting to start college.   one thing I wanted to comment on is

    "Those 20 percent of Nuke student sailors who pass through the program are the type who, in high school. learned it the first time and didn't need to do any studying to get As, but did the homework anyway. They have both qualities: hard work and natural talent"

    I will disagree with this  - in my conversations with other nuke moms and in conversations with my son - we noticed a common theme.... a lot of nukes were underachievers in highschool - lazy in doing the homework, doing enough to slide by with B's and maybe a few A's but causing parents headaches because we knew that they could do better....  The Navy shaped them up.   My Son told me it was a good thing that he did not go to college right away - he was not ready and it would have been a waste of time and money.  He is ready for it now - the Nuke program prepared him well!

    As far as drop out rate - I think that 80% is extremely high - maybe 20% -30% - they do everything possible to help our Sailors be successful.   Now with this said, those that I know that did not make it are very successful in their new rating elsewhere.  They are smart kids!

    The Nuke Moms group is very active and is a good place to ask questions - stop on by :)

  • Alicia(12/053 - AO)♥

    @calbrans mommy, oh no! I hope and pray my son doesn't do that! I don't know how I would handle him leaving earlier than planned!
  • Arwen

    My son dropped out of college in May, then signed in August for an April ship date. He requested a move-up in October and was given a date in February. Then in late November they called to offer December 16. He jumped on it.

     

    Really, it was a relief to all of us, because for all those months he was stuck in limbo. He couldn't take a job because he was leaving in just a few months (no one would hire and train him just to turn around and have to hire someone else), and he had nothing to do all day. It was a very rough few months, he couldn't go forward with his life.

     

    Once the date got closer, and there were actual things to do for him to go (get paperwork done such as power of attorney, bank stuff, updating his ID, etc) those last few weeks went fairly quickly.

  • Navy Mom x3

    @Arwen, thanK you so much! I was starting to think I was crazy for wanting my son to get called up early. He is still in highschool and very busy. Football, wrestling, track, trap, FFA, Mentoring... He is going to be so bored when that all ends and that leads to trouble.

    It's hard enough keeping him out of mischief (he took his 78 Toyota pickup 4 wheeling and got stuck, then got our Ford dually and a Dodge stuck trying to get them out. He dug them out with shovels and our thought was that his Toyota had no business on the trails.)

    He has a job but it will still only be 3 nights a week... Still too much idle time. I don't wast him to leave right after graduation (Trap Shooting State competition is in June and Nationals are in Vegas in July) but after that, his little brother will be back at school and Sam will be looking for something to do.
  • monkeymind

    Please Help! I'm hearing different stories about this and knew my N4M's would know the correct answer. I was told I could set up an account for my son through the Navy Federal Credit Union before he leaves. I called them and they said "no" you have to wait until he's in BC. Now, My son is not yet 18 and it says on the online application that it is for '18 and older'. Several moms have told me their sons signed up before. We do not have a sponsor or any family member in the military to make him eligible now. Does anyone have experience with this, has your son signed up for Navy Federal?
  • William in Nashua

    My son who was 20 at the time opened a Navy Fed account while he was in DEP. As soon as they sign that DEP contract he is a E1 in the Navy Reserve. He called up and opened his account by telephone. Then as soon as the account was opened he said "Now I want to sponsor my father for an account." He handed me the phone and I opened an account by speaking to the Navy Fed rep. It was one phone call to open both accounts.

    This happened momths before boot camp. By the time he went to boot camp my son already had his account all set up and brought his ATM card with him. All he had to do at boot camp was set up direct deposit to his existing Navy Fed account.
  • Navy Mom x3

    Do they have to get the account at Navy Fed or will another checking account work?
  • Arwen

    Other checking accounts work, but they encourage Navy Fed because there are branches available all over the world, at Navy bases everywhere. They also provide services to sailors that simply aren't available elsewhere. For example, when the government almost did a shut-down, Navy Fed was planning to advance one paycheck to every sailor who had their paycheck going into NFCU via direct deposit.
  • WandaG

    Monkeymind, that's strange that the Navy Fed told you your son could not sign up until he's in BC cuz my daughter and I happened to be at the recruiter's ofc one day taking care of paperwork and the Navy Fed representatives showed up for the Depper Mtg. My daughter is not officially a depper yet but the recruiters allow her to stay for the mtg's and the NAVY fed signed everybody up including my daughter. My daughter is scheduled to go to MEPS in 2 wks. Maybe it's different in each state?
  • monkeymind

    Wanda- I don't think it could differ for each state since it's federal; I'm wondering if it's because he's under 18. I'll call again next week when I have time and maybe I'll get a different answer.Thanks.
  • WandaG

    Has anyone gone to MEPs with their recruit when they do the final swearing in before they leave for bootcamp? I wasn't sure if I could be there to take pictures when my daughter swears in. I know they will put them in a hotel over night before they take them to the airport the next day. My daughter told me she would like me to be there and maybe we could hang together in the hotel room for a while and maybe have dinner together before she leaves the next day.
  • WandaG

    Thanks Jessica, that's good to know.
  • WandaG

    Thanks LadyHawk for that information. I will definitely keep that in mind. My daughter's recruiter has been great so far.
  • Donna (Christopher's Mom)

    Hi all,

    I guess I will be leaving this group. My son will no longer be a Depper. Tomorrow we take him to the Recruiter and then Wednesday he is off to Boot Camp. God give me strength. I will miss him so much. I just have to keep reminding myself that I will see him in 8-9 weeks.

    Thanks for all the information and support god bless you all and your Deppers.

  • navymommo

    Donna, I wish you peace and hope you enjoy this evening together.   Stay in touch with us here and we will look for you on the boot camp pages.  God Bless!
  • Leslie1200

    Congrats Donna- I can't wait to be in your shoes, knowing my son is going off to his life as a man and a sailor!
  • Navy Mom x3

    Congratulations Donna! I can't wait until I am in your shoes, watching my boy become a man.
  • WandaG

    My daughter just went to the recruiter today and her body fat is down to 32%. I'm so proud of her. She's been working very hard at exercising and eating right. Last year she weighed over 200lbs and now she weighs 172.5. Yesterday she ran 1.5 miles in 14 mins. She and I are also planning to take part in the Weight Watchers 5K run in May. We already run 3 miles in our neighborhood. We keep pushing ourselves to see what else we're capable of doing.

    The recruiter wants her to go to MEPS this Thursday for her physical. She is very excited! The only down fall is that she has to go back to MEPS again next week or the beginning of May to join the NAVY because they already have their quota for enrolling women. We're hoping more slots open up next week or very soon. So she will not be able to select her job till then :o( We were disappointed to hear that.
  • Leslie1200

    Wando, good for your daughter!! That's a lot of hard work. I bet the two of you are very proud!
  • SonandSea

    WandaG~ That is great! Sounds like your daughter is very determined and has you backing her up! That's a good combo! I wish her the best! ♥
  • Leslie1200

    Ooops sorry I meant WANDA!
  • jdmom

    Donna646 Fair Winds and Following Seas...my son is just past the half way point at Great Lakes.  Hang in there the first week is the most difficult but it truly gets easier.  Good Luck to your son!
  • WandaG

    Thanks Leslie and Seadreamstudio. I appreciate the kind words. I'm trying so hard because I really want her to succeed! It would be such a boost to her ego :o) She's had a lot of personal battles in her life and has overcome them. So I just see this as another opportunity to make her a stronger person.

    She and I are planning to order these custom t-shirts to wear for our Weight Watchers 5k run. The t-shirts will say "Redefining Myself 1 Mile at a Time". That's our motto lately; we're redefining ourselves as women and as a person :o) It's a feeling of empowerment. We're taking control of our lives and feeling good about it :o) Thanks again everyone!
  • Donna (Christopher's Mom)

    Thanks all for your support. He just called. He is at the Tampa airport waiting on his flight. It was so good to hear his voice. Now I guess I will sleep with my phone tonight to get the ten second call.

    Wanda - Congrats to your daughter
  • katydids61

    My son went to MEPS today. He is almost a depper! He chose the IT rating and they have to do the background check for the security clearance and then he signs. However, he also asked about aviation jobs because that is what he really likes. They put his name on the list and said they should have something in a week or two if he wants that instead. I hope he chooses wisely. This is only the beginning.
  • WandaG

    Thanks Donna! Congrats to Katydids61.

    My daughter goes to MEPS tomorrow. I have to get up at 3AM!! I hope all goes well. It seems everybody is different. My daughter will not get to pick her rating tomorrow. Our branch already reached their quota for females to join, so we have to wait until the next week or 2 for a spot to open up. Then she'll have to go back to MEPS to select her rating and to be sworn is as a "depper". We thought it was going to be done all in one day but we thought wrong :o( The recruiter said that my daughter will get first dibs on jobs for females in our branch. So I guess that is good news :o)

  • Alicia(12/053 - AO)♥

    @katydids61, that's crazy, my son went to MEPS about 3 weeks ago and chose an IT position. Today he went to the recruitors office and came back talking about trying to get into SWCC or aviation rescue! Good luck to your son! And @WandaG, good luck to your daughter!
  • WandaG

    Thanks Ladybug85730 and good luck to your son as well. I hope he gets what he wants.
  • WandaG

    Thanks MommyHunt, I really appreciate your story about your daughter. Thanks for sharing and for the kind words. CONGRATS on your daughter for passing. I know how stressful that can be. Good for her :o)

    Well my daughter called me about 1 1/2 hours ago and she passed her physical and typing test at MEPS today!!! We are both excited! Her body fat is 28%!!!!! She busted her butt to bring her body fat down and continues to do so. Hooyah!!
  • katydids61

    Good Luck to your daughter WandaG! It is hard to believe they have met their quota for girls. My son said there was only about 5 girls when he went. Let us know how it goes and when she finally gets that job.
  • WandaG

    Thanks Katydids61, I will :o)
    My daughter did say there were no jobs open for guys or girls today. Her recruiter is going to try to get her back to MEPS asap. He wants to shoot for next week or the 1st week in May. He has to check with his superiors and he said he will call ahead to MEPS b4 he takes her there so not to waste her time since she will only be returning to select her rating and to swear in.
  • blackie123

    My daughter leaves May 17th for MC. She had to do a typing test and get at least 20 wpm, LOL. With the way she texts! The only thing is it was on an 1980's electric typewriter and of course she had never used one so they had to explain how it worked. It kept messing up so finally they put her on a computer and she ended up teaching things to the guy at MEPS.
  • WandaG

    MommyHunt- my daughter is 22 yrs old.
    Just like Blackie123, my daughter is going for MC and had to take a typing test on an electric type writer. We asked the recruiter b4 hand if the test would be on a computer. He called MEPs and they said it would be an electric typewriter. So I dug out our old electric typewriter from the basement and bought new ribbon. I had her practice for days. We got a typing drill book from the library and I had a timer for her to use. In the end she scored 40 wpm. My daughter also had to figure out how to put in the paper on their machine and how to align it. It would have been nice if they would have put her on the computer instead. But no biggie, she did it! So many hurdles to jump through. :o)
  • Miamishark

    @WandaG congrats to you little girl.  I'm sure your so proud of her.  My son is an ex-football player, and getting down to the weight has been a struggle for him also.  After all the years of eating all he wants and not gaining weight, it's been tough.  He's already dropped 20 pounds.  His recruiter said he's ready for MEPS and we hope to get hime there May 2.  He's hoping to get into the Medical Field.  He wants an HM rating.  Once again, Congrats.
  • WandaG

    Thanks Miamishark. I am very proud. It's been a struggle. My daughter was over 200 lbs last year! Today she is 172 and her goal is to drop to 160 or below. NAVY requires 160 but she may want to go lower depending how she looks and feels.

    How exciting for you regarding your son. That's an awesome feet for him to have lost 20lbs. I hope he gets into the medical field. I wish him all the best. What does the HM rating stand for?
  • katydids61

    WandaG- Your daughter has worked so hard! We love those proud "mommy moments" that our kids bring for us. I am sure she will be back at MEPS in the next week or two and will have a great job waiting for her. Can't wait to hear in a couple of weeks how things went. Wish her luck!
  • WandaG

    Thanks Katydids61, I appreciate that. I will continue to pray for her. I will be sure to keep this group updated. Thanks again :o)
  • Rexy

     

    I am so excited to make my first official post as a DEPPER mom.  My son finally passed MEPS today.  He has to get clearance for ADHD and then had to make weight.  This was his 3rd trip and today he signed to IS and will leave November 10th.  We are so proud of him and even though it took longer we are so glad he was honest and upfront with it all. 

  • Momof3

    I am also a newcomer, my son is scheduled to leave in Nov 10 also. Boot camp together? Congrats on working everything out in regards to the waiver.
  • Rexy

    Momof3, so exciting that our sons will be going together.  JessicaB, thanks for the link for the group.  I am proud and know I have so much to learn and I am eager to get started. 
  • WandaG

    Congrats Rexy!!! That is wonderful news. Good luck to your son :o)
  • katydids61

    Yay! for your son, Rexy. That took a lot of determination and certainly has paid off. Congrats to your son!
  • Rexy

    katydids61 and WandaG, Thanks so much.  I think it is wonderful news and I am so glad he was so determined to get in.  I hope to make many new friends here.

  • KellynKaty(corps-Mom)

    Hi Ladies, my son is already in boot camp and will graduate on May 20th.But I just wanted to tell ya'll something I wished I would have done before he left. I wished I would have made a new message on my answering machine with his voice on there. Him saying something funny to the callers. It would have been nice to hear him goofing around like he alsways does..Just a thought...

    Have a great day!

    Have a great day!!

  • Momof3

    Thanks Kelly, great idea
  • Patti (7/174)

    Things that should have been done prior to leaving:

    • RUN. RUN. RUN. RUN. Be Forest Gump!
    • Find a copy of the blue jacket manual somewhere online (forgot name of it, sorry, for all I know, that could be the name of it, my brain is fried lol) and STUDY
    • Have all of your financial affairs in order, having someone else on your banking acct, etc. For some reason her bank closed her acct and since I'm not on there, I couldn't find out why. I KNOW she wasn't in the negative because we went to the bank the day she went to bootcamp to double check. All I know is, she was mad!