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Just trying to get information
Hello everyone! My boyfriend will be started A school in the nuke program in February. I'm just trying to get some information on it. Like how much freedom he will have. Really any information will help! Also what is prototype? Does that come after A school? Or is it part of A school??
Again any information will help me. :) Thanks!
Views: 793
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by thelostairman on
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I can try to help some. My brother arrived at Goose Creek the week of Thanksgiving. They were allowed off base in uniform during non-duty hours, I think they're not allowed to ride in POVs as well. They had a curfew of midnight (I think). After a month, he phased up and was allowed to wear civilian clothes on and off base. He was also able to take his car back to base.
Prototype comes after A school. It may or may not be at Goose Creek. I hope that helps some!
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Permalink Reply by CathyA622 on
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He should have received some paper work that tells how that all works. My son sent to me while he was in Boot Camp.
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Permalink Reply by Not so Blue on
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Lucky, wish mine did.
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Permalink Reply by mn linda (nuke MM ELT Groton CT) on
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Read the discussion called something like Sailor's Schedule at Goose Creek. I will bump it to the top of the discussions. There are 3 rates for nukes - MM, EM, and ET. The MM A-school is 3 months, EM & ET A-school is 6 months. Then Power School is 6 months and prototype after that is 6 months.
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Permalink Reply by panthers18957 on
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I found that. It was very helpful :)
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the discussion is under Nuke Moms group
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Thank you :) So then i'll most likely be able to visit him during my spring break? (8 weeks after he arrives) I would think so. He has 3 weeks until his boot camp graduation and neither I, his dad, or his mom have received any information on it. Hopefully soon so we know what is going on as well! Haha.
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Thank you so much for the info and support. I'm not 'planning' my trip to visit him yet but I'm sure thinking about it already. Basic training is hard enough for me! But hopefully we will be able to text/talk/skype more when he is at school. It's hard since we are both so young but I'm very proud of our relationship for going through this :) Do you live with your husband in SC? I'm really considering doing that after my first year of college. It all depends though.
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16 more days until his PIR. I'm getting soo excited! I get butterflies every time I think about it. Although I have to keep telling myself that all this time apart will be worth it one day. And we will eventually get to be together like you and your husband :) Happy for you!
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Permalink Reply by mmatthews911 on
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Hi,
I'll try and explain a little bit too. My son started A-school in January of last year, he was able to phase up and earn some privileges. Such as wearing civilian clothes, liberty (time off base) with a curfew, etc. He had more time to enjoy liberty while in A-school. He graduated from A-school in March, at which time he was able to begin driving and got his car there. Once they are finished with A-school, they get put on T-Trac. He was on T-trac for a couple of months, which consisted of doing watches, which I'm pretty sure they all have to do, while on T-trac.
The next phase was Power school, which is the most intense and grueling part of the entire Nuke program. They are in a another world during Power school and are very hard to get in touch with. They have one building (The Rickover) that they are allowed to study in and nothing can be brought into or take out of it. Books and notes all stay in there and no electronics allowed in there. The sailors are allowed to do 46 hours of study time outside of class time (7:00 a.m. to 4 p.m) in the Rickover, if they need it. My son did the maximum (46 hours) study time. Unless the sailors are extremely intelligent and are gifted with photographic memories, they will not have time to do much of anything besides eat, sleep, study and go to classes. It is a lot of memorization and the tests are to be verbatim. There were a lot of tests that they had to do. I think it averaged to more than one test per week. And they are tough tests, normally about 2 hours long, but they get their scores that day.
After the 6-months of power school, then they will either be grad and go, meaning they will go to their next duty station for prototype (either stay in Goose Creek or go to Ballston Spa, New York - my son just arrived there this morning after the most hellish trip, which took him over 90 hours due to a number of obstacles). My son had been on grad hold, which meant that he stayed in Goose Creek until there was a spot for him in Prototype. During grad hold they give them each a grad hold job to do. My son's was the grad hold rover, which he just walked around the base and looked for any shenanigans. He classes up for Prototype on Monday. Prototype is the hands on portion of the program, they will work on a nuclear reactor on the decommissioned subs.
I hope this helps a little bit. It is a long and grueling process for them.
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Thank you! That much a lot of helpful information! Sounds like some really intense schooling! Do they get to choose if they stay in SC or go to New York for Prototype? Or does the navy choose for them? My boyfriend will really enjoy Prototype, not so much Power school haha. Grad hold sounds kind of boring for them! Too bad they can't go home to visit family. Anyway, thanks again and I wish your son best of luck finishing up his school! :)
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Permalink Reply by William in Nashua on
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Power school is like a walk in the park compared to the hours they have to put in during prototype. For prototype they work 12 hour days for 7 days in a row, then a 2 day break. The shifts change from noon to midnight, 7 pm to 7 am etc. Every week the shifts change. You have to plan your time to finish all the work in prototype and unless you finish it all and pass the written exam and oral boards you will get dropped from the program. If you fall behind they increase it to 16 hours a day.
My son was on voluntary study hours for almost all of A school and power school.
Usually married people stay in SC for prototype if they want to.
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