He Passed The Nuke Test

[Cupikake]

My son, who is going to BC in November, just took the Nuke test and passed it!  I'm not sure WHAT this means-if anything, because he told me he wouldn't know anything until this week.

He is scheduled to go in as undesignated, so if this helps him, then I am thrilled.  I just have this idea of him spending  hour after hour scraping paint and painting as undesignated. 

I am SO thankful for this site as I often lurk and just read the live chats and posted messages.

[Cybermama Ship 09, Div 160]

It means that he will go in as an E-3 and he will be on a terrific path. Being undesignated means, generally, he would be an E-1 and would have whatever job the Navy sees fit to give him; it's about the opposite of Nuke.

Nuke school is l-o-n-g and their commitment is for 6 years, not 4.  Mine is almost through his 6 month A school.  Next comes power school for 6 months, then prototype school for another 6 months then deployment.  Somewhere in there they also get a $10K bonus for sticking with the program.

The best deal for a nuke is the pay they can get if they re-enlist or what they can get in the "real world."  We're talking about 6 figures and it's not supposed to be all that unusual.

The ASVAB (I think that's it) is the same test for everyone.  It's the score and the areas in which your future sailor excelled.  Mine got a 98 and 99 is tops.  He was pretty much assured nuke school as long as there were openings.  His DEP was nearly 9 months but he says that it was worth the wait.  Nuke school is hard but, as my son said, it's something new.  He's been learning about how micro processors work, what the bus actually is, etc.  When I said that I knew all that, I could almost hear his jaw hit the floor.  I am one of the first folks who worked on the IBM PC and I had to learn the internals of the processor.  He never knew that and thought I only programmed. He won't be able to pull a fast one on Mom!  LOL!!! 

My son says that the US Navy was the absolutely best thing to ever happen to him!  I hope yours will feel the same.  Good luck to him!

[SoCal_Sailor_Dad]

If your son scored high enough to qualify for nuke, he probably scored high enough to qualify for almost any rate in the Navy. Have him do research on the different options and see what appeals to him. Nuke does have financial incentives and good prospects after the Navy, but it requires a minimum 6 year commitment and is extremely stressful. 

Since he qualified for nuke, his recruiters will likely push for him to go that route because the recruiters get extra bonus or credit for signing up nukes. Make sure he does his own research. Nuke life is not for everyone. My advice is to encourage him to NOT go in as undesignated. Recruiters like to say that going undes will let him "try out" different jobs until he finds one he likes. Truth is most likely, undesignateds will get assigned whatever job the Navy needs filled. 

Encourage him to research all of the jobs he qualifies for that he thinks will interest him, before he makes a decision. My son was originally considering cryptology but ultimately went with nuke. 

BTW, if he decides to sign the nuke contract, his DEP date will most likely change.

[SoCal_Sailor_Dad]

I'm going to backtrack a bit on my advice about not going undes. I took B'sNukeMom's advice and looked at the Undes Group. After reading a few of the posts, I quickly realized that our sailors join the Navy for a number of different reasons and hope to get different things out of their Navy experience. Yes, it seems that a number of those who go undes do end up chipping paint for at least a while, but they also hit the fleet quickly and can enjoy many different opportunities and visit many different ports around the world. They are exposed to a number of different rates, while possibility having the experience of a lifetime.

Nuke's jobs don't end when the ship or sub pulls into port. They are the first ones on and the last ones off. Their school and their work is challenging and stressful. The pay and the rate of advancement is among the best, as well as opportunities beyond the Navy, but I realize that is not necessarily everyone's goal. 

We tend to see things through our own lenses, and as parents we all have a vision of what we want for our children. As they become adults, we need to encourage them more to find their own path in life, we should support their informed decisions, and realize that as long as it is good and righteous, it does not necessarily have to be the exact path we would have chosen for them. I did not push my son one way or the other. It was his decision to join the Navy (actually a surprise to me) and his decision to go Nuke. I did my own independent research, and shared what I found with him. But, it was ultimately his decision.

My advice to your son then, is still to research independently all the opportunities he has available and choose one that will best serve his interests, whatever they may be. And when I say independent research - I mean talk to people, look online, read forums. Don't just take what his recruiter says at face value. There are good recruiters and there are not-so-good recruiters. My son was lucky to have excellent recruiters, but he met others from neighboring cities who had horrible DEP experiences. In any case, realize that the recruiters have a job to do and their priorities may not align 100% with your son's best interests.

Best wishes to you and your son, whichever path he takes.

[Penny_Nuke_MM2_NimitzNuke]

I do believe that if he goes in undes, he will not be able to change.  If he took and passed the testing and they suggested he go into Nuke school, then they should be encouraging him to go in with a Nuke designation.  Many people that go in undes and up staying that way for a few years.  

He needs to decide right away and let his recruiter know now whether he wants Nuke or something else, based on his scores.

Just my opinion.

[B'sNukeMoM⚓️MMN(Vet)]

I'm going to agree - if your son has a chance to go for something other than undes he should take it.  There is a group on here specifically for "undes" and if you haven't already looked at it you should.  Do the research before he signs his contract because I think it is difficult (if not impossible) to change after signing.....the nuke problem is a tough program but it can also be very rewarding.  The time in DEP can be long but it will give him time to get prepared. 

Let us know his decision - best of luck to him (and you!)

[William in Nashua]

Because your son already signed the contract for undesignated and is scheduled for boot camp next month, there is no point in me mentioning what I think is the downside of undesignated.  Congratulations to your son for passing the nuke test.  That is the first of many hurdles but does not mean he will be selected as a nuke candidate.  It does mean his recruiter will submit a package to apply to the nuclear program.  Naval Reactors can reset the clock if they want your son and delay his enlistment date but not beyond the maximum one year deadline to leave the DEP program.  Otherwise they have tremendous pull in the Navy and can pull people out of any other enlistment program even special warfare.  Good luck.