hi all. i did a pre test at the navy recruiters today. they said i had a good score, and asked me if i had considered a job in the nuclear dept. they said that it is a very high paying job after i finish my four years if i get hired by our local power plant...they quoted over 100 grand a year at the power plant. can anyone confirm this? im also interested in mp work so the nuke thing kinda came out of left field. is this just a ploy for the recruiters to get enlistments? does anyone have experience in this field? how was/is it? thanks.

pdubs777 while I am not a nuke I might be able to give you some general info on your question.

It is somewhat rare for people to score decently enough on the ASVAB to be consider for going nuke. Since you mentioned you want to be a MA in the Navy your recruiter is offering you an alternative. The nuke field is pretty decent field to go into. But it is a hard demanding field also.

The MA rating in the Navy right now is in hot demand by just about everyone out there. MA a few years ago opened up big time for advancement and now everyone wants to ride that advancement wave. So there is a possibility you might not be able to get MA.

Your recruiter is just offering you other choices. If you want MA that is fine but you might have to wait so keep that in mind.

To learn some more about Navy nuke techs go to this website http://www.nukeworker.com/

I am not sure how many nuke techs are on this board.

Also to learn more about MAs try this website. http://www.navcops.com/

A little bit about nuke rates- they all have 6-year enlistments, no 4 or 5-year ones. It has to do with the Navy Reserves- see, if you leave the service honorably and have anything less than a 6-year contract, you're transferred into the inactive Reserves for anywhere between 2 to 4 years (i.e. they can call you up and get you on a ship if they really need to). However, the reserves don't have nuclear vessels, and therefore no need for any nuclear rates. The only contract that doesn't transfer you to the Reserves upon completion is the 6-year one, so that's your only option.
Also, Nuke school is tough. They have a pretty high dropout rate- if you drop it, you'll just be designated as your 'conventional' rate instead of the nuclear one (I.E. MM nuke becomes MM, EM nuke just EM, etc). The ones who make it are typically good at math and pretty whacked in the head. Not necessarily bad, but keep it in mind.
MA's a good rate, it's one of the few that gives you the option of not following the conventional sea-to-shore rotation (5 years sea, 2 years shore, if I'm correct). Make sure to keep your nose clean, tho- if you go to mast for, say, being caught drinking underage, they have the option to pull your rate.

thats alot to read...

Both my sons are Nukes


http://navycs.com/gallery2/v/everyday_life/ouchcannon.jpg.html

http://navycs.com/gallery2/v/everyday_life/memomson.JPG.html