Hi. I'm a USAFA '80 graduate and I just discovered your channel a few weeks ago and have subscribed. I've really enjoyed your videos as they're well done and informative. They've given me insight into USNA midshipman life and now your active duty Navy work and life. I hope you keep these going. Thank you.
I completed NUC school in 1967 and went to prototype training in upstate NY. Then I went to SSBN 602 (Abraham Lincoln). It looks like much has changed, but it was very difficult back then. Thanks for a good video.
@@ChrsGotFourEyes It was a bit rough. I ultimately required surgery to have the smile removed from my face. It was seamless, actually. I walked right into the start of the pipeline for the first class of reactor operators at a brand new BWR, so it was like going back to nuke school. Academics always came easy for me, so it wasn't bad at all. But it was a year before I quit having nightmares about being back out on patrol.
I enjoy watching your travels and appreciate your NPS info is from current experience. I have visited a lot of old sites and maybe the info doesn’t change much. My son graduates from RTC then off to SC. What else will help him start off right.
Always wondered what the career path for Nuclear SWO. Carrier for rest of career or rotate back to surface for Dept Head/XO/CO along with carrier tours?
That's a good question. I would think since the Navy spent a ton of money to train them in nuclear power that they would keep them on Carriers and progress through the departments.
Do you have to find your own housing or is there an option to live on base? And do you really have to bring your lunch every day? I assumed there would be a mess hall or something.
For enlisted you have to live on base. For officers, you can find your own housing out in town. Some people live all the way downtown some people live right next to base. Yes, there is a mess Hall mostly just the enlisted go there but we went one time and it wasn’t too bad just your standard Navy food. Honestly pretty similar to the Naval Academy. And unlike down the street at prototype, you are allowed to go out and get food. If you want to take lunch, though, you usually don’t have much time a little under an hour typically so most people bring their own. Sometimes they’ll bring a food truck on base as well during lunch.
9+ hours a day minimum of studying was already pretty bad, hearing about a 2-4 hour test every single week officially killed any chance that I’ll join the program. My adhd cannot handle all that 😭
Hi JuJu was wondering if you have a video of what it’s like to be a female junior officer on your assignment. What is your schedule like on a carrier and how long are you on the ship?
Hello, thank you for being interested! The reason why I’m hesitant to make a video regarding being a female JO on my first assignment is because everyone has gotten such a different experience; I don’t want to post things that are negative or too individualistic. I’m still learning and growing; if I were to post to post a video regarding my experience in the navy, I want to be able to look back with a much more mature perspective and actually be informative with thinking behind it 😄 and regarding schedule, every ship is wildly different. Some don’t go underway for years and some go on crazy long deployment!
@@AvaKemnitzyes it does that’s why I said it was an etch a sketch that he had in mind. That was the motion he was making with his fingers, a turning motion do dials in both ends. You shake an etch a sketch to erase it.
I was recruited for Nuke however even though I was born in America... Since my parents are South Korean immigrants the South korean government said i am automatically a dual citizen and can't renounce it until I am 35 no exceptions. Because of this I was kicked out of the Navy Delayed Entry Program less than a month away from high school graduation.
Just got service assignment and got subs. I havent interviewed yet but assuming I pass Im super excited to head to charleston. How much free time did you guys have during power school?
lol that depends on how good/fast you are at memorizing information. Some of our friends do 50 hour work week vs some do 90 hour work week (I wish I’m joking) 🙃
Civilians are the ones who go through nuclear PowerSchool to ultimately become staff members down the street at prototype. They help to train the officers going through there. They don’t actually go out and get deployed lol.
Keep your GPA up and start studying a bit for the interviews early if you can! Really depends on your classmates if there's a draft they'll be begging for you!
Hello - thanks very much for the video - my son is in high school and wants to go into the Navy as a submariner - i told him nuke school is hard so i hope he'll watch this video when i share it with him. We visited the Naval Academy this past December and is going to apply to do the summer at the Academy between the junior/senior year of high school... How did your dog deal with you guys being gone all day 5 days a week - did you board the dog or leave him on his own every day? I lol'ed at the CONFIDENTIAL stamp - i brought my stamp to school (not nuke school - just normal SWO school) and just left it in the safe so that I could stamp my notes and leave them at the safe at school. We didn't have cell phones when i was in the Navy so do you just leave your phones in your car? or do they let you leave your phone /electronics in a locker?
Thank you for your support! Nuke school is hard, but it’s doable. We are both Economics major at the academy and I was able to graduate nuke school with distinction. It really just come down to how much you can push yourself. We leave our phones in the car or some people just don’t bring it.
Do the enlisted sailors attend the same classes and study the same exact subjects and materials as officers or is their classes and curriculum somewhat or completely different?
At NNPTC the classroom and subjects are different. At NPTU, everyone qualifies in the same space and studies the same material, but the watch you qualify for is different.
Nothing other than keeping your brain active. I was a Nuke and did a tour as a Prototype Instructor. Actively listen in class, get quizzes from the NDIs (Night Duty Instructor), and focus on the course objectives. Don’t ask for advice from students who do well. They typically have identic memories and don’t need to study as hard. But they tend to do poorly in Prototype phase when they are graded on how well they put their training to practical use. Those students tend to break down while being drilled about safety, keeping up with logs and following orders in accordance with written procedures under stress. Finally, take mental breaks and find positive/healthy ways to relieve stress you will endure. Good luck!
Class 8006, in Orlando. Rickover drafted me out of Northwestern U NROTC; that year, there weren't enough USNA/NROTC/NUPOC volunteers to meet program requirements, so he ordered USNA and ROTC to send him "voluntolds" to interview. Me being a B to C student minoring in beer and girlfriend, I didn't think I would be a good choice, but I got orders to go to NAVSEA-08 for my interview, along with a bunch of other voluntolds from other NROTC units. His first question to me was "Why are you so stupid?", and didn't get much better. But two weeks later, I found out I was a nuke. I suspect it's because I stood up to him during the interview. He turned out to be right; I made it through to getting a 2.8 on the comp, passed all areas. Prototype at S3G went much better, I enjoyed getting my hands dirty and understood it better. I qualified in 5 months and got to stand watch in pro phase without an instructor. After SOBC, I reported to SSBN 627 as Gold crew E-div officer. I qualified gold dolphins in 83, Engineer in 84, and went back to S3G as an SEO/Instructor. By the way, it does matter how you do while getting your BS or BA, because Naval Reactors keeps a tally on all nuke officers called your Technical Rating. It is initially based on your performance in college, then adding in how you did on your interviews with NR staff, your Admirals interview, then your performance at NPS and prototype, then adding in your performance on the boat as a watchstander and test taker, then your Engineers exam, etc. You need a very high rating ("supernuke") to be assigned as an NPS instructor or SEO. Later supernuke jobs include NPEB, Force Nuke, Tender RADCON officer, etc. As pointed out, NPS is one of the hardest programs out there; you drink from the firehose. It's like getting a Masters in nuke operations in 6 months. But if you make it through all the wickets to qualifying as Engineer, you will be a very different person. Your knowledge and experience will make you a very confident individual.
Hi. I'm a USAFA '80 graduate and I just discovered your channel a few weeks ago and have subscribed. I've really enjoyed your videos as they're well done and informative. They've given me insight into USNA midshipman life and now your active duty Navy work and life. I hope you keep these going. Thank you.
Thank you so much! We appreciate your support!
I completed NUC school in 1967 and went to prototype training in upstate NY. Then I went to SSBN 602 (Abraham Lincoln). It looks like much has changed, but it was very difficult back then. Thanks for a good video.
Hi Buds,
I went in 76 - remember the slide rules?! I hear them talk here and think of what we did - damn kids!
Thank you for the information. Nice to have your posting again.
Thank you!
I was in Machinery Division, USS Lewis & Clark SSBN-644B, '78-'82. Ended up making a career of it in the commercial sector.
How was the transition after ur service?
@@ChrsGotFourEyes It was a bit rough. I ultimately required surgery to have the smile removed from my face. It was seamless, actually. I walked right into the start of the pipeline for the first class of reactor operators at a brand new BWR, so it was like going back to nuke school. Academics always came easy for me, so it wasn't bad at all. But it was a year before I quit having nightmares about being back out on patrol.
How does ship selection work? Do they rack and stack? Or do you like sit in a room and argue over it?
I enjoy watching your travels and appreciate your NPS info is from current experience. I have visited a lot of old sites and maybe the info doesn’t change much. My son graduates from RTC then off to SC. What else will help him start off right.
Thanks for the info and best of luck! I have a son at NNPTC so good to know!
Always wondered what the career path for Nuclear SWO. Carrier for rest of career or rotate back to surface for Dept Head/XO/CO along with carrier tours?
That's a good question. I would think since the Navy spent a ton of money to train them in nuclear power that they would keep them on Carriers and progress through the departments.
Class of 1969 here at Mare Island. Went straight to PCU in NLon aboard USS Archerfish, SS(N)-678. S1W prototype.
Do you have to find your own housing or is there an option to live on base? And do you really have to bring your lunch every day? I assumed there would be a mess hall or something.
For enlisted you have to live on base. For officers, you can find your own housing out in town. Some people live all the way downtown some people live right next to base. Yes, there is a mess Hall mostly just the enlisted go there but we went one time and it wasn’t too bad just your standard Navy food. Honestly pretty similar to the Naval Academy. And unlike down the street at prototype, you are allowed to go out and get food. If you want to take lunch, though, you usually don’t have much time a little under an hour typically so most people bring their own. Sometimes they’ll bring a food truck on base as well during lunch.
9+ hours a day minimum of studying was already pretty bad, hearing about a 2-4 hour test every single week officially killed any chance that I’ll join the program. My adhd cannot handle all that 😭
I have ADHD diagnosed, and I'm considering joining. Don't let it define your existence
Hi JuJu was wondering if you have a video of what it’s like to be a female junior officer on your assignment. What is your schedule like on a carrier and how long are you on the ship?
Hello, thank you for being interested! The reason why I’m hesitant to make a video regarding being a female JO on my first assignment is because everyone has gotten such a different experience; I don’t want to post things that are negative or too individualistic. I’m still learning and growing; if I were to post to post a video regarding my experience in the navy, I want to be able to look back with a much more mature perspective and actually be informative with thinking behind it 😄 and regarding schedule, every ship is wildly different. Some don’t go underway for years and some go on crazy long deployment!
5:40 I think you’re referring to an etch a sketch.
Nope, an etch a sketch has dials.
@@AvaKemnitzyes it does that’s why I said it was an etch a sketch that he had in mind. That was the motion he was making with his fingers, a turning motion do dials in both ends. You shake an etch a sketch to erase it.
I was recruited for Nuke however even though I was born in America... Since my parents are South Korean immigrants the South korean government said i am automatically a dual citizen and can't renounce it until I am 35 no exceptions. Because of this I was kicked out of the Navy Delayed Entry Program less than a month away from high school graduation.
Just got service assignment and got subs. I havent interviewed yet but assuming I pass Im super excited to head to charleston. How much free time did you guys have during power school?
lol that depends on how good/fast you are at memorizing information. Some of our friends do 50 hour work week vs some do 90 hour work week (I wish I’m joking) 🙃
What's the deal with the Civilian's in the pipeline?
Awesome video.
Civilians are the ones who go through nuclear PowerSchool to ultimately become staff members down the street at prototype. They help to train the officers going through there. They don’t actually go out and get deployed lol.
Hey y'all! I'm currently a youngster at USNA looking at early selecting subs. Do you guys have any tips for that?
Keep your GPA up and start studying a bit for the interviews early if you can! Really depends on your classmates if there's a draft they'll be begging for you!
After signing contract and graduating bootcamp of hell, what other schools do you have to finish besides NPS to join fleet as a nuke?
As an enlisted you go through A school, Power School and Prototype all in that order
Are you all in SC?
Hello - thanks very much for the video - my son is in high school and wants to go into the Navy as a submariner - i told him nuke school is hard so i hope he'll watch this video when i share it with him. We visited the Naval Academy this past December and is going to apply to do the summer at the Academy between the junior/senior year of high school... How did your dog deal with you guys being gone all day 5 days a week - did you board the dog or leave him on his own every day? I lol'ed at the CONFIDENTIAL stamp - i brought my stamp to school (not nuke school - just normal SWO school) and just left it in the safe so that I could stamp my notes and leave them at the safe at school. We didn't have cell phones when i was in the Navy so do you just leave your phones in your car? or do they let you leave your phone /electronics in a locker?
Thank you for your support! Nuke school is hard, but it’s doable. We are both Economics major at the academy and I was able to graduate nuke school with distinction. It really just come down to how much you can push yourself. We leave our phones in the car or some people just don’t bring it.
Do the enlisted sailors attend the same classes and study the same exact subjects and materials as officers or is their classes and curriculum somewhat or completely different?
At NNPTC the classroom and subjects are different. At NPTU, everyone qualifies in the same space and studies the same material, but the watch you qualify for is different.
The material covered at NNPTC is similar, but officers go more in-depth into the theory and require knowledge of calculus.
@@lolturtle13 Thank you for the explanations and information. You are very kind.
Can you make a video about the technical interview and screening process?
what is the attrition rate like?
As a junior in high school what are some things I can do to get ready for the nupoc program
Nothing other than keeping your brain active. I was a Nuke and did a tour as a Prototype Instructor. Actively listen in class, get quizzes from the NDIs (Night Duty Instructor), and focus on the course objectives. Don’t ask for advice from students who do well. They typically have identic memories and don’t need to study as hard. But they tend to do poorly in Prototype phase when they are graded on how well they put their training to practical use. Those students tend to break down while being drilled about safety, keeping up with logs and following orders in accordance with written procedures under stress.
Finally, take mental breaks and find positive/healthy ways to relieve stress you will endure. Good luck!
What level of math are you learning? Algebra? Calc? Statistics?
Don’t forget physics
I went through nuclear school in 1980 quite different than
No illegals back then.
Class 8006, in Orlando. Rickover drafted me out of Northwestern U NROTC; that year, there weren't enough USNA/NROTC/NUPOC volunteers to meet program requirements, so he ordered USNA and ROTC to send him "voluntolds" to interview. Me being a B to C student minoring in beer and girlfriend, I didn't think I would be a good choice, but I got orders to go to NAVSEA-08 for my interview, along with a bunch of other voluntolds from other NROTC units. His first question to me was "Why are you so stupid?", and didn't get much better. But two weeks later, I found out I was a nuke. I suspect it's because I stood up to him during the interview. He turned out to be right; I made it through to getting a 2.8 on the comp, passed all areas. Prototype at S3G went much better, I enjoyed getting my hands dirty and understood it better. I qualified in 5 months and got to stand watch in pro phase without an instructor. After SOBC, I reported to SSBN 627 as Gold crew E-div officer. I qualified gold dolphins in 83, Engineer in 84, and went back to S3G as an SEO/Instructor.
By the way, it does matter how you do while getting your BS or BA, because Naval Reactors keeps a tally on all nuke officers called your Technical Rating. It is initially based on your performance in college, then adding in how you did on your interviews with NR staff, your Admirals interview, then your performance at NPS and prototype, then adding in your performance on the boat as a watchstander and test taker, then your Engineers exam, etc. You need a very high rating ("supernuke") to be assigned as an NPS instructor or SEO. Later supernuke jobs include NPEB, Force Nuke, Tender RADCON officer, etc.
As pointed out, NPS is one of the hardest programs out there; you drink from the firehose. It's like getting a Masters in nuke operations in 6 months. But if you make it through all the wickets to qualifying as Engineer, you will be a very different person. Your knowledge and experience will make you a very confident individual.
Lol i’m wearing the same cooper river bridge run shirt rn. Surface ELT here
Wow a 4 hour test?
I’m looking at my job choices and I really looked and was interested in this 🥹