You know the risks of going on the nuke program right?

I've heard a lot of good things about the nuke program if you're motivated enough to make sure you don't drop out of the training, otherwise its not the best, sources being that my grandfather was a captain and two of my uncles are NCO's. Take it with a grain of salt since I don't have any personal experience and I don't have any recent info...

It sounds like the risk is you deal with nukes

That seems a lot more reasonable. I figured it had more to do with nuclear response or something, which would mean you're probably among the first to be nuked.

There is more risks there will be a chance you get exposure to not just nuclear materials, but to asbestos and other nasty chemicals, and you will likely get arthritis before the age of 30. All aside It's fun, very fun, but there is always cons to join the navy.

haven't kept in touch but i think Change joined the navy a while back if you can manage to get in touch with him

this might be a better question for quora though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV8jVGzop6o

All I'm gonna say is, go look in the mirror, think, is this what you want to be, think and research the risks, and think of your life down the road.

Yo future sailor here. I scored a 93 on my ASVAB and I'm currently in the Delayed Entry Program (DEP) going as an enlisted with a guaranteed HM contract and will be in the Navy for the next 5 years. I'll be heading out to recruit training camp (RTC) next year in mid-feb. While I'm not a vet nor a nuke, maybe I could shed some light on what the nuke program is like since I've talked with a few ex-nukes as well having done a decent amount of research because my recruiter was heavily pushing me to do the nuke program. I'll also give some other advice as well.

If you've considered joining you probably already heard that your recruiter may be somewhat misleading or may glamorize certain rates (with nuke being one of them). This is mainly because Navy Nukes are so high in demand, it's a far undermanned rate meaning the Navy doesn't have an adequate number of them in regards to what they require (supply and demand). In comparison, my rate, Hospital Corpsman (HM) is probably one of the most overmanned in the entire military (I think we're at some 98% capacity in regards to what they Navy can take). Recruiters have quotas, they will try to convince you to do something the Navy needs, be respectful and stand your ground if ya aren't interested. Also, make sure you can cross-reference or verify what your recruiter tells you is 100% accurate. Ask around, or just google it, there are tons of great resources.

*Note that the navy will be going through major changes in the next few years. Our MCPON, CNO and SECNAV decided to get rid of the titles of our rates ( don't worry you'll still be a nuke and have that same job but people will address you differently ) Ex: If my rank was Petty Officer Third Class (E-4) and since I'm going to be a Hospital Corpsman, people would address me as HM3 Last Name. Instead, now if you're E-1 - E-3 you'll be just be called seaman, if your E-4 - E-6, you'll be called petty officer, etc... some people care, some don't.

The Navy is taking a bigger approach to aiding sailors that are transitioning back into civilian lives, as a nuke you might be eligible to get some licensing opportunities done. Ex: Nuclear Operator or receive some but not ALL credits from Power School if you go to college. Another example is for my rate HM, in certain states such as Texas or California, we can challenge and take the LVN Board Exams for nursing and that can be quite useful if you want to become an LPN or LVN.

They will also be implementing a new system which will help people cross-rate more efficiently where sailors can choose different specialties that are related to their original rate. A very basic idea of it is that if your rate is in aviation you can do another job related to aviation. More rates=more opportunities for rank and licensing

Anyways, before you end up enlisting just know what you're getting yourself into, it's a huge commitment that isn't meant for everybody. If you're into having a decent quality of life in the military, Navy and Chair force are the way to go, I'd also recommend checking with an air force recruiter before hand as well. (I'd argue that between the two, Air force has the best quality of life) Coast Guard is also okay.

In regards to Nuke, your pipeline or timeline should look like this

However do note that there are three specialties for enlisted nukes. Machinist's Mate (MMN), Electrician's Mate (EMN), or Electronics Technician (ETN). They all have different duties and responsibilities. I've heard things across the board with all these rates, some people love them to death and some hate them. Remember these are more so vocational, you won't have the same in-depth education/skill set like that of somebody who has a Bachelors in Nuclear Engineering. It's also 6 years, so if you hate your job you gotta wait it out. Also note that you can't just "choose" whichever one to go into, you may be given something that the Navy just so happens to need whenever you head out to the fleet, it can be random sometimes. If you want to minimize that, then you'll need to perform well in Power School, the higher your GPA and class performance the better, and the more say you'll have when choosing orders, whether that be shore duty or sea duty (this goes for any rate)

Your curriculum in Nuclear Power School will be focused around:
Mathematics
Calculus-based physics
Fluid Dynamics
Applied Hydraulics
Nuclear physics
Electrical power theory and generating equipment
Nuclear reactor technology
Thermodynamics
Heat Transfer
Chemistry
Materials science and metallurgy
Health physics
Reactor principles
Reactor ethics

YMMV, particularly with power school and prototype, some people think its manageable, others think its absolutely dreadful. All I know is that you will be studying a lot, its the most challenging "A" school in the Navy, however you'll also be given ample amount of time to study as well. Also note that power school isn't like university or college. You're still an enlisted sailor so you will be doing military shit as well. In addition to that, also note that some of these courses don't go in-depth like that of a college course. Remember as a nuke your job will be more vocational as opposed to a fully-fledged nuclear engineer. There are some definite pros and cons to being a nuke so I would suggest doing more research before you even enlist. I'll give some examples...

Nuke Pros:
-Because its undermanned you make rank much faster (higher rank=higher pay), you'll ship as an E-3 after "A" school
-After serving for 6 years you can get a reenlistment bonus
-You get other pay bonuses and incentives as well (ex: if your on a submarine you get bonus pay)
Nuke Cons:
-Its 6 years
-Your command might suck ass (though this goes for everyone, just luck of the draw)
-Your hours are probably going to be quite long when working, especially if your'e on a carrier, that shit is a grind until you reach port.
*They take safety very seriously, you'll be fine, just listen and learn.

If I were you, do more research and do a lot. I was in the same boat as you, just graduated in Hong Kong due to daddy's job and came back to the U.S with family however we don't really have the funds for my college education (would like to go to med school as well so...)

The military is a great choice to use as a stepping stone for success for any future endeavors but again isn't meant for everyone. The post 9/11 GI Bill or Montgomery GI Bill is great for paying those college tuition fees and if you save enough during your service (you can, especially if your not married, single and haven't gotten anyone pregnant) then it's also a great career. Depending on who wins this upcoming election may also influence college fees and the VA which is something to note! Also note, if you do choose to join, you might wanna have something to do because you may not ship out for a while (depends on what your rate is and depends on the schooling dates/seats they have available).

Furthermore, have a plan, ask why you want to join and for what reasons. Also ask what you want out of the military, for me I'm going as an HM and this will be useful for me as it immerses me in the clinic and gives me more than sufficient medical experience which will be useful for when I apply to med school in the future. (Oh yeah check out HM, our shit is great, we have a lot of NEC's and C schools too)

Check out reddit, specifically r/newtothenavy , r/navy, r/airforce etc, they have tons of resources posted for all branches that can help people. Good Luck! Feel free to DM me if you have any other questions.

Oh yeah also forgot, check YouTube, there are some people out there that are in/prior enlisted.
Check out JTsuits, dwkvideos, thehodgetwins, kyle gott, etc.

Yep, no problem!

I'm not here to recruit you but as someone who just graduated last June and recently turned 18 that doesn't have any viable way to pay for college or med school, I can say the military is a damn good option. Your pay is actually quite decent .

In addition to pay, they also have some college counselors and a college program with benefits like tuition assistance for people in active duty. I would probably stick with Navy or Air Force if you want to get some education done in the military. Believe it or not you can, with my rate HM, if I work in a Naval Clinic I will have a set time schedule and that can be quite useful since you could also take afternoon classes and get some of those gen-eds out of the way.

Oh yeah, the Air Force has their own community college that grants some associates degrees. Take a look at that since I believe it is open to enlisted personnel!

Also, The Navy and Air Force are the only two branches where you can actually choose your job directly and get a guaranteed contract (don't go open enlistment either), hence why you may need to wait a while to ship since they reserve seats/slots for schooling.

Yep I definitely feel ya, haha, if I were you don't let that sway you. I'm not going to get political since everyone has their own views on candidates (take a look at the trump thread). The one thing you could expect, at least from the two most popular candidates is that they may improve the VA, which can be helpful for when you get out. And you can maybe expect some reductions in college education fees (this may be more prominent with one candidate than another) If you want to wait it would be totally fine, even if you enlisted today, you probably wouldn't ship out for a good amount of months due to specific dates and seats available for the Nuke pipeline.

There's a saying that nukes have, "Don't nuke it" or something of that sort, haha, but basically it means don't overthink it. Remember that the majority of men and women going into the nuke program only have a high school education or equivalent. Sure it may seem daunting but if you are willing to put hard work as well as investing a lot in your studying then you should be able to pass. There will always be that one asshole that will think he's hot shit and then gets dropped because he didn't think he needed to study. Pro tip: You will need to study

Though most people who flunk will be caught drinking, doing drugs, having bad behavior as well as slacking off. If you can avoid these things you should be fine. Just do what your told, ask for help when needed (seriously a lot of people shy away from this) and sit down and take the education your receiving seriously.

Also being "Nuke waste" or someone who flunks out isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially for those who really didn't have the heart in it during the program's process. You may be assigned a random rate but that doesn't necessarily mean you will be the dude scraping paint off of the bottom of ships either, likewise you probably won't be a SEAL either. Note that your ASVAB score is pretty good, so they may stick you in a rate that may be decent. Logically would it make sense for them to stick you in a rate that requires bare minimum scores? They would be more inclined to get you something else that revolves around your skill-set but again it all depends on what they have available so it may be a gamble.

In the event you do flunk out, it also helps to show that you really did try your best, especially to your superiors. If they know you tried your hardest and were proactive in seeking aid in studying then they know your work ethic is good and can put in a good word for you. Again, results may vary, just be proactive about your studies, keep your head down and take things one step at a time if you do choose to enlist. Hopefully this gives a little more info and insight!

(Also apologies for grammatical errors)