Navy Nuke Rates - Is This True??

Question

I know Nuke Rates are chosen during bootcamp, but is it true that you don't get to pick your own rate? I heard the Nuke Chiefs at bootcamp pick for you!

What if I want to be an Electronics Tech and they choose Machinst Mate for me?

I don't want to be put in a job for six years working as a MM when I planned to be an ET.

Answer 1

Navy Nukes are the exception to the rule to being able to pick your specific rate. Yes it is true that you don't get to pick which of the three you will be. Nuke MMs, EMs and ETs are determined based on the quotas needed at the time that you go through bootcamp (you will know by the end of boot camp though cuz your A school orders designate which rating classes you will be going through. I was in the final division in my graduating class and we ended up with 2 EMs and 9 MMs because the ET quota was already filled and the EM quota was filled with the last two EMs at that time. I wanted to be an ET when I went through boot camp, but after getting to my boat was glad that I was picked to be an MM.

Ideally if you do get picked as an MM, try your hardest in Prototype to become an ELT (only MMs can get this designation). That's what I ended up getting and it is the best job in the Engine Room (I would even go as far as to say in the entire Navy). Our ELTs were known around the boat as the guys that got the most rack time out of anybody as well as the earliest to leave everyday when we weren't at sea, and the work that we did was actually fun. ELTs are selected by the instructors during Prototype and it is mainly based on your performance although kissing some instructor butt really helps as well.

Answer 2

In the Navy nuclear program, you begin boot camp as an E-1, but you are advanced to E-3 immediately on completion of boot camp. When you graduate from nuke school all are automatically advanced to E-4, and most make E-5 immediately by extending their enlistment. You have to have an ASVAB score of 95 to be automatically qualified for nuke, and if you score above an 85 or so you can take a second exam just for prospective nukes. If you score well on that exam, you can get in. If you are reasonably intelligent and can reason simple mechanics (if this cog turns this way then another cog turns that way), and know some real simple basics about cars, etc, you should be able to score fairly well on the mechanical portions of the ASVAB. But they are more worried about your math and language skills, because that is the hardest part of the program. Nuke is the only job that still has an enlistment bonus, last I checked. (this could change) Edit: Voonie is incorrect. The enlistment papers do say that the contract is for E-3, but the pay rate does NOT apply until boot camp graduation. Until that point, you are just a "seaman recruit." Period. NO recruits are ever anything but an E-1 while in boot camp, to establish equality among recruits. When they become sailors, they earn their contract pay grade. My son recently went through this. And if you don't believe me, check with the fact-check folks at the RTC Great Lakes official Facebook page. They are experts and official representatives of the Navy. Bkrayzay has no idea what he is talking about. The Navy nuke program is about nuclear power plants, NOT nuclear weapons. Sailors operate nuclear power plants on submarines and aircraft carriers. There are also specialists who maintain the nuclear weapons onboard submarines and ships, but they are weapons specialists and have no relationship to the Navy nuke program.

Answer 3

You get the rate you chose before bootcamp. the only ways it can change is if you chose to do so, or you get rolled back in training. If you lose your rate in training you no longer have to serve the contract time for that rate. IE: ET is a six year contract besause of the training while MM is a 4 year contract. you wont have to serve those two years.

Answer 4

Here's how it basically works; when you sit down with your recruiter and hammer out the details of your enlistment contract, you will be given the opportunity to choose which rate you wish to persue a career in (note-don't just take their word for it, get it in writing)
After you graduate boot camp (which has little to do with ratings) you will be sent to a school for the rate you chose. If you successfuly complete the school courses (as well as conduct yourself in a proper Navy/military manner) you will be rated-that is, your rate is now part of your rate/rank designation (BTFN, ADAN, QM3, GM1 etc)
There are exceptions of course, but generally the only way that you would have your rate chosen for you is if you failed to lock in your choice of rate training or failed your rate school.

Answer 5

that's true, you do NOT know which rating you will be until the end of the initial Nuke Training. Needs of the Navy combined with your class ranking determine whether or not you will be able to get exactly what you want.