Life on a ship

[Chance]

I agree with Sweet. I'm Depping for Mineman right now, I turned down NUKE and HM (both sought after rates). I turned them down, not only because of stress, but because I dont see myself in those fields after 8 years. Think about having a job you hate (most jobs), now think about being legally tied to that job for almost a decade.

Money is great and all, but prosperity is much more valuble.

[Nasant]

My intention is to address the fact that everyone keeps bringing up suicide.

It's not that the program/pipeline causes people to become suicidal. It's that the program is only available to a certain type of people (Those who have high scores) and those are the kind of people that are generally more introverted, socially awkward, depressive, and prone to suicidal tendencies. You can disagree with me if you'd like, but I am in the pipeline. 99% of the people here are genuinely happy. True, the workload can be tough and the days can be long, but there is a sense of community here like nowhere else. When we pass a hard test we go out and celebrate. If a shipmate is struggling with some aspect of the schooling, we will all get together to help them. There are so many opportunities to relax and have fun here and in the fleet that those who don't take advantage are only harming themselves.

I hate the negative stigma that those few people who do decide to do something drastic like end their lives brings to the program. There are 3000+ students on base at any given time, and one or two people killing themselves is not indicative of the program (statistically), but more so of their individual personality types.

What you don't hear is that the people who go to these extremes tends to be those who have been masted or punished and are depressed about that, not "overwhelmed by the stress of the program". Just saying.

So my advice to any of those thinking about going in to the nuclear field is to not let the actions of a few troubled people dissuade you from a good opportunity. If it interests you, look more in to it. If it doesn't interest you, do something else. But don't let these 'horror stories' be the thing that turns you off of the program.

[AramilX]

Originally Posted by Nasant

My intention is to address the fact that everyone keeps bringing up suicide.

It's not that the program/pipeline causes people to become suicidal. It's that the program is only available to a certain type of people (Those who have high scores) and those are the kind of people that are generally more introverted, socially awkward, depressive, and prone to suicidal tendencies. You can disagree with me if you'd like, but I am in the pipeline. 99% of the people here are genuinely happy. True, the workload can be tough and the days can be long, but there is a sense of community here like nowhere else. When we pass a hard test we go out and celebrate. If a shipmate is struggling with some aspect of the schooling, we will all get together to help them. There are so many opportunities to relax and have fun here and in the fleet that those who don't take advantage are only harming themselves.

I hate the negative stigma that those few people who do decide to do something drastic like end their lives brings to the program. There are 3000+ students on base at any given time, and one or two people killing themselves is not indicative of the program (statistically), but more so of their individual personality types.

What you don't hear is that the people who go to these extremes tends to be those who have been masted or punished and are depressed about that, not "overwhelmed by the stress of the program". Just saying.

So my advice to any of those thinking about going in to the nuclear field is to not let the actions of a few troubled people dissuade you from a good opportunity. If it interests you, look more in to it. If it doesn't interest you, do something else. But don't let these 'horror stories' be the thing that turns you off of the program.

Hear hear. It's nice to hear that perspective on it.

[sweetmtn]

I will say this again..if you love the prospect of having a career in the nuclear field and that has been your goal in life, and you are great in the physics and math..then by all means take a nuke contract. BUT if you were talked into it and the signing bonus is what swayed you, as this was NOT on your list of jobs in the navy to begin with...do not think your life will be easy going this way....yes it is a great career, but it is not for most people.

For those of you that are already in that pipeline and in training now..come back in a few years and tell me again how great it is....for some it will be, for others not so.

[Nasant]

Originally Posted by sweetmtn

For those of you that are already in that pipeline and in training now..come back in a few years and tell me again how great it is....for some it will be, for others not so.

But, respectfully, you could argue that point about any job in the Navy. I know people from just about every rate that have either loved or hated their jobs. I know Yeoman that can't stand the sight of paperwork and many aviation rates that are very jaded because of what they've experienced on a flight deck. There are pro's and con's to all jobs in the Military, that's a given.

You seem a bit biased because your son was an MM (understandable as MM is the most hands-on and physically demanding of the nuclear field rates), just try not to make too many statements based off of the fact that your son may have had a poor experience while he was serving. (I'm only assuming, as he finished his enlistment as a second class when the majority of nukes reach first class / close to chief in that amount of time)

I maintain (as does any instructor at NNPTC) that if you can qualify for nuke, you can succeed as a nuke. It all relies on your motivation -- And for some people that motivation is the money, and they are all the more successful for that.

Thanks.

[sweetmtn]

Originally Posted by Nasant

You seem a bit biased because your son was an MM (understandable as MM is the most hands-on and physically demanding of the nuclear field rates), just try not to make too many statements based off of the fact that your son may have had a poor experience while he was serving. (I'm only assuming, as he finished his enlistment as a second class when the majority of nukes reach first class / close to chief in that amount of time)
Thanks.

My son and his friend were nukes..they went the buddy program...my son loved his job and excelled at it greatly..and does mostly the same thing now in the civilian world...it wasnt his job so to speak...but the many things that happen later and while on deployments. His evals were almost all 5's on each one...I still have them...always in the written part, "Must Promote" and recommend STA-21...much of the other crap started after the change of command while on deployment...your command can make or break a person.

Along with my son and his friend from high school being nukes...so is another families 3 sons all nukes..their mom is one of my friends and is a teacher here at our school...so I have a very good insight to the nuke pipeline. Of those 3 young men, 2 hated it, 1 loved it and is still in the navy. Plus my cousin was a nuke on a sub.
You will find on this site we do not and will not sugar coat anything, give you all the bad as well as the good points...like I said, it takes a very special type of person to handle being a nuke in the navy for long.

[LT Guppy]

Originally Posted by sweetmtn

My son and his friend were nukes..they went the buddy program...my son loved his job and excelled at it greatly..and does mostly the same thing now in the civilian world...it wasnt his job so to speak...but the many things that happen later and while on deployments. His evals were almost all 5's on each one...I still have them...always in the written part, "Must Promote" and recommend STA-21...much of the other crap started after the change of command while on deployment...your command can make or break a person.

That's not unique to the nuclear community.
I agree you need to really want to be a nuke to do well and be happy as a nuke, but it is not the only community where people struggle.

[shamablama]

Originally Posted by Nasant

My intention is to address the fact that everyone keeps bringing up suicide.

It's not that the program/pipeline causes people to become suicidal. It's that the program is only available to a certain type of people (Those who have high scores) and those are the kind of people that are generally more introverted, socially awkward, depressive, and prone to suicidal tendencies. You can disagree with me if you'd like, but I am in the pipeline. 99% of the people here are genuinely happy. True, the workload can be tough and the days can be long, but there is a sense of community here like nowhere else. When we pass a hard test we go out and celebrate. If a shipmate is struggling with some aspect of the schooling, we will all get together to help them. There are so many opportunities to relax and have fun here and in the fleet that those who don't take advantage are only harming themselves.

I hate the negative stigma that those few people who do decide to do something drastic like end their lives brings to the program. There are 3000+ students on base at any given time, and one or two people killing themselves is not indicative of the program (statistically), but more so of their individual personality types.

What you don't hear is that the people who go to these extremes tends to be those who have been masted or punished and are depressed about that, not "overwhelmed by the stress of the program". Just saying.

So my advice to any of those thinking about going in to the nuclear field is to not let the actions of a few troubled people dissuade you from a good opportunity. If it interests you, look more in to it. If it doesn't interest you, do something else. But don't let these 'horror stories' be the thing that turns you off of the program.

Thank you for posting this. I'm going AC and have heard so many things about how stressful the job is, and how people commit suicide because they can't handle it. It honestly scared me at first to the point where I wanted to switch rates. But my recruiter got in touch with a couple AC's he knew and I got to sit down one on one with them, and that made me really excited to do this rate.

[classified9]

Nasant - Keep us updated, starting the NF pipeline in August after RTC. We all appreciate the finer details.

[kforbs126]

Originally Posted by shamablama

Thank you for posting this. I'm going AC and have heard so many things about how stressful the job is, and how people commit suicide because they can't handle it. It honestly scared me at first to the point where I wanted to switch rates. But my recruiter got in touch with a couple AC's he knew and I got to sit down one on one with them, and that made me really excited to do this rate.

I think a lot of this suicide rate is blown out of proportion to scare people. In 2013 the Navy had 38 suicides, 60 the previous year and 2011 53. Now yes that's a good amount of people but a lot of people join that have mental issues and then the stress of the job gets to them. But a lot of people who do it have other issues like financial, relationship, etc. It can be any rate not just Nuke or AC. Many people don't realize what they are getting into. Every job is demanding in the Navy and can break people. They do a lot of training to help with signs and reporting people who may have issues. If things get tough there is plenty of help that the Navy provides.

[sweetmtn]

Originally Posted by kforbs126

I think a lot of this suicide rate is blown out of proportion to scare people. In 2013 the Navy had 38 suicides, 60 the previous year and 2011 53. Now yes that's a good amount of people but a lot of people join that have mental issues and then the stress of the job gets to them. But a lot of people who do it have other issues like financial, relationship, etc. It can be any rate not just Nuke or AC. Many people don't realize what they are getting into. Every job is demanding in the Navy and can break people. They do a lot of training to help with signs and reporting people who may have issues. If things get tough there is plenty of help that the Navy provides.

Yes it is true that it happens in any rating..and it ia very sad the numbers that do commit suicide..however..what is NOT reported in this is the number of attempted suicides...it is much much higher.