- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
re: Navy dudes: My son is considering the Navy as a “nuke.”
Posted on 3/3/26 at 9:46 pm to BOHICAMAN
Posted on 3/3/26 at 9:46 pm to BOHICAMAN
My brother was a Cold War era submariner nuke. He did quite well for himself after he left the Navy. Worked in industrial electrical systems and eventually municipal water for a very large metropolitan area.
0
Posted on 3/3/26 at 10:06 pm to pickle311
After 2 yrs into his computer science degree, my son came home one day and said he wanted a career in cybersecurity. Started talking to the Navy recruiter. ASVAB score in mid/upper 90s. Recruiter offered nuke with a 30k signing bonus today and after 6 yrs a 100k bonus if he would re-enlist. Son said thanks, but no thanks. Went cyber/crypto, spent 6 yrs at the NSA, now out and enjoying a very high paying job with a major gov contractor with his renewed security clearances. But those were the nuke $ offerings 6 yrs ago.
Posted on 3/3/26 at 10:12 pm to G Vice
That’s quite a lot more than what they offered us in the early 80’s.
Posted on 3/3/26 at 10:20 pm to ValZacs
Right. But think of the time period. When I was a freshman at LSU in 1987, my friends older brother was a fifth-year senior about to start a job in a good career paying 36k per yr, and that was considered a lot of money. 50k per yr jobs were borderline stratospheric, and mostly unheard of.
Posted on 3/3/26 at 10:33 pm to BOHICAMAN
I had a teacher that was on a nuclear sub. He said the food was great, the temperature was constant and he didn't have to endure being tossed around by the waves on a surface vessel.
Posted on 3/3/26 at 10:39 pm to Saint Alfonzo
quote:
If he rocks out of nuke school, which happens fairly often, he'll find a cushy landing spot somewhere in Navy aviation.
The naval gods usually deal out a much more cruel fate:
Posted on 3/3/26 at 11:01 pm to BOHICAMAN
My nephew is a SWCC Warrant Officer, who used to be a boat captain over two stealth boats. His wife served on a nuclear air craft carrier as an enlisted "Nuke". When she got out she went to one of the Norfolk area colleges & got a Mechanical Engineering Bachelors & a Masters in Systems Engineering while he was stationed at Little Elm base. He is stationed at the Stennis Center Navy base now. She works for a company that designs High Pressure Pumps in Slidell.
Posted on 3/3/26 at 11:09 pm to chinese58
Think i know the company. My navy nuke background got me into the pump industry too. Thomas comes to mind. We helped them on some ITT-AC parts probably 10-15 years ago.
This post was edited on 3/4/26 at 8:45 am
Posted on 3/4/26 at 12:03 am to BOHICAMAN
That’s what they tell all the halfway intelligent white kids. They pump it up like you’re going to be a seal or an admiral in 6 months. But you’re stuck in the engine room of a sub. Recruiters are sleazy liars. They’re used car salesman. Your son shouldn’t believe anything they tell him.
Posted on 3/4/26 at 12:22 am to G Vice
quote:
Right. But think of the time period. When I was a freshman at LSU in 1987, my friends older brother was a fifth-year senior about to start a job in a good career paying 36k per yr, and that was considered a lot of money. 50k per yr jobs were borderline stratospheric, and mostly unheard of.
Yep when i was at LSU in 1999/2000 barely getting by and struggling to graduate, my then-gf was graduating nursing school and got a job offer making $52k… we thought that was an astronomical amount for a 24 year old to be making .. fast forward a quarter century and $52k in most of America is borderline poverty wages… it’s the only thing we can count on, prices rising and politicians philandering .
Posted on 3/4/26 at 7:43 am to JAXTiger16
quote:
it’s one of the best jobs to get bonuses for reenlistments.
What kind of bonuses? I would think someone coming out of the Navy nuke program would plenty of lucrative civilian opportunities.
Posted on 3/4/26 at 8:01 am to LSURussian
quote:
All I know about nuclear submarines I learned from watching The Hunt for Red October.
Jokes aside, salute to that young man. I know a guy that was nuke in the Navy years ago, now he's running nuclear power plants for a living in the civilian world. Even worked as a civilian contractor for the Navy making bank for years. With all the growth in the small reactors (SMR's) and the need for AI data center power, it would not be a bad MOS to pick at all for career growth.
Posted on 3/4/26 at 8:17 am to BOHICAMAN
Ex Nuke here.
N Never
A Again
V Volunteer
Y Yourself
Seriously...I needed it at that time in my life. But recommend Gas Turbine Electrician or ET vs Nuclear. Same basic skills training but better deployment and time off ship schedule.
Actually go to ITI or another trade school for AC tech or other Electrical trade.
N Never
A Again
V Volunteer
Y Yourself
Seriously...I needed it at that time in my life. But recommend Gas Turbine Electrician or ET vs Nuclear. Same basic skills training but better deployment and time off ship schedule.
Actually go to ITI or another trade school for AC tech or other Electrical trade.
Posted on 3/4/26 at 9:48 am to Matt225
"Assuming he makes it through the program, what percentage goes to carries vs submarines?"
the exact reason I do not suggest nuke as really on 3 choices -- attack subs, ballistic missile subs, or carriers and almost 100% home port is state side.
I strongly recommend considering other rates. Why go in Navy and be stationed in a shithole port?
the exact reason I do not suggest nuke as really on 3 choices -- attack subs, ballistic missile subs, or carriers and almost 100% home port is state side.
I strongly recommend considering other rates. Why go in Navy and be stationed in a shithole port?
Posted on 3/4/26 at 10:18 am to Matt225
quote:
I strongly recommend considering other rates. Why go in Navy and be stationed in a shithole port?
He only wants to enlist for the Nuke training. Along with the patriotism and service to country and all that jazz.
Posted on 3/4/26 at 10:55 am to BOHICAMAN
I was stationed at Rota Spain 71-73,Polaris submarines were coming and going every few months.
Thing that ,freaked me out about subs was they went down in the Mediterranean for 2 months and they didn’t come up for any reason.If a sailors family member died,be it their wife or child,didn’t matter they didn’t tell them until they came back up at the end of the 2 month cruise.
I would have been a nervous wreck the 2 months worried something bad had happened back home.
It wasn’t unusual for them to bring a sailor off a sub on a stretcher with a straitjacket on when they came up in Rota.
It sets you up for a great career after getting out of the Navy but it wasn’t for me.
Thing that ,freaked me out about subs was they went down in the Mediterranean for 2 months and they didn’t come up for any reason.If a sailors family member died,be it their wife or child,didn’t matter they didn’t tell them until they came back up at the end of the 2 month cruise.
I would have been a nervous wreck the 2 months worried something bad had happened back home.
It wasn’t unusual for them to bring a sailor off a sub on a stretcher with a straitjacket on when they came up in Rota.
It sets you up for a great career after getting out of the Navy but it wasn’t for me.
Posted on 3/4/26 at 10:58 am to BOHICAMAN
quote:
Can anyone tell me what exactly this entails? Is it a good program to prep for college or a job after he gets out? What’s the training like?
Is he book smart or common sense smart...
Book smart makes great nucs..Common sense makes great other rates
Posted on 3/4/26 at 11:43 am to BOHICAMAN
You volunteer for sub duty. I went in as a nuke and failed out of school 2 months into the program. Even though I scored very high on the ASVAB, my test score to qualify for nuke school was at the cutoff so i barely qualified. No tests in that program were multiple choice like the rest of the schools in the Navy, they're all essay type questions. It is very hard in my experience but not impossible. Best of luck to your boy.
Posted on 3/4/26 at 11:49 am to DoUrden
quote:
may decide to make it a career
Opportunities in nuclear power are rapidly increasing in military and civilian sector due to demand for smaller modular power plants coming from data centers. The military has similar needs for deployable power systems. It's a great time to get into that technology.
Hopefully, somebody will finally come up with a good safe solution for high-level rad waste sequestration. That dangerous problem remains
Posted on 3/4/26 at 12:28 pm to OU812ME2
I became an AT after I washed out. I could choose any rating due to my ASVAB. You don't become a deck hand, that's just false.
Page 4 of 4
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News