Don't ask Don't tell anyone about the repeal

[Gfted1]

^Just FYI, at least back in the 90's, Nukes were one of the fastest advancing and had the highest SRB (Service Reenlistment Bonus) in the entire Navy.

 

Stupid question, but I'm assuming that "Nukes" is some kind of role in the army.. or a technician handling nukes?

 

No, "Nukes" are the guys that work on and maintain the nuclear reactors that power most US aircraft carriers.

[Calax]

^Just FYI, at least back in the 90's, Nukes were one of the fastest advancing and had the highest SRB (Service Reenlistment Bonus) in the entire Navy.

 

Stupid question, but I'm assuming that "Nukes" is some kind of role in the army.. or a technician handling nukes?

 

No, "Nukes" are the guys that work on and maintain the nuclear reactors that power most US aircraft carriers.

This. Basically you're sent off to get trained on how to operate the nuke reactors and get nearly the amount of credits needed for a degree as a nuclear engineer. Also there's an automatic requirement for the security clearance so very few people are actually able to get into the corner of the ship you work in.

[Nepenthe]

Well, I didn't miss by much!

[Monte Carlo]

^Just FYI, at least back in the 90's, Nukes were one of the fastest advancing and had the highest SRB (Service Reenlistment Bonus) in the entire Navy.

 

Stupid question, but I'm assuming that "Nukes" is some kind of role in the army.. or a technician handling nukes?

 

No, "Nukes" are the guys that work on and maintain the nuclear reactors that power most US aircraft carriers.

This. Basically you're sent off to get trained on how to operate the nuke reactors and get nearly the amount of credits needed for a degree as a nuclear engineer. Also there's an automatic requirement for the security clearance so very few people are actually able to get into the corner of the ship you work in.

 

[Clerks]So you're like the dudes who fill the soda machines on the Death Star?[/Clerks]

[Nepenthe]

[Clerks]So you're like the dudes who fill the soda machines on the Death Star?[/Clerks]

[Calax]

Yes, but the dudes on the deathstar didn't need massive background checks.

[213374U]

This. Basically you're sent off to get trained on how to operate the nuke reactors and get nearly the amount of credits needed for a degree as a nuclear engineer.

Sounds pretty interesting. Is it equivalent (or at least conducive) to any sort of standard education? How good is one's professional outlook after completing that and getting a few years of experience under your belt?

[Gromnir]

This. Basically you're sent off to get trained on how to operate the nuke reactors and get nearly the amount of credits needed for a degree as a nuclear engineer.

Sounds pretty interesting. Is it equivalent (or at least conducive) to any sort of standard education? How good is one's professional outlook after completing that and getting a few years of experience under your belt?

 

anecdotal evidence only:

 

we got a friend that went through the navy nuke program nearly a decade ago. did his tour and then left the navy (mostly 'cause he got married and he didn't trust his new wife to be alone for 6 months at a time.) when he got out o' the navy, he were almost qualified to be a journeyman electrician... navy's nuke engineers didn't seems to translate into equivalent university engineering degrees... not by a long shot. our friend ended up working as a manager at a local music store for the next few years.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Calax]

The way it was explained to me by the Recruiter was that your training gives you 2/3rds of a degree in Nuclear Physics and/or engineering (I believe... he left it nebulous IIRC to cover his ass). He also mentioned the fact that hospitals and power plants needed people trained with nuclear reactors (for some reason)

[ShadySands]

Basically how it works is that The American Council on Education reviews the courses and the training you receive and assigns a credit value to it. For me and in what I did, I got a little over 30 credits but that includes boot camp and MCT (Marine Combat Training - infantry school for non grunts) as well as MOS (military occupational specialty) school which took about 8 to 9 months total. Most of the credits only went towards electives and Mickey Mouse courses but it was a decent head start.

 

EDIT- I also got a Journeyman Internetworking Technician thingamabob and a handful of certs but that wasn't until a few years later.

Edited January 25, 2011 by ShadySands

[Ted 'MFing' Cruz]

The fact that people have a problem with this is such stuck up crap. If you have a problem with people being who they really are around you, maybe your the one who shouldn't be able to join the military. The way I see it, your the one who are putting people at risk because apparently you don't work well with others. My two cents.

[Walsingham]

I've been thinking about this, and may be about to change my mind. After taking on board all that's been said by the former _actual_ soldiers here. But crystalissed by that last comment.

 

It is in the nature of military life that one has values and standards. Those manifest not as individual events or characteristics but as a whole culture/society.

 

Achieving and maintaining an effective output from this culture/society impacts tactical behaviour, and psychological conditions in the unit. these in turn influence psychological injuries, and actual injuries. They also, you know, kinda impact the survival of the State they are defending.

 

So, while the Army must reflect the social values and standards of the society it defends in order to retain its support, I don't think it necessarily follows that those values and standards are appropriate to combat.

 

More importantly, if we try to socially engineer the Army I'd feel al lot happier if we understood what makes it work now before we start f***ing about with it.

 

~~

 

As I say, not sure if I'm changing my mind. But I am beginning to wonder if we're being too simplistic.

[Calax]

The army doesn't necessairly HAVE to follow the social values and customs of the nation it defends, it just usually does because it's made up of the members of that nation. If we had an all merc/PMC army then they probably wouldn't be close to our values structure simply because they aren't in it to defend their lands, they're in it for cash.

 

However, the military is usually the first or last part of the society to change, simply because of the nature of how one joins and then proceeds into a position of power within it's structure. If there could be a popular demonstration and walk out by the new soldiers over these sorts of issues it'd probably be faster, but *shrugs*

[Walsingham]

Well, it does really, Cal. If the Army falls out of step with society (in a democracy) then society stops enlisting and stops paying for the Army.

 

*thinks*

 

Of course one could argue that this pretty much screws the Army in cultures like modern Britain where no one wants to do any damn work and thinks war is automatically and always wrong.

[Wrath of Dagon]

Well, you could always go for an all-gurkha army.

[Calax]

Well, it does really, Cal. If the Army falls out of step with society (in a democracy) then society stops enlisting and stops paying for the Army.

 

*thinks*

 

Of course one could argue that this pretty much screws the Army in cultures like modern Britain where no one wants to do any damn work and thinks war is automatically and always wrong.

My point was that the armies of nations tend to change only when either all the rest of society is already different (because the old "GET OFF MY LAWN!" generals have been forced out and replaced by somebody younger), or take a fast step to try to stay ahead of the curve to get recruitment numbers up.

 

It's not so much that they care about any morals of any kind. They just care about being capable of fighting. If that means that they're somehow able to get a toad into combat as an effective by letting it mate with a caterpillar, they'd go for it.

[Walsingham]

Wait, what? No one told me about these toad hybrids. Do they fire rockets? Or use kung fu?

[Orogun01]

Well, it does really, Cal. If the Army falls out of step with society (in a democracy) then society stops enlisting and stops paying for the Army.

 

*thinks*

 

Of course one could argue that this pretty much screws the Army in cultures like modern Britain where no one wants to do any damn work and thinks war is automatically and always wrong.

They may promote values equal to those of societies but the army doesn't necessarily follow the same form and values as society. An army has a set of rules and values to which all soldiers must conform. If the Spartan army said that you had to sleep with your buddy as a team building exercise, you had to sleep with your buddy and if they say that you can't be too queer, then no Dolce and Galbana belts for you soldier.

They have their own set of law and values that have no real bearing outside of the battlefield or military life, and we allow it because we understand that it's a different life. My point is that basically, this should be a military decision not pressured by social conventions.

[Calax]

Wait, what? No one told me about these toad hybrids. Do they fire rockets? Or use kung fu?

They're actually special ammunition fired OUT of rockets that kung-fu opponents to death before pulling out their own duel wielding rocket lesbians.

[Orogun01]

Wait, what? No one told me about these toad hybrids. Do they fire rockets? Or use kung fu?

They're actually special ammunition fired OUT of rockets that kung-fu opponents to death before pulling out their own duel wielding rocket lesbians.

Sounds like a porn movie.