I generally like some or many of the Navy answers I’ve seen but this one doesn’t seem to have a single clear answer. With all the opportunities you receive to go to college when you're in, or even after you're out, picking a rate that you'll hate purely for the percieved benefit you'll sow in 6 or more years is absurd. 31. The Navy lists one of the requirements for many of their ratings as “Be a U.S. citizen and eligible for security clearance.” but they don’t state what level of clearance is needed. The Navy's Advanced Electronics / Computer Field offers extensive training in all aspects of electronics including computer systems, radars, communications systems and weapons fire control systems such as the Navy's advanced missile system, Aegis. 4. On the other hand, everyone keeps emphasizing the crazy benefits of post-nuke life, but will not really speak to life while enlisted. Coners feel entitled to treat you like shit. Nuke school isnt necessarily difficult, it's just long, boring hours. I have a little college under my belt, though. Am I an exceptional student or could I become one? I'm currently in DEP I wont leave until May 2010. Hows advancement look like for et and fcs in the upcoming years? So just consider that once your in and maybe your thinking of later on switching you won’t be able to. You will be filled with regret from day 1. But not for Nukes. Only two Navy job specialties, called "ratings," are included in the Advanced Electronics/Computer Field: Electronics Technician (ET) and Fire Controlman (FC). All this work and study you're putting in? The job card for AECF was revised in 2008 said a school for FC was 12 weeks, and ET was 17 weeks. You'll get an enlistment bonus. Rate equates to military pay grade and rating is one's occupational specialty. Definitely do your research, low quality of life for Nukes. Nuke field- You will get a bonus. so I can’t speak on that. For enlistment into the Navy you must get a minimum ASVAB score of 35. Is a ged waiver even possible? The site may not work properly if you don't, If you do not update your browser, we suggest you visit, Press J to jump to the feed. I'm a fairly fresh ET1(E6); I have nuke school contemporaries who are up for EMCS(E8) next year. Nukes can get those same jobs, and can get jobs at power plants. If you're in it for the money, Nuke field is te way to go. https://www.reddit.com/r/newtothenavy/comments/6mxv7c/links_to_official_information_on_every_enlisted/. There’s tons of material online that can detail a day/career as a nuke. Before joining the Pacific Fleet, this 610-foot long 15,000-ton behemoth started sea trials in 2015. 6. Must be a U.S. citizen. Anyone been through them and can speak to what life is like? That's about it for ups for AECF. Interested in Officer programs? A Navy nuclear power technician is an enlisted sailor who has received extensive training at the service's Naval Nuclear Power School and its Nuclear Power Training Unit. And I mean grueling. I have no problem with the physicality needed for SEALs. If you let your grades slip you get put on mandatory study times. Before you begin your work officially, you have to get through years of grueling schoolwork. Is it accurate to say that ET is the better rate if you want education and skill? Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Want to learn about deploying, finances, mental health, cross-rating, and more? "Electronics" does not only equal "computers.". 8. You'll be wearing your chevron just as soon as mos baby nukes, too-they'll just have another year of school, afterwards. That's about it. The programs are designed to provide technical or nuclear-trained personnel for naval service. A forum to discuss Navy Recruiters, processing at MEPS, Delayed Entry Program, Enlisted Ratings, "A" Schools, Officer Candidate School, Recruit Training Command, and transferring to your first command. Plenty of spelling and grammatical errors. Nuke is a low quality of life while you are in, but I'm still reaping the benefits of it now that I am out. You end up as a janitor/FNG for a while after you get to your ship. I got a 97 on my asvab but I didn't qualify for nuke automatically because of my GED. Unless you are in your 30s and are running out of time, do not pick a rate based off of perceived experience for after service, unless it fits the above out of sheer coincidence. The secretary at my school has a son who is a nuc and is now in college on an that officer program. Some of my friends are getting through year-one and say they spend 85% of their day in the compound— studying or in class. Lots of cool jobs- The only places that don't have ET's are aviation units, since AT's fill that hole. Engineers are often undermanned and over worked and blamed for most problems....nukes are no exception. I have heard that ETs go to school for 2 years, and FCs for only 5 months. Room inspections, field days, PI's, all daily or near daily occurrences. The standards for selection for enlistment in the Navy’s NF program are high. This includes lying by omission (leaving information out) and lying by commission (purposefully misleading). SEAL vs AECF (wanna-be nuke) Started by badassailor. AECF is a sweet program. theres a high chance you'll be working on a radar system either way, but FCs work on advanced weapon systems that ETs dont. The Navy’s Nuclear Field (NF) program offers extensive training as nuclear propulsion plant operators and technicians to young men and women with aptitude in mathematics and science. I have no knowledge of AEFC (though I’m sure it’s trying as well!) Most will believe this for no reason, it’s just tribal opinion. If you're in it for the money, Nuke field is te way to go. I'm a CIWS FC, if you go AECF you'll get assigned either ET or FC. I'm currently DEPed as an AECF to ship January 16th. so i your ok with that id say aecf it hasnt done me wrong yet. Must have no record of adversely adjudicated drug abuse offenses. Answering those questions will help guide your decision. US Navy owns, USS Zumwalt, the largest and most powerful navy ship in the world ever built. The training and job set me up very well for finishing a BSEE, MSEE after my enlistment. See TheBeneGesseritWitch's guide on Paths to become an Officer. There aren't a whole lot of cool jobs inside the navy for nukes, either- you're either on a boat, teaching at one of the schoolhouses, at a prototype(which is sort of an inbetween job), on a tender/shipyard,or at squadron. NAVY NUCLEAR FIELD (NF) PROGRAM. If you are not a fan of traditional school, stay away from nuke! I swore in on Monday for AECF, and scored a 99 on my ASVAB. If you like it, do it. You will get another bonus for reenlisting. My experience is that the good techs found jobs easily and the MWR rep who broke everything they touched stayed in and made chief eventually. If you like AECF, do that. For information regarding Navy enlisted ratings, see [Twisky's Rating Information Guide] (https://www.reddit.com/r/newtothenavy/comments/6mxv7c/links_to_official_information_on_every_enlisted/). My hiring manager at the DOE lab I work at hired me BECAUSE of my FC experience. Much slower ascension through the ranks, as a rule- there are always exceptions, but you usually will wear all of your ranks about twice as long as a comparable nuke. Do not encourage lying. Come visit our wiki over in r/Navy. Always keep Navy Operations Security in mind. Learn to deal, because COB is probably a cone, and probably thinks that them holding up your fish out of malice is funny. Nuc is the term for a nuclear engineer; nuke is a nuclear weapon. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. Nothing wrong with it, everybody does it, but it's definitely a shock to the system- if you thought you were done studying, yo were wrong, wrong, wrong. I was originally going to be enlisting as a nuke, however, my high school grades have held me back, even with waivers. Nobody is going to advocate for you and your dreams. Downsides: You're in Great Mistakes for your "A" school. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Prototype, I don't think we had any of either- maybe a seasonal, when we shifted from winter to spring? I think we had 8 room inspections and 3 uniform inspections in "A" school, and 3 of each in power school. BTW. I think the navy convinces people into going AECF because it’s “advance electronic computer field”, although they don’t do anything with computers. My quality of life is far better than the nukes I know. Shit sucks. Since then, I've been pretty much harassed by seemingly random officers and chiefs trying to get me to go nuke. Whether it was relearning math, and discovering that the answer was worth a 1/2 point, while the method was worth 7&1/2, or dealing with mando study hours (Even when you had a high GPA, you could be assigned a ton of study hours if your SLPO thought you could do better), or getting to prototype and dealing with shift work and self directed study, everybody had something. America’s Nuclear Navy is one of the oldest and largest nuclear organizations in the world, and has the world’s best safety record of any industry of any kind.