My son wants to be a Navy Nuke.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mike K on January 7, 2011 at 12:27am

Hi GP.  If I remember right, we sat next to each other last May at Power School graduation.  Sorry to hear about your son being held up for graduation.  That really is a shame.  My son said that many MMs at GC will not graduate tomorrow due to reactor problems and shutdowns.  He was lucky to have most of his checkoffs complete before the shutdown.  Glad to have your input here as well, I am sure those coming through will benefit.

Permalink Reply by GP on January 10, 2011 at 2:16pm

Hi Mike!  Thanks for the kind words.  My son was home this weekend. He told me he has only 20 checkoffs left so it shouldn't take too long.  By the way, hard to believe it's been 8 months!!!!

Permalink Reply by Mary Rose Hildinger on January 10, 2011 at 6:31pm

Hello Sam. I am new to the website. I hope your son is doing well. My son graduated in March and went to Nuke school in Charleston SC. He passed away 6 weeks later. Make sure you find out as much as you can. There is alot of pressure on those young men and women. I wish your son the best.
Mary in NY.

 

Permalink Reply by GP on January 11, 2011 at 8:57am

Mary:

May God bless you and your family and may your son rest in eternal peace.

Permalink Reply by Mike K on January 13, 2011 at 12:00am

GP, boy you can say that again on both accounts.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Mary and her family.   As to 8 months, for sure, does not seem like it.  Steve just got home yesterday on leave before he is to report in February.  It sure is good to have him home for a few weeks.

Permalink Reply by GP on January 13, 2011 at 2:10pm

Mike:

 

Where is Steve going?

Mike K said:

GP, boy you can say that again on both accounts.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Mary and her family.   As to 8 months, for sure, does not seem like it.  Steve just got home yesterday on leave before he is to report in February.  It sure is good to have him home for a few weeks.

Permalink Reply by Mike K on January 15, 2011 at 2:35pm

GP, Steve is headed to Groton Conn.

Permalink Reply by old Lt on January 16, 2011 at 10:01am

Hi,

My son is about 2/3 thru a school at Goose Creek. Here are a couple of things they should know. First it is real competitive but the instructers are good and will help. The guys themselves form study groups. It isnt one failure and your out. They want you to pass if you are able. 

The one thing that will get them into trouble is underage drinking. My son was of legal age when he entered so he wasnt as effected by this.

If they get caught they get masted (brought before the CO for discipline). I was told this base has the most mastings of any other as it may be the only or one of the few bases that has an honor policy regarding underage drinking. If he sees or is at a location where underage sailors are drinking he must report them. If he doesnt report them and it is found that he was there, he suffers the same consequences. This can include dismissal, reduction in pay and loss of bonus. I am not going into what the punishments were but they were not pleasant.

 

Permalink Reply by Mary Rose Hildinger on January 16, 2011 at 11:38am

I am glad your son is doing good Christopher. In response to your message I would also like to add something. When my son passed away in July in Charleston, his toxicology reports came back negative. The investigator only asked me if I had ever heard of Spice wich is a legal drug you could buy at the gas station. After doing research I found out that they dont test for this in the military. As of January 1st it has been banned from being sold. They dont know if my son or the other gentlemen used this but I know that the effects are terrible. Also the pressure that they are under is incredible and the Navy did nothing to help my son. I am working with Congressman Mike Pence in Indy to try and come up with a better program for spotting depression, etc. Our sons and daughters are there to fight for our country. I dont want this to happen to another family. Mary from NY

 

Permalink Reply by NavyDads Admin (Paul) on January 16, 2011 at 1:52pm

Immunoassay determnation of spice is not a do-able thing right now...it was only very recently that any sort of toxicological test was available.....a urine test was only developed in Sept. 2010.  There are indirect tests for spice metabolytes using GC/MS or LC/MS and are only now becoming well known...

 

Mary Rose Hildinger said:

I am glad your son is doing good Christopher. In response to your message I would also like to add something. When my son passed away in July in Charleston, his toxicology reports came back negative. The investigator only asked me if I had ever heard of Spice wich is a legal drug you could buy at the gas station. After doing research I found out that they dont test for this in the military. As of January 1st it has been banned from being sold. They dont know if my son or the other gentlemen used this but I know that the effects are terrible. Also the pressure that they are under is incredible and the Navy did nothing to help my son. I am working with Congressman Mike Pence in Indy to try and come up with a better program for spotting depression, etc. Our sons and daughters are there to fight for our country. I dont want this to happen to another family. Mary from NY

 

Permalink Reply by Mary Rose Hildinger on January 16, 2011 at 9:20pm

My son had common sense Mike and I understand where you are getting at. He was intelligent and talented and very smart in all ways. The military let him down. There is not enough preparation for how hard it is for them in there. He was an academic honors student, athelete and all around happy young man. His recruitor didnt prepare him nor did the Navy in general prepare him for how hard it would be. There has to be something done. I wish your son the best.

Mike K said:

My son has just completed his comps and oral boards for prototype and is set to graduate this Friday.  He has been assigned to a sub which was his choice.  In general there is no question this is one of the toughest, if not the toughest training programs in the armed forces.  The one thing that sticks out in my mind that my son told me about nukes is that they are some of the brightest people he has ever known, but at times tend to lack common sense and some have done some rather stupid things that have cost them dearly, so really be careful what you do. Another thing is that the instructors, and really everyone there is there to be of help.  The training is extremely tough but all are there to help you succeed and want you to succeed.  My son is set to report to his boat exactly 2 years to the day from his entry into boot camp, so it is a long grind.  If anyone has any specific questions I will gladly try to help.

From what I know, much of what William said is true.  The one point I should mention is that the once a nuke always a nuke is not necessarily correct.  He is right in that you can not simply un-volunteer, though there were several nukes that for grade reasons and or behavioral reasons(common sense) were de-nuked.  Some who failed A school were released from the Navy.  You earn your rating out of A school so if you fail later or do something you shouldn't, you get de-nuked and become a non nuke MM, EM or ET in the non nuclear Navy.

Permalink Reply by GP on January 17, 2011 at 9:07am

I am not trying to point blame anywhere but I just wanted to add this comment.  My son was home this weekend from Ballston Spa and we discussed pressure, depression and suicide.  He told me that they have some one come in every 4-5 weeks to talk to the sailors there to make sure they are doing well mentally. Whether or not this is a new policy, I do not know.  I just wanted to point this out so other parents don't feel their child is left on their own.  I am so sorry for Mary's loss and can only offer my prayers for her and her family.

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