Recruiters got him! Advice requested

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Permalink Reply by John H'ausen on September 11, 2013 at 5:06pm

Probably should give an update, but not before thanking you all for your (sometimes lively) input.  This group is amazing.

The one thing I accepted from the beginning is that I am an observer and an advisor, but my son is an adult and has to make his own decisions one way or the other.  He ended up accepting the "undesignated" designation.  It has calmed everything down around here but my spirit.  I have had to bite my tongue and try my hardest to accept his decision.  Like I have said before, we have never been "helicopter" parents, but it doesn't keep us from wanting him to make the right choices.

I have shared everyone's advice with him and he has taken it into consideration and now only time will tell.

Thanks again for all of your wise counsel.

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Permalink Reply by Sherman Smith on September 11, 2013 at 7:50pm

Well said Chief.

Sammy Young said:

Let's talk numbers:

I retired an Chief Petty Officer with over 20 years and made about $60K a year after I retired in jobs relating to my rating (SK). Meanwhile, my oldest brother was also in the Navy and did 6 years as a NUC and got out and now makes over $650K a year (plus profit sharing) for one of the biggest nuclear power builders in the country. And for what it's worth, the IS rating skills are not in high demand anywhere but in the US Navy. So the answers is simple- the Nuclear Power program is the best free education you're kid will ever get, so nab it if offered!

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Permalink Reply by Sherman Smith on September 11, 2013 at 11:09pm

Some reading suggestions for you concerning life at sea. The American Practical Navigator,Two Years Before the Mast, Moby Dick, Janes Fighting ships, The history of Submarines on the Dolphin News site. Welcome aboard. Your fears and concerns seem to be rather common. That just means you love your Son and want him to do well, nothing wrong with that. But being in the Nav is a Family business! Your job has only just begun. Become an expert advocate and constant presence in his time at sea. Get to know his Ombudsman ,Mom get involved with the Navy Wives they know every thing that I wasn't allowed to talk about some how.Write to him as often as possible (every day) words of support and news from home are so important.

A (Sea Story).West PAC 1983

It was a beautiful day in the South Pacific when we left Subic Bay PI and happily on our way to Singapore for a rare port of call and some well deserved liberty. The water wasn't deep enough for a vessel with a draft as deep as ours. So the entire transit was made on the surface. Rare for a boat like mine an SSN Fast Attack. Every one that cared to was able to go up and enjoy some fresh air and sun. My watch finally ended and I lay to the bridge where the Conning Officer and the look out were. When I arrived I took the watch as lookout so he could make a head call and wedged my self into the pooka. What I witnessed for the next hour was the most wonderful spectacle I'ld ever seen. The bow of the boat was pushing at the surface and formed two whirlpools just forward of the sail on either side of the ship. The water was so clear that  the ocean floor looked like dunes of white sand. Then it happened, first one and then another until what seemed like 10 or 15 dolphins were each racing to get ahead of us. It looked like the derby. Then the lead dolphin broached directly ahead of us and began to slow. He made no effort to get out of the way and in a few seconds was being washed over the top of our bow. he slid off on the port side directly beneath me and was being turned over and over in the eddy of churning white water. As he did pirouettes like a sea dervish the happy chatter and sound of laughter got the attention of every one aloft. one after another the creatures took their turn at the fun. This went on for hours. And it donned on me, this was not their first rodeo they had done this before.

QM2SS SMITH 

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Permalink Reply by Brad on September 16, 2013 at 11:05am

John H'ausen said:

Probably should give an update, but not before thanking you all for your (sometimes lively) input.  This group is amazing.

The one thing I accepted from the beginning is that I am an observer and an advisor, but my son is an adult and has to make his own decisions one way or the other.  He ended up accepting the "undesignated" designation.  It has calmed everything down around here but my spirit.  I have had to bite my tongue and try my hardest to accept his decision.  Like I have said before, we have never been "helicopter" parents, but it doesn't keep us from wanting him to make the right choices.

I have shared everyone's advice with him and he has taken it into consideration and now only time will tell.

Thanks again for all of your wise counsel.

John, I can understand your frustration. My son was also pushed to go into the Nuke program, but he resisted because his goal was to become a SEAL, so he took a rating he could easily transfer out of later. Now two years later and his promises of being able to switch to SEAL are slim at best. 

However, they are adults and have to live with the decisions they make. My biggest fear was talking my son into going Nuke, then him being miserable. 

I think you have done all you could. Hopefully, his career goes well for him. I am a firm believer that life goes where it's supposed to. Good luck to him.

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