STAR Reenlistment as pertains to Nukes: What is it, Pros & Cons

In order to help future Navy Nuke parents, I'm starting this topic on this 'discussion forum' hoping to capture and preserve relative information, as opposed to using the 'comment wall' feature where the information will be more difficult to find and follow as time goes on.

First off, I am no expert.  Any info I present has been gleaned from the internet, including the official Navy .mil sites and forums such as the Navy sub-forum at NukeWorker.com, and from a colleague who is a former Nuke.  Please point out any inaccuracies in my understanding!  I truly hope we can get contributions from participants who have first hand experience.

What is STAR (Selective Training and Reenlistment Program)?

Generally most military members who desire to reenlist may only do so shortly before their current contract is set to expire. The STAR program allows certain Navy career fields to reenlist as early as 21 months into active duty and to gain any reenlistment perks and benefits that their career field offers at a much earlier stage of their career. The STAR program is often associated with offers to attend advanced 'career' schools or training programs, as the Navy does not want to invest sending a member to such schools without their extended service.

(For this discussion I am using the term "Nukes" to mean those sailors who have graduated prototype training.)

In the case of our Nukes, they have already completed the STAR associated 'career' school requirements and for all intents and purposes are fully eligible with one exception that has to be met:

(Excerpt from MILPERSMAN 1160-100 which details the STAR program)

2. STAR Eligibility Requirements

a. Each applicant will

(1) be recommended by member’s commanding officer (CO) for career designation, have demonstrated above average career potential, and meet considerably higher standards for reenlistment than the minimum standards prescribed in MILPERSMAN 1160-030.

Perks given when reenlisting via STAR (for Nukes anyway) are advancement to E-5 and Selective Reenlistment Bonus (SRB).  This is not the case for all career fields, but is virtually a certainty for Nukes.

Reference Links:

STAR (Navy Webpage) Scroll partway down

MILPERSMAN 1160-100 (Referenced in above link, PDF format)

Career School Listing (Referenced in first link, MS Word .docx file)

Regarding Career School Listing:  If you are unable to read the document, rest assured our sailors are on it.  The following Ratings and NECs (Navy Enlisted Classification) are on the list.

ET-3353 Nuclear Propulsion Plant Operator Reactor Control

EM-3354 Nuclear Propulsion Plant Operator Electrician

MM-3355 Nuclear Propulsion Plant Operator Mechanical

Note, however, that once a Nuke receives orders, their NEC may change.  Submariners will keep the same 335X NEC while surface sailors will change to 338X.  This is important when bonus calculations are discussed.

BTW, Here's a handy link, specifically Chapters 29, 32 & 51:

Volume I, Navy Enlisted Occupational Standards, NAVPERS 18068F

How much longer are they obligated to serve?  Forgetting about the bonus for a moment, this seems to be the most frequent question.   When our kids returned from the recruiter's office, the pamphlets they brought home seemed to tell us that they would be able to add 2 years to their initial obligation and get a huge bonus.  In other words, 8 years total.  That's not entirely correct.  In fact, you restart your six-year clock when you accept and sign your STAR contract.  So if you're nearing your 3 year mark when you signed, you'd have a total obligation of nearly 9 years.  As my co-worker, who did STAR, states "It's as if they discharge your current contract and you start a new one for six years."

About SRB (Selective Reenlistment Bonus)

Calculating the Bonus:  The variables that go into the calculation are:

P = Monthly Base Pay Amount Prior to Reenlisting

X = Multiplier Value from Navy's published 'Award Levels' Table

M = Number of Months of Reenlistment Term

Bonus Amount = P * X * M / 12   (May be limited by a $ cap )

P is easily determined.  Military pay charts are all over the web.

X comes from NAVADMIN 081/14 (SRB Policy) (as of the date of this post)

Locate the row with your Nuke's Rating and NEC number based on the info above.  There may be multiple rows.  If so, select the one with a valid number and not '*' in the Zone A column.  Zone A is for first termers (2-6 years).  That number is the 'multiplier'.  Their Rating will have NSW or NSS appended on it.  Don't worry about that.  Matching the NEC is important.

Also notice in the Table that there are 'Award Ceilings' (Caps) listed as well.

Here are the pertinent values for freshly minted Nukes:

M is somewhat confusing in how it's determined for Nukes.

M = 24 + (Number of Full Months of Active Duty Served to Date)

The above is a simplification of M = 72 - ( 48 - (Full Months Served) )

If anyone desires further explanation regarding this odd equation, please ask.  Otherwise, it's a lot to explain.  Also, I'll be glad to work up examples if requested.

Pros/Cons - I'll edit and add my two cents when I get time, but I'm sure this matter will ultimately be the main focus of this discussion thread.