The Most Important Lesson I Learned in the Navy

“It’s not about you. The Purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness.” Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life

Jeff Gazaway is a very smart man. People fall into and out of your life. Some will have an impact on your life; some will have no bearing on your life. This is especially true if you ever join the Navy or the military. I didn’t know much about Jeff Gazaway before we met. It was only a random coincidence that we were both assigned to the same duty section.  This meant that while the USS John C. Stennis was in port, Jeff was the Load Dispatcher in charge of the ship’s electrical power distribution and I was the Shut Down Electrical Operator (who’s main duty is to keep the Load Dispatcher awake on the Balls to Seven watch).

The thing I remember most about my 6 years in the Navy is that Continue reading

Navy Nuke Karaoke Night

We pulled into Pusan, South Korea sometime around 1999. It might have been 1998 or even 2000, I’m really not sure, but let’s just assume it was 1999 because after a few years all of these port visits seem to run together.

 

What I do remember is that it was freaking cold. There was snow on the ground and it was windy and freaking ridiculous cold. And none of us had Continue reading

The Best Kind of Navy Nukes…are dependable when it counts

In the Nuclear Program you are going to make some very close friends. This kind of thing always happens when people are all forced to endure the same crappy deal together. There is no other way to say it than that the Nuclear Pipeline really sucks. If you are an enlisted Nuke, your entire career will suck. Period. Boot camp will suck. Nuclear Field A School will suck. Nuclear Power School will suck big harry butt. Nuclear Prototype will suck giant dog butt. Getting qualified and standing watch for the rest of your career will suck slimy, hairy, sweaty, fat, butt! Welcome to the program, and I don’t imagine it’s much better as an officer.

 

Your friends will make it bearable. One day, you will be deep in the suck, once again getting crapped on by your “leadership,” and Continue reading

Navy Nuke: If I Could Do It All Over Again

Navy NukeI left the Navy in July 2001. I should be rich by now (and maybe even married). There are so many things I wish I would have done differently that would have put me light years ahead of the curve by the time I had been out for 5 or even 10 years. Here’s how to make the most of your time when you are in so that you will hit the ground running when you get out Continue reading

What Should I Study Before Nuke School?

Navy NukeThis is a common question for people entering the U.S. Navy Nuclear Program. If you are entering the Navy Nuke Program, nothing will completely prepare you for what you are about to face. When I got to Nuke school there was one day of indoc (indoctrination). Each speaker kept saying, “It’s a big machine, it will run you over.”

If I was sitting in DEP and preparing to enter the U. S. Navy and then go to the Nuclear Power Program, here is what I would do (or what I did). Continue reading

NUKISMS: Vernacular of the U.S. Navy Nuclear Program

Navy Nuke

1) Nuke Fallout: anyone who has ever failed out of the Nuke Program or been kicked out of the program aka Lucky

2) GCE: Gross Conceptual Error. You don’t know what the heck you are talking about

3) Shot Gunning: when you don’t know the correct answer so you lay down every piece of knowledge you have ever obtained. This is a great way to fail a Nuke question but a sure way to pass a test in the civilian world.

4) Easter Egging: when you can’t find the fault or problem so you just start taking random voltage readings or just start investigating random possible problems hoping to somehow stumble upon the real problem.

5) 2.5 Knowledge: aka “knows right answer when told.”  The minimum amount of knowledge Continue reading

This is the pits

This Sea Story comes from G. Christopher. If he gets to 75+ Facebook Likes he could win up to $300.00 just for submitting to Navy Nuke Job Finder. You can keep track of the Likes at top right…

 

Navy Nuke

This is the pits

Our chief cook got some fresh Bing cherries before one underway. The only problem was the pits – we really didn’t have anywhere to put them after eating the good part of the cherries. I suppose one could have walked around the ship with a spit cup – there were a number of tobacco chewers on board – but I don’t think that really occurred to anyone. Crew members would take a handful and swallow the pits as they ate the cherries. Continue reading