I was wondering if anyone had any advice for me. I do have a college degree, but my gpa is crap, a measly 2.4, so getting an officer position is out of the question. My recruiter is trying to convince me to go Nuke as enlisted and I already took the ASVAB and qualified. I'm ok with going enlisted, with such a low gpa it seems like my only opportunity to actually have a career and kind of start over in order to fix my low gpa. However, I can't decide between Nuke or Cryptologic Technician Networks. If anyone could give me some cut and dry honest pros and cons of both that would be great. Thanks
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Advice on Nuke or CTN??
- Thread starter ravioli
- Start date
exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
Being in nuclear power I can tell you some differences, Nuke - hot work environment, very hot. CTN - air conditioning Nuke - rapid advancement. CTN - varies. Nukes - first on last off. CTN - did they actually get underway with us? Nukes - one of the toughest training pipelines.
My beginning was very rough, but I have enjoyed it.
Have you taken Physics/Chemistry.
The other thing is CTN may not be available, there are only certain jobs always available, Nukes, SEALS, and SWCC.
My beginning was very rough, but I have enjoyed it.
Have you taken Physics/Chemistry.
The other thing is CTN may not be available, there are only certain jobs always available, Nukes, SEALS, and SWCC.
Yea, my degree is in Math. So I have four semesters of Calculus and two of physics. I love math, physics, and even chemistry. I'm just not sure if I'd enjoy the nuke life and I'm not sure I'd enjoy just teaching or working in a power plant once I get out of the Navy. I feel like I might enjoy Post Navy life after doing CTN more. Thanks for the input.
exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
While many nukes do get out and work in power plants, many do not. I have friends that teach, work in HR, safety, do project management, etc....
One of my friends has been out for a few years, he retired as a nuke MM and now does Organizational Development for a chemical company making 200k per year and loves it.
Did your recruiter say he could get you CTN?
One of my friends has been out for a few years, he retired as a nuke MM and now does Organizational Development for a chemical company making 200k per year and loves it.
Did your recruiter say he could get you CTN?
Oh that's interesting I was unaware of the other job opportunities post Navy Nuke. My recruiter was really pushing me nuke and I wasn't aware of the CTN program until after I got home from the test, which I just took on Thursday. From what I was reading on this website http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/navy/a/navyctn.htm CTN is the enlisted version of the Information Warfare Officer program listed here http://www.navy.com/careers/information-and-technology/information-warfare.html so I was interested in CTN because IWO was the job I wanted when I tried to go officer, but the Math and Science aspect of Navy Nuke keeps on pulling me back in, lol. I will probably ask him about CTN on Tuesday, but I like to do my own research aside from what my recruiter tells me.
I'd make sure that you talk to an officer recruiter. A 2.4 GPA doesn't seem like a showstopper to me, but I admit that I'm not that informed about current recruiting. There is a remarkable difference between being enlisted and an officer, and you shouldn't make that decision based on assumptions.
My OR told me the only way I could off set that low gpa would be to go to graduate school which I can't afford, or take the ASTB again to increase my score but I would have to wait six months to apply for IWO again. I guess I could always go for another designator, but I'm 25 years old and I'm living in my oldest sisters' basement and I'm running out of time. If I keep trying for officer programs and don't get it than I don't get that and I could only enlist than with an age wavier, or I become too old to enlist. It's just too risky at this point.
exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
A 2.4 is a showstopper for many programs, several have a 2.5 minimum, and the ones that don't get hundreds of application for a few spots so that they are turning down near perfect GPA's.
NRC is pushing to not even turn in the applications and have the NRD's do field rejects.
exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
Just because the rate exist doesn't mean you will get it, the enlisted side is first come first serve on a nationwide basis, the job could be there and while you are talking to the classifier it could disappear.
At my district the enlisted recruiters tell you to be prepared to take any job you are offered, and if you aren't willing to do that they push you to the side because they have someone else that is. It is just the way things are now.
I am honestly surprised they put you in for IW, that is one of the hardest designators to get into, we had several that put in for that at my district that were tech majors, several dual, all 3.5 or above, collegiate athletes, community service, and we had one selected.
Well my OR wasn't an officer he was enlisted so I guess he was ignorant to all that. I understand that stuff, I wasn't really concerned with it though. I was just looking for the pros and cons of both. I will talk to my ER and if CTN is open than I will look into that, if not than I am ok with going Nuke. I'm not necessarily opposed to either one, it's just a matter of what I will enjoy more once I'm in the Navy and once I get out. I took the ASVAB on Thursday May 24th and they want me to swear in this coming Thursday May 31st for the Nuke program, so getting that isn't an issue if I decided to do it. Are their any CTN's on here that can shed some more light on that job, I heard it's pretty top secret so that might not be possible? NavyOffRec, what do you like most about you're job and what do you like least?
exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
Many OR's are no longer officers, they are CPO's, they are trying to make it so the E-6 and below will recruit both, I don't agree, I see it as a conflict of interest.
Your recruiter cannot tell you if CTN is available or not, he doesn't have access as he isn't a classifier, and if it is open one minute it might be closed the next.
My job is difficult, but are you a hands on person or a theory person? I am hands on so power school was difficult, but I did great past that. This is a difficult field, many people in the nuke field that retire as CPO/SCPO could easily have retired as MCPO's or LDO's in other rates, I knew several people that were ahead or behind me in power school who failed out that have retired much higher rank than me.
as a nuke you will have:
long hours
test all the time, at least once a month in the fleet
inspections every few months and more test
oral boards for every watch you will stand, some by the CO of the ship/sub
more long hours
procedures you must follow verbatim
many CPO's who will motivate their men so everyone benefits
some CPO's who will walk on their men and drive them into the ground just to get advanced
drills to train for casualties
watches, many, many watches
more drills to train for casualties
maintenance on equipment
repairs on equipment
troubleshooting to figure out what went wrong
did I mention long hours?
If you are successful at being a nuke you can do ANYTHING, because if you can survive being a nuke you can survive what ever you do.
I sucked at high school, and my first semester of college, but after I survived power school I had a new work ethic, better time management, and I earned a BA and MA with 3.6 and 3.7
YGTBSM. What NAM hunting GIF came up with that one?
exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
RADM Faller, everyone has to make a mark at each command they are at, they just can't leave shit alone.
Retired Master Chief cryppie here. I retired as a CT with 18 years service, not the CTN rating, as Al Gore had not yet invented in Internet when I retired. A fantastic career with a magnificent, financially and professional, post-Navy career, no regrets. My thought is why you would chose CTN as opposed to a T-bird, or CTT (Technical). After all these years I believe T-birds are still around. I would point you to a remarkably accurate book; Blind Man’s Bluff by Sontag/Drew. Wonderful read. Their focus was on the submarine side of the CT rating; my time was better spent on the aviation side (C-121M - A3 (B-66) and a short period the newer EP-3 Mighty Orion)
A lot of good information on this thread, esp the guidance from The Machine. As enlisted you will always be riding in the back of the bus, never getting to drive it. What has not yet been mentioned is the "Needs of the Navy" which would drive your assignment to be a striker in a rating after you complete Boot Camp. What I mean is that you may be promised "A" CT school in Pensacola but end up assigned striking for Hull Technician as that is where the need might be. Back in the day assignment to a rating was a crap shoot, maybe as well today.
Wishing you the best of luck. Make a wise choice.
A lot of good information on this thread, esp the guidance from The Machine. As enlisted you will always be riding in the back of the bus, never getting to drive it. What has not yet been mentioned is the "Needs of the Navy" which would drive your assignment to be a striker in a rating after you complete Boot Camp. What I mean is that you may be promised "A" CT school in Pensacola but end up assigned striking for Hull Technician as that is where the need might be. Back in the day assignment to a rating was a crap shoot, maybe as well today.
Wishing you the best of luck. Make a wise choice.
It depends what's in your contract. If you sign up and your contract gives you an A school, provided you don't fuck something away, medical issues come up, etc., you're going to get that rating.