Should I redesignate?

[cmdrxizor]

For about a year and a half now, I have been in the Navy's NUPOC program with Surface Warfare Officer (Nuclear) as my eventual designation. I signed the dotted line, am an E-6 now, and am just finishing my degree and preparing for OCS.

Today, I got a call from my recruiter, asking me if I would consider re-applying to be a Naval Reactors Engineer in DC instead.

The biggest difference as I see it is OIS instead of OCS, and a Restriced Line Commission instead of Unrestricted Line. I guess my question here is twofold:

1) What is the advancement potential for a NR Engineer (or Restricted Line Officer in general) once the minimum service time is over? I have heard that people in such positions (like Power School Instructor) have a hard time staying in the Navy after their obligation is over... is this true? On a similar note, are there any other real differences between Restricted and Unrestricted that should influence my decision here? To be honest, OIS would certainly be easier on me than OCS, but I've been preparing physically for a year now, and definitely believe I can pass OCS, so I don't want that to influence my decision... I just don't want to sere my five years and then be told I have to leave - I want the option to stay left open.

2) What should I do? Stick with the SWO(N) path, or go re-interview in DC and go for the NR position?

 

[squorch2]

Well, for one thing, at NR you go to work in a suit and tie, not in uniform. It's very much research type stuff, not really very operational. You'll get a TON of very valuable technical training up there, however.

As for your future after your obligation at NR is up... well, you'd have to ask your recruiter about that.

 

[Thisguy]

cmdrxizor,

OIS may be tempting, but the reason you'd go there as an NR Engineer is because you'll only be an officer in the navy in rank and pay, not in duty. If that makes any sense. NR is not like a restricted line such as Intel or crypto, which you still have to go to OCS for. The advancement potential is nil after your obligation. The reason is, you CANNOT make a career as an NR engineer. After your initial obligation, you can stay on as a civilian engineer, or you can lateral transfer to another community. Basically, if you want a job the civilian world can't offer, stay SWO nuke. If you changed your mind and don't want to deploy, don't want to stay in the navy, go ahead and try NR.

 

[cmdrxizor]

Originally posted by Thisguy20
OIS may be tempting, but the reason you'd go there as an NR Engineer is because you'll only be an officer in the navy in rank and pay, not in duty.

Hmmm. Interesting point. I DON'T want to make this decision based on OIS vs. OCS. But your point is an interesting one. I guess I want to make whatever decision leaves me best off for whatever is next for me: whether that is 20 years of service, leaving after 5 years for civilian engineering work, or going off and doing something completely different.

You say an NR Engineer is like an officer only in terms of rank and pay - do you know this firsthand, or is this only a generalization based on other OIS fields (like medicine or law)?

 

[Thisguy]

cmdrxizor,

I'm comparing it to the other OIS fields. I also spoke to my recruiter about Nuke instructor, and that's kind of how he explained it. The fact that you can't make a career out of being an NR Engineer as a Naval Officer is what should have tipped you off. OIS stands for officer indoctrination school. You are commissioned an Ensign, then you go through the fork and knife school.

 

[cmdrxizor]

Originally posted by Thisguy20
The fact that you can't make a career out of being an NR Engineer as a Naval Officer is what should have tipped you off. OIS stands for officer indoctrination school. You are commissioned an Ensign, then you go through the fork and knife school.

And that did alert me that this may not be a good idea. I'm just trying to find out how much it is the case for NR Engineer in particular that it's hard to continue on... I have gotten some mixed signals from various sources as to this. I'm still in the information gathering phase here before I make any decision. Thanks for the advice though - I do really appreciate it.

 

[Thisguy]

cmdrxizor,

There shouldn't be any mixed signals. As an NR Engineer, at the four year point you will basically have 3 options: Stay at NR as a civilian engineer, get out of the navy, or transfer to another community (you can go on to nuclear power school and go sub/surface). It's not that it's hard for NR Engineers to advance, it's because they're not really a community. You know those guys who interviewed you when you were going for SWO NUC? They were civilian engineers who more than likely were former officers that stayed at NR.

 

[cmdrxizor]

Originally posted by Thisguy20
As an NR Engineer, at the four year point you will basically have 3 options: Stay at NR as a civilian engineer, get out of the navy, or transfer to another community (you can go on to nuclear power school and go sub/surface).

Ahhh, but how easy/hard is it to stay in by transferring to another community? And if you do that, how much of a disadvantage do you have over people who have been there from the start?

 

[Thisguy]

cmdrxizor,

Funny you should mention that, because I'm applying for a lateral transfer myself. How hard it is to transfer really depends on the community and if they're taking anybody. From what I have been told, you are generally not at a disadvantage, because your ENS and JG years you're really learning on the job. That being said though, if you were an NR engineer, I don't know how transferrable your skills would be to another community that require you to be a Div O. My take is this: If you're interested in a hard-core engineering job, go for the NR engineer. IF you're looking to apply your technical degree in a way that lets your work with people, be a leader, and still use apply your degree, stick with SWO nuc.