Balance between work and family?

[Kennybunkport]

I'm new to this site but have found it incredibly helpful so far. Thanks for all the insight! I'm very interested in becomming a naval officer. My GPA is a 3.65. Just took the ASTB test this morning. OAR is 64, followed by 8/8/8. Recruiter thought I had a great shot at being a pilot, however I'm 28 so I've missed the age cutoff and apparently they don't sign waivers for that. To be honest, I am interested in a handful of Navy communities - my top three or four pursuits at this point probably being: Intel, Supply, Radiation Health, and Information Warfare. Any suggestions as far as what communities would grant the best balance between career and family?

 

[Spekkio]

Is Radiation Health even an officer billet? If so, I'd imagine it was restricted line (you're an officer, but you don't ultimately command a ship) and you'd need some sort of a medical degree for it.

I think IW is restricted-line, too.

They won't sign a waiver for someone who's 28? That's new.

I could somewhat answer your question in regards to Nuke, but you don't seem to be interested in that so others can chime in...

 

[phrogpilot73]

I think IW is restricted-line, too.

Yes, it is.

They won't sign a waiver for someone who's 28? That's new.

I thought waivers were only for prior guys, but I could be wrong.

 

[Spekkio]

I wouldn't know for sure. I just have seen a lot of threads talking about getting age waivers and the fact that it's possible.

 

[Rg9]

The instruction was linked here a couple months ago... don't know the name of the thread.

I believe the waiver >28 is only for prior-enlisted. I think there may be a separate one for new officers, but not sure. Sorry. Do a search.

 

[Kennybunkport]

Thanks for the reply posts. I'm not sure whether the Radiation Health is an officer position or not? I'm a Science guy with a Biology/Chemistry background so Radiation Health was an interest since I potentially could do that program without having/needing a medical degree. My recruiter wasn't sure how exactly the Medical Service Corps works, but was going to check into it. It is my impression (though I'll need to have this clarified), that as far as the age waiver goes for being a pilot, since I am not a prior Navy guy working into the aviation program, I cannot get an age waiver. And for the NUC guy, that would be an awesome field -- I just don't have all the course requirements in my background to be eligible for that at this time. Does anyone know what the communities are like for Intel and/or Supply? Are those fairly family-friendly careers in the Navy? (As in, would I be less likely to have extended periods of time away from my family outside the normal sea duty rotation?)

 

[Spekkio]

Nuke requires 1 year of calc and 1 year of physics. They prefer technical degrees, but word is that the nuke officers are in high demand these days. The schedule would vary depending on the platform you end up working on.

If you want to go for Nuclear Reactors, which is a restricted line position that works out of DC designing the stuff for our warships, you must have a technical degree and your GPA probably isn't good enough. But there's no harm in trying.

If you go nuke and get a boomer, your schedule will be very standardized and conducive to family life. You'd be away 3 months out of the year, and you'd never pull into a foreign port. However, if you went career, your department head (DH) tour would have to be on a fast-attack sub.

Something that you are going to have to accept is that if you join the military, you are going to be deployed. Most people who I've spoken to want to be deployed rather than sitting in the Navy yards overseeing ship maintenance (or marching around doing drills for the Army/USMC guys).

Also, it sounds from your post that you aren't really "gung-ho" about any particular community, which is fine because I didn't know at first, either. However, your main criteria for choosing which one to pursue is which one allows you to be at home the most, and that makes me question your motives.

 

[Kennybunkport]

Do you think they'd sign a waiver for the 1 year of Calc & Physics requirement? (Or even possibly be willing to pay for the classes if I took them?) I'd be more than willing to take those classes so I'd be eligible, but I don't want to spend time & money doing so, only to find out a year down the road I wouldn't qualify for this program or that suddenly they don't need nuke officers. Know what I mean?

 

[feddoc]

Thanks for the reply posts. I'm not sure whether the Radiation Health is an officer position or not? I'm a Science guy with a Biology/Chemistry background so Radiation Health was an interest since I potentially could do that program without having/needing a medical degree. My recruiter wasn't sure how exactly the Medical Service Corps works, but was going to check into it. It is my impression (though I'll need to have this clarified), that as far as the age waiver goes for being a pilot, since I am not a prior Navy guy working into the aviation program, I cannot get an age waiver. And for the NUC guy, that would be an awesome field -- I just don't have all the course requirements in my background to be eligible for that at this time. Does anyone know what the communities are like for Intel and/or Supply? Are those fairly family-friendly careers in the Navy? (As in, would I be less likely to have extended periods of time away from my family outside the normal sea duty rotation?)

Rad Health is an officer position....however, *as I recall* promotional percentages were not good for RH guys. 'Course it has been a few years since I cared . If you are seriously interested, I will ask some friends in the HCS field to give me some data. Do you have a BS or MS?

gouge here: http://rad.usuhs.mil/radhealth/

 

[Spekkio]

Do you think they'd sign a waiver for the 1 year of Calc & Physics requirement? (Or even possibly be willing to pay for the classes if I took them?) I'd be more than willing to take those classes so I'd be eligible, but I don't want to spend time & money doing so, only to find out a year down the road I wouldn't qualify for this program or that suddenly they don't need nuke officers. Know what I mean?

No. There are no exceptions to the 1 year of calc and 1 year of calc based physics requirements. If you want to go for it, you have to go back to school. I had to do the same last spring because my major required algebra based physics rather than calc based physics.

It was funny having the head of the dept scream at me and tell me that I was sure to fail physics 2 because I wanted to take them both in the same semester. A B+ and A- later...

 

[HH-60H]

If you want to go for Nuclear Reactors, which is a restricted line position that works out of DC designing the stuff for our warships, you must have a technical degree and your GPA probably isn't good enough. But there's no harm in trying.

What are you talking about? EDO?

 

[Bugsmasher]

Sounds like he's talking about Naval Reactors Engineer, which is a restricted line position working in DC at Naval Reactors. I was pro-rec'd for it but went SWO Nuke instead as it looks like the NRE job involved a lot of uninteresting cubicle work. Their academic requirements are pretty high and they only take a few a year, and its supposed to be a really intense job.

 

[Navyfan06]

Thanks for the reply posts. I'm not sure whether the Radiation Health is an officer position or not?

Yes radiation health is an officer billet. I do not know much about it but one of my friends here in Corpus who NPQ from flight school got picked up for it, they were a BIO major in college. From what they were saying there are only like 75 in the entire. Best of luck!

 

[krchris]

Rad Health is an officer position....however, *as I recall* promotional percentages were not good for RH guys. 'Course it has been a few years since I cared . If you are seriously interested, I will ask some friends in the HCS field to give me some data. Do you have a BS or MS?

gouge here: http://rad.usuhs.mil/radhealth/

How would the promotional percentages differ from other communities? Here is the current beginning salaries according to http://radhealth.usuhs.mil/RHO_RS_Jobs.htm.

"The following table shows the range of annual income a newly commissioned Naval Officer reporting to the Washington, D.C. area would receive based on the pay scale for calendar year 2007 (inclusive of housing and food allowances). The pay would be greater if the officer had completed enlisted military service.

Pay Grade With Dependents Without Dependents​

ENSIGN (O-1) $53,781 $50,229
LIEUTENANT JG (O-2) $61,065 $57,357​

LIEUTENANT (O-3) $68,745 $65,337

"
Are these starting salaries commensurate with other Line officer positions?
I also know that they are sent to OIS instead of OCS (I guess they have a new acronym they use instead of OIS now). Am I correct in assuming that line officers typically go through OIS?

​

 

[feddoc]

How would the promotional percentages differ from other communities? Here is the current beginning salaries according to http://radhealth.usuhs.mil/RHO_RS_Jobs.htm.

"The following table shows the range of annual income a newly commissioned Naval Officer reporting to the Washington, D.C. area would receive based on the pay scale for calendar year 2007 (inclusive of housing and food allowances). The pay would be greater if the officer had completed enlisted military service.

Pay Grade With Dependents Without Dependents​

ENSIGN (O-1) $53,781 $50,229
LIEUTENANT JG (O-2) $61,065 $57,357​

LIEUTENANT (O-3) $68,745 $65,337

"
Are these starting salaries commensurate with other Line officer positions?
I also know that they are sent to OIS instead of OCS (I guess they have a new acronym they use instead of OIS now). Am I correct in assuming that line officers typically go through OIS?

​

Promotional differences could occur (and have) if there are a glut of certain specialties at a given pay grade. RHOs are Staff Officers (Medical Service Corps) and have the same basic pay as any other officer within the same grade.