[Osmium Steele]

Disclaimer: The following is "to the best of my knowledge". I left my last boat in 1991. Things change.

Originally Posted by Spike88

I'm still determined to become a Nuke(and I only have 2 years before I'm disqualified ) and I plan to volunteer to be on a submarine.

Get your school, nuclear power school, and submarine school guaranteed in writing BEFORE you raise your hand at the MEPS station.

Anyways, my questions:

1. From my understanding, submarines go out for 6 months and then come back for 6 months. Is this true?

Depends on type. Boomers (ballistic missile boats) usually have two crews assigned to them, and do 3 months deployments, handing off the boat to the other crew when they return to port. The 3 months in port are used for training, schooling, vacations, preparing for the next run, etc.

Fast attacks - no rotating crews. No set schedules for most boats. Deployments can last 3 - 9 months depending where you are going.

All boats can be tasked with fleet training exercises, not to mention training and certification cruises, various other tasking lasting from days to weeks.

2. Does the submarine stay in dock for these 6 months, or do they just rotate the crew?

See above

3. What is Navy life like back at base? Particularly when it comes to E4's and up? Is it like any other job with shifts and day's off? Or is it like your time on the submarine?

In port, usually like any other job. 8 - 9 hour days are the norm unless it is your duty day. Then you are there the full 24 hours. Different skippers handle "day after duty" differently. Some give you the day off, even on a weekday, others not.

4. Do you and your family have to live on base and Navy housing complexes, or is it your choice? IE. can you buy an actual house and live there if you want to?

Married? Off base housing is usually available with a housing allowance added to your paycheck. You can also get a place on your own. Not sure how much assistance you'll get in that case. Housing assistance is usually restricted to E-4 or E-5 and above unless you are married.

5. I've heard that there is online college courses you can take while on ships, is this true?

True. Good luck getting your ISP to work at depth, howver. The navy used to go through Southern Illinois University for correspondence courses back in my time. You would be an idiot if you did not utilize this, or similar resources while you are serving.

Once you are no longer a useless, air breather that is. (i.e. have your dolphins) Get qualified nub.

6. How long do other ships spend out at sea? And do they rotate the crews off of them? More exactly, how do they handle the crew of carriers? But I am interested in knowing about Destroyers, Cruisers, etc.

Targets swap personnel out at will. No need for dedicated crews as is the case with a boomer. Time to transfer? Jump on the helo, or transfer to the tug on the way past the port.

7. I've heard that captain's of aircraft carriers are only ex-pilots. Is this true? What command would a nuclear officer get, if any?

I have no data on the requirements for a flat-top skipper. In the surface fleet, nuclear trained officers are usually engineering officers, at least early on, but that should not preclude them from rising to command.