military@cbnews.ATT.COM (William B. Thacker) (04/18/89)
From: Ron Miller <hp-lsd!hplabs!hpfcla!hpfcmr!ron> > Roy Forsstrom replies: > > In article <5538@cbnews.ATT.COM> nelson_p@apollo.com (Peter Nelson) writes: > >> > >>The Navy would love to power its DDs/FFs with nuclear power TODAY, but > >>they are having problems manning nuclear powered ships as it is with > >>the expertise that is necessary. They don't want to add to the problem. > This was one of Rickover's biggest complaints. He believed that > high school science and math were inadequate. Most of the nukes I > worked with were college dropouts. {Many of us did go back,though!} Minor point but personally important, Enlisted Nukes usually had some college background (which far exceeded the "average sailor"). Officer Nukes, all had to be college grads and generally were math, science or engineering grads. My roomate for prototype phase was an English major and had one helluva time with the program.(he made it though) As an EE I didn't have so much trouble primarily because the EE courses (which were considered to be DEATH :-) by non-EE's weren't so horrible to me.) One of my greatest pleasures in my service in the Navy was writing college recommendations for enlisted nukes who were getting out and going back to school. > > My biggest worry, as reactor operator, was what might happen {politically} > if an accident occurred while anchored in a foreign harbor. In the late My concern as Ship's Duty Officer (and Engineering Duty Officer when holding both in-port) was not only political but *personal* because of the high-visibility of the consequences (not that lax operation was ok anywhere else.......). Ron Miller ex- Lt. USN (retired after 5 years service :-)
tek@CS.UCLA.EDU (Ted Kim (ATW)) (04/19/89)
From: tek@CS.UCLA.EDU (Ted Kim (ATW)) >From: Ron Miller <hp-lsd!hplabs!hpfcla!hpfcmr!ron> > >Minor point but personally important, Enlisted Nukes usually had some >college background (which far exceeded the "average sailor"). Officer >Nukes, all had to be college grads and generally were math, science or >engineering grads. What is the "normal" career path for "nuke" officers? Are they in line to command boats/ships? or do they end up in R+D commands? Ted Kim ARPAnet: tek@penzance.cs.ucla.edu UCLA Computer Science Department UUCP: ...!ucbvax!cs.ucla.edu!tek 3804C Boelter Hall PHONE: (213) 206-8696 Los Angeles, CA 90024 ESPnet: tek@ouija.board