Navy probing alleged cheating on nuke reactor work

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-EXCITE

By ROBERT BURNS

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Navy is investigating alleged cheating on tests by senior enlisted sailors training on naval nuclear reactors at Charleston, S.C., officials said Tuesday.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is conducting the probe.

The allegations involve alleged cheating on tests related to the nuclear reactors that provide propulsion for Navy submarines and aircraft carriers. It does not involve naval nuclear weapons and thus is not directly comparable to the Air Force's investigation of alleged cheating by officers who operate land-based nuclear missiles.

The officials revealed the probe on condition of anonymity because it has not been publicly announced.

FULL breaking story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140204/DABOJLA82.html

[Mnemosyne]

1. MIC obviously attracts the best and brightest.

For the impaired -

[One_Life_To_Give]

2. Why are Senior Enisted training on NUC's?

Aside from it being a breach of the First Core Value of the US Navy. And implicating that a possible culture of not respecting the Core values may be systemic in Navy Enlisted Ranks.

I thought NUC's were usually taken straight out of High School?

[DisgustipatedinCA]

5. There's a Naval Nuclear Power School for enlisted, and another for officers

I attended the enlisted side--very tough school. After NPS, you go to "prototype", a working, land-based reactor that you practice on (for the record, I washed out at the end of power school and didn't go to prototype). Naval Nuclear Power School, at least when I was in, had a 50% attrition rate, very much by design. I don't have lots of wonderful things to say about the Navy, but the people who make it all the way through NNPS and prototype have my respect, and I feel pretty safe with them running things. BUT, if they're cheating these days, all bets are off. They need to go after this one hard.

[One_Life_To_Give]

9. E3 or maybe 4 during school though?

I was thinking by Senior Enlisted they would be talking at least E6 or higher.

I am picturing an E6 SK deciding to go to NUC school. And thinking that is not a good idea. You are right this needs to be clamped down hard on. And a salute for your even attempting the NUC school.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

10. I don't know the answer to the question, but I have a guess

I was in the Navy in the early 90's, and I'm sure a lot has changed. My guess is that both officers and senior enlisted people go back for refresher training once in awhile. But again, that's nothing more than a guess on my part.

[Blue_Tires]

3. Well, look at the bright side...

Maybe there will be a mishap and one of the Navy guys becomes a real-life Dr. Manhattan!

[marble falls]

4. The Navy has more nuclear reactors than maybe 90% of the nations in the world do......

http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Non-Power-Nuclear-Applications/Transport/Nuclear-Powered-Ships/

Nuclear-Powered Ships

(Updated January 2014)

Nuclear power is particularly suitable for vessels which need to be at sea for long periods without refuelling, or for powerful submarine propulsion.
Some 140 ships are powered by more than 180 small nuclear reactors and more than 12,000 reactor years of marine operation has been accumulated.
Most are submarines, but they range from icebreakers to aircraft carriers.
In future, constraints on fossil fuel use in transport may bring marine nuclear propulsion into more widespread use. So far, exaggerated fears about safety have caused political restriction on port access.

Work on nuclear marine propulsion started in the 1940s, and the first test reactor started up in USA in 1953. The first nuclear-powered submarine, USS Nautilus, put to sea in 1955.

This marked the transition of submarines from slow underwater vessels to warships capable of sustaining 20-25 knots submerged for weeks on end. The submarine had come into its own.

Nautilus led to the parallel development of further (Skate-class) submarines, powered by single pressurised water reactors, and an aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise, powered by eight reactor units in 1960. A cruiser, USS Long Beach, followed in 1961 and was powered by two of these early units. Remarkably, the Enterprise remained in service to the end of 2012.

And http://www.blatantworld.com/feature/the_world/most_nuclear_power_reactors.html

There are more Naval reactors than civilian reactors in the US alone.............

[rppper]

6. I rode subs for nearly a decade...

...our nuke engineer program is second to none, and the sailors who passed that school have my trust and respect. There are some nuke rates that get promoted to E5 by the time they're at prototype, which is what the school is in charleston...perhaps they think Petty officer second class is senior enlisted? I served on 4 boats and none ever had any problems worth noting.

I was an SK/LS...logistics...I was in charge of handling what's called sub safe material...anything involved with the parts for the reactor or seawater systems. The navy is extremely anal about sub safe and the reactors.

Looks like there will be a few new forward electricians and A-gangers hitting the fleet soon....as E3's! Submariners will know what I'm talking about!

I loved my nuke buddies...they kept the hot water heaters full if fresh water and steam in the pipes so I could take those sweeeeet Hollywood showers and eat some really good chow!

[wocaonimabi]

7. Give em the ultimate punishment

Make em Skimmer Pukes

[rppper]

8. Lol....right on!

Losing that pro pay and srb options are bad enough! That's a lot of money!