Prototype

Jason starts the next phase of his training on Monday — prototype. Basically, protoype is a moored ship that he’ll learn all the skills that he’ll actually use out in the fleet. Most everything else up to this point has been theory.

Jason and his CO

We are both excited for him to start. I’ve really enjoyed having him around the house 20 hours a day so he could help out and bond with Harper, but it’s time for him to work on his career. The sooner he’s done with prototype, the sooner we get out of this crap town. He also gets a nifty bonus when he finishes training as well as almost 2 years of back sub pay. We’ll also get about an extra $600 a month. Yay!

Of course, it’s not all about the money. Jason’s a lifer (meaning someone who plans to spend 20 years in the service) and he really wants to get picked up for OCS so he can become an officer. Everyone at his command thinks he would be a great officer and I have no doubt that he could make it into the program… except… he wants to be a nuke officer. To apply for the nuke program, you have to have 2 semesters of calculus and 2 semesters of physics. He only has one semester of each and there is no way he could get both of those classes waived. When he gets to his next duty station, he’s planning to take those classes at a local college, then apply. However, he’s old. Not old old, but old in the Navy sense. You have to have an age waiver if you are over 26 and you can only apply with that waiver until you are 29. So, he’s fighting against the clock here. The more time he spends at a training command where he isn’t allowed to take extra classes is less time he has to put in his packet.

Sadly, if he gets picked up for OCS, he’ll have to go through the training pipeline again as an officer. Another 6 months of power school then another 6 months of prototype.

*sigh*

He better look good in chokers.