# Just good news from my son who I know everyone is sick of hearing about. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 18, 2009, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-good-news-from-my-son-who-i-know-everyone-is-sick-of-hearing-about/500129 "2009-06-18T01:07:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-good-news-from-my-son-who-i-know-everyone-is-sick-of-hearing-about/500129/1 "2009-06-18T01:07:34Z")
July 10, 2009 - he will be a Petty Officer! 😃 He graduates A-School down in Charleston, then comes home for 15 days. I’m so excited! Second in his class - and he didn’t have to do all the mandatory study hours because his test scores each time were so good! I’m a PROUD MOM!!! It’s Nuclear Power School after that, then Nuclear Prototype Training - and for the first time, he’s not really WORRIED - his self confidence has soared! I’m so damn happy for him. Not even a year in the Navy - and my boy’s a Petty Officer!!! Which I think is really really good, right? I don’t quite understand what it means but it’s a promotion! And he told me, “Yes mom, I am filled with glee.” Smartass little shit. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-good-news-from-my-son-who-i-know-everyone-is-sick-of-hearing-about/500129/2 "2009-06-18T01:28:12Z")
When he comes home you can put him in charge of all things Petty! Congrats!! ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-good-news-from-my-son-who-i-know-everyone-is-sick-of-hearing-about/500129/3 "2009-06-18T01:28:52Z")
Happy for you! Good things happening to good people. Filled with glee, huh? 😃 Maybe after he is a Petty Officer for a while, they’ll let him move on to the important, non-petty stuff! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-good-news-from-my-son-who-i-know-everyone-is-sick-of-hearing-about/500129/4 "2009-06-18T01:34:02Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Filled with glee, huh? 😃 Yep. Filled with glee. Good lord. I wonder where he gets that sarcastic shit from? Certainly not ME! Sorry haven’t been around but new job (YES - I HAVE A REAL JOB!!! It’s a temp job but supposed to go perm. And I LOVE it!) blocks message boards so I might shoot you an email - and thanks for the good thoughts!! Snort - me and him together again snarking about shit for 15 days on his leave - my poor husband isn’t going to know what hit him! I can’t WAIT! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-good-news-from-my-son-who-i-know-everyone-is-sick-of-hearing-about/500129/5 "2009-06-18T02:25:17Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > When he comes home you can put him in charge of all things Petty! Congrats!! Does that include Richard and Kyle? ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-good-news-from-my-son-who-i-know-everyone-is-sick-of-hearing-about/500129/6 "2009-06-18T05:06:38Z")
> [@Missy2U](#): > > Not even a year in the Navy - and my boy’s a Petty Officer!!! > > Which I think is really really good, right? I don’t quite understand what it means but it’s a promotion! A Petty Officer, 3rd Class (USN) is an E-4 (rate), more typically achieved not earlier than three years of service. It is exceptional (but not unheard of) for a seaman to rate PO-3 within the first year, most typically in some highly specialized discipline. In civilian life, this is roughly equivalent to graduating college in three years and being accepted to a first tier graduate school. Nuc is the _creme de la creme_ of Naval service, but also comes with some rather demanding responsibilities, including the demanding [ORSE](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operational_Reactor_Safeguard_Examination), which is the _bete noir_ of naval nuclear duty. Your son is now an NCO, which means he has some degree of managerial/oversight responsibility, and frankly is probably more competent and capable than the junior officers (j.o.s) that he will be reporting to. If your son is at all academically inclined (and to have achieved 2nd in Nuc school he has to have a lot going for him, even if his prior record is mediocre) he should seriously look into having the Navy fund him for college and graduate school in nuclear or electrical engineering, and promotion to a commission. Although like all the armed services promotion to officer from the enlisted rates is woefully underrepresented, it’s actually something of a plus for an officer to say, “I started as a seaman/soldier/airman,” and achieved a commissioned rank, rather than rambled up through NROTC. The (few) officers that I’ve known who entered service through enlistment were to a man (and one woman) highly competent officers and excellent managers, which is as rare within the military as it is within commercial business. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Animastryfe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Animastryfe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Animastryfe)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-good-news-from-my-son-who-i-know-everyone-is-sick-of-hearing-about/500129/7 "2009-06-18T06:38:15Z")
Petty Officer in one year? I’m impressed. What specific nuclear-related job is he going to do? I’m not sure what Nuclear Prototype Training means. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-good-news-from-my-son-who-i-know-everyone-is-sick-of-hearing-about/500129/8 "2009-06-18T10:38:46Z")
Hooray. Good for him! ---
**Author:** ![Goggles03](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@Goggles03](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Goggles03)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-good-news-from-my-son-who-i-know-everyone-is-sick-of-hearing-about/500129/9 "2009-06-18T10:59:04Z")
PO3 after A-school used to be part of the enlistment package, so not a surprise there. Depending on how long his A-school was (I’m guessing MM) he should be right on schedule, rate-wise. Being second in his class however: that’s an accomplishment and he deserves a big Bravo Zulu for that. Now the hard stuff starts: nuc school then prototype. Tell him not to lose focus, it gets harder before it gets easier. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-good-news-from-my-son-who-i-know-everyone-is-sick-of-hearing-about/500129/10 "2009-06-18T13:48:01Z")
> [@Missy2U](#): > > Yep. Filled with glee. Good lord. I wonder where he gets that sarcastic shit from? Certainly not ME! Reminds me of a year or so on the golf course, a buddy asked how my kids were. I said fine, tho my youngest could be quite the snarky little bitch. He looked at me and said, “Gee, I wonder where she cmight have gotten that from?” It was a fair cop. Civilian here, but have 2 uncles who had fine careers (and now retirements) from the Navy. Happy for you and your son. And congrats on the job! I’ll tell you when to stash a couple of cold one’s in the backyard for thirsty passing hackers! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-good-news-from-my-son-who-i-know-everyone-is-sick-of-hearing-about/500129/11 "2009-06-18T13:54:56Z")
Congratulations! ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-good-news-from-my-son-who-i-know-everyone-is-sick-of-hearing-about/500129/12 "2009-06-18T22:44:47Z")
Thanks, guys - he’s going to be an EM and he’s a Fireman. Which I didn’t know does not involve putting out fires but involves propulsion of the uh - boat - or ship - or whatever - it’s its engine. Or something like that. And he’s going on a sub. Which he said he chose because the food is better. I don’t know - he’s 6’4 - the kid must have lost his mind. Stranger, if you don’t mind, I’m going to send him a copy of what you wrote - it’ll be something for him to think about! Oh - yeah - **thirdwarning** , absolutely NOT! If it doesn’t involve Tony Stewart I ain’t listening. He can talk to the hand. Although the husband is a huge Biff fan. I’m considering a divorce. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-good-news-from-my-son-who-i-know-everyone-is-sick-of-hearing-about/500129/13 "2009-06-18T23:02:23Z")
> [@Missy2U](#): > > July 10, 2009 - he will be a Petty Officer! 😃 He graduates A-School down in Charleston, then comes home for 15 days. I’m so excited! Second in his class - and he didn’t have to do all the mandatory study hours because his test scores each time were so good! I’m a PROUD MOM!!! It’s Nuclear Power School after that, then Nuclear Prototype Training - and for the first time, he’s not really WORRIED - his self confidence has soared! I’m so damn happy for him. > > Not even a year in the Navy - and my boy’s a Petty Officer!!! > > Which I think is really really good, right? I don’t quite understand what it means but it’s a promotion! And he told me, “Yes mom, I am filled with glee.” Smartass little shit. Good job. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-good-news-from-my-son-who-i-know-everyone-is-sick-of-hearing-about/500129/14 "2009-06-19T02:09:39Z")
> [@Missy2U](#): > > Oh - yeah - **thirdwarning** , absolutely NOT! If it doesn’t involve Tony Stewart I ain’t listening. He can talk to the hand. Although the husband is a huge Biff fan. I’m considering a divorce. 😃 Well, if you decide to go ahead with it, I’ve got a Tony fan you might be able to take off my hands. And good for the kid. I’m sure you’re filled with glee, too. Among other things. Just watch out for the buttons you might be busting. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-good-news-from-my-son-who-i-know-everyone-is-sick-of-hearing-about/500129/15 "2009-06-19T05:12:39Z")
> [@Missy2U](#): > > Thanks, guys - he’s going to be an EM and he’s a Fireman. Which I didn’t know does not involve putting out fires but involves propulsion of the uh - boat - or ship - or whatever - it’s its engine. Or something like that. And he’s going on a sub. Which he said he chose because the food is better. I don’t know - he’s 6’4 - the kid must have lost his mind. > . 😃 Aha a bubble headed snipe! Congrads. Being 2nd in his class will let make some choices that some of his class mates will not get.