1520-050

CH-67, 24 May 2019

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MILPERSMAN 1520-050
NUCLEAR PROPULSION TRAINING (SURFACE AND SUBMARINE)
Responsible OPNAV Phone: DSN 664-5091
Office (N133) COM (703) 604-5091
FAX (703) 604-6972
MyNavy Career Center Phone: Toll Free 1-833-330-MNCC (6622)
E-mail: [email protected]
MyNavy Portal: https://my.navy.mil/

References (a) NAVMED P-117, Manual of the Medical

Department
(b) NAVMED P-5055, Radiation Health Protection
Manual
(c) 5 U.S.C. §301
(d) BUPERSINST 1540.41E

1. Eligibility

a. Officers and prospective officers in the following

categories are eligible to apply for nuclear propulsion
training:

(1) unrestricted line officers on active duty in the

grade of lieutenant, lieutenant junior grade, or ensign;

(2) Reserve officers in the above grades whose active

duty has been delayed for pursuit of postgraduate studies;

(3) midshipmen first class;

(4) midshipmen second class with outstanding academic

and military performance may apply if endorsed by their
professor of naval science or the United States Naval Academy,
Senior Community Representative for Nuclear Propulsion; and

(5) officer candidates attending officer candidate

school.

b. Applicants must be college graduates or prospective

college graduates with credits in at least 1 year of college
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calculus-based physics and 1 year of college calculus through

differential and integral calculus of one real variable. Credit
is defined as completion of a course, including an extension
course, offered by an accredited college or university.

c. Applicants must satisfy the physical requirements per

reference (a), articles 15-13 through 16 - commissioning, 15-103
- nuclear field duty, and 15-106 - submarine duty. In addition,
NAVMED 6470/13 Medical Record - Ionizing Radiation Medical
Examination should be performed per reference (b).

2. Applicant Counseling

a. Prior to the submission of an application for nuclear

propulsion training, the Service member must be advised of the
Privacy Act statement relative to the information provided per
reference (c).

b. Commanding officers must ensure prospective applicants

for nuclear propulsion training are counseled concerning the
career opportunities afforded by this program and encouraged to
apply for such training. Prospective unrestricted line officer
applicants must also be advised that upon completion of nuclear
propulsion training, they will retain the unrestricted line
designator for which they were selected (117X/116X), their sea
duty requirement for promotion will be safeguarded, and their
command opportunity will be enhanced. Navy’s plans and policies
pertaining to the personnel aspects of nuclear propulsion
utilization are contained in reference (d).

3. Contents of Letter Request

a. Applications for nuclear propulsion training must

contain the following information in proper standard naval
letter format (see exhibit 1):

(1) an original DD 2807-1 Report of Medical History, DD

2808 Report of Medical Examination, and NAVMED 6470/13 must be
submitted to Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED), Undersea
Medicine and Radiation Health (M95) through the U.S. Navy
WebWave II Integrated Case Management and Waivers Workflow
process. A copy of all required medical exams must be included
with the application,
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(2) academic transcripts from all colleges and

universities attended (including SAT and ACT scores), and

(3) a complete summary of military service, including

prior enlisted service (if any) and any service schools
attended.

4. Review of Applications

a. The records of applicants meeting basic eligibility

requirements will be screened by a board of officers from Navy
Personnel Command (NAVPERSCOM) and Office of the Chief of Naval
Operations (OPNAV), Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (N133).
Those officers or prospective officers considered to have
requisite qualifications will be ordered to Washington, DC to be
interviewed by OPNAV (N133). Submarine selectees for nuclear
propulsion training will then be ordered, at the earliest
practical date, to Nuclear Power School, Charleston, SC for a 6-
month course of academic instruction, followed by a 6-month
operational course at one of the prototype sites located at West
Milton, New York, or Charleston, South Carolina. Surface
warfare officers (SWO) selected for nuclear propulsion training
will be assigned a KD6 additional qualification designator (AQD)
upon selection and will receive orders to commence nuclear
propulsion training following completion of their conventional
division officer tour. Successful completion of the 12 months
of nuclear instruction will result in the assignment of the
“SN0” AQD for submarine officers or “KD1” AQD for surface
officers.

b. Applicants desiring nuclear submarine duty must qualify

for officer submarine training per this article. Volunteers
selected for nuclear submarine duty will be ordered to Naval
Submarine School, Groton, CT for temporary duty under
instruction, unless they have previously completed the course or
have qualified in submarines as an officer. Assignment to Naval
Submarine School, Groton, CT will not be made until satisfactory
completion of nuclear power school. Assignment may be made
either before or after nuclear propulsion prototype training
depending on class schedule and capacity.

c. Unrestricted line officers accepted into the Navy

Nuclear Propulsion Program will be redesignated 116X or 117X
without board action.
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5. Service Obligation

a. For officers selected from the fleet or shore

establishment:

(1) Officers selected to nuclear propulsion training who

have a prescribed minimum service requirement (MSR) of less than
5 years are required to serve 1 year in addition to the minimum
required service previously incurred.

(2) Submarine officers are required to serve on active

duty for a minimum of 24 months as a submarine division officer
upon completion of nuclear propulsion training or 1 year in
addition to any MSR previously incurred, whichever is longer.

(3) Surface nuclear officers already qualified as SWOs

are required to serve on active duty for 28 months as a surface
ship nuclear division officer upon completion of nuclear
propulsion training. All others are required to serve on active
duty for a minimum of 36 months as a surface ship nuclear
division officer upon completion of nuclear propulsion training,
unless their career timing permits completion of a normal
conventional surface ship division officer tour before nuclear
propulsion training. In that case, officers are required to
serve for 28 months as a surface ship nuclear division officer
upon completion of nuclear propulsion training.

b. For newly commissioned officers, service obligation is

the longer of the following:

(1) MSR. Newly commissioned officers from any source

whose prescribed MSR is less than 5 years are required to serve
1 year, in addition to the MSR previously incurred.

(2) Division Officer Tour. Submarine officers are

required to serve a minimum of 24 months, and nuclear-trained
SWOs as a division officer following nuclear propulsion training
are required to serve 28 months.

c. Officers selected to nuclear propulsion training who are

commissioned from any source, whose prescribed minimum required
service is less than 5 years, are required to serve 1 year in
addition to the minimum required service previously incurred.
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d. Newly commissioned officers entering nuclear propulsion

training following assignment to any postgraduate program must
have their postgraduate performance reviewed by OPNAV (N133)
prior to receiving final orders to training. They are required
to serve for the longer of the following:

(1) 5 years from the date of completion of graduate

education, and

(2) a minimum of 24 months for submarine officers or 28

months for nuclear-trained SWOs as a division officer following
nuclear propulsion training.

e. Officers who do not successfully complete nuclear

propulsion training, provided the assignment to such course of
instruction was at the officer's own request, must be required
to serve on active duty for a period equal to the officer's MSR,
plus the time spent under instruction, unless released sooner to
inactive duty or discharged by NAVPERSCOM.
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Exhibit 1
(Page 1 of 1)

Nuclear Propulsion Training Application Letter

From: (Individual officer’s name)

To: Commander, Navy Personnel Command (PERS-42)
Via: Commanding Officer, ____________________

Subj: APPLICATION FOR NAVAL NUCLEAR PROPULSION TRAINING

Ref: (a) MILPERSMAN 1520-050

(b) NAVMED P-117 Manual of the Medical Department
(c) 5 U.S.C. §301
(d) NAVMED P-5055, Radiation Health Protection Manual

Encl: (1) Copy of DD 2807-1 Report of Medical History

(2) Copy of DD 2808 Report of Medical Examination
(3) Academic Transcript
(4) Copy of NAVMED 6470/13 Ionizing Radiation Medical
Examination
(5) Summary of Military Service

1. I hereby apply for nuclear propulsion training per reference (a).

Enclosures (1) through (4) are submitted as evidence of satisfying the
requirements of references (b) and (c).

2. I [do/do not] desire submarine training.

3. I understand the service requirements contained in reference (a),

and I agree [not to resign my commission/to remain on active duty] for
the period of instruction.

4. I expect to be available to commence training after [fill-in

date].

5. I have read reference (a) and upon acceptance for nuclear power
training, I agree to remain on active duty as required by reference
(a) to include, at a minimum (either):

(a) 24 months as a submarine division officer, or

(b) 28 months as a surface ship nuclear division officer.

6. Additional remarks:

[Signature of applicant]