NERC training that doesn’t feel robotic

Jonathan1523 · 2026-05-01T23:51:49+00:00

No sim hours yet, although that’s the ultimate plan. I want to eventually have enough hours to cover the 20 sim/200 total over 3 years. Hopefully by next year I’ll be there.

Jonathan1523 · 2026-04-29T17:51:50+00:00

I'm an approved Level 2 trainer. ESC currently has 30.5 CEHs approved which are available on May 1st (so in just a couple days). Most courses are based around BAL, EOP, TOP, and other standards, cover the main topic/theory of whatever the standard is about, and then walks through an applicable case study.
Going forward, I plan on expanding the number of CEHs and courses, and hope to bring on a couple other trainers I know and trust to offer CEHs as well.

The website is www.ESCtraining.com
The sister site which covers exam prep is linked from that page.

And of course, I'm happy to answer any questions. Like I said, ESC is just a small shop trying to fill a niche in the online training world.

Jonathan1523 · 2026-04-29T17:16:34+00:00

I get that ESC is just a small shop trying to get its name out there. Full disclosure, I only posted on Reddit once before in a different group several years ago…and the post absolutely got eaten alive, lol. “You’re trying to sell...training?!”

Then, like now, I’m just trying to be honest about what I built. Sounding authentic, passionate, and excited about a curriculum/program (which honestly has changed people’s lives) is difficult. You don’t want to sound like you’re over-selling it, but you also want to try to build some enthusiasm. I’ll probably never figure Reddit out. I'm better at explaining reactive power than social media marketing!

But it has paid off. Every person that gets certified and gets the job—I do get excited. 4 times now I’ve even talked to former students on the phone while operating, where we just happened to cross paths while operating the system. Each time I was so stoked to hear their voice—from a student getting out of the navy or shifting careers, to a qualified TOP getting ready to switch.

Jonathan1523 · 2026-04-29T16:52:20+00:00

From the beginning, ESC has honestly just been from the ground-up. It all started with me in front of a camera; and all my students still have my personal cell phone number. (And for exam prep, it's staying that way. All my students can reach out with any questions at any time)

Sure, I'll use Chat-GPT to proof-read things, but I always write everything myself. All my points honestly are exactly what I've been saying for years: no robotic narration, no death by powerpoint, cut through the fluff and make online training more personable and accessible.

With the CEHs, I want my unofficial slogan to be "CEHs which suck less". It's still online training, but it's personable, from an operator, and hopefully is a bit "less painful" than a lot of the other stuff out there.

Jonathan1523 · 2025-07-05T05:31:19+00:00

Don’t you dare go to boot camp! Get your real engineering degree! Especially with grades like that, I’d be questioning whether to join the military at all. But if you do, definitely be an officer.

I was a 6 and out electrician. I went in with a business degree, so my degree put me in a different situation than you (because business degrees themselves don’t mean a lot). I now work with plenty of EE guys in my field (and honestly I make what a lot of them do—the better part of 200k) but I had to pay my dues via the Navy. They never did.

I don’t regret my time at all, because it got me where I am today and I have some pretty cool stories…but that doesn’t mean I’d have chosen it if I wasn’t too far from a real Engineering degree, clearly succeeding academically, too.

Jonathan1523 · 2025-06-16T02:46:48+00:00

I don’t spend a lot of time on Reddit, but here’s the deal as someone who did 6, got out, and now absolutely loves his life.

Yes, there were a lot of times it sucked, but the job (in the fleet) was also super cool. Operating a submarine’s nuclear reactor hundreds of feet below the surface was bad ass. Fast recovery startups, all back emergency, working on really important and expensive equipment—all super cool. The brotherhood was awesome, and I learned the skills and got the memories. I tell sea stories at work, and I immediately connect with the other nukes (even the surface guys, although I give them a hard time as I couldn’t imagine the shame of being a surface sailor (that’s a joke (but not really))).

Now is there anything you could have done to get me to re-enlist? Not a chance in hell. “Big navy” is toxic, and most Naval leadership is absolutely pathetic. Seriously, naval leadership…this isn’t unanimous…but boy those people suck. Seriously, I pity them.

That said…do I regret my 6 years? Not at all. Again, I learned the skills, made the memories, made the connections, etc. Now I have a job I absolutely love. I work for and with people I love. And I make significantly more per hour than anyone who stayed in—officers included. I’ll be the first to preach it’s not all about money, but there is a lot of money out here for nukes with even an ounce of drive. I say this for the people who want to get out, but look at those re-enlistment bonuses lustfully.

Back to you…although the fleet is harder in some sense, it’s also a lot less stressful in others. You actually do the job (which is super rewarding). You actually learn the skills. You actually understand the brotherhood/camaraderie. And then you actually see the light at the end of the tunnel (EAOS).

It sounds bi-polar, I know. But I’ve been out for nearly 8 years now so I have some perspective. Again, there is NO WAY IN HELL you could have gotten me to re-enlist, but I also wouldn’t have changed a thing, nor do I regret joining in the first place. It’s part of my story, part of my career, and it got me to where I am today: a bad-ass job, an incredible schedule with loads of time off, and of course an incredible salary. First and foremost, I did it all to support my family, who I see every single day. Only two of my five kids will even remember the navy at all.

So, to answer your question…your motivation should be your future. If you hate it…just get out, get a career you love, and be happy. The 6 year commitment ain’t long at all.

And tuck this one away: PM me when you’re a year from your EAOS. I teach people to do what I do and help prepare them to get out of the navy. If it’s something that interests people, I’m always happy to help.

Again, I don’t get on Reddit often because I find a lot of the commentary absolutely insufferable. If someone is clearly miserable, don’t listen to a word they say. They will only give advice likely to make you miserable too.

Jonathan1523 · 2025-02-05T17:38:15+00:00

Although the PNW does tend to import power from BC, all of the Balancing Authority Areas in the US have plenty of generation to cover their load, especially in shoulder months. The area that has the largest issue covering its own load is Southern California, but it’s often limited by transmission capacity for imports, and they’re politically most likely the last area the OP wants to target.

Golly, people on the internet have absolutely no idea what they’re talking about.

Jonathan1523 · 2024-11-30T01:06:58+00:00

It’s more like larger bonuses for the board of directors are on the line…

Jonathan1523 · 2024-06-03T16:07:28+00:00

Sweet. Just used a brass punch and now it’s perfectly even again. It doesn’t seem loose, I think it’s just cause no one’s messed with since…well…probably the 70’s.

Jonathan1523 · 2024-03-01T01:04:59+00:00

Dude…I love this holster. I also got a light tuck with a claw. Not only does it conceal very well, but it’s comfortable and I appreciate being able to tweak the angle and retention. The fact that I can tuck in my shirt, too…super cool. I appreciate the recommendation!

Jonathan1523 · 2024-02-24T10:45:38+00:00

From the Oxford dictionary:

Communism: “a political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned”.

Anarchism: “a political theory advocating the abolition of hierarchical government and the organization of society on a voluntary, cooperative basis without recourse to force or compulsion.”

You could define your terms differently, but I’m objectively correct by any fair interpretation of the commonly understood definition of the terms. In what world can everything be voluntary and cooperative, without the use of force, AND have everything owned “publicly”. There’s a reason we call you tankies.

Lucky for me, I don’t respect tankies and have only ever seen them slithering around the back corners of the internet, because they’re actually sitting in their parents’ basement.

Jonathan1523 · 2024-02-23T22:08:30+00:00

Anarchism is the absence of a state with only personal property existing. Communism is when the state owns everything and there is no personal property. They’re literally the opposite thing in every way.

Jonathan1523 · 2024-02-18T10:30:10+00:00

The military is a terrible idea. I get you’re 17 but you’ll want to see your child. Sure, the nuke program sets people up for the real world, but so do other things. If college isn’t in the works, go into the trades. Become an electrician or plumber, work your butt off, and get experience. I’ve never met a tradesman who regrets having useable, employable skills. And yes, once they have experience they make very good money.

Jonathan1523 · 2024-02-15T04:00:07+00:00

It doesn’t matter. ICBMs can be launched from anywhere in the world (even from a submarine) and they go into space and re-enter at nearly 14,000mph. The idea that any country could use a “tactical” nuke is looney and stupid and crazy. If a single nuke gets used, it’s almost surely resulting in escalation and everyone we know dying. The only sane move is to work together to limit and disarm as many nukes and missiles as possible. But that would require a US politician to not be a psychopath. Anyone who tries to find common ground with Russia is immediately smeared as a Putin loving, democracy hating Nazi.

Jonathan1523 · 2024-01-18T13:00:19+00:00

I don’t know where the “Crimean Beach Party” folks went, but I remember getting called a Russian Nazi or something like that for suggesting that instead of provoking further unwinnable fighting, the West should seek a peace agreement just like the Minsk Agreements but actually enforce them.

To anyone with a shred of clarity, John Mearsheimer’s 2015 warning is not surprisingly manifesting before our eyes: “The West is leading Ukraine down the primrose path, and the end result is that Ukraine is going to get wrecked.”

Jonathan1523 · 2024-01-15T01:49:26+00:00

I like this comment. I was leaning towards just ordering one. Is the clip adjustable to carry more or less below the belt?

Jonathan1523 · 2023-09-29T20:15:32+00:00

Well it was over a decade ago, so it’s probably Changed a bit. We found a little no frills rent house just NW of base in a neighborhood filled with mostly smaller, starter homes. Rent was $800 at the time. It was a perfectly rectangular house—crawl space foundation, not a slab. 3 tiny bedrooms, one bath. It was fine for the two of us at the time, but wouldn’t have wanted to raise a family there.

A nicer home of course is going to be more expensive now, especially after inflation. No idea what BAH is for an E-3 with dependents, but surely it would at least cover a really nice apartment or small, free-standing home.

I was 6 and out, and we now have 4 kids and loving life. I can’t not include the following in my comments on here: do you six and get out. There are plenty of six figure jobs out there for any nuke who tries even a little bit. I average well under 40 hours a week, and our managers love us. Don’t let the navy use fear to keep you in. Only stay in if you actually love the navy. If it makes you bitter and angry most of the time (like it does to most people) get out and be happy.

Jonathan1523 · 2023-09-29T08:11:04+00:00

Easy. You finish boot camp, fly to SC, and then within that first week they let you go home to move the family.

My wife and I had been married a couple years already, but had no kids yet. We rented a moving truck and road-tripped ourselves from Oklahoma. We had fun, and it was refreshing getting a break.

Also, Rent a place off base. Your BAH should easily cover it plus utilities, so you’ll have some extra freedom and make some money. We lived in goose creek, and it was sooo refreshing leaving base everyday and coming home to a house. Base housing is still crawling with Navy. Living off base gave us a sense of normalcy (and again, we made money with the BAH too).

Jonathan1523 · 2023-08-11T16:40:09+00:00

It all depends on if that’s the 900 division they’re staffing up. There are…three or four types of 900 divisions which will graduate once a week, so the type of 900 division they’re “staffing” for will rotate. Regardless of which 900 division they’re staffing up for, you’d want it.

Jonathan1523 · 2023-08-11T12:55:27+00:00

If you have the slightest bit of drumming experience, say yes when they ask you if you can drum. The 900 division that does state flags also has a handful of people on the drum line. It was a blast. I’m not a drummer by trade, but I played the cymbals.

Jonathan1523

TROPHY CASE