Naval Reactors to Begin Randomly Testing Nuclear Operators for ORSE Enhancing Drugs

Better ORSE grades...but at what cost?

Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. (SPG) - Naval Reactors will begin randomly testing its nuclear operators for ORSE-enhancing drugs beginning in November, taking a groundbreaking step military leaders have long resisted. 

NAVSEA08 announced the new program yesterday in a message to his force, calling it necessary to protect their health and military readiness. 

These nuclear operators are often called on to do the military’s most formal and procedurally compliant missions. The mental challenges of getting through their selection and training programs and pressures of the ownership required when operating a nuclear reactor can lead some to use ORSE-enhancing drugs, although officials said numbers are small. 

According to NR, four submarines with upcoming ORSEs will be randomly selected each month, and 15 percent of the nuclear trained personnel of each submarine will be tested. Those testing positive will face discipline or removal. 

The NETC broader investigation into nuclear training flagged the use of ORSE-enhancing drugs as a significant problem among those seeking to become elite operators and recommended far more robust testing.

Noting that the drugs are illegal, NAVSEA08 told his force that any number above zero is unacceptable, whether during prototype or downrange while submarines are in their ORSE workups.  

“My intent is to ensure every nuke is at their innate most compliant while preserving the distinguished standards of excellence that define the navy nuclear propulsion program,” he said in his message to the force. 

Not everyone thinks banning ORSEEDs is a good idea, though. 

One former MMN3 voiced his displeasure over the new policy stating, “Our enemies have no moral quandaries about used ORSEEDs and neither should we. In the great ORSE competition of the future, we need to ensure that our operators have the utmost most procedural compliance and formality in the world. We should be focused on maximizing the effectiveness of our nuclear operators and minimizing procedural violations.”

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