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To the OP- I enjoyed the navy. Especially being on ships at sea.
You'd think that'd be obvious, but you'd be surprised at the people who join who don't realize that. If being stationed at sea for long periods is no problem for you great. Personally, I'm hoping to get on a MEU when I come off recruiting duty, so I'll be living on ship myself. That said, if there are any cons to the Navy, that's it. Trust me, there are alot of people who jpin the military who don't want to go anywhere or the idea of being away from the US and away from love ones for long periods is not appealing, OIF/OEF aside.
I enlisted in the Navy during Nam, right after high school graduation (1968). Back then I was forced to join something or the Draft was right there to get me. I sure wasn't ready for all the face-to-face/nose-to-nose yelling at me, but that was all in Basic Training (NTC). I also wasn't use to all the swearing/"F" bombs I heard, but got use to that also. My main duty station was on a Destroyer/Destroyer Escort Group so I was on the water a lot! During the entire time I was in, I didn't have an actual girlfriend or get married/have a wife......my choice of course. And, there would have been NO WAY that my wife now could have handled me being in the Navy and away on a deployment! Actually, I loved being in the Navy even during the times I was out at sea and getting pushed up against a bulkhead due to stormy seas.
Bottom line is this: If you can handle taking orders, some-to-a-lot of yelling in your face (Boot Camp).......you can have a great career in the Navy.
Good Luck!!
----" Back then I was forced to join something or the Draft was right there to get me "--
The draft did get me --during Nam.
Drafted and put into the Navy for 2 years. Never pulled 1 day of mess cooking or cube cleaning and spent my 2 years stateside on the flightline at 2 different Naval Air stations.
I got a " better deal" than most of the 4 year enlisted guys who enlisted solely to avoid the draft and got no "A" school despite enlisting for 4 years. They were the ones who ended up mess cooking and cube cleaning for a good part of their enlistment.
I became a medic in the Navy and really liked the 6 years mostly spent on the USS Constelllation Aircraft Carrier. The travel was cool Hawaii,
Japan, Philippines, Hong Kong and I also was a medic in the Army in the reserves. The Army was also great , but I consider myself a Viet Nam
Vet 2nd Class Petty Officer. You can finish college while on active duty or possibly earn the GI bill. Excuse the I's but I have hearing loss (service
connected) due to a number of jet blasts and horrible decibles while treating seriously injured flight deck folks. I have severe tinitus as I write.
Join the reserves first and get some "rate" and study the Blue Jacket Manual so when you go to active duty you will be a seaman and then
on active you can earn 3rd class (better pay) in a short time and you can advance rapidly. Depending on our interest you can get into some
advanced schools aided by your college background. Go Navy!!!!
I became a medic in the Navy and really liked the 6 years mostly spent on the USS Constelllation Aircraft Carrier. The travel was cool Hawaii,
Japan, Philippines, Hong Kong and I also was a medic in the Army in the reserves. The Army was also great , but I consider myself a Viet Nam
Vet 2nd Class Petty Officer. You can finish college while on active duty or possibly earn the GI bill. Excuse the I's but I have hearing loss (service
connected) due to a number of jet blasts and horrible decibles while treating seriously injured flight deck folks. I have severe tinitus as I write.
Join the reserves first and get some "rate" and study the Blue Jacket Manual so when you go to active duty you will be a seaman and then
on active you can earn 3rd class (better pay) in a short time and you can advance rapidly. Depending on our interest you can get into some
advanced schools aided by your college background. Go Navy!!!!
^^^^^^^typically that may be sound advice. Personally I started out as a reservist in 2000 went active in 2001. That said, in today's recruiting environment, it is a whole lot harder to transfer from reserves to AD. There aren't enough spots for the number of prior service people who gout out the military and want back in. (As a reservists you are accessed in the same way as some one who did their AD enlistment and got out.) Heck, there is not even enough space for the people off the street who want to join. New poolees are being given ship dates into next fiscal year already.
The possible exception to this is if you join the reserves and then do an individual augment to an active duty unit or go active-reserve. Then again, they may be in the same position, with more people wanting spots than spots existing.
Try and talk to an Officer Selection Office ASAP, you are right at the age limit for NROTC. If you get accepted they will pay for your bachelor's degree. That said Officers get less flexibilty in picking their job, but you can get your Bachelors in any field you choose. You could apply for the NORTC scholarship with the Navy and Marine Corps at the same time, and if I'm not mistaking (and verify this b/c I might be ) you can choose to go Navy option instead of Marine even if that's who awardd you the scholarship. It's the same scholarship for both services, as the Marines are part of the Department of the Navy. In fact there are some Marines loading up on Navy ships right now, headed to Haiti.
The biggest con of the Navy is that you'r eon a boat for long periods of time. In a way, as far as time away from the loved ones, the Navy "deploys" more than any service, just not as many to Iraq or Afghanistan. As such, it's also the number one service for travel.
Also, doing the nurse option, you could very well end up as an Fleet Marine Force (FMF) Corpsman. Nothing wrong with that, just realize there's a possibility you'll be serving with Marines on a Marine installation, vice serving with the Navy.
All FMF Corpsman I met LOVE working with Marines. After a tour with the Corps they dont wanna go back Blue side.
not really looking for a hubby on the ship. I figured most of the men there will be very young. ill probably be the one of the oldest ones on the ship.
That is not necessarily true. There are men on the ship with ages 18 to 55 (even older). You can't be the oldest b/c you would be considered to be a new recruit and there will be people on the ship who have been in the Navy for years
That is not necessarily true. There are men on the ship with ages 18 to 55 (even older). You can't be the oldest b/c you would be considered to be a new recruit and there will be people on the ship who have been in the Navy for years
I never really looked at it that way, I just figured they were all young except for a few officers. I figured most people join at age 18 serve 4-6 then get out. Thanks for the info
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Should I Join the Navy
