I don't have the cash, nor the resources to go to tech school (and not end up in debt up to my eyeballs).
And I've always been curious about my possible new job.
This year (actually around July 15th) I'm signing up for the Navy.
I want to see the world, and learn a real career instead of working for **** crap jobs. And who better can offer that than the Navy? Hell you get paid to get trained there.
The field I'm going for is the Diver program. (Basically anything Scuba related and that's what I'm doing)
As far as career advancement goes I can't think of a really better way to do it. (assuming you can get in.. apparently that's really hard to do.)
So far the experience isn't what I thought it was going to be like at all. (even after doing research)
Just letting ya'll know cause anywhere from six months to a year after July 15th they are sending my ass off to Basic. :P
So any Navy Guys here that would like to give me some pointers and crap as to what I should be studying before the test?
Do you really get as much free time as the recruiters say you do? What's the food like? How hard is basic, really? (I've heard alot of opinions one way or another) What kind of fringe benefits do you get? (That aren't blatantly obvious like the self confidence boost)
I'm going to miss North Carolina Barbecue, Cheerwine....
My g/f is from Fayetteville...which means basically, you're nobody if you don't have fatigues on. Man, car dealerships, strip bars, and restaraunts everywhere.
At least out in your neck you have the Biltmore, admittedly cool as Hell, but probably not the way you wanna' go for a career anyway.
Do you really get as much free time as the recruiters say you do?
Probably not. Everything is sensationalized to some extent as an enticement. Travel & the downtime afforded though is probably going to get you better "you time", maybe not as much of it though.
What's the food like?
Depends on the deployment. Submariners eat very well...for the first few months at sea (when things are fresh). After that, it's like Air Force, mostly canned. Surface warfare ships, a bit better. Commisaries are pretty varied.
How hard is basic, really? (I've heard alot of opinions one way or another)
They keep lowering standards, so, not sure. Telling you right now, quit smoking and start exercising if you don't already. Lowers the shock you'll get later.
What kind of fringe benefits do you get? (That aren't blatantly obvious like the self confidence boost)
It does wonders for your courage and convic- oh, right...
Govt perks. Pay sucks, but you're getting total coverage (insurance as it were), good medical/dental/optical, free room and board, no utilities, no car payments on deployment, etc. It adds up.
It looks good on a resume later, specifically what you're doing. Amphibious welding is extremely lucrative btw, but dangeorus.
Old boys network. Squidies, like jarheads, stick together (mutual hook-ups).
Mermaid hookers? Awesome opportunities to work on your tan?
Keep in mind my answers go back 22 years.
Also, I am assuming your questions are regarding about Basic Training.
Do you really get as much free time as the recruiters say you do?
Not initially no. You are there to learn to be a squid. Which means they say jump, you ask how high, on the way up, not before. After the first few weeks, you will get some, but not much. After Basic, when you get into advanced training, generally your weekends will be free. You'll go to school all day, and when you are done, they march you to chow, and after dinner, you're pretty much left to your own devices, until PT the next morning.
What's the food like?
Well, it's typically low in salt. Ketchup is your friend. Mustard too. Otherwise it was decent, cooked food in Basic, just not very flavorful. Food got better after basic, and much better, once I was at my first duty station.
How hard is basic, really?
Jeez 22 years ago, I thought it was one of the most physically tiring things I'd ever done. Now I realize, I was just out of shape.
1 ton ghost is right. Stop smoking if you do so. Push-ups, sit up, and run, run, run. Think you can run a mile? Try again. Try two miles. Then throw up, and try again. :-)
Also, understand that part of it is mind games. They are men under those uniforms, and have a job to do. We are taught to ask 'why' at an early age. Part of that training is to change that. They are preparing you for combat situtaions, which most people do not experience before joining the military. Asking 'why' or pausing when the order is given, could have consequences, and the drills have to make sure you get that.
What kind of fringe benefits do you get?
One-ton nailed it here. Great healthcare. You'll find that the military is similar to a big corporation, except they aren't in business to make money. It is also a very big + on a resume. It can be that edge that gets you in the door, becuase the guy reviewing resumes is a Jarhead.
* = Names that as a member of the military you can call other military guys (& will be called), and more or less get away with it:
Army: Grunt
Navy: Squid
Air Force: Flyboy (especially if you don't fly a plane!)
Marine: Jarhead
A.R.M.Y: Ain't Ready for Marines Yet
M.A.R.I.N.E: Muscles Are Requried. Intelligence Not Essential.
Kinda liked that one, after spending my Basic a loud shout from Parris Island.
Men Are Riding In Navy Equipment
"Don't volunteer for anything"
and
"It's easier to beg forgiveness then ask permission"
Question about the Physical Tests that happen during basic, are those after they've worked you out for the day? Or are those the work out for that day? (Seems a little light duty to me).
I heard that the Diver's Basic is more difficult than normal Basic to. Anyone know how much harder?
also while I'm thinking about it, I read somewhere that most of Basic for the Navy is indoors. Is that really true?
Thank god that I don't smoke, and can run two miles in NC heat.
Question about the Physical Tests that happen during basic, are those after they've worked you out for the day? Or are those the work out for that day? (Seems a little light duty to me).
I heard that the Diver's Basic is more difficult than normal Basic to. Anyone know how much harder?
also while I'm thinking about it, I read somewhere that most of Basic for the Navy is indoors. Is that really true?
Then the running part should be OK for you. Start doing push-ups and sit-ups. Back 22 years ago, the 17-21 age group had to do 30 pushups, 40 sit-ups, and run two miles in under 16 minutes to achieve a minimum score. If you are older than this, the requirements are lower, but I have no idea of what they are.
Mostly, PT tests were given in the morning, before breakfast. (Try doing 40 or 50 situps with a stomach full of food!) I remember one or two in the later part of the morning, and I think we had one in the afternoon once or twice, but those were rare ocurrences, and I think had something to do with weather issues. I would say 90% were done in the AM, and were generally considered the work out for the day. Of course this was in South Carolina during the months of July & August. Too hot to do much exercising during the heat of the day.
I can not answer to anything Navy specific. Sorry.
Oh, and if you are overweight, expect to lose some, but also expect to be watched like a hawk. If you are on the thin side, make sure you don't loose too much either. When I entered, I was 6'1" and 141 pounds. Within two weeks, I was down to 133. We had a weigh-in for our heavier soldiers, and the drills lined us up by putting heavy guys up front, and thin in the back. A day or two after I got weighed, I got called in to the drills office, and asked if I was trying to kill myself. Apparently, there was a minimum weight for my height, and I was under it, by 2 pounds. :-) For the next week, the drills put large amounts of food on my plate, watched me eat it, and made me carry around extra water. I also rode with the injured to places instead of march. Needless to say this did not endear me to my comrades, but it was only a week, and when I got to 136, I was back to doing the regular stuff. So, if you're average, you'll probably be fine. But if you are at either end of the spectrum, you'll be watched.
M.A.R.I.N.E.
Men Are Riding In Navy Equipment
M.A.R.R.I.N.E.
Muscles Absolutely Requied, Inteligence Not Essential
(I have a Marine ) In my games, I love poking fun of him.
@ Micha: Sorry dude I dont know much bout the Navy... But is universaly know to be more "conffy" than the Army.
I THINK theres a Navy base in NC
Let me roll a Gather Info Check and let you know. You might be able to put it in your contract...:DH.U.A. (it's original incarnation, Civil War IIRC)
"Heard, Understood, Acknowledged"
Essentially, it equates to, "Yeah, Sgt. Rock, I got those f'ed up orders, know what you what done and everything, but I do not necessarilly agree w/ them."
I know you're not really supposed to question orders and all, but I'm not sure I want a platoon of yes men under me if I'm a Lt. trying to figure out a way from a tough situation where, you know, some might die. Loyal opposition, 2 heads are better than one, look before you leap, bla bla bla.
As far as Basic is concerned, this shouldn't even enter into the equation for you. Your programming hasn't taken hold as it were. Not sure if "born again hard" is Corp only or entire Dept. of Navy, but only time will tell for you when you come out an expensively trained, efficient instrument of war. Yay.
I advise the following:
-Work is 1st, worry about making friends later. It'll happen on its own accord.
-Find gamers in your area later (see above). Plenty game that serve. You will avoid a potentially nasty night on the town (and then the brig) at some point if used judiciously. Old friends (1 Ranger, 1 Marine, 1 airman) all swear by gaming. If the shoe fits. Branch out during R&R, don't fall into a rut (bars).
-Navy Week in NYC, get some! 9 mil ppl can't be wrong. Just watch your ass. Even more so if you're in Dubai, Thailand (hos a' poppin', beware), etc.
-Swim a Hell of a lot prior to Basic. Like the smoking thing, reduce later shock and just groom you faster/easier.
-Poke around on Shell, BP, etc to examine amphibious welding or related vocational opportunities upon completion of your time in the Navy. Plan ahead. You did say you were into diving/etc., no? That could be as far as search & rescue ops, maritime sabotage (SEAL-esque things), dmg cntrl (fix a submerged rudder, etc), EOD (mines, explosives), etc.
-If you have a g/f, make damn sure you both know an end game in sight, set boundaries, and have some sort of trust. Time apart can suck hard not to mention the implications of plausible indiscretions.
Good thing I don't have a girlfriend presently!
thanks for the answers and help guys.
I heard that the Diver's Basic is more difficult than normal Basic to. Anyone know how much harder?
also while I'm thinking about it, I read somewhere that most of Basic for the Navy is indoors. Is that really true?
The entire Navy shares the same Basic, and you will love the tan you get while you endure it. Shave your head now, tinkerbell, and maybe you won't walk around sunburned through all of basic.
And for the record Marine is an anagram. It means My Arse Really Is Navy Equipment. Call this old Shellback a squid and I'll kick you cover off, Jughead.
As for basic training a lot of it is indoors like the obstacles course and such. Which makes sense due to what the navy does most. Expect a lot of fire fighter like training as well as classroom, and Physical training. Not trying to disparage the army but a lot of navy training is more technical in nature than what you would find in the marines or army, which makes sense considering the navy is different in function, and jobs the typical sailor does. Also try to go to boot camp in spring or summer. Great lakes during winter is not fun, trust me I was there from OCT-December 2002.
Wait, mile and a half under 13 minutes, and 45 situps and 25 push ups? heck, I can do that and I only consider myself marginally in shape. Of course, I'm pretty sure I'd toe the line of "weighs too little"...
yup though the run might be 12min and 30 seconds though for boot camp i think its 12min flat. Just aim for 50 situps and 30 pushups and you will be good to go. Navy training isnt physically exhausting like I imagine army or marines would be. But there is a lot of class room stuff in basic, as well as fire fighting which was actually fun.
Another question.
I was told there's like a 6-12 month wait after you take the tests before they ship you off to Basic because there's so many people trying to get in right now.
True, or BS?
Wow, I can easily do that PT. hell my situps are done with weight resistance even.
I'm probably going to have it cut before basic.
Another question.
I was told there's like a 6-12 month wait after you take the tests before they ship you off to Basic because there's so many people trying to get in right now.
True, or BS?
Wow, I can easily do that PT. hell my situps are done with weight resistance even.
Usually there is but Im not sure. I had to wait bout a month before I got in but that was five years ago. Navy training is different than army Navy isnt expected to be running in combat gear in a warzone. The most you need to do is run to and from battle stations during an emergency, or to life boats god forbid if something goes wrong. The hardest part at sea was occasionally going without sleep. We were in 3 section watches where if you would have the 0630-1230 watch you would then have the 2345-0630 watch. Our berthing was always loud so when i had that schedule i wouldnt be able to sleep before the rev watch. Sometimes when we had General quarters drills in the morning I wouldnt be able to sleep till noon then id have to be up again for the 1745-2345 watch. So you might want to start training yourself to go on a little less sleep just in case. BTW hardest part of boot camp was a GQ where we were up for 24hours straight doing various tasks.
I'm probably going to have it cut before basic.
Another question.
I was told there's like a 6-12 month wait after you take the tests before they ship you off to Basic because there's so many people trying to get in right now.
True, or BS?
Wow, I can easily do that PT. hell my situps are done with weight resistance even.
Is SO true,This is happening all across the military. up until March-ish they were begging you to stay in (I re-elisted in Jan). Now? Nope. we are "over-strengh" so....
Is SO true,This is happening all across the military. up until March-ish they were begging you to stay in (I re-elisted in Jan). Now? Nope. we are "over-strengh" so....
Yeah I got out because they offered me no c school or reenlistment bonus, oh and told me id have to stay on a ship in japan. After 245 days at sea my last year there i was just burnt out.
See? That is why economies have to cycle. Good times to pay for the tanks, bad times to recruit the drivers.
its a bad time even for equipment the number of DDX's the navy was supposed to get keep going down same for new aircraft I think navy is slated for less than 100 of the new joint strike fighters which is very very bad. Some countries are already close to matching what the F-18 can do navy needs more of the newest combat aircraft we have for that reason. Also some countries including two that are potentially hostile have better cruise missiles than the U.S. does. So bad economy=military gets boned everywhere.
I know they slashed the DOD budget considerably post election, but they're not saying jack on CNN/Fox/NPR. It's all business econ, plane wrecks, sports, Pakistan, N. Korea, etc. The latter 2 you would think would spur discussion, if not action, on the related military budget, especially N. Korea and all their very out and proud sabre ratteling. Navy is probably sweating bullets. Imagine how the Japanese (and the 20k marines on Okinawa) feel.
I wouldn't be surprised Cpt_Micha, if you wound up on a guided-missle frigate, troop transport, carrier, etc. very close to the DMZ as there isn't a huge demand in the Persian Gulf (that I know of).
ex) Don't suppose you or anyone saw "Carrier" on PBS many months ago? Shot in '05 (IIRC), they were lamenting that they're spending billions on the Nimitz (CVN-68) and by the end of the documentary, not a single pilot dropped a single bomb. Only flying over Iraq in the "just in case" policy (ground troops need support). Ship morale was wonky at best.
Meanwhile, the UAVs in Pakistan/Afghanistan (Talibanistan really :rolleyes
are cleaning up...when we don't get crucified for hitting civilian areas/ppl. There's a reason they're hiding in civilian areas but they gloss that over on the news. Can't just magically teleport ground troops in 1, 2, 3...Anyway, if diving/S.C.U.B.A. isn't your bag after a while or it doesn't work out, you should seriously consider Intel. You can make considerable $ if you know Pashtu, Farsi, or Arabic. Nice, safe desk job, not too stressful. You and some headphones, some nice computers/recording gear. Easy peesy. Good intel is often worth entire ships/divisions...something we should've known when a regular airliner (non-military, no frills budget) actually hit the nerve center of our military (Pentagon). Quite the wake-up call, no?
I knew the Hornets were like the Ford Escourt of ftr/bmb's after they phased out the Tomcats (do they even use Intruders & Vikings anymore?), but I didn't know things were getting that bad. And the cruise missles, really? I thought $900k (Tomahawk) kept us well ahead of the Jones'.
I know they slashed the DOD budget considerably post election, but they're not saying jack on CNN/Fox/NPR. It's all business econ, plane wrecks, sports, Pakistan, N. Korea, etc. The latter 2 you would think would spur discussion, if not action, on the related military budget, especially N. Korea and all their very out and proud sabre ratteling. Navy is probably sweating bullets. Imagine how the Japanese (and the 20k marines on Okinawa) feel.
I wouldn't be surprised Cpt_Micha, if you wound up on a guided-missle frigate, troop transport, carrier, etc. very close to the DMZ as there isn't a huge demand in the Persian Gulf (that I know of).
ex) Don't suppose you or anyone saw "Carrier" on PBS many months ago? Shot in '05 (IIRC), they were lamenting that they're spending billions on the Nimitz (CVN-68) and by the end of the documentary, not a single pilot dropped a single bomb. Only flying over Iraq in the "just in case" policy (ground troops need support). Ship morale was wonky at best.
Meanwhile, the UAVs in Pakistan/Afghanistan (Talibanistan really :rolleyes
Anyway, if diving/S.C.U.B.A. isn't your bag after a while or it doesn't work out, you should seriously consider Intel. You can make considerable $ if you know Pashtu, Farsi, or Arabic. Nice, safe desk job, not too stressful. You and some headphones, some nice computers/recording gear. Easy peesy. Good intel is often worth entire ships/divisions...something we should've known when a regular airliner (non-military, no frills budget) actually hit the nerve center of our military (Pentagon). Quite the wake-up call, no?
Tomahawk only hits land targets the naval cruise missle of the harpoon hasnt been upgraded since the 1980s. Russia, India have the best naval cruise missile on the planet the Brahumin or something like that. The F-18s arent bad but they are prone to certain mechanical faults. The entire class of cruisers also suffers from some problems related to hull stress, hence the need for more ddgs and the entire new class of ddx's I was in intel and knowing our capabilities as well as that of our enemies was one of my jobs, on the bright side Im not sure if the U.S subfleet could find and beat the U.S subfleet. We also have the edge in training over anyone else out there.
its a bad time even for equipment the number of DDX's the navy was supposed to get keep going down same for new aircraft I think navy is slated for less than 100 of the new joint strike fighters which is very very bad. Some countries are already close to matching what the F-18 can do navy needs more of the newest combat aircraft we have for that reason. Also some countries including two that are potentially hostile have better cruise missiles than the U.S. does. So bad economy=military gets boned everywhere.
....
Read agian.
Good economic times = New toys + Fewer recruits
Bad economic times = Fewer toys + More recruits
....
Read agian.
Good economic times = New toys + Fewer recruits
Bad economic times = Fewer toys + More recruits
Except they arent recruiting many, and yeah I misread my bad.
Tomahawk only hits land targets the naval cruise missle of the harpoon hasnt been upgraded since the 1980s. Russia, India have the best naval cruise missile on the planet the Brahumin or something like that. The F-18s arent bad but they are prone to certain mechanical faults. The entire class of cruisers also suffers from some problems related to hull stress, hence the need for more ddgs and the entire new class of ddx's I was in intel and knowing our capabilities as well as that of our enemies was one of my jobs, on the bright side Im not sure if the U.S subfleet could find and beat the U.S subfleet. We also have the edge in training over anyone else out there.
Well the F-18 to be fair is a Late Gen III craft (where as things like the Raphael, are Gen IV).
Day one of Expanded Self Training. Worked out in the hot north carolina weather. I felt more tired from doing that 10 minutes than I do my 45 minute work out lol.
The idea here of course is to beat (okay pwn) the Fitness Test under North Carolina conditions so that by comparison Basic etc will be a cakewalk. I was able to do around 60 to 70 pushups all told (a set of 30, a set of 20, and the rest in 10s), and I lost count on the situps (because they are incredibly easy... even in the hot sun the number was well over 100).
Well the F-18 to be fair is a Late Gen III craft (where as things like the Raphael, are Gen IV).
Day one of Expanded Self Training. Worked out in the hot north carolina weather. I felt more tired from doing that 10 minutes than I do my 45 minute work out lol.
The idea here of course is to beat (okay pwn) the Fitness Test under North Carolina conditions so that by comparison Basic etc will be a cakewalk. I was able to do around 60 to 70 pushups all told (a set of 30, a set of 20, and the rest in 10s), and I lost count on the situps (because they are incredibly easy... even in the hot sun the number was well over 100).
Thats great. Now to see how fast you can run... Old CO of my ship was 60 and could run an 8 1/2 minute mile and a half.
Also I dont care why its inferior the navy needs a newer generation aircraft as navy is the branch that goes in first usually. Navy is the foreward deployed element of the armed forces. so not getting enough of the joint strike fighters really hurts.
The running might be a problem, cause I don't really have a known distance area that's entirely safe to run on. (We dont' have sidewalks out here so I'd have to run along a stretch of road. Though I am going to start running again on Monday regardless)
Well the F-18 to be fair is a Late Gen III craft (where as things like the Raphael, are Gen IV).
Raphael? Unfamiliar, plz enligthen.
It woudl appear DOD budgets, after cutting
, seem to be stressing more of the smaller tactical stuff than the larger scale variety. Given our penchant for brushfire skirmishes in 3rd world Hell holes over tackling entire theoretical armor columns in the Eastern Bloc, well...I know we have to keep up w/ the curve, but I'm guessing they're stressing more SEALs, sat recon, UAVs, smaller (often more expensive) fare rather than pushing out more and more carriers & the big ticket stuff.
Day one of Expanded Self Training. Worked out in the hot north carolina weather. I felt more tired from doing that 10 minutes than I do my 45 minute work out lol.
"Well hey there muscley arms! Got any good news for me today?"
-Mr. Herbert, Family Guy
The idea here of course is to beat (okay pwn) the Fitness Test under North Carolina conditions so that by comparison Basic etc will be a cakewalk. I was able to do around 60 to 70 pushups all told (a set of 30, a set of 20, and the rest in 10s), and I lost count on the situps (because they are incredibly easy... even in the hot sun the number was well over 100).
Don't get me started, I remember May '04 (not even Summer) in Fayetville poking around Ft. Bragg (impossible to tell where the base ends/town starts) and realizing, "Wtf? This is Spring weather?" (sweating like a pig). The eerie glow from all the controlled burns of the pines at night around the base didn't help or the yellow sheen of pollen on every car in the morning only exacerbated allergies, intolerance to high temps, etc. Needless to say, my g/f was more than happy to move up here to calmer climates...until you realize an Ohio winter (and tornados, and floods, and bla bla bla) anyway. Can't win 'em all.
Can't win 'em all.
One or two would do wonders for morale, though.
The Navy and Marine Corps aren't built around an ability to completely overwhelm any other nation's defenses. As long as Navy and Marine pilots can slip in, hit like a ton of bricks and slip back out, mission accomplished and the grunts can move in. That's part of the reason the Navy budget includes alot of outdated and still horribly effective electronic warfare planes. With the addition of the A-10f, the Navy and leatherneck pilots can control the skies over the beaches that a good number of determined men in blood-striped pants are landing on.
Let the Air Farce buy those JSFs. They're a bit on the pricey side and they look like something from Buck Rogers.
On boot camp: It's not that bad. Sure, it sucked while I was there, but honestly, looking back, it wasn't all that terrible. Boot camp will get you in shape so don't sweat being able to pass the physical test requirements, though if you can pass them before you start, you'll be much better off. Nothing like watching people puke their guts out after running for about a minute. I think my favorite part was getting tear gassed, that stuff will mess you up and it really teaches you to appreciate your gas mask.
On food: Boot camp food was alright. Half the time you're eating so fast it really doesn't matter anyway, but I recall it being pretty OK. Base food was fine, about on par with an average diner type restaurant, though some places are better than others. Boat food was also fine. If you end up on ship and are able to get breakfast, I suggest ordering stuff like eggs over medium or hard or whatever, that way you get fresh eggs instead of the egg-like stuff in the cartons.
On bases and scams: Every vendor, store owner, street salesman, etc within 20 miles of the base knows exactly how much money you make and will try to sell you some bullcrap on a contract that is precisely written so that even if you want to cancel you will still end up paying because the a-hole who got you to sign knows how to work the system. If I sound bitter it's not because I had this happen but because they tell you this in every new command orientation and still people don't listen and get screwed. It really sucks to be the shop supervisor and have to tell one of your people that they are going to get bent over. Watch your money.
On women: There are a lot of women around bases who also know exactly how much you make too and will scam you just as hard as any salesperson. Watching someone fall for one of these...bad words...is not fun. Trying to talk them out of the relationship just makes you look like the bad guy and trying to hold in the "I told you sos" after they realize their mistake can be pretty difficult. Doubly bad when there is marriage involved. Had a friend get married to a woman who cleaned him out and took of with the guy she had been cheating on him with while he was deployed. I'm sure there are guys out there that do the same thing, but all the cases I saw were with women; anyway, watch your money/feelings.
On gaming: I was never without a gaming group. Everywhere I went there were gamers and spotting them was pretty easy. (Hint: they are the ones reading the game books.) Check common areas, that's where we usually ran our games for a couple reasons: lots of space and advertisement.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafale Sorry I spelled it wrong the first time.
Progress report so far, the pushups aren't causing me nearly as much trouble (that was the hardest part outside) I'll be doing a 1 mile run today (or at least as far as I can manage to actually run.).
kuonji thanks for the advice! I'll try to remember it.
So any Navy Guys here that would like to give me some pointers and crap as to what I should be studying before the test?
The recruiter should be giving you a book with all the basics you will want to know before boot camp. Your important ones will be your General Orders and Basic Seamanship.
Do you really get as much free time as the recruiters say you do?
During Boot Camp you will have little free time. Expect to be up as early 5am and to bed no earlier than 10pm. Weekends during boot camp are a little relaxed, especially sunday.
After boot camp, you will likely go to your specialized training school. Often called "A" School, and possibly "C" school (more advanced training). As others said, usually your weekends are a little more open during this time.
Some schools have restrictions on wearing civilian clothes the first couple weeks.
After school (and actually even while you are in boot camp), you gain 2.5 days of leave a month. For a total of 30 days a year. You have to submit a request up your chain of command to use this time. Which may be denied if there is need for you (operational commitment).
What's the food like?
On shore stations, the galley is pretty decent. Cheaper than McDonalds usually (barring dollar menu).
On surface ship, eh...not too bad. It would certainly be a good idea to keep a stock of Ramen noodles or whatever is easy to store for those days that it isn't so good.
How hard is basic, really? (I've heard alot of opinions one way or another)
Depends on your definition of hard. I went through it about a decade ago and wasn't particularly in shape. Work on push ups (goal 85 or more), sit ups (100 or more), and running 1.5 miles in 11min or under (yes, you technically have more time to just pass it, but aim high).
Watch your height weight ratio. The Navy has an idea that you can only be sooo many pounds for how tall you are (which doesn't take into account muscle).
What kind of fringe benefits do you get?
Guaranteed pay every two weeks. Free Health care (medical and dental). The Navy exchange is tax free (good for those big purchases). Base movie theaters are almost always free. Most bases have recreation centers (movie rooms, computer games, playstations/nintendoes, music rooms) and pretty decent gyms.
One or two would do wonders for morale, though.
The Navy and Marine Corps aren't built around an ability to completely overwhelm any other nation's defenses. As long as Navy and Marine pilots can slip in, hit like a ton of bricks and slip back out, mission accomplished and the grunts can move in. That's part of the reason the Navy budget includes alot of outdated and still horribly effective electronic warfare planes. With the addition of the A-10f, the Navy and leatherneck pilots can control the skies over the beaches that a good number of determined men in blood-striped pants are landing on.
Let the Air Farce buy those JSFs. They're a bit on the pricey side and they look like something from Buck Rogers.
A-10s are out of comisison. And the next major flare up is probaly going to invlove china/russia over oil in islands of the pacific which would draw us into a very ugly naval war. Those EW planes are effective but are also getting long in the tooth as we havent built new ones in a long time. There is no reason for the us to lag behind anyone when it comes to military hardware.
There is no reason for the us to lag behind anyone when it comes to military hardware.
We spend more money on the people than other countries do?
We have some nice toys in the Airforce, and the Army but the Navy is a little behind the curve. *Unless we really do have a Railgun somewhere on a ship or ten*
EDIT: Whatever happened to that cavitating torpedo tech we were workin' on? Haven't heard anything about it in a while ...
EDIT2: NM. It appears this tech is here, but we don't use it. Why would we want an uber fast torpedo?
I'm of the opinion we know about this stuff because 1 the Soviet Union is dead and 2, they aren't telling you about the really awesome stuff. Or option 3 what they say is in "development" is really actually being used somewhere already and was "in development" five to ten years ago.
Yeah, it's probably one or a combination of those. I hope. ;)
Cost.
That's never stopped us before! I think it's cuz the US has always sucked at making torpedoes. :P
Just a conventional rocket engine is necessary. (you know something extremely cheap... such as a solid fuel.) It actually could be cheaper to do this than using a motor driven torpedo.
Also if Iran can do it. (which means it pretty much has to be cheap and easy to do because their tech level sucks hard)
Anyway, I have no doubt that the US military is the best trained and equipped force since the German Army in WWII. I have nothing but the utmost confidence and respect for them...
Can't argue with that. :D
North Korea even with missile tests is a joke.
North Korea even with missile tests is a joke.
Seconded. For some reason I can't take seriously a military that uses AK-47.... Just sayin'
Seconded. For some reason I can't take seriously a military that uses AK-47.... Just sayin'
Uhh ... ok ....
Seconded. For some reason I can't take seriously a military that uses AK-47.... Just sayin'
......
AK-47 will kill you dead just fine. They don't lack too much for accuracy, have good rate of fire, sufficent stopping power, and excellent durability. Whatever deficencies they may have are well compensated by their low cost. Much as people may hate to admit it, an AK is just as good at killing people now as it was when it was invented. It does it's job very efficently, in a no frills sort of way.
They DO have more than enough stoping power(God knows better than M4) and stupid (in a good way) durability. That being said the accuancy lacks ALOT specially on SEMI (or FIRE depending on the AK). For "hunter joe" is a Five star. For a Military Force That should know houw to take care of their weapon in the first place, meh. Feel me?
One of my old work mates used to be in the navy (that's the royal navy). She worked the radar on an aircraft carrier for most of her time there. She used to boast about how when she knew no plains were coming, she'd go sunbathing on the flightdeck during her breaks.
LOL cool. Never worked with the Brits but our ship did some excersices with the Australians and they were about as well trained as 7th fleet was. And Im pretty sure no other surface fleet in the U.S. Navy has the kind of readiness 7th fleet has just due to where it is. We took training very very seriously.
The AK is heavier than the m-4 and so is the ammo. Also, it is longer than the m-4 and thus not that good in buildings/vehicles/close quarters.
Which, when you get right down too it, is only a marginal decrease in its ability to do its job, AKA kill people. Still plenty efficent. Defensive abilites of humans have not advanced enough in the last few decades to make the AK sufficently outdated as to be a laughable weapon or museum peice.
Also the M4 family I believe has better armor penetration over all.
The accuracy difference between the M4/M16/AR15 family and the AK is insane. The 'reliability' factor really doesn't come into play often enough to make the AK worth it.
Also the M4 family I believe has better armor penetration over all.
Correct. I train with both weapons (a necesary evil in my particular unit) and I hate HATE the freaking AK. that being said the 7.62
No, it doesn't. That's why there are higher cal variants in production and there's been a movement to create a newer, more potent round that retains the accuracy of the .223. They just don't have the same punch. Getting hit with an M4 may well take you out of combat. Getting hit with a 7.62x39 just about guarantees that you're done for the day. At best. There's advantages and disadvantages to both. The the main advantage of an M4 platform is it's accuracy. Something that becomes less and less important as ranges shrink like they have been on the modern battlefield. The AK is plenty accurate for urban conflict. The reason it seems otherwise is because the guys using them have largely been only taught to spray and pray.
In close quaters combat the extra boom that the AK gives you in my opinion,it doesn't matter much. cuz if you take a guy down in close quater combat and you don't "tap" him in the head, as soon the room's secured, theres something wrong. a hole through the head is a a hole through the head ;)
No, it doesn't. That's why there are higher cal variants in production and there's been a movement to create a newer, more potent round that retains the accuracy of the .223. They just don't have the same punch. Getting hit with an M4 may well take you out of combat. Getting hit with a 7.62x39 just about guarantees that you're done for the day. At best. There's advantages and disadvantages to both. The the main advantage of an M4 platform is it's accuracy. Something that becomes less and less important as ranges shrink like they have been on the modern battlefield. The AK is plenty accurate for urban conflict. The reason it seems otherwise is because the guys using them have largely been only taught to spray and pray.
We are working on the .50 cal M4. If you are going to penetrate armor it doesn't get better than that.
The M4 family is also more versatile in what you can do with em (Underslung grenade launchers, the double clip attatchments and the like) than the Ak. Also the AK can't be modified shoot a .50 cal round. :P If I need stopping power on an M4 family gun, that my bullets can't provide I'll just blow up the target with the M203 :evilgrin:
The Ak also puts out an inferior number of rounds *600* vs the M4 family *900* in a given time span. So when you are in situations where you should spray and pray the AK loses out again. The sheer versatility of that platform would make it a winner for me.
In close quaters combat the extra boom that the AK gives you in my opinion,it doesn't matter much. cuz if you take a guy down in close quater combat and you don't "tap" him in the head, as soon the room's secured, theres something wrong. a hole through the head is a a hole through the head ;)
But you need to drop said guy to deliver that tap. You're more likely to accomplish this with a bigger round. Bullet weight maxes at 90 grains for a .223 vs 154 grains for a 7.62x39. More weight means it's more likely to drop the target. Take a look at the hunting world to see this displayed. You don't use a smaller, faster bullet to take down an elephant. You don't even use the smallest available round to take out a squirrel. The reason? More weight transfers more energy. Just look into the development of new weapons and rounds that's taking place as we speak. They ain't makin' too many new .223 platforms. The reason is because the round just doesn't pack enough punch. It can be more easily defeated by body armor than the 7.62 and isn't as good at punching through obstacles.
I'm not just talkin' out my ass here, guys. This is stuff I study and understand. How many of you have shot anything beyond a target? How many have shot a living creature with different types of weapons under different circumstances and been able to compare the effect? I have. I used to shoot deer with a .44 mag using 180 grain bullets. It never once gave me complete penetration and instead bounced around in the rib cage. The bullet disintegrated and lost energy. I switched to a 240 grain and have experienced greater stopping power. And this doesn't even compare to the higher grain, higher velocity rounds fired from an in-line muzzleloader. That's just damned terrifying.
We are working on the .50 cal M4. If you are going to penetrate armor it doesn't get better than that.
The M4 family is also more versatile in what you can do with em (Underslung grenade launchers, the double clip attatchments and the like) than the Ak. Also the AK can't be modified shoot a .50 cal round. :P If I need stopping power on an M4 family gun, that my bullets can't provide I'll just blow up the target with the M203 :evilgrin:
The Ak also puts out an inferior number of rounds *600* vs the M4 family *900* in a given time span. So when you are in situations where you should spray and pray the AK loses out again. The sheer versatility of that platform would make it a winner for me.
The M4 platform is a good one. Actually, it's great. The round it traditionally uses, however, is only ok. That's what I'm comparing. Standard M4 to standard AK. That's what's in service today. The fact that we're seeing so many modifications to the AR platform (some shoot .308, some shoot 7.62x39, some shoot .450 Bushmaster, some shoot .50 Beowolf, etc, etc) shows a desire to improve the round the platform uses. The AK hasn't needed that improvement. There's no need to ramp it up. The key word here is need. That word implies a deficiency. And there is one.
Lower rate of fire isn't a bad thing. In fact, one of the newest M4 variants has been tuned down to 600 RPM. The reason? High rate of fire increases muzzle jump and decreases accuracy. The M4 does win out even at 900 vs 600, though, because it's tiny, tiny bullet doesn't throw as much energy and therefore doesn't cause as much jump. Which is good. Cuz you'll probably need to put 3 in your target to get the same impact as one 7.62. :P
Also it depends too a little on the types of rounds being used. (not just the caliber, but Mass Reactive vs AP etc) Also, sheer size of the round and amount of powder isn't all that goes into stopping power, or else body armor would be useless against 12, 10 and 8 gauge shotguns. How easily the energy is dispersed is everything. Shotguns are worthless against medium body armor because of this, even in a Slug.
I won't deny that the 7mm isn't a better bullet, but it's being fired out of a vastly inferior gun. I didn't know about the .308s and .450s. What are they using those for putting down elephants? I know the .50 is used to shoot through walls and Armor. I can make an argument though for the M4 mods that have nothing to do with a deficiency.
They are trying to take a versatile weapon and make it even more versatile. Anytime you can expand a soldiers firepower without increasing the weight he or she carries significantly is a good thing.
Well the bullet bouncing around can actually be a good thing as it can cause more tissue damage than a through and through. (though leaving a "big ole hole" is nice)
Also it depends too a little on the types of rounds being used. (not just the caliber, but Mass Reactive vs AP etc) Also, sheer size of the round isn't all that goes into stopping power, or else body armor would be useless against 12, 10 and 8 guage shotguns. How easily the energy is dispersed is everything.
I won't deny that the 7mm isn't a better bullet, but it's being fired out of a vastly inferior gun.
Actually, when we're talking about hunting, the bullet not passing through can be a problem. No exit wound means there's less of a blood trail. If we're puttin' it into a human, you're right. As a matter of fact, an AK variant uses a projectile designed to do just that. Massive, catastrophic damage. I was using that as more of an example of my experience than an argument. Probably shouldn't have muddied the waters. :D
You're right about size only. It's got to have some speed, too. The .223 is just too small overall, though. Each weapon has it's advantages and disadvantages. The 7mm is better at closer range and has greater stopping power and penetration. The .223 is better at longer range and has less muzzle jump - creating more accuracy across the board. And, as Hater mentioned, you can carry more ammo if it's lighter. In certain situations, each round is superior and in others inferior. Overall, I'd rather have a higher chance of downing my opponent with one hit than anything else. Cuz that guy is trying to kill me and my friends.
The platforms also offer an interesting argument for and against overall superiority. And it once again depends on what you're looking for. The M4 is reliable and customizable, but it's also complicated, needs more cleaning attention and has needed to be modified to fire a heavier round. The AK is reliable, powerful, idiot proof (which is why so many idiots use 'em - and why they seem so woefully inaccurate when they're really not that terrible) and hasn't needed to be upgraded to a different round, but it is inaccurate and not customizable at all when compared to the M4. IMO, the 7mm is better for the modern battlefield and the M4 is the superior platform. Vastly so. Most analysts place the AK over the M4 overall. I don't think I'd go that far. 'Specially with the newer versions using more impressive rounds.
So, I guess we agree in the end. We may not have arrived at our conclusions in exactly the same manner, but there you have it. We agree. Again. :D
Yeah
What made them decide on the .223 to start with and not a .25?
A-10s are out of comisison.
That big ugly hunk of love isn't out of commission yet. We're going to keep that low and slow snuggle-tank around until 2028. Damn good thing too, as nothing chews ground quite like it.
All those sexy jets with F-This and F-That are too fast for the work. The A-10 doesn't stall until 170 mph and carries more missles than God. Every system on there is triple redundant (well, double redundant hydraulics) and that ugly mug can fly with one engine, one tail, one hydraulic, and 1.5 wings. As long as there are ground targets, there will be an A-10 (even if only in spirit).
Cause really, the only ground solution to an A-10 is prayer.
Don't get me wrong, I love me some fighters. Because they keep those enemy aircraft off the A-10's backside. But the combined "come-homeability" and "kill power" of the A-10 can't be beaten.
What made them decide on the .223 to start with and not a .25?
I don't recall whether the round was developed with the gun or before it. I do know that Stoner's goal was to create a light weapon that used light ammo so that the guys wouldn't run out. Well, that was part of the goal but you get the idea.
Just read about it to refresh my memory. He designed it around the .223 at the military's request. They wanted a high rate of fire and lighter ammo so the guys could carry more. His original design, the AR10, fired a 7.62 NATO round but lost out to the M14 because it was late to the testing. Too bad, IMO. The M14 was one of the best weapons made. A little on the huge side, but quite a good gun.
That big ugly hunk of love isn't out of commission yet. We're going to keep that low and slow snuggle-tank around until 2028. Damn good thing too, as nothing chews ground quite like it.
All those sexy jets with F-This and F-That are too fast for the work. The A-10 doesn't stall until 170 mph and carries more missles than God. Every system on there is triple redundant (well, double redundant hydraulics) and that ugly mug can fly with one engine, one tail, one hydraulic, and 1.5 wings. As long as there are ground targets, there will be an A-10 (even if only in spirit).
Cause really, the only ground solution to an A-10 is prayer.
Don't get me wrong, I love me some fighters. Because they keep those enemy aircraft off the A-10's backside. But the combined "come-homeability" and "kill power" of the A-10 can't be beaten.
Well the F35 can hover like a Harrier, and still do Super Sonic Dogfights. So really it's the best of both worlds. However the A-10 is still nearly indestructable (the durability of the F35 has yet to be as proven as the A10) it also touts an impressive payload capability.
I didn't know there were A10s in the navy. I thought they couldn't get them onto carriers?
ZB that explains it sorta. *L* though a .25 is really really light.
Well the F35 can hover like a Harrier, and still do Super Sonic Dogfights. So really it's the best of both worlds. However the A-10 is still nearly indestructable (the durability of the F35 has yet to be as proven as the A10) it also touts an impressive payload capability.
I didn't know there were A10s in the navy. I thought they couldn't get them onto carriers?
I don't think they are, which is why I was surprised to see them mentioned in this thread.
Also, I can't fathom that the F-35 would be anywhere near as durable as the A-10. Hell, I can't really fathom that anything not specifically designed to replace the A-10 and only the A-10 could be anywhere near as durable.
Well the F35 can hover like a Harrier, and still do Super Sonic Dogfights. So really it's the best of both worlds. However the A-10 is still nearly indestructable (the durability of the F35 has yet to be as proven as the A10) it also touts an impressive payload capability.
I didn't know there were A10s in the navy. I thought they couldn't get them onto carriers?
I loves me some A10s. That is one awesome machine. Built around a huge gun, who can deny the sheer awesomosity of that? :D
No Navy, though. I think they're AF/Army only. I don't think the Marines use 'em. They're stuck on those Super Harriers ...
It's kind of amazing that the A10 and the B52 are so old and yet still the abosulte best at what they do. That's good design. Now if we could just get the auto industry to follow the example ...
ZB that explains it sorta. *L* though a .25 is really really light.
Well, when the gov't asks you to design something for a contract, you kinda have to play ball. That's why so many guys died needlessly. The gov't wanted to use a different propellant for the ammo than Stoner designed the thing for. And they wanted to tell the guys you didn't need to clean these new plastic wonders. So they jammed. Nothing anyone could do until it was too late. A damned shame.
You can upgrade a classic car to Modern Standards, yourself. But for the Auto Industry such a feat is impossible due to lack of control of ownership.
I do think though that the Auto Industry needs to have new standards though across the board. The government's mindless meddling in them has cost the consumers quality cars in ways most people can't even imagine. Between the companies being run by MBAs and -not- engineers for example, you have cars running around with rubber bushings on suspension.
Now most people don't know better, but rubber deteriorates, and isn't very stiff to start with. Polyurethane which costs almost the exact same (actually cheaper in some cases) however doesn't yield nearly as readily as Rubber, (so the handling won't be as spongy... and thus be more safe) and doesn't deteriorate nearly as quickly as Rubber will.
Aftermarket companies, don't have to worry about BS noise pollution standards (which are pretty much a fabrication made by California which knows nothing about noise coming from cars for that matter) so they can make intake systems which improve fuel economy and horsepower/torque by as much as 10-20 percent.
Exhaust systems follow a similar BS reg system that between the Autocompanies being Tight Wads in the wrong areas, also choke engines down quite often, by as much as 10-20 percent which again decreases mpgs and hps alike all for the sake of "noise control". There are plenty of aftermarket mufflers out there, which don't make the car Offensively Loud but give substantial improvements to stock.
The Planes to be fair, don't have such stupid regs on them which make little to no sense :P (Cars should have regs on them... just in different places... like Disc Brakes should be industry standard.... yet cars still have drums on the rear... w........t...........f. Yeah really concerned about our safety... whatever)
I just want GM to die already before they ruin everything they have left.
I doubt it... Caddy is making a stationwagon now.
I just want GM to die already before they ruin everything they have left.
Can you believe they chose to kill Pontiac and keep Buick? Buick?!?! Jeebus ...
With all due respect ZB, I have clear buidings and shot "living creatures" in those buildings AND Ive got shot in those buildings by "living creatures" using aks. I also happend to be my unit's primary armorer and my units is SOF support so I know my weapons and my enemies. So I know you aint talking out of your ass, and I guess now you know that I'm not either.
Fair 'nuff. ;)
Can you believe they chose to kill Pontiac and keep Buick? Buick?!?! Jeebus ...
Fair 'nuff. ;)
Don't get me started. Buick is utter crap their sales were worse than Olds when Olds was shot in the face. I suspect Buick has some serious Blackmail on Gm to have not died by now.
Good facts, good form, good job. Impressive responses devoid of fanboism, nj guys.
So, from where I sit, I was always of the opinion that old Warsaw Pact gear vs. NATO was basically summarized as quantity over quality. This is not to say they (old East Bloc) did not innovate w/ startling pragmatism.
-Warsaw Pact arms, the AK that breeds like rats (thanks Korea & China :rolleyes
, for instance, had it's gear just a hair bigger than NATO's. This means they can cannibalize our munitions but not vice versa. Truly, this may account for some of its substandard accuracy, but its sheer simplicity in design is impressive. It's a beast, no frills, plain vanilla, but tough. Some History Channel show, they left one in a swamp for 6 months, buried in mud. Cleared the breach, it fired just fine. Cheap, easilly mass-produced (it's main goal), etc. Set the tone of their military mind.Furthermore, it goes from Safety, FA, to SA. Shows where they stress it's intent. Our's are (were) Safety, SA, then FA. Now, we push burst fire only in lieu of FA, right on the A4's? True/false? In a normal war, I'd want a good Heckler & Koch. In some super rugged nightmare w/ short supplies, an AK.
-NASA (tries) spends millions on a pen that writes in Zero-G, their cosmonauts used pencils. Wtf, right? We can't make a re-entry vehicle w/ decent foam or tiles, but we make the Hell out of those satellites and pens...
This is not to say we don't have our moments, just, rare ones:
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-The Gulf War where we parked the USS Iowa off the coast of Kuwait City and zeroed in targets w/ the main turrets (16' or 18" guns, I forget which, they're huge though). 1 hr of shelling from a WWII era ship equated to 3 hrs of bombing runs from F-18's. You don't have to have a full deck crew, fuel, arrestor wires & catapults, 6-figure training, and constant maintainence on a shell that can level an entire city block. And those bombs are pricey too.
-Gulf War again; hadn't developed (or made public anyway :rolleyes the "Bunker Busters" yet, and we wanted to get air superiority double quick, but were concerned about some of the MiG-29's our good friends in Russia sold to Saddam on the cheap (funny thing about a regime collapse needing $ fast). They were housing them in heavilly reinforced concrete hangars, ie) hard to kill. Solution? They just dropped Rockeyes and other bomblettes across the runways, pock marking them to look like the moon -> landing gear won't handle it, thus, planes can't take off, no fuss, no muss.
-The Gulf War where we parked the USS Iowa off the coast of Kuwait City and zeroed in targets w/ the main turrets (16' or 18" guns, I forget which, they're huge though). 1 hr of shelling from a WWII era ship equated to 3 hrs of bombing runs from F-18's. You don't have to have a full deck crew, fuel, arrestor wires & catapults, 6-figure training, and constant maintainence on a shell that can level an entire city block. And those bombs are pricey too.
-Gulf War again; hadn't developed (or made public anyway :rolleyes
the "Bunker Busters" yet, and we wanted to get air superiority double quick, but were concerned about some of the MiG-29's our good friends in Russia sold to Saddam on the cheap (funny thing about a regime collapse needing $ fast). They were housing them in heavilly reinforced concrete hangars, ie) hard to kill. Solution? They just dropped Rockeyes and other bomblettes across the runways, pock marking them to look like the moon -> landing gear won't handle it, thus, planes can't take off, no fuss, no muss.Needless to say, my g/f was more than happy to move up here to calmer climates...until you realize an Ohio winter (and tornados, and floods, and bla bla bla) anyway. Can't win 'em all.
We don't have that bad of winters here in Ohio.....
Sure, bad by comparrisson to where you were. But really, we get off pretty easy compared to other snowy places.
Plan on spending lots and lots of time on board ships. If Buds school is too tough look into avionics or engineering or if you want to get a little less dirty, communications. If you're somewhat good at computer and console games maybe look into unmanned aircraft.
The navy is full of rewarding high tech jobs second only to the Air Force.
However, if you really want to make some money when you get out, underwater welding is very profitable in the civilian world so look into that once you complete Buds.
We don't have that bad of winters here in Ohio.
They're not pushing the Dakotas, truly, but we get a good x-section of high heat AND low cold. We're the middle-of-the-road state, and that goes for a lot more than meteorology too. All I know is a Brown's game; that breeze coming off the lake in Winter is like a Cone of Cold (lived in North Olmsted for a while). Snow, here in Cincy, isn't so bad...until you have to negotiate the 7 Hills of the city covered in it (this is where the glaciers stopped in the Miami Valley = pain in the ass). Ppl drive retarded here, panic.
Idolis: My Dad served in the Navy from '64 to '68.
Smart choice. A floating fortified position usually. He was surely fortunate; Navy's been pretty safe since WWII, apart from a few isolated incidents really.
-USS Stark hit by an Exoset missle from an Iraqi ftr in '86
-USS Kohl most recently in Bahrain I think it was.
-USS Iowa or another Iowa class battleship; explosion in the #2? turret magazine.
Family military tradition is kind of a joke really:
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My dad, for whatever reason, tried damn hard, ROTC and everything, ready (wanted?!) to go to 'Nam, but, wouldn't you know it, flat-feet of all things, kept him out. Guess he wanted to be like his dad (1 below). Uncle, drafted, forward observer, artillery, bam...gets sick after Basic, almost dies, out, so he dodged a bullet too, no pun intended. He would've probably died infield though as FO's are in a very unique position, must be put down quickly.
Further back, gramps #1 (Army) fought in the Pacific theatre, most notable engagement was Saipan, very tough/lucky. Loved squids, hated jarheads. Argued marines would land, sweep across an island, declare it "secured", then the Army had to go actually finish it off a lot of the time w/ enemies more entrenched then. By Iwo though, he softened up on the rhetoric.
Gramps #2 (Navy), also in the Pacific, no real action to speak of, probably why he managed to live post war. Mostly non-combat capacity.
Some cousins down South are in (Navy), don't really know them. 1 however, serving, is married to a Cmndr and has some clout apparently and this was offered up as an enticement when I was being leaned on to enlist. I'd get some favoritism or some sh-t which I think only reinforced my decision to stay put. Still, I like Ohio just fine (save, the weather ;)).
Apart from that, Great Grandfather #1 was in the Spanish American War (Army) w/ a weird title, "Artificer". He was the platoon's cheif arcanist and notable go-between when dealing w/ Spanish occult lore & enemy magi ;). Nah, it's just a hodgepodge engineer really.
Grt grndfthr #2 was a draft dodger skirting the Central Powers in WW I. Came to Cincy, like a ton of other Germans, and ironically enlisted here (Army) which got real hot. Plenty of locals went back to fight for the "old country". 1917 was a very rough year to live in my city.
My dad, for whatever reason, tried damn hard, ROTC and everything, ready (wanted?!) to go to 'Nam, but, wouldn't you know it, flat-feet of all things, kept him out. Guess he wanted to be like his dad (1 below). Uncle, drafted, forward observer, artillery, bam...gets sick after Basic, almost dies, out, so he dodged a bullet too, no pun intended. He would've probably died infield though as FO's are in a very unique position, must be put down quickly.
Further back, gramps #1 (Army) fought in the Pacific theatre, most notable engagement was Saipan, very tough/lucky. Loved squids, hated jarheads. Argued marines would land, sweep across an island, declare it "secured", then the Army had to go actually finish it off a lot of the time w/ enemies more entrenched then. By Iwo though, he softened up on the rhetoric.
Gramps #2 (Navy), also in the Pacific, no real action to speak of, probably why he managed to live post war. Mostly non-combat capacity.
Some cousins down South are in (Navy), don't really know them. 1 however, serving, is married to a Cmndr and has some clout apparently and this was offered up as an enticement when I was being leaned on to enlist. I'd get some favoritism or some sh-t which I think only reinforced my decision to stay put. Still, I like Ohio just fine (save, the weather ;)).
Apart from that, Great Grandfather #1 was in the Spanish American War (Army) w/ a weird title, "Artificer". He was the platoon's cheif arcanist and notable go-between when dealing w/ Spanish occult lore & enemy magi ;). Nah, it's just a hodgepodge engineer really.
Grt grndfthr #2 was a draft dodger skirting the Central Powers in WW I. Came to Cincy, like a ton of other Germans, and ironically enlisted here (Army) which got real hot. Plenty of locals went back to fight for the "old country". 1917 was a very rough year to live in my city.
The practice tests I've taken I have made an 82 on. (I take it this is good?)
Naturally I'm abit nervous about taking the stupid test. Is there any other tests that I'm going to be taking after the asvab? (that aren't the physical ones)
Physical training... I've slacked off my outdoor training and some of my normal routine over the last two weeks.. busy schedule. I should start doing it earlier, according to my daily plans I suppose. I can now do 40 pushups outside in the sun without giving up on the set, and then do multiple sets after that. 20, 15, (two 15s) and a set of 10. Then mountain climbers, followed by sit ups.
Studying: I've slacked off a little for studying but I try to study at least 30 minutes a night.
Tuesday is my asvab. The average score is a 50 overall? Wow.. that's pretty low.
The practice tests I've taken I have made an 82 on. (I take it this is good?)
I like to think of myself as reasonably intelligent, coupled with a good amount of common sense. And I scored 54 on the ASVAB...twice. I knew plenty of people in boot camp that bragged about scoring in the 90's but seemed to have trouble with the other classes in boot. Likewise I was 3rd in my class for Information Technology (might have been 2nd, but I had a 104 degree fever during one of the tests =P ).
Naturally I'm abit nervous about taking the stupid test. Is there any other tests that I'm going to be taking after the asvab? (that aren't the physical ones)
You will go to various classes during the day while at boot. It all centers around basic seamanship (military protocol and such) and damage control (firefighting). There will be written tests for some of them (always multiple choice).
Physical training... I've slacked off my outdoor training and some of my normal routine over the last two weeks.. busy schedule. I should start doing it earlier, according to my daily plans I suppose. I can now do 40 pushups outside in the sun without giving up on the set, and then do multiple sets after that. 20, 15, (two 15s) and a set of 10. Then mountain climbers, followed by sit ups.
Push-ups and Sit-ups have 2 minutes to complete as many as possible. Push-ups can rest in the up position only. Sit-ups can rest in up or down (i believe, it might have changed) and your shoulderblades have to touch the ground, and your elbows have to touch anywhere on your thighs. Hands are crossed grabbing your shoulders and can't come off (if you do then your test is over).
Williamhm75: the lowest parts on the practice test I've scored is a 60.. (90+ in some parts) the lowest being mechanical.. because I'm not a carpenter dammit. I'm a mechanic. I'm gonna take my books last practice test tonight and see how I do everywhere. hopefully the studying pays off.
IIRC, my friend scored over 90 on his. He was offered Yankee Whites (Marines) - presidential guard, basically. He'd never have been on TV cuz he's not the perfect Naz ... I mean over 6'0", blonde, etc. :P He didn't do it, though. He wanted to shoot people. Pvt Joker, anyone? ;) (well, until that whole 'I wanna take pictures pls! crap)
I was Navy, so I can't be certain. But I don't believe the Presidential Guard had those kind of requirements. They have to be unmarried, no dependents, really good PFT score, and no criminal record to my knowledge.
I was Navy, so I can't be certain. But I don't believe the Presidential Guard had those kind of requirements. They have to be unmarried, no dependents, really good PFT score, and no criminal record to my knowledge.
It wasn't to join, it was to be seen on camera. All those shots showing the Pres walking to Marine1 or whatever typically have guys of a certain build. I exaggerated a little bit (they're obviously not all white and blond ;)), but there do seem to be some ... er ... unwritten requirements to be on display at the White House.
It wasn't to join, it was to be seen on camera. All those shots showing the Pres walking to Marine1 or whatever typically have guys of a certain build. I exaggerated a little bit (they're obviously not all white and blond ;)), but there do seem to be some ... er ... unwritten requirements to be on display at the White House.
Quite possible, besides...all those jarheads look alike anyway :P
Quite possible, besides...all those jarheads look alike anyway :P
Heh. :D
If that were truly the case, he could have been on TV. :P
So I know you aint talking out of your ass, and I guess now you know that I'm not either.
For the record I am talking out my ass. Completly. Not even the slightest hint of actual experience ro research. Just FYI.
Ka D'Argo : yeah the firefighting part sounds awesome. I was pretty stoked when I read that about Basic.
Williamhm75: the lowest parts on the practice test I've scored is a 60.. (90+ in some parts) the lowest being mechanical.. because I'm not a carpenter dammit. I'm a mechanic. I'm gonna take my books last practice test tonight and see how I do everywhere. hopefully the studying pays off.
practice tests studying? Um I just walked in off the street cause I was bored and took the test. No thats literally what happened I wasnt doing good in colledge cause I was bored so I talked to a recruiter and took the asvab no practice test studying or prep. Math and mechanical were the two sections I had the lowest scores on cause I fail with technical gobly gook.
You won't have to live in a boat with nothing but men and no where to go. The AF treats people WAY better.
The best advice i could give you is: JOIN THE AIR FORCE!
You won't have to live in a boat with nothing but men and no where to go. The AF treats people WAY better.
Not true when I was stationed at fort meade the navy barracks was rated higher than the air force barracks and on average navy advancement is faster than air force advancment also every ship type except subs have women on board. Our cruiser had 35 or so females. But at sea you really dont have time for that. Trust me. Then again navy gets to go places. Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, 3 ports in australia Kuala Lampur. In the air force I would have been to none of those places.
practice tests studying? Um I just walked in off the street cause I was bored and took the test. No thats literally what happened I wasnt doing good in colledge cause I was bored so I talked to a recruiter and took the asvab no practice test studying or prep. Math and mechanical were the two sections I had the lowest scores on cause I fail with technical gobly gook.
well it's been a good while since I used any of the ehem "skills" being tested
You know that stuff that supposedly you use everyday that was taught to us in high school? Yeah that never used garbage. :P So I've more or less had to 'relearn' everything. the test I took this morning I made an 86.1 overall. (lowest score being a 76.. but it was entirely too early to take a test and I hadn't had breakfast yet :P) I think Wed is my real test day.
The one I took in the recruiters office about a month ago I made a 78 on. (You know the one that's a fraction of the length of the real test. Yah that one) which was the first time in like... probably 5 years that I used half the math related material on the test.
well it's been a good while since I used any of the ehem "skills" being tested
the test I took this morning I made an 86.1 overall. (lowest score being a 76.. but it was entirely too early to take a test and I hadn't had breakfast yet :P) I think Wed is my real test day.
The one I took in the recruiters office about a month ago I made a 78 on. (You know the one that's a fraction of the length of the real test. Yah that one) which was the first time in like... probably 5 years that I used half the math related material on the test.
Hehe yeah. Good luck tell us how it goes.
The best advice i could give you is: JOIN THE AIR FORCE!
You won't have to live in a boat with nothing but men and no where to go. The AF treats people WAY better.
Sure If you are a GIRL!
:P
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J/K :P
Some useful information, though (pulled from the Navy Advancement Center Website) that I forgot to PM you.
Cycle 203 (March 2009) Advancement to E-5 for Navy Divers (ND2) was:
80 of 81 advanced for 98.8 advancement rate.
As a comparison, ET2 (surface) advancement (what I just got promoted to) was: 161 of 1225 advanced for a 13.1% advancement rate.
[edit]NDs are contract E-4 (petty officer, third class) upon completion of 'A' School.
Get it? Cuz you'll be on a boat! You know, like not in a 'field'. Cuz you're on the ... uhh ... yeah. ;)
If you get below a 90 you should probably kill yourself for being retarded.
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J/K :P
ahh crap
Seriously though, there is book knowledge and then there is practical knowledge. Individually both are good. If you can manage to put them both together then you will do better.
Navy manuals (I suspect most military do as well) have a tendency to instruct to the lowest common denominator. There will be varous things that you will find that will work somewaht differently than how the manual says it should.
If you're in the Navy, you won't be in a field at all!
Get it? Cuz you'll be on a boat! You know, like not in a 'field'. Cuz you're on the ... uhh ... yeah. ;)
you were really reaching for that one weren't you?
thanks. So you don't stay E1 and E2 long if you are in a good field?
Navy advancement is centered around taking tests. With the exception of E1to E3. E1 to E3 is simply based on time in rate or, if you were lucky enough to enlist at E2 or E3. There used to be various ways to do that, but your recruiter will know more about it.
From E3 to E4 (and so on) you will take a test. Most rates (jobs) are fairly automatic in making E4 (as long as you spell your name right).
Tests are every 6 months until you go up for E7, then its every year. That being said there is still a "Time in Rate" requirement before you can take a test. E4 to E5 I think its a year, E5 to E6 is either 1 year or 2 can't remember, and E6 to E7 is 3 years I believe.
Some rates let you advance to E4 after school. This happens a couple of different ways.
1. The school was long enough for you to acheive time in rate and you are taking the test normally.
2. There is a meritorious advancement for graduating top of your class (not available with all rates). This allows you to take the test at the next exam cycle regardless of Time in Rate.
Beyond that, the Commanding Officer of your command has the ability to promote a limited number of people each exam cycle. Canidates are usually put in by your immediate chain of command.
you were really reaching for that one weren't you?
Nah, I'm just a fan of terrible jokes. :D For example:
Did you hear the one about the two antenna that got married?
The wedding was terrible, but the reception was fantastic! :D
You got that one off of a popsicle!
Nope. I got it off of my fiancee's uncle - a fellow terrible joke enthusiast. :D
Navy advancement is centered around taking tests. With the exception of E1to E3. E1 to E3 is simply based on time in rate or, if you were lucky enough to enlist at E2 or E3. There used to be various ways to do that, but your recruiter will know more about it.
From E3 to E4 (and so on) you will take a test. Most rates (jobs) are fairly automatic in making E4 (as long as you spell your name right).
Tests are every 6 months until you go up for E7, then its every year. That being said there is still a "Time in Rate" requirement before you can take a test. E4 to E5 I think its a year, E5 to E6 is either 1 year or 2 can't remember, and E6 to E7 is 3 years I believe.
Some rates let you advance to E4 after school. This happens a couple of different ways.
1. The school was long enough for you to acheive time in rate and you are taking the test normally.
2. There is a meritorious advancement for graduating top of your class (not available with all rates). This allows you to take the test at the next exam cycle regardless of Time in Rate.
Beyond that, the Commanding Officer of your command has the ability to promote a limited number of people each exam cycle. Canidates are usually put in by your immediate chain of command.
CTT3 was nigh impossible to make while I was in. I scored really high on the tests had good evals but kept not getting advanced my first year 7 made E4 in the entire navy. For E7 the fasted ive heard anyone making E7 was seven years.
now, Im a female, so my standards were a bit lower, but I would shoot for a 15 minute 2 mile, 30 push ups and 50 sit ups. trust me, getting into shape before you leave will be good for you!
im an E-2
Pvt. Samson
I still think you're crazy for going for Bomb tech.
now, Im a female, so my standards were a bit lower, but I would shoot for a 15 minute 2 mile, 30 push ups and 50 sit ups. trust me, getting into shape before you leave will be good for you!
im an E-2
Pvt. Samson
A 15min two mile run wouldn't be bad. Mathematically it breaks down to a 11:25 mile and a half. However it never seemed to work out that way for me.
I'm sure you've already seen it Cpt Micha. But here are the requirements for most Boot Camp personnel (and afterwards but I didn't know your age).
And yes, there are lower scores you can get and still pass. But you want to aim high, don't go for the mininum.
A 15min two mile run wouldn't be bad. Mathematically it breaks down to a 11:25 mile and a half. However it never seemed to work out that way for me.
I'm sure you've already seen it Cpt Micha. But here are the requirements for most Boot Camp personnel (and afterwards but I didn't know your age).
And yes, there are lower scores you can get and still pass. But you want to aim high, don't go for the mininum.
Um boot camp minimum when I was in was 12 minute mile and that was the best i could do due to still having breathing problems. Used to have bad asthema and I still cant run well without getting winded. 50 push ups and 60 sit ups and you will be good.
Um boot camp minimum when I was in was 12 minute mile and that was the best i could do due to still having breathing problems. Used to have bad asthema and I still cant run well without getting winded. 50 push ups and 60 sit ups and you will be good.
Unfortunately that is too often the mindset. People strive to do the minimum instead of their best.
And yes, there are lower scores you can get and still pass. But you want to aim high, don't go for the mininum.
screw that, minimum is all you need.
@OP:
And the TIR (time in rate) breakdown is:
E-1 to E-2 = 9 months
E-2 to E-3 = 9 months
E-3 to E-4 eligible = 6 months
E-4 to E-5 eligible = 6 months
E-5 to E-6 eligible = 3 years
that's what I remember. "Early Promote" Evals can cut time off of that and give more points than the "Must Promote" and "Promotable" evals.
As an ND you'll be contracted E-4, you don't have to take the test at all so long as you pass.
Does the Navy have any unmaned drones? piloting one of those sounds fun...
Well it's either Diver, or something in Electronics.
Does the Navy have any unmaned drones? piloting one of those sounds fun...
Not that Im aware of. Could have changed since ive been out though. Electronics if you like networking IT I think still has a bonus and good advancement.
Well it's either Diver, or something in Electronics.
Does the Navy have any unmaned drones? piloting one of those sounds fun...
I do believe the Navy is working towards using unmanned aircraft. Though I'd hazard a guess that you will have to be an officer at least to pilot them (just like the manned ones).
As far as electronics, you can either shoot for Electronics Technician (ET) or Information Systems Technician (IT). Simply put, ET's are responsible for fixing the stuff IT's break :P
On a serious note, as an IT you will likely be put into one of two positions. Networking/Computers (repair and maintenance) or Communications (Line of Sight, Satellite). On smaller ships Cruisers and below you may actually get to do all of it. On Carriers you will likely get pigeonholed into where ever they need you.
ET's will work on and fix the communications equipment. I'm certain there is more that they work with, but as an IT I only had limited exposure to what they did.
Well it's either Diver, or something in Electronics.
I thought you were entertaining aquatic welding and the like per your diving ambitions? Good solid work, though I'm not sure what the demand is. Pay, @ least in the private sector (unsure of Navy's) is totally decent, but the hazards can be formidable to say the least.
The later though, there will be work for that...always. I'd say next to AirForce w/ their great abundance of avionics (which the Navy flirts w/ heavilly naturally), satellite tech, etc., Navy has got to run a real close 2nd. Electronics Warfare Officer is what most ppl usually think of, AKA "Goose"
, but that's rare. A zillion guys in a zillions Conns fit the bill nicely on firgates, subs, transports, you name it. Floating Circuit City really.Does the Navy have any unmaned drones? piloting one of those sounds fun...
I would venture as such, but technically, unsure. They're practical, cost effective, and are getting killer results. Strangely enough, the ones they fit w/ singul Hellfires buzzing the Swat Valley and contested sh-tholes further East are actually "piloted" out of the States like the B-2's. Killer job too. You "go into the office", fly your rounds via remote, then get to go home to the wife n' kids.
I thought you were entertaining aquatic welding and the like per your diving ambitions? Good solid work, though I'm not sure what the demand is. Pay, @ least in the private sector (unsure of Navy's) is totally decent, but the hazards can be formidable to say the least.
The later though, there will be work for that...always. I'd say next to AirForce w/ their great abundance of avionics (which the Navy flirts w/ heavilly naturally), satellite tech, etc., Navy has got to run a real close 2nd. Electronics Warfare Officer is what most ppl usually think of, AKA "Goose"
I would venture as such, but technically, unsure. They're practical, cost effective, and are getting killer results. Strangely enough, the ones they fit w/ singul Hellfires buzzing the Swat Valley and contested sh-tholes further East are actually "piloted" out of the States like the B-2's. Killer job too. You "go into the office", fly your rounds via remote, then get to go home to the wife n' kids.
EWO is just in charge of the Elint side of things at least on cruisers. And if you can get a clearance CTN is like IT but on classified systems. One of my friends worked at NSA on the Red team hacking government agencies to determine their vulnrabilities. What ever you do do not go CTT crappy advancement hence why I got out.
- It isn't personal. Your trainers will yell at you, insult your heritage, your intelligence, along with various other things that they think might get a rise out of you. Don't take the bait. See it for what it is, take it as an indication that you screwed up somehow, and vow to do better next time. Let it wash off your back.
- Once you get assigned to your training platoon, keep the following in mind: If one fails, we all fail. That "lone-wolf guy", he only exists in movies and books. The real military is teamwork, from the start to the end. The sooner that you can work as a team, the easier your training will be. If someone is having trouble, work with them, help them pass.
- Any spare time you have should be spent helping others in your training platoon. (See teamwork, above)
- Push yourself. Never, ever be caught coasting. The *only* acceptable reason to not be doing your best is if you are helping someone else. If you can run the distance with ease, but are slow because you are continually encouraging a slower person and helping them succeed, that is a good thing. At the same time, never show off.
- Get to know the people in your platoon. Your passing (or failing) depends mostly on you. How *well* you pass or fail depends a lot on how well your unit works together.
I saw that you are joining the Navy. Congrats, and good luck. While I have never been in the American military, I was an officer in the Canadian military, and ran basic training courses, and have some advice that I feel will put you miles ahead of people that don't get it.
- It isn't personal. Your trainers will yell at you, insult your heritage, your intelligence, along with various other things that they think might get a rise out of you. Don't take the bait. See it for what it is, take it as an indication that you screwed up somehow, and vow to do better next time. Let it wash off your back.
- Once you get assigned to your training platoon, keep the following in mind: If one fails, we all fail. That "lone-wolf guy", he only exists in movies and books. The real military is teamwork, from the start to the end. The sooner that you can work as a team, the easier your training will be. If someone is having trouble, work with them, help them pass.
- Any spare time you have should be spent helping others in your training platoon. (See teamwork, above)
- Push yourself. Never, ever be caught coasting. The *only* acceptable reason to not be doing your best is if you are helping someone else. If you can run the distance with ease, but are slow because you are continually encouraging a slower person and helping them succeed, that is a good thing. At the same time, never show off.
- Get to know the people in your platoon. Your passing (or failing) depends mostly on you. How *well* you pass or fail depends a lot on how well your unit works together.
Awesome adviceWell it's either Diver, or something in Electronics.
Being an Electronics Technician is a great job... but our advancement kind of sucks.
Information System Technician is where they send ET, FC and IC 'A' school dropouts. Most of them are retarded. Like seriously. A few are really awesome, though
Does the Navy have any unmaned drones? piloting one of those sounds fun...
No, that's the Air Force.
I saw that you are joining the Navy. Congrats, and good luck. While I have never been in the American military, I was an officer in the Canadian military, and ran basic training courses, and have some advice that I feel will put you miles ahead of people that don't get it.
- It isn't personal. Your trainers will yell at you, insult your heritage, your intelligence, along with various other things that they think might get a rise out of you. Don't take the bait. See it for what it is, take it as an indication that you screwed up somehow, and vow to do better next time. Let it wash off your back.
- Once you get assigned to your training platoon, keep the following in mind: If one fails, we all fail. That "lone-wolf guy", he only exists in movies and books. The real military is teamwork, from the start to the end. The sooner that you can work as a team, the easier your training will be. If someone is having trouble, work with them, help them pass.
- Any spare time you have should be spent helping others in your training platoon. (See teamwork, above)
- Push yourself. Never, ever be caught coasting. The *only* acceptable reason to not be doing your best is if you are helping someone else. If you can run the distance with ease, but are slow because you are continually encouraging a slower person and helping them succeed, that is a good thing. At the same time, never show off.
- Get to know the people in your platoon. Your passing (or failing) depends mostly on you. How *well* you pass or fail depends a lot on how well your unit works together.
They can't actually insult your heritage anymore.
The only other thing I can think of is... well, skate (slack) off occasionally, just don't get caught. The guys that tried to just push through at 110% all the time burned out. Other than that, great advice from mudbunny.
Oh, two more things:
- The fastest way out of Boot Camp is to graduate. Getting kicked out of boot takes several months, passing only takes two. And the least painful way out of the Navy is to just do your 4 (or 6 for ND, ET, and FC). Also:
- Whether you do 4 and get out or do 20 (or 30!), remember this: you've done something only a small fraction of the country is willing to do. You stood up and swore to defend your country with your life, need be. Don't forget that, it helps sometimes when things are feeling stupid or pointless.
Maybe it was being in a class room type environment vs being at home at the kitchen table.
Anyways I got an 87.
Took the Real Test last night... I feel kinda silly for having studied because the material I studied was much more challenging I feel than the actual test was.
Maybe it was being in a class room type environment vs being at home at the kitchen table.
Anyways I got an 87.
NICE JOB!! when you go to the detailer if you cant get diver ask for CTN the security clearance alone is worth like 10grand extra in pay for almost any job in civilian sector.
What's that stand for exactly?
Took the Real Test last night... I feel kinda silly for having studied because the material I studied was much more challenging I feel than the actual test was.
Maybe it was being in a class room type environment vs being at home at the kitchen table.
Anyways I got an 87.
Good work! That's probably the reason, too. It's far harder to get distracted in a classroom than it is in your kitchen. Hell, you were trained to focus in that environment. You were also trained to completely lose focus in the kitchen. :D
CTN?
What's that stand for exactly?
Cryptographic Technician Network (I believe).
Its a more classified version of the IT. They work specifically with their own networks though, where as the IT maintains the network for the rest of the ship.
Ka D'Argo: ahhh. Yeah I'll look into that then as a possibility. They said they'll give us our Sectional Scores soon, how long is the wait on that typically?
CTN?
What's that stand for exactly?
cryptologic technician networking or something like that. Its an IT/ET but on classified systems. So if you like electronics and you can get a clearance go for it.
Ka D'Argo: ahhh. Yeah I'll look into that then as a possibility. They said they'll give us our Sectional Scores soon, how long is the wait on that typically?
They could have changed things. However, I didn't see my sectional scores until I was actually in boot camp. I didn't really have a need to see them before that though either.
writing programs doesn't sound all that fun though, or is there more to it than that?
Writing Programs/Programming, I have found, is either something you like to do or something you are good at (probably both). It's not something I could ever wrap my brain around, I don't like writing line after line of code for small results. Other people do.
To my knowledge, even CTN's don't write programs for the Navy as part of their day to day job. I have heard of people writing programs independently for the Navy (usually tailored around their job anyway) and the Navy will sometimes even buy it off of you to use fleet wide (if its good enough).
Spiffy
What one of my friends did as a CTTN at Ft. Meade was do vulnrability reports basically he would hack other government agencies then write about how easy/hard it was so that they could improve their network security. He had a lot of fun with it. Also you only go to ships if you want to because their are enough shore billets.
writing programs doesn't sound all that fun though, or is there more to it than that?
Then clearly you've never done it right.
writing programs doesn't sound all that fun though, or is there more to it than that?
writing programs? what, do you think you've signed up to be an overpaid Navy contractor?
Rest assured, you'll (should you be a CTN/IT/ET/FC) be working with some of the crappiest code non-Indian programmers can generate, for equipment that's so out of date the manufacturer doesn't even carry the parts for it anymore.
I have no advice to offer, but I would like to offer my gratitude. Thank you for serving America
Rest assured, you'll (should you be a CTN/IT/ET/FC) be working with some of the crappiest code non-Indian programmers can generate, for equipment that's so out of date the manufacturer doesn't even carry the parts for it anymore.
I once had the "opportunity" to be flown out to the carrier to meet my ship. As part of the introduction to the safety procedures we were given a little reassurance,
"Welcome aboard, you will be flying in the finest aircraft built in 1950 by the lowest bidder."
writing programs? what, do you think you've signed up to be an overpaid Navy contractor?
Rest assured, you'll (should you be a CTN/IT/ET/FC) be working with some of the crappiest code non-Indian programmers can generate, for equipment that's so out of date the manufacturer doesn't even carry the parts for it anymore.
Not exactly a confidence booster. :P
Not exactly a confidence booster. :P
true though the radar detection equipment hasnt been significantly upgraded since it was built in the 1970s sad but true.
Not exactly a confidence booster. :P
The Navy also likes and uses the term "If it aint broke, don't fix it".
As long as it works, they will keep using it.
The Navy also likes and uses the term "If it aint broke, don't fix it".
As long as it works, they will keep using it.
Like the Army? Oh snap!
Anyway, I heard that almost every job in the Navy still requires you to scrub the boat. To keep the ocean's wear ans tear to a minimal.
Like the Army? Oh snap!
Anyway, I heard that almost every job in the Navy still requires you to scrub the boat. To keep the ocean's wear ans tear to a minimal.
yup. Every job will require you to clean, and do regular maintance on equipment and paint. And sometimes even put up lagging.
Like the Army? Oh snap!
Anyway, I heard that almost every job in the Navy still requires you to scrub the boat. To keep the ocean's wear ans tear to a minimal.
True. Every division on the ship is responsible for cleaning certain areas. Usually they relative to where you are actually working. Meaning, if you are an IT, in general, you won't be cleaning an Engineering space on a daily basis.
Berthing compartments (where you will sleep) is cleaned by a a combination of all the various divisions that stay in a given compartment. Which is usually organized by department (Operations, Engineering, Supply, Combat Systems...).
Doesn't like every job known to man require you to clean up after yourself though? :P
Yes but, now you will also be responsible for cleaning up after other people too. Especially where berthings are concerned.
Doesn't like every job known to man require you to clean up after yourself though? :P
Nope the Air Force deploys bombs and flies away :D, but the civil contractors will make it all better
That statement seemed anti-troopish, it was not it was a sad attempt at humor.
Yes but, now you will also be responsible for cleaning up after other people too. Especially where berthings are concerned.
So it's like working retail all over again that way.
Nope the Air Force deploys bombs and flies away :D, but the civil contractors will make it all better
That statement seemed anti-troopish, it was not it was a sad attempt at humor.
hehe. That did crack me up a little.
So it's like working retail all over again that way.
Don't know much about that, but probably.