Just joined the Navy. Now what to expect?

[SPL Tech]

Well I went to MEPS today. I got an 83 on the electronics section. I pretty much got a 100% in it. So I signed a 4-year contract and joined into Information Technology. I am stationed to leave in 3 - 5 months because I am in DEP right now. I am working on a program so I start out as an E-2 too.

But many have told me that the US Navy is a hard life and it sucks. Well my recruiter pretty much told me its not a hard life (after training) and its like a normal job after you finish boot camp, your A school and your C school. That when you are not at sea you pretty much get up every morning, go to work, then come home later in the afternoon like a normal job. Then when youre on a ship you get up, work then after work you pretty much free to do whatever you want, once again like a normal job. I was told that you will pretty much be doing what you are trained to do accept for some few exceptions like painting your office if its needed, cleaning some stuff when lower ranks, exc. But that they will not have you like paint a cannon all day when you were trained to work on computers. And I was told you stop at a lot of different countries and you are free to roam around for awhile when visiting the countries then you come back and go back out to sea. Does this sound about right? What is an average day for an average sailor on a boat or not on a boat? Like an average work day and such?

 

[Big-E]

But many have told me that the US Navy is a hard life and it sucks. Well my recruiter pretty much told me its not a hard life (after training) and its like a normal job after you finish boot camp, your A school and your C school. That when you are not at sea you pretty much get up every morning, go to work, then come home later in the afternoon like a normal job. Then when youre on a ship you get up, work then after work you pretty much free to do whatever you want, once again like a normal job. I was told that you will pretty much be doing what you are trained to do accept for some few exceptions like painting your office if its needed, cleaning some stuff when lower ranks, exc. But that they will not have you like paint a cannon all day when you were trained to work on computers. And I was told you stop at a lot of different countries and you are free to roam around for awhile when visiting the countries then you come back and go back out to sea. Does this sound about right? What is an average day for an average sailor on a boat or not on a boat? Like an average work day and such?

Navy life is great... when you get your own stateroom.

Shore duty is like any other job. Sea Duty is a whole different kettle of fish. I'm actually heading out to Norfolk in a couple of weeks for my next deployment. I've been stationed at MCAS Beaufort for the last two years. It's been real nice enjoying the wife everyday and not having to worry about bumping my head on the bulkhead, fighting for the head, drinking the bloggins they call coffee or short Cinderella Liberty if your lucky enough to get it. The list goes on... My experiences are very different from what yours will be so I should defer to some of the enlisted members.

Have fun at Great Mistakes Ill!

 

[eckherl]

Well I went to MEPS today. I got an 83 on the electronics section. I pretty much got a 100% in it. So I signed a 4-year contract and joined into Information Technology. I am stationed to leave in 3 - 5 months because I am in DEP right now. I am working on a program so I start out as an E-2 too.

But many have told me that the US Navy is a hard life and it sucks. Well my recruiter pretty much told me its not a hard life (after training) and its like a normal job after you finish boot camp, your A school and your C school. That when you are not at sea you pretty much get up every morning, go to work, then come home later in the afternoon like a normal job. Then when youre on a ship you get up, work then after work you pretty much free to do whatever you want, once again like a normal job. I was told that you will pretty much be doing what you are trained to do accept for some few exceptions like painting your office if its needed, cleaning some stuff when lower ranks, exc. But that they will not have you like paint a cannon all day when you were trained to work on computers. And I was told you stop at a lot of different countries and you are free to roam around for awhile when visiting the countries then you come back and go back out to sea. Does this sound about right? What is an average day for an average sailor on a boat or not on a boat? Like an average work day and such?

Well - I aint Navy but the majority of my family have served with the U.S Navy, call me the black sheep of the family, just to piss everyone off I joined the U.S Army so that I could play with tanks. From what I have heard from them in there pissin and moaning about their ex Navy days, this is what I can advise you.
1. Never listen to a recruiter, they are like a new car saleman.
2. Never volunteer for anything.
3. Be prepared for the worst, that way you wont be let down.
4. When you make port calls, take heed to this rule, if you are going to love her, wear a rubber.
5. When you are out to sea, make sure that you have a large supply of soap on a rope.nfloorl:

 

[AegisFC]

Well I went to MEPS today. I got an 83 on the electronics section. I pretty much got a 100% in it. So I signed a 4-year contract and joined into Information Technology. I am stationed to leave in 3 - 5 months because I am in DEP right now. I am working on a program so I start out as an E-2 too.

You won't be a real IT unless you enlist for 6 years, a 4 year navy IT is just a radioman under a diffrent name. Also don't be suprised if you get sent to a ship for a little while as a deckseaman before your school starts, their is a shortage of deck seamen and some schools are sending people for 8 or 9 months to do deck work.

But many have told me that the US Navy is a hard life and it sucks.

It does and it doesn't. To be honest if I knew before hand that I'd be spending every sixth day in port stuck on the ship and can't leave I probably would of told my recruiter to go piss off. But for the most part it is easy and if you just ignore the stupid games the khaki likes to play you will save yourself a lot of stress.

and its like a normal job after

Bullcrap! My first ship was awesome and laid back, but now I am working 11 and 12 hour days in port and barely had a social life.

you finish boot camp, your A school and your C school.

Do you have a C school in writing? If you don't go back and get one in writing in your contract, otherwise after A school they will send you to the fleet as just a radioman and good luck getting your command to let you go to C school. If your recruiter tells you he can't garentee you an C school he is lying, also what kind of enlistment bonus did you get?

That when you are not at sea you pretty much get up every morning, go to work, then come home later in the afternoon like a normal job. Then when youre on a ship you get up, work then after work you pretty much free to do whatever you want, once again like a normal job.

Except you will be spending at least half your day cleaning and shining brass, and every 6th day on duty.

I was told that you will pretty much be doing what you are trained to do accept for some few exceptions like painting your office if its needed, cleaning some stuff when lower ranks, exc.

Expect to be send to clean dishes and the mess decks for at least 90 days, more like 120 at most commands. And you will be on plenty of working parties, and lots and lots of cleaning, and you will be a lower rank up until you make E-5 then you can start putting some of the crap work on those lower than you.

But that they will not have you like paint a cannon all day when you were trained to work on computers.

They will have you painting and cleaning the engineers spaces when it comes time for their inspections and certifications.

If you have any more questions PM me, I'm not trying to make this sound like it is all crap but people need to have a more accurate picture of what they are getting into when they join, the recruiter is a nothing but a salesman who has a quota of people he needs to get each month so don't trust what he says.

 

[swerve]

...
1. Never listen to a recruiter, they are like a new car saleman.
2. Never volunteer for anything.
3. Be prepared for the worst, that way you wont be let down.
4. When you make port calls, take heed to this rule, if you are going to love her, wear a rubber.
5. When you are out to sea, make sure that you have a large supply of soap on a rope.nfloorl:

Rum, sodomy & the lash! Oh, no, the good old days are over, so no floggings. And it's USN so you're not allowed any booze (my cousin, who was an RN CPO until recently, told me there were big profits to be made selling booze to thirsty Yanks ). Well, that only leaves - don't drop the soap! nfloorl:

Any women on US ships these days?

 

[Big-E]

Any women on US ships these days?

A plenty... you have to be REAL careful, especially when crossing the line. That ceremony can get WAY out of hand with women on board.

 

[AegisFC]

The submarines are all male, the FFG's and some DDG's are still all male enlisted but can have female officers.

 

[Rich]

My suggestion is to volunteer for everything you can. Most of all training and educational opportunities. At the very least take college courses and set aside for further education. If you want to spend 4 years whining and complaining you'll find plenty of company since those kinda guys need company to maintain their misery.

Don't waste 4 years of your life like that. And good luck to you.

 

[eckherl]

My suggestion is to volunteer for everything you can. Most of all training and educational opportunities. At the very least take college courses and set aside for further education. If you want to spend 4 years whining and complaining you'll find plenty of company since those kinda guys need company to maintain their misery.

Don't waste 4 years of your life like that. And good luck to you.

The type of volunteering I was referring to is the type when your good old sargeant has a formation and yells out that he is looking for volunteers for a special project or something along those lines, most times that ain`t a good thing for you ie: painting, police calls, KP duty ect, ect. This is when you learn to be hush hush.
I also agree to get all the training and schooling that you can, it will pay off for promotions or civilian life when you get out.

 

[Rich]

The type of volunteering I was referring to is the type when your good old sargeant has a formation and yells out that he is looking for volunteers for a special project or something along those lines, most times that ain`t a good thing for you ie: painting, police calls, KP duty ect, ect. This is when you learn to be hush hush.
I also agree to get all the training and schooling that you can, it will pay off for promotions or civilian life when you get out.

Yes I agree. One must be careful what they volunteer for. I learned that the hard way a few times.

 

[AegisFC]

The type of volunteering I was referring to is the type when your good old sargeant has a formation and yells out that he is looking for volunteers for a special project or something along those lines, most times that ain`t a good thing for you ie: painting, police calls, KP duty ect, ect. This is when you learn to be hush hush.
I also agree to get all the training and schooling that you can, it will pay off for promotions or civilian life when you get out.

Usually in the navy you get voluntold to do the crap work.
When you deploy your ship should offer PACE classes, they are college courses that are free to you except for the price of the book, take them if you have the time.
Also do your quals and all that, but don't worry about ESWS until you are E-5 or so, they try to make it out to be this great program but all it is, is just learning trivia about your ship nothing big.

 

[zevgoldman]

Good Decision

You made a great decision. I was in nearly 40 years ago and my very young son is now in "A" school and he loves it.
40 years ago it was a lot of fun and a lot of work. But hell's bells you're a young adult. You will handle it without any problem.
The pay will be good and so will the school. Don't run your mouth but do your job, better to excel at your school and job, and you will do extremely well.
Don't hang out with jerks and don't practice any bad habits.
You will have a great time.
Boot camp is a piece of cake compared to what it once was. You should breeze through it.

 

[bd popeye]

Big E is right when he said shore duty is like a regular job. I spent 20 years enlisted in the USN. I was an enlisted airdale and had quite a bit of shore duty. It is like a regular job...I have a son on active duty now. He's an STG1. Presently he's on shore duty at the ASW base in San Diego.

Sea duty for and E-4 and below is hard. As AegisFC says expect to have to do the crap jobs. Do all your courses and get your quals. The USN is what you make it.

zevgoldman offers the best advice>>> read and heed!!!;

You made a great decision. I was in nearly 40 years ago and my very young son is now in "A" school and he loves it.
40 years ago it was a lot of fun and a lot of work. But hell's bells you're a young adult. You will handle it without any problem.
The pay will be good and so will the school. Don't run your mouth but do your job, better to excel at your school and job, and you will do extremely well.
Don't hang out with jerks and don't practice any bad habits.
You will have a great time.
Boot camp is a piece of cake compared to what it once was. You should breeze through it.