I'm thinking of joining the Navy

[Gaith]

Well, the title pretty much says it all. I'm 24, a year out of college (a darn good one, one of Newsweek's "New Ivies"), albeit with a non-technical (History) degree, and the idea of a few years' national service sounds pretty good. I won't lie; if I'd been offered a cushy civilian job up until a week or two ago, I might never have thought of this, but now that I have thought of it, I'll still look into it even if a job offer comes through.

I'd go for the Navy partly because I grew up on the Pacific, and am most comfortable on or near sea, but mostly because I don't have the fighting instinct/drive for the Army or Marines; I'm just not an aggressive guy. (That said, I of course appreciate that any service's Basic Training can be tough at best, and am not afraid of boot camp itself.) I understand that through the Individual Augmentee program, Sailors can be deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and in such a situation I'd saddle up and do my best, but I'd prefer to serve in a non-combat rating if possible.

I haven't contacted a recruiter yet, but I'll give them a call tomorrow. I assume that I'd most rather do OCS (Officer Candidate School); it'd take some advance physical training, but I think I could do it.

So, I'd just like to ask if anyone has any tips or advice on how to proceed, especially in terms of recent books describing Navy life. I'm reading One Bullet Away, the memoir of a Marine Recon's tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, which has great info on their OCS, and would love to know of any comparable Navy books. Wikipedia links to a description of OCS from a decade ago, but while there seems to be some solid info there, I'd like to find all the best current info I can. Also, if anyone has any useful observations on how the Great Recession has affected competition for OCS spots, ratings and such, I'd love to hear that too.

Thanks!

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Oh hell, might as well get this over with...

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InBXu-iY7cw[/yt]

 

[MANT!]

Might I suggest a stint in my old Service...

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjjTY4L6Bwk&feature=related[/yt]

 

[Skywalker]

Might I suggest a stint in my old Service...

This Air Force brat approves.

I know how you feel, Gaith. I've considered joining the Air Force for a few years. I haven't finished school, myself, but that was mostly because of money and a realization that I really wasn't sure what I wanted to do with myself. My dad and both of my grandfathers were in the Air Force, and my brother and my uncle both were in the Marine Corps, so I'm not really a stranger to the military. And I've always been interested in working with UAVs and the like.

I don't know much about OCS, and I haven't talked to any recruiters, either, so I suppose I don't really have any advice for you. But I wish you luck and hope you do well.

 

[gturner]

I don't think the Navy is a good idea. Anthropogenic global warming may soon cause the melting of Greenland and Antarctica, leading to a massive rise in the oceans, inundating the coasts, flooding our cities, and so on. Our surface fleet was only designed to sail at the old, standard sea level, so when the ocean rises the decks will get swamped and the ships will all sink.

 

[Gaith]

@ Mr. Laser Beam: Thank you for getting it over with. Let's everyone please not bring it up again.

@ goldbug: I don't think so, hombre. Like I said, the sea appeals to me, planes don't. I'd really sooner go for the Marines or Army, though as I said, surviving Marines OCS would be hard as hell.

@ Skywalker: Despite my stern disagreement that ROTS in any way matches ROTJ (well, apart from - maybe - music), thanks for the well-wishes!

My grandfather did four years in the Navy back in the Fifties, and is my only immediate family member to date to serve - I think. Now, granted, my family is about as small as any, but still; I would be coming at this from left field, so to speak...

@ gturner: all the more reason to prepare for the new generation of aquatic defense!

 

[Kestra]

I know next to nothing about the Navy, but it's a very important decision and I hope you make the choice that's right for you. Good luck!

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

^ Ditto to that.

Be certain you can do the following orders blindly & the "uniformity" thing for at least 4 years.

Not to mention 8 weeks of boot camp, which I didn't find too difficult in 1985, and it can only be kinder & gentler nowadays.

And Navy boot camp is done at good ol' Great Lakes NTC, about 1 mile down the road from where I'm working at this very moment (not the Navy BTW).

 

[Caliburn24]

I got my BA in history and then went into the Army in 2006 as a scout. I should have gone to OCS, but decided that I wanted to see what the service was like on the enlisted side. It was probably a mistake, although I don't regret being a line grunt for three years. The odd thing about me was that I liked being deployed to Iraq far more than being in garrison in the States.

Now that I'm out I plan to use the GI Bill on something, just not sure what exactly.

If you're single and unattached by all means join the service for a couple years, it is a good learning experience.

 

[iguana_tonante]

Lots of fighting historians around here.

 

[RJDiogenes]

When I was a kid back in the 60s and 70s, my Uncle Mike always told me lots of cool stories about his years in the Navy on a submarine, traveling around the world. So, when I was a senior in High School, I mentioned that I was thinking about joining the Navy. My Uncle Mike said, "If you join the Navy, I will kill you."

I ended up not joining the Navy.

 

[SicOne]

At the very least, a four-year enlistment in the Navy will possibly teach you what you DON'T wanna do with the rest of your life...

 

[JarodRussell]

If you only want to join the Navy to be out at sea and see the world, then don't join the Navy.

 

[Bloodwhiner]

Just remember, recruiters can promise anything but those promises are not binding on the service.

Also, not everyone in the Navy gets aboard a ship, many are in land based support roles. So I'd talk to the Air Force anyway - they are often in the same office.

 

[JarodRussell]

And the Air Force runs the Stargate program.

 

[TheBrew]

Join the Colonial Marines.

 

[Deckerd]

Hello sailor.

 

[Tom Hendricks]

I'm ex-Air Force, so I understand. My heart was set on serving in the Air Force and I would not consider any other branch of service. If you heart is set on the Navy, I completely get not wanting to consider any other branch. The one thing you have to understand that right now, all the services are in a recruiting slow down. My father is a recruiter with the Army. Because of the bad economy, they have an over flow of applicants.

I would highly recommend going to OCS, if there are slots available. I would also highly recommend studying up for the ASVAB.

I think there is no great thing then to serve your country. So if this is what you really want to do, speak with a recruiter.

 

[SPOCKED]

Good on you, Gaith My Navy years were the best! And I'm connected to so many old friends through our command Facebook page where we talk about our adventures and our glory days. Your service will reward you in so many ways. Best wishes.

 

[Marten]

If you just want to be out at sea, wouldn't it be better to find a job at a civilian ship of some sort?