Should I join the Navy?

[laserspeeddemon]

being 17 on my senior year of high schoo. i got many options. and i would never join the military. mostly because I am not willing to dedicate myself to anything other than me.

With that attitude you have two choices A) try to step on every ones toes to get ahead and fail therefore going no where in life or B) crap on EVERYONE else, get ahead by live a lonely existence as everyone hates you.

I did the military thing and then went into the contractor world. If I get a 0.5% raise this year I will be making over $80,000/yr.

 

[moidsm1]

I was in the Air Force for six years and I gotta say it was the easiest, best benifiting Job I ever had, I got to go to Peru Twice and ecuador once. If I hadnt had a bad divorce which left me broke I would have stayed in. I always recommend the Air Force, every other branch Ive ever talked to says they should have joined AF.

But Either way Joining the military changes how you percieve the world. I believe it makes you a more productive citizen in the end.

2E1X3 Radio Communications maintenance tech.

 

[SubversionX]

Bringing this forum back to life

I'm an information systems technician, seaman apprentice for combat systems main communications division, aboard a nuclear aircraft carrier. In a nutshell, that means that I have about 8-16 hours a day, 5-7 days a week, to post on dsmtuners, facebook, and watch TV.

But really though, being in the military is a change of lifestyle that may not be for everyone. Some of the posters above are very correct, that it takes a certain type of person to fit that lifestyle. A lot of it is a "choose your rate, choose your fate" deal. If you join as an aviation mechanic, you can expect to work 18 hours a day, 7 days a week while at sea. Even while in port, it's extremely time consuming and will strip you of many of the liberties and freedoms that you have. The biggest problem for me, was loss of pride. At boot camp, pride and integrity are drilled into you on a daily basis; but it's all just like a very long job interview. Most of us that are out of boot camp, look at it as just another job that keeps us from living independently, and have lost a lot of the pride that was worked into us years back.

There are a lot of good aspects of the military, though; The military tends to care more about Navy families, than single sailors. The benefits of the Navy will help families through the thick and thin, and there are tons of support groups out there. Some of the people who replied to this are right though; Sailors have a reputation for being unloyal to their wives. I recently read in Penthouse, an article about how soldiers on deployment, are almost undoubtedly EXPECTED to commit adultery on their spouses. You have to imagine that these are 8-12 month long deployments, which we go out to on nearly an annual basis. I'm not saying that it's justified, but it's the truth of the Navy.

If you're smart, and you have the qualification, go ahead and join the chair force. It's better to get a shore based duty station, than have to go on deployment. There's nothing harder than saying goodbye to your loved ones.

Right now, because of the way the economy is, it's even difficult to join the military. Services are pulling their signing bonuses, because billets are getting filled so quickly. You have the best chances if you have gotten any college time in, and your ASVAB scores are high. Do a lot of research, and talk to people who have experience in the fleet.

I graduated high school a year early. After living on the streets of Seatac, WA, I joined the Navy with an ASVAB score of a 96. I'm a cryptographic operator for data circuit and communication radio equipment, with a TS/SCI clearance. With the type of training onboard, without having to do anything more than my job, I'll also be leaving the Navy with a journeyman's license in IT work. The GI Bill is paying nearly up to almost $80k per year for tuition, i believe, including E-5 BAH for living expenses WHILE you go to school. Think about where you can advance the farthest in the military, but also think about where those skills will apply out in the civilian world.

I'm proud to be standing the watch for my country, regardless of what people say about what I do or who I am. I would still gladly stand and fight for their rights to say it.

If you have any questions about the Navy, please PM me and I will gladly help answer them to the best of my abilities. Unlike a recruiter, i don't get commission or any perquisites out of this, so I can answer with honesty =D