questions: exploring navy career?

Question

Hi all,

I am a recent graduate of a major university with a degree in engineering. I am about six months into a career in consulting, and certainly enjoy the engineering profession. But I have found myself wanting to serve my country and do something more exciting while I am still young. Enter, the Navy.

My main concern in doing this is the toll it will take on my wife. I realize that my absence is a "necessary evil" of the armed forces, and I would like to obtain a realistic impression of how much I will be away.

I am looking to become an officer, and find myself initially interested in working with submarines. But I am open to suggestions.

Thanks alot,

Chase

Answer 1

Your engineering degree is in demand. Your GPA will determine how competitive you are.

OCS is 12 weeks long, and your wife would not be able to join you in Pensacola. your follow on training, must be at least six months long before she would be able to join you.

Once you hit the Fleet, you will be gone a lot, or very little. It truly depends on which platform you get, where it is the deployment cycle, and the need. Sea duty will be at least 3 years assigned to a ship or sub, but underway periods can last anywhere from a couple of days to 9 months at a time. Most JOs have back to back sea tours, so you are looking at a minimum of five years at sea.

My husband has been an Officer since 1999. His first year was spent, maybe 25/75 at sea/at home. Second year 50/50, third year, 75/25. and THAT was "shore duty" where he went TAD to ships to get Qual'd in his community( Information Warfare). His next command was Sea duty, and he went on several underways and deployments lasting from a few days to six months. he decommed that ship and immediately deployed again for six months, less than a year after his last one.

Submarines go out a lot more often than surface ships do, although typically they are gone for less time at once.

If your spouse has concerns, she can take them up with the officer recruiter, who might be able to give her an idea. She should also look into joining an online support forum such as military.com to ask questions of curent spouses.

Answer 2

Subs are good they will give your family a real schedule 3 months out 3 months in 6 months over the year. The sub community is real tight and looks out for its own. So your wife will have help from other wife's to get by if she needs it. It will take years of training before you head out to sea especially if your specialty is reactors. As an officer you will be expected to move up the chain of command to become a captain that will mean you will know your sub inside out all sub sailors have to go through this to get there dolphins which is a requirement. You'll be in charge of the sub during your watch as an officer is mainly an manager than he is a tech. So you will be put in charge of things you hadn't even dreamed of resupply operations, drills fire drills especially as your in charge of the engine room. You will tell people what system they can shut down for maintenance and when the engineer 3rd or 4th on the command list in a ship. the 3rd place position is a race between the operations officer ,weapons officer and the engineer the most senior wins. Being an officer is a huge responsibility think hard if you want this just to satisfy some patriotic pang is not good enough the govt doesn't want to poor millions into your education just so you can bail out 6 years or so down the line.

Answer 3

I spent 20 years in the Navy, 8 of that in Sub Force Pacific, although on support and rescue vessels, not on an actual sub. You are looking at a tough, demanding, and very rewarding life, but with a lot of sacrifices attached. If you were single I'd give an unqualified go for it, but, since you're married, I've got to say Take it slow. I thought and think that the Military is harder on the spouse than the service member, it takes a very special kind of lady to be a Military wife, you are wise to be concerned. Back in the 70s it was a recognized statistic that around 10% of the marriages of Navy men don't survive their first cruise. After the first, it's gets easier, if never easy. Talk it over, and really let it be as much her decision as yours, you owe it to both your wife and your marriage. As to the actual duration of deployments today, I'm not sure, back in the '70s and '80s it was usually 3 & 3, we had a joke about that in SUBPAC: "If you love your wife, or if you don't, you're guaranteed six months of happiness every year." If you should decide to join, then "Fair Winds and Following Seas" to both of you!

Answer 4

I say go for it. That was a long time dream of mine but since I have no college degree, I would start out at the bottom of the pay scale and far away from being a submariner. Just remember that the submarines have no windows and if you are a bit of a claustrophobic it won't be wise to go under for up to six months without seeing daylight.

Answer 5

Alright, once you volunteer for sub duty, you can't get on any other type of vessel. As an engineer on a sub, you will be underway when the ship is. I think it's typically six months out of the year.

Answer 6

with a sub your out three months in three months. becoming an officer requires officer school which you have to qualify for. it will be very hard on your wife this is a decision you need to make together. i am anvy wife to a nuclear machanic. hes on a ship and gone more than he is home right now. he is currently on a 7 month deployment.talk to a recruiter they can better answer this

Answer 7

ok to be a officer in the submarine in the navy pretty much u had to a very smart person especially in enginner field. are u really good in math or science?

Answer 8

start sailin' the 7 seas!!!! weigh anchor!!!