Why isnt it a good idea to go into the navy at 17?

Question

I know someone who is considering it and want some opinions from the other side, so to speak.

Ok, its a female considering it.

I want to know why its a BAD idea, i know why its good, please try and asnwer the question closely.

Answer 1

17 is a bit young to go into any part of the armed forces. some hate it and get out only to rejoin again a few years later. I would say that 21 or 22 is a good age to join. You will be treated more like an adult as so you will get promoted a bit fasted. Joining at 17 is just like wasting 3 or 4 years of you 22 year carear.

Answer 2

Sorry, but I think it IS a good idea. I went to sea aged 16 (In the Merchant Navy), got trained, saw a lot of the world and got paid for it.
My son joined the Royal Navy aged 17. He joined up as a typical teenager - bored, anti-everything, no idea what he wanted to do in life etc. He finished basic training at HMS Drake and was no longer a teenager (Yes, in age he was, but not mentally).
He served on ships and shore bases all over the world and they trained him so that when he left (Aged only 22!) he walked straight into a high tech job with company car, good salary and a great future.

Had he not joined - what would he have done for those 5 years? Where would he be now?

He made the right choice, so tell your friend to think very hard before turning it down. He may well regret it.

Oh - tell him there are plenty of girl recruits too, so no need to worry about losing out on anything! My son is now happily married (To a girl!) and is doing well.

Sorry - just noticed the female aspect - the same holds true - just change 'he' to 'she' in the above answer and make sure your friend marries a guy. Did that make sense? Hope so!

OK - BAD things!!
The training is extremely hard and some recruits give up in tears, especially the girls.
Long hours, little sleep whilst training, the punishment for even the smallest thing is quite severe - like scrub the parade gound at midnight with a toothbrush and still have to be up at 0530 with kit clean and ready.
You can get posted (After training) to a dump of a place or to a ship that sits in Pompey for weeks and never goes anywhere.
The initial pay is poor and boy, do you have to work for it.
Duties, watches and routines can be very hard, or very boring, or both.

I still think the +'s outweigh the -'s, but you added that you wanted the bad points too.

Answer 3

It's a bad idea only if your friend isn't suited for military service, or if she's joining for negative reasons -- such as just trying to get away from home, or something like that.

Otherwise, I think it's a good idea, though I think it would be better if she did it after finishing high school.

I joined the Navy right after high school (over 20 years ago). While I was in the Navy I thought it was just okay -- not bad, but not great either. But now, looking back on it, I don't regret doing it at all.

.

Answer 4

In the Navy, you can sail the seven seas
In the Navy, you can **** that guys butt til it bleeds

To be serious, the Navy goes out for about 6 months at a time. At 17 you might not know what it is like to be away from home for that long. It is going to be very hard to be gone for that long and have to be around the same people everyday. This is probably the most common experience for people when they join the military.

Answer 5

Pen friend of my husband is lieutenant commander in us navy and she has been in long enough to get to that rank she travels all over the world and loves the life,so apart from your friend being homesick cant think of anything once you have signed up at that age they would give you a month or so to change your mind but after that your in until you have served your time its not like an ordinary job you cant just leave if you don't like it so think hard first if the life is for you.!

Answer 6

My best mate joined up at 16. She was looked after so well by the rest of the crew, they did everything to protect her. on the down side she drank too much and tarted about quite a lot. She didn't really enjoy the job she chose and she's a homely type so she applied to leave after a year and a half, because she applied before her 18th birthday she was let out without minimum service.

Answer 7

It sounds such as you prefer 3 squares an afternoon and a place to place your head for the night. Oh, and an quite gentle earnings. you have 2 toddlers to help and God purely is familiar with what else you ought to pay for. in case you think of you're able to do all of that on a Sailor's earnings, good success. My advice is to get greater coaching and /or commerce college skills. learn something which will make you marketable. There are jobs available. you purely ought to locate them. do you recognize the way lots money an electrician makes? Or a plumber, machinist or mechanic? They make an quite good residing and are often in severe call for. to boot, you would be abode the place you would be in contact which incorporate your toddlers in case you so prefer, no longer off to a pair different area of the international for an undetermined time. additionally, you will no longer ought to swim in case you do no longer prefer to.

Answer 8

navy wife here. hubby is active duty.she wont be sent to basci til shes 18 for starters. second she will be required to take birth control. women on ships are treated badly mainly because they get pregnant to get out of soo much stuff. and they tend to cause drama with excessive flirting. along with other sexual drama. women tend to try and date their senior officers to get a leg up so to speak.i husband has said ship morale would be better if women were together on one ship away from the guys. shore command is no different.the woman still do the same stuff. she needs to be prepared to been seen like this even if shes not. as far has where she could go woman are treated the same way .they can get into most any area, good luck

Answer 9

I think its a FANTASTICALLY, GREAT IDEA!. I know you can't compare the Navy with the Marine Corp, BUT I joined the Marines at 17. Was shipped overseas within a few days of me turning 18. Total wake-up call. I will NEVER regret my time in the corp (8+ years) I learned a lot about life and stronger recommend the service to EVERYONE.

Answer 10

!7? I joined up at 15. I had a good life in the fleet air arm on aircraft carriers, travelling around the world in the last days of Empire. It is not as tough these days, but it is a good life all the same. The worst thing is rejoining civvy street, now that IS tough! Very very stressful.