The US Navy?

Question

How often would someone in the Navy be deployed? (On Average/Your estimate)

Answer 1

Lots of things at work here.

Ship assignment (assume a capital ship) - (carriers go out for a long deployment once every two years; SSNs go out all the time; SSBNs rotate crews are deployed 3 on/3 off).


Your rate (or specialty) determines your "Sea/Shore" rotation.
More valuable rates get deployed more, and it also depends on the number of women in the rate (dirty secret - women take up the shore billets and cause men to have longer rotations).

For Engineering rates, the rotation is generally 5 sea/2 shore.

Answer 2

It depends upon your rate or specialty.

If you want to stay at home become a clerk or something similar. If you end up with an operational specialty, you will be deployed around 80% of the time.

There isn't much need for a Gunners Mate on some nice base until you get some rank and a clean sheet. Then you have a shot at instructor duty which is FINE!

I spent most of my time deployed but I was in Operations and Intelligence. The longest that I was at sea was 72 days and that set some kind of a record in 1965. The liberty in Hong Kong was GREAT, sorry no sea stories,hah.

At sea the chow is very good and if you focus on your job, the time flies.

Now here is a hint. If you go to a recruiter and tell them that you want to be a clerk or something similar you will be tested to see if it is a fit.

You may be assigned a specialty that fills the needs of the Navy and the tests show that you are more suited for. When I enlisted I wanted to be a Photographers Mate. They told me the schools were full and decided that I should be a Radarman. DAMN the 6-month school in San Francisco was GREAT!

I spent one tour at sea and 6 months in-country. Hah, being at sea was MUCH better.

I was offered a world cruise on a newly commissioned ship or Officer School when I got back plus a HUGE re-enlistment bonus. I declined and used the training I received in the NAVY as the foundation for a successful career in electronics that is still going at 30 plus years.

Good Luck,
J

USN 1963-1967

Answer 3

As others here have pointed out, the AVERAGE enlisted sea/shore tour is 3 to 5 years sea / 2 years shore. On the ships I cruised on (carrier battle groups) it was 6 month deployment, 2-4 months tied to the pier (off)... then start up the deployment training cycle again... short cruises of 2-6 weeks over 6 months and back out for the Long-Cruise.

I went through a full year and a half in schools before I served my first sea tour (5 years) as an ASW Aircrewman with an HSL squadron and spent about 50% of my time AT sea (unusual, but that was a short-handed squadron plus the Gulf War). I then had a 3 year instructor tour... 8am-4pm, time to finish my degree, it was paradise.

I then took the "hardship sea tour" of two years aboard USS Kitty Hawk as a helicopter-grader/briefer (after another 9 months of schools). I was single again... so I did the 6 month cruise and then 3 more on other carriers as a replacement. Actually did two years without coming BACK to this side of the International Dateline.

I then applied and was accepted as a LDO (limited duty officer) and served another 2 1/3 years on sea-duty before being medically discharged for hearing loss.

Nice to hear the stories from other shipmates.

Answer 4

Typically a surface ship will be deployed for 6-8 months. They will spend 4-6 months mostly in home port, taking short 1 to 2 month training cruises.

I spent 26 months assigned to a destroyer. I spent 6 months in the Gulf, 7 months in the med and 2 months off Nicaragua. We went on frequent 1 and 2 week training missions in between.

Answer 5

There is no established amount of deployment time, it depends on the situation. That, of course, depends on the type of ship you are on (if you are on a ship) and your rate - rate is not rank, it is the job assignment that you do.

Answer 6

generally 9 months out of the year for a tour....then home for 3 months
depending on your job.

Answer 7

I think the rotation is not to healthy. On average they spend six months straight on a boat. That is unbearable, and not seeing land for that long must have poor psychological effects on people.