Is Navy the right place to go for my boyfriend?

Question

My boyfriend wants to go join the navy and become a fighter pilot. We have been happly together for 1 year and 2 months. We want to get married on Jan. 24 the day we met and in the year 2009. Whats are the pro and cons of the Navy? And does anybody know about housing and things like that? If so please tell me about them.


- M.B

thank you!

Answer 1

The Navy is a GREAT career for an aviator - Naval Aviators are considered the finest pilots in t world - After all, no one else on the planet traps on a Carrier. Plus, the veterans benefits once he gets out and his experience and training virtually guarantee him whatever job he wants when he's done, plus retirement pay if he spends long enough in.

For those who are talking about 'going to Iraq' or whatever are pretty clueless. Naval Aviators fly off their ships, not Air Force bases, and even so, there is currently no other air force on Earth that can stand against the US in the skies. (Though China's new J-10, the Russian Air Force, and the Indians are surely making big strides and are big risks).

When you're a military wife, there are a lot of great benefits, including base-housing, PX privliges and the like. Plus you're a part of the military community, which means you get a lot of support from people who are in the same situation you are in.

Cons - Deployments. You're going to be living on Navy Bases, which aren't always where you want to live, although they're often beautiful places. San Diego, Pearl Harbor, Pensacola...but he'll be away from you for months at a stretch, even in peacetime as he'll be with his ship and squadron.

To me, it's worth it. I'm 42 and just joined the Army Reserves.

I wish you luck and hope that he's going to do GREAT in the Navy!

Orion

PS: Please note - those claiming that to be an officer you have to be appointed by a Congresscritter are incorrect. You need a recommendation to be admitted to a US Military Academy. You can become an Officer in the US Navy by going through NROTC (Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps) or AOCS (Aviation Officer Candidate School). OR by going through the Navy Academy at Annapolis.

Answer 2

M.B.
The Navy is a great part of the service to be in but I will tell you. His service can very easily become your hardship. Until you get married the Navy will not officially recognize your relationship. This presents alot of interesting situations. You will not be able to live with your boyfriend until he attains a certain rank or you are married. Deployments have a habit of being very tough on relationships and very few women truly recognize that any service is not optional and your boyfriend/husband will always have to perform his duty as a servicemember before he can perform his duties as your signifigant other. As for housing, if you are married, your boyfriend will recieve a housing allowance that will cover most if not all of the cost associated with owning/renting a house. If you need more answers I will be glad to answer them. I can be reached on messenger or by email. If i don't have the answer I will certainly find it. But in addition, I will say that becoming a fighter is the single hardest thing to qualify for and is one of the most dangerous professions in the navy. And your boyfriend must be an officer.

Answer 3

First of all, a pilot in the Navy is an officer. To be an officer in any of the military branches, you need to have a degree. Has you bf graduated? If so, then have him go talk to one of the Naval Recruiters. No, they won't shanghai him, they'll provide him with all of the information he needs to make an intelligent decision.

Navy pro's: Clean living, great food, travel opportunities.
Navy Con's: Lengthy sea voyages away from loved ones.

All branches of the military provide living assistance for families either on or off bases. Again, a recruiter can answer all of your questions.

I spent 4 years in the Navy right out of high school and have no regrets. I did a lot of growing-up during those 4 years.

Answer 4

I'm answering from a Marines prospective. Pros of the service: educational benefits, housing provided, or a housing allowence provided if no housing on base is availiable, as a single sailor he will be provided with food, unless he is an officer or yall get married at witch point he will be responsible for buying his own meals, witch he will recive a pay allowence for, he will recive free medical care, and low cost insurance for you. Cons: constant deployments, witch are hard on the family; signifigant risk to life and limb; becoming a military pilot is very diffucult and will most likley be assigned to ground type dutys. The housing situation varies from base to base, however it isnt the nicest living quarters in the world, but its a roof over your head. I know when I was stationed on Camp Pendleton the military was either completly remodeling or rebuilding all of the base housing. If you can deal with all of the cons as a married couple I say the military is the way to go.

Answer 5

to be a pilot he must be an officer...which means he needs to be appointed by a congressman or senator and go to the academy for 4 years. as far as housing is concerned if you marry while hes in the academy unless its changed recently you cant live with him even though your married. when he gets assigned to a base if you arent yet married he will go in bachelor quarters and you cant live with him.....once you are married you will move to family housing. be prepared if he joins the military to spend alot of time away from him, i know from personal experience....and dont count on him being able to come home and be with you under any circumstances (other than a death in HIS family)....it depends on his branch, base, unit..and what hes doing. but i know i have spent 2 pregnancies home alone.....one of them my husband got home a week before the birth only because that is when he was scheduled to come home......the other one was 2 months old before he saw her. really the only positive thing about the military as far as a family is concerned is the benefits....free healthcare and housing....and a strong community that lives the same lifestyle as you.

Answer 6

Because you are not married, you would not be able to travel with him on the government's dime, and you would be unable to live with him because they would probably put him into the barracks depending on his rank.

Otherwise the Navy is a good place, he could go Navy or Air Force to fly planes.

It is not easy being with and married to a service member, but if you love him and willing to stomach the distance apart then do it. I love my husband who is active army and while it is hard during deployments, he is the best man I have ever met.

If you need specifics emails me and I can answer other things you might have questions about.

Answer 7

Your boyfriend is the only person who knows what he thinks will make him happy. You might be the one person who can influence his decision. I bet he makes the decision on what he knows and finds out, not on what anyone else says. Support him and help him find his answers. Becoming a fighter pilot is a life consuming experience. He will not be mowing the yard or painting the picket fence for a few years.

Answer 8

OK first of all i,m only in jrotc for the navy but I know that theres housing on the bases. If he hasnt joined i recomend looking into the air force you get paid alot sooner and he can still be a fighter pilot.HE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT IT o and I would just call the recruiting office, they can answer all your questions......

Answer 9

If you are OK with him being gone for more than 75% of the time. Then go for it!! As for housing you get BAH or what the Navy gives you.

Answer 10

To be a pilot he needs to be an officer. To be an officer he needs to have a college degree with emphasis on mathematics and hard sciences. He'll need perfect vision and he'll need perfect health.