my husband graduates boot camp in 9 days! so im really new to all of this stuff... he enlisted active duty for 5 years. and he is going in as an Aviation Electrician, so most likely he will be on an Aircraft Carrier or at an Air Base. just wondering how many deployments you all think he will be going through? do they have any certain schedule, such as 6 months in, 6 months out? and how long before will they let him know he is going on a deployment?
*any other advice is appreciated! thanks!
2007-10-31 04:19:20 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Military
Thank you
It used to be 6 and 6 onboard but they dont stop because it is 6 mths. They have a job to do.
Join a Navy wifes group and get involved.
You are gonna love it.
And you are married to a modern day hero
GO NAVY !!!!!
2007-10-31 04:28:12 · answer #1 · answered by ? 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
All the previous answers are great, especially Denise S, RedHairedTempest, and Mrsjvb.
I'll just add...
Depends on his orders. If he goes to shore duty right away, then he will not deploy for a few years. If he goes to sea duty, which is most likely, then the info from the previous posters is very accurate. He'll either be assigned to a ship or a squadron. Each command's deployment rotation is different and depends on the type of ship (most of the previous answers talked about carriers, there are still many other aviation capable ships out there) or the type of aircraft of the squadron.
Aircraft that are attached with a carrier will usually share many at-sea periods with the carrier. Shore-based aircraft (those which are not suited and/or too large for a carrier) have different deployment schedules.
Your husband should be headed to "A" school next where he'll learn the basics of his job. You'll get a ton more information after he gets his orders to his ULDUSTA (Ultimate Duty Station, or in normalspeak his unit for the next few years), from both his orders (which will tell you the type of duty he'll get, sea or shore, where, how long he'll be assigned) and the instructors he will be working with.
Get used to the crazy acronyms! You're gonna hear a new language!
In addition, let your husband know he has an opportunity to advance to the next paygrade if he is his class Honorman (top of the class) and he is NOT already enrolled in any kind of accelerated advancement program and NOT already at the E-3 paygrade.
Encourage your husband to ask questions from his instructors. I am a Navy Instructor for aviation ratings. I hope to show every new Sailor I work with the paths to success.
2007-10-31 18:03:51 · answer #2 · answered by slyfinger.rm 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
no such thing as a schedule any more. the new surge mentality means at any given time,they have to be ready to deploy. Sea duty is not about six months gone, six months home. even between deployments( which can last 9 and even 12 months nowadays) they will be getting underway for a week here or a month there.
with a 5 year tour, he can expect at least 2 and possibly three long term(longer than 4 months) deployments and NUMEROUS periods of being away from home port.
Some underways you get a decent amount of notice (a few weeks). sometimes.. you don't.
even shore duty he can expect to be TAD at times as well. when the Air Det Deploys on the ship, so does he.
2007-10-31 14:41:59 · answer #3 · answered by Mrsjvb 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
My husband just came off of 6 years on the USS Lincoln. We nicknamed it the "USS Always-Extended," because they never returned from a deployment on time.. They spent 10 months out to sea when the war first started and 8 for the tsunami.. But the USS Reagan is often joked as to being welded to the pier. There's no way to know what your deployment schedule will be.. Usually a ship will spend 3 months getting ready to go out to sea by doing sea trials, and then will go on a deployment and be back for 6-12 months, sometimes longer. Sea duty life is unpredictable. The hours are dependent on what's going on in the ship's life.. inspections, drills, fast cruising.. etc. Then there's random 1 week cruises here and 3 week cruises there, duty days.. Its hard to say how many cruises your husband will do until he's actually where he's going.
2007-10-31 11:31:34 · answer #4 · answered by Denise S 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
It really depends on where he gets stationed first after A school. If he get's to a command that's in the middle of a deployment he could be meeting them out at sea or at a port call in a foreign country. If he get's to a command that just came back from deployment he could be home for 12 to 18 months depending on their rotation. (Bear in mind "at home" can be a loose term meaning that they can be in and out of port but aren't deployed yet.) If he gets to a command that's deploying he could be home for 2 days and then gone. He should get some idea of what's happening when he gets his orders at the end of A-school.
What you need to know is that you have to be flexible. The Navy's schedules are often written in wet sand and change at the drop of a hat. Hopefully when he gets his orders to the new command he'll have a sponsor who can answer his and your questions but that doesn't always happen.
Your point of contact with whatever command he gets sent to is the ombudsman. That person is totally a volunteer who has some training to answer questions and point you in the right direction. If you don't get contact information for her then you can try asking at the base Fleet and Family Service Center. They should maintain the contact info for all the ombudsmen on base.
I'm trying to remember what I wish I'd been told when I was new but that was 15+ years ago now. lol. If you have any other questions feel free to e-mail me through my profile. Welcome to the crazy ride that loving a Navy man can be!
2007-10-31 20:53:55 · answer #5 · answered by Critter 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Congrats on your new life ! I am a NAVY wife myself.....my husband has been serving for 17 years( and counting ). He is finally roling to shore duty in DEC ( woo-hoo !!! ) but spent the last 4 years on sea rotation ( on the USS RONALD REAGAN ......it was NOT welded to the PIER ! ) and spent an average of 6 months at sea each year. Your husband will be going to "A" school first, then "FRAMP" school.....before he is attached to a squadron......his squadron will be attached to a specific ship where he will put in his sea time. When he goes out on his first deployment really depends on what squadron he is eventually attached to.....they all have different rotations ( can't be predictable and all that ). If he goes to a command that has just returned then he will be home for a while.....but if his command is out on deployment when he checks in then he will immediately be flown out to the ship.....you kinda just have to wait and see.....GOOD LUCK....and WELCOME ABOARD !
2007-10-31 11:53:18 · answer #6 · answered by RedHairedTempest 3 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Our daughter just got out of the Navy. Her first ship, Mount Whitney, was a permanent "building" until she was assigned to it. She spent 8 months out when the war first started. Then she went to the Roosevelt and was deployed twice for 6 months. The length of deployments depends on their mission.
After doing maintenance they usually go out for a week or so to test the ships readiness. Our daughter said they basically float around in circles.
Get to know other wives and join their group. Our daughter was stationed in Norfolk, VA. We loved going out there, with the beach so close by and lots of things to do.
The have awesome homecoming parties and when your hubbies ship pulls in, it is one of the most awesome things to see. Hundreds of people milling around, a band is playing, both of our daughters homecomings had face painting for the kids.
Good luck.
2007-10-31 12:00:19 · answer #7 · answered by Diane 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Congratulation and welcome aboard, Hubby did 4 years, son has been in 24 and our daughter and her hubby are coming up on 18 years. It's a good life if you want it to be get involved with the wives club and make friends wherever you are stationed, enjoy what the Navy has to offer to you both and support your hubby...God Bless and Safe Seas a Navy Mom and Wife....
2007-10-31 14:15:40 · answer #8 · answered by oma_30701 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋