What is the deployment length of time for the Navy and the Air Force? Is it a mandatory 6 months? 18 months?

Answer 1

deployments can vary in length from 30 days to 15 months. ALL Branches.

Answer 2

I cant answer the Navy side of your question but I can answer the Air Force side. The Air Force uses the AEF (Aerospace Expeditionary Force) concept for standard deployment rotations. Basically how it works is every Airman is assigned to an AEF and every two years each AEF is scheduled to support any deployments that come up within a four month period. So in times of war (like now) when that four month period arrives, an Airman can expect to be deployed. Once they get back from that deployment, the Airman can expect to be back at home until his or her AEF rotation comes up again. Thats how it is supposed to work in theory, and in some career fields it does. Special Operations career fields do not fit under this concept because of the nature of their job. They usually deploy for six months or more and may only be home for another six months after that before they are deployed again. For Security Forces (AKA Security Police or MPs) they are currently helping support the Army in what is called an In-Lieu-Of deployment. This is when Air Force Security Forces take the place of an Army unit for an Army deployment (because the Army is so stressed right now that they cant even fill their own deployment slots). These In-Lieu-Of deployments are usually for six to eight months. However, on the other end of the spectrum, Airman in some career fields wont get deployed unless they volunteer for it (and there are usually plenty of volunteers for those deployments). In a nutshell, it all depends upon what job you have, but the norm is to be deployed for four months every two years. I hope that helps you out.

Answer 3

I can only speak on terms of the Air Force and my experiences with deployments.

Depending on your Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC, often called MOS by Army/Marines) will determine your deployment rate and length. Though this is not the only factor, the unit you are assigned to will also play a role on that.

Typical Air Force deployment will be 120 days and not authorized to exceed 179 days. In order for a member of the USAF to deploy for over 179 days, a wavier has to be signed by the Secretary of the Air Force. There are four AFSCs that are exempt from this waiver, that is Combat Weather, TACP, CCT, and PJ. In those career fields you can deploy as long as needed. Those deployments can often range anywhere from 6-10 monthes.

There is also one year deployments. They are often completly volenteer and you get perks like the assignment of your choice after the deployment.

While the above numbers are guidelines, there will be always exceptions. I have heard of people going on 30 day deployments for the oppertunity to to re-enlist, and I have heard of people going on one year deployments and being stuck for 14 monthes before they finaly get home.

In the end, its War, if your replacement hasn't arrived to replace you, you stay there till they come in no matter how long it takes.

For the Navy, I can only speculate that they go out on 6 month floats. I dont think I've worked with any Navy that had been in theater longer then that, unless he was assigned some sort of special duty on the ground.

Answer 4

Speaking as someone who did 12 6-month "WestPac" deployments in the 80's & 90's, the Navy deploys as demanded by the SecNav, SecDef, and President.

I did a NUMBER of "short" cruises 3-4 months in the late 80's when we were still "playing" ASW with the Soviets... the cruises were that short because the weather and activity in the Northern Pacific took a heavy toll on the ship, gear and people.

I also started a 6 month deployment in April 1990 to Atsugi Japan, that turned into a 11 month deployment with the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in September 1990.

I'm unaware of any Instruction (OPNAV) that dictates UNIT deployment... though I'm sure there are BUPERS (Bureau of Personnel) instructions that cover the issue on an individual basis.

STAY SHARP my Shipmates !!

JUST FYI to the individual who made cracks about the safety of us "squids"... USS Stark (FFG-31), USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58) , USS Princeton (CG-59), USS Tripoli (LPH-10, and USS Cole (DDG-67).

Answer 5

well as drew said the AF uses the AEF system......so on paper everyone should go 3-4 months every 2 years....sounds good. These days it doesnt work like that in alot of career fields....My husbands career field for instance does 8 month deployments (convoys....6 wks in texas, 6 months in iraq) the problem is when people PCS in and out of bases,seperate from service,get put on profiles etc sometimes someone gets their bucket changed. Since June 04 my husband has went on 3 of these deployments and will be leaving again in Jan.(we also PCS'd during that time...30 days after he returned and somehow ended up getting assigned to next AEF to go when we got there.....i packed up everything myself, we moved together, then as soon as he inprocessed he was gone again )

Answer 6

The Navy is generally right around 6 months depending on your unit. A ballistic submarine is different than an ICBM sub. Surface ships are right around 6 month deployments generally. If you are land based such as Seabees, you might be deployed longer.

Answer 7

Deployment where? Iraq? I've heard from 4 to 6 months.

Answer 8

I think its 6 months and for the Air Force it can be as low as 4months

Answer 9

It's normally six months for the Air Force and they generally won't extend in because they have a huge monetary penalty if they do.