Military Vets/Currently Service: I need advice!

[jct32]

Re: Military Vets/Currently Service: I need advice!

I'm going through the Nuke route in the Navy. I'm looking forward to it even though it will be difficult.

Let me know if you have any questions. I thoroughly enjoy my job.

[Buckeyes_Doc]

Re: Military Vets/Currently Service: I need advice!

I enlisted at 18.

[seasprite]

Re: Military Vets/Currently Service: I need advice!

Chase, you really need to get in to take your ASVAB as a starting point. You will need to see what jobs in the service that you actually qualify for and go from there. When you see what you would qualify for, you should decide which ones you would be the most interested in. Next you will need to do some research to determine which job classification has the best advancement rates, some jobs are locked up and advancement is very slow, others are very open and you can advance quicker. Im not really familiar with job classifications outside of the Navy, but I can give you very specific information and outlook on just about any rating in the Navy. But, like I said, you first need to take the ASVAB to see what you will qualify for to give yourself some sort of direction.

[oneamongthefence]

I'm sure there is some useful knowledge buried deep in this forum and I'll be honest, I usually don't come here for this sort of advice, but I need some help.

I'll lay down some ground work for you.

I'm 22 with a decent job (Roughly 34,000 salary + commission) as a Sales Advisor for a company called Drive Time. There's room to move up in the company, but I've really had the urge to do something insane with my life, recently. I want to see other parts of the world and even the United States and I'm really not in any position to do that right now and I've always had sort of a weird fascination with the Coast Guard.

On the way to work today (I have an hour drive so there's plenty of time to think) I really started giving some thought to looking into the Coast Guard. I know it's not all fun and games and there's a lot of work involved, but It's something that I'm really starting to consider. If you had asked me, when I came out of high school, I would have laughed at you. Now, I'm 22 and I haven't accomplished any of my goals in life and I want to at least make sure I see the world and gain a really good perspective on life, before I hit 30 years old.

I'm mostly interested in the Coast Guard, Air Force, and Navy.

Do any of you that serve or have served have any real advice that may help me make the decision ? I don't want to lean on my family, only because they're always so negative about this sort of thing + even after I serve and if I don't make a career out of it (which would be unlikely with the Coast Guard) I still have a degree and can still go back to working for a company like DriveTime, because I have some really awesome references and know some people who are market managers and general managers.

I know this is a bit random, but I'm just reaching out for some advice. I'm tired of living in this damn state and I want to see other parts of the country/world and experience things the average person can't.

Depending on what you already have, you may be just starting from scratch again. You would have to up and move. I would recommend joining the reserves/guard and try that for a while. Really make sure its something you really want to do.

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[Buckeyes_Doc]

Re: Military Vets/Currently Service: I need advice!

Chase, you really need to get in to take your ASVAB as a starting point. You will need to see what jobs in the service that you actually qualify for and go from there. When you see what you would qualify for, you should decide which ones you would be the most interested in. Next you will need to do some research to determine which job classification has the best advancement rates, some jobs are locked up and advancement is very slow, others are very open and you can advance quicker. Im not really familiar with job classifications outside of the Navy, but I can give you very specific information and outlook on just about any rating in the Navy. But, like I said, you first need to take the ASVAB to see what you will qualify for to give yourself some sort of direction.

This is great advice. This is the stuff I wish I knew before going in. I had no clue about advancement between the different rates. All I knew was I was going in as an E-1 into the HM rating. I didn't even know about the program where you can make E-2 in boot camp if you pass a written test and a physical test.

[dickey1331]

This is great advice. This is the stuff I wish I knew before going in. I had no clue about advancement between the different rates. All I knew was I was going in as an E-1 into the HM rating. I didn't even know about the program where you can make E-2 in boot camp if you pass a written test and a physical test.

Does the Navy have non rates? For example in the Coast Guard after boot camp I didn't go to A school. I went to a station and worked as a non rate and got to see what the different jobs were and then decided which A school to go to.


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[AUChase]

Re: Military Vets/Currently Service: I need advice!

I can't really go a "National Guard Route", right now.

With my financial situation and what bills I have, I can't be on the fence about it. It's either something I'm doing or not doing.

I've done a whole bunch of research over the past few days. I have a few loose ends I want to make sure get tied up, before I dig any deeper into the process and see what I want to do. I have a few bills I want to clear first, which will take me a few months....

+ I'm really only looking at The Navy and Coast Guard, because I would prefer to be around water.

[JerzeyReign]

Re: Military Vets/Currently Service: I need advice!

To those that are currently serving, at what age did you enlist ?

20 -- and I'll admit it -- I didn't join because I was patriotic -- I joined because I'm from the hood and looked at the military as an escape -- a chance at a better life despite that I may have to put it on the line -- I rather die in honor than die a statistic -- but thats my story -- proud of the decision and wouldn't take any of the 'suck' back.

[cjonesfan921]

Re: Military Vets/Currently Service: I need advice!

20 -- and I'll admit it -- I didn't join because I was patriotic -- I joined because I'm from the hood and looked at the military as an escape -- a chance at a better life despite that I may have to put it on the line -- I rather die in honor than die a statistic -- but thats my story -- proud of the decision and wouldn't take any of the 'suck' back.

That's one aspect of the military that is overlooked. It provides an opportunity.

I would have been right there with you, but I got accepted to Rutgers and decided to give that a go.

One of my best friends was HORRIBLE in school. He was just never a school kind of guy, and he became a Marine.

I can tell you now, after 4 years and 3 tours, he is a changed man. So much more mature, and more motivated.

[Buckeyes_Doc]

Re: Military Vets/Currently Service: I need advice!

Does the Navy have non rates? For example in the Coast Guard after boot camp I didn't go to A school. I went to a station and worked as a non rate and got to see what the different jobs were and then decided which A school to go to.


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Yeah in the Navy it's called undesignated. I've heard horror stories about it though. My older brother was undesignated because the rate he wanted (HM) was filled so he was an undesignated seaman for 2 years until he went to HM A-School. The first year or so on the ship he basically had to chip paint, clean the decks, basically all the jobs no one wanted to do. But the last year he was able to "strike" at a job he was interested in and worked in medical aboard the ship.

When he got to A-School he was a step ahead of everyone else because of his OJT experience. So in that regard going UD helped, but in the Navy it's looked down upon and all the sailors who get dis-enrolled from their A-School for whatever reason go undesignated.

20 -- and I'll admit it -- I didn't join because I was patriotic -- I joined because I'm from the hood and looked at the military as an escape -- a chance at a better life despite that I may have to put it on the line -- I rather die in honor than die a statistic -- but thats my story -- proud of the decision and wouldn't take any of the 'suck' back.

I think you're in the majority. You aren't going to find too many 18-20 year old's who are so patriotic that they are going to join the military for the sole purpose of serving their country. I joined for money for college.

[Gotmadskillzson]

Re: Military Vets/Currently Service: I need advice!

Le sigh........my wife's ship is about to be razor bladed in Brownsville, Texas.

[chilli311]

Re: Military Vets/Currently Service: I need advice!

I served in the Air Force for ten years, but separated last year. The decision was based on me having to make the decision to stay with my family, or stay in for ten more years for retirement. Family was more important to me.

I enjoyed my time in the service, and took away a lot of good lessons, but also a lot of bad. Since you have a degree, I would suggest getting a commission instead of enlisting. Better pay, and better skills to be applied outside of the military.

The hardest part for me was dealing with the politicking that goes on within the units. I was forced to do things that I did not agree with, or have my career put in jeopardy.

If I had to choose to go back, I'd go Coast Guard first, then Air Force, Navy, Marines, Army.

[seasprite]

Does the Navy have non rates? For example in the Coast Guard after boot camp I didn't go to A school. I went to a station and worked as a non rate and got to see what the different jobs were and then decided which A school to go to.


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Only problem with that in the
Navy, from my experience of seeing it in other sailors is that it is a very bad way to go. You enlist a undesignated, they own you without having to provide you any "A" school our rating training. You are at that point subject to the "needs,of the Navy"and don't really have control of your career or its direction. Best advice would be to research the ratings beforehand and sign the enlistment contact with that associated schooling included (A school).

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[ABR173rd]

Re: Military Vets/Currently Service: I need advice!

Only problem with that in the
Navy, from my experience of seeing it in other sailors is that it is a very bad way to go. You enlist a undesignated, they own you without having to provide you any "A" school our rating training. You are at that point subject to the "needs,of the Navy"and don't really have control of your career or its direction. Best advice would be to research the ratings beforehand and sign the enlistment contact with that associated schooling included (A school).

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This is a key piece of advice right here. For anyone thinking about enlisting in any branch make sure whatever it is that your are promised it is in the contract you sign at MEPS. The civilian "negotiating" with you is only concerned with you signing that piece of paper. If it is not in your contract regardless of what your recruiter or MEPS personnel says, you will not get it once your in.

If the people at MEPS are not offering whatever it is you want, don't settle, tell them you'll come back when its available. More than likely they will make it happen without letting you walk out door.

[dickey1331]

Only problem with that in the
Navy, from my experience of seeing it in other sailors is that it is a very bad way to go. You enlist a undesignated, they own you without having to provide you any "A" school our rating training. You are at that point subject to the "needs,of the Navy"and don't really have control of your career or its direction. Best advice would be to research the ratings beforehand and sign the enlistment contact with that associated schooling included (A school).

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Yeah in the Coast Guard it's normal to not go to A school first. You kinda get looked down upon in a way if you go straight to A school since you don't have any experience. Some rates they won't give you an A school right out of boot camp since being a non rate is an actual billet that needs to be filled. Each unit has a certain number of non rates it needs and when one leaves for A school they get another one. After being at your unit for 6 months then you are able to put your name on an A school list.

I went to a small boat station right out of boot and learned a lot of stuff that you can't be taught. Now as an OS I cannot be stationed at a small boat station so I have valuable experience no one else in my rate will get.


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