Naval Careers and Your Experience/Understanding

I am going to join the U.S. Navy within the next month (MEPS is on May 7th) and would like to know if anyone can give insight to the careers offered there.

I am interested in the following positions:
Intelligence Specialist
Operations Specialist
Gunner's Mate
Aviation Ordananceman
Air Traffic Controller
Fire Controlman
Mass Communication Specialist

Does anyone have experience with these positions? What are positives and negatives? What would be expected of me? How desired is that position and what would be my chances thereto?

Any information would be greatly appreciated.Thanks!

 

While having never served myself, many of my friends, family, and roommates have in various branches and might be able to offer a little help.

What I understand of the intelligence, operations, and mass communication specialist positions is that it will open you up to quite a few different careers outside of the Navy if you opt not to reenlist at the end of your contract. Those positions usually carry a slightly higher security clearance which makes it considerably easier to get a DoD or similar job. Not having the clearance isn't a huge issue, obviously you can gain that if you are selected for the position, but earning it while enlisted makes it that much easier from my understanding. I guess the Pentagon usually has contracted intelligence positions open, and former military are typically priority.

Again, not coming from the military myself, I know it is extremely difficult to get a civilian air traffic controller position. I could only imagine that in the military it isn't a position with lots of openings meaning you may be on a wait list. The military is big on filling positions that need people, versus putting you in the position you want. My sister joined with the understanding that she would end up being in intelligence, she was swindled into the understanding that there wasn't demand in that field but if she was willing to do one year as a supplies transportation driver she would be placed into the intelligence section. After her one year no one had any recollection of her changing MOS and she was forced to finish out her contract where she was. She enjoyed her time served, but learned that unless you get it in writing, don't believe what recruiters tell you.

I hope this helps some.

 

That does help quite a bit. My recruiter has actually been telling me to not buy into anything unless I have it in writing so if I was ever presented with a situation like your sister's, I would definitely have them confirm it through writing somehow. As for outside, civilian employment, the prospects of employment outside of the Navy is why I decided to join this branch and not one of the others. I', not sure if I want to make a career out of the military and stay in for 20 years or just run through a few years and then leave. Thank you for your insight!

 

You might take a closer look at the Air Force. They have some of the best career fields for post-service employment opportunities. I won't say the Navy is bad, but I would rank it second to the AF. Especially in terms of living standards, no other service is better. I do have a nephew that just joined and several family members who are retired from the Navy. So I won't begrudge you any if that is where you really want to go. When I was looking, I visited each of the recruiters. I came close to joining the Marines, but I hate running, and the recruiter told me they do a lot of running. After several months of consideration, I chose the AF. I will also say, that regardless of the branch of service and career field you choose if you keep your nose clean work hard, get as much training as you can you'll improve your future employability. Even an Army Infantryman with an Honorable discharge would have improved employment opportunities vs someone without service would have. Bottom line when enlisting in the service and choosing your career field as Spiffy09 said, get it in writing or it didn't happen!!!

 

http://www.navydep.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=02e7d41f1cb6e243a14b4247da56a797&f=226

 

Pick your Rate pick your Fate.

I served in the Navy from 88-93 as a Seabee. Don't sign on the line until you get what you want.
Remember you fail A-School you get assigned to the needs of the Navy ie: IBM (Instant Boatswain Mate.)
Your fIrst 90 days on ship or station you won't work in your Rate. You'll be mess-cranking, shit like this the recruiter won't tell you FYI.

For E-6 and below Army is the way to go. E-7 and up Navy.

 

I was surface fire control (FC2) and worked closely with the Gunners Mates (Guns and Missiles) and worked in CIC (the dark room with radar consoles you see in the movies) with the Ops Specialists, and on my ship I manned an OS position on the Harpoon Cruise missile system.

Overall the training was good, learned a lot about computers and electronics. The FC job had its good moments - shooting the guns, and eventually firing a missile during an exercise. We were a reserve ship, so we took reservists out ALL THE TIME, which meant bad home life. We did drug interdiction all over the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, which had some memorable moments.

The day to day sucked - lots of cleaning, painting, cleaning, more painting, and then some painting. You won't get away from that regardless of rate, rank will eventually help.

I'm older now with kids, and if either ever thought of the military I'd encourage them to go Air Force as my sister and her husband did. Both earned Master's degrees, my BiL got his PhD, all courtesy of Uncle Sam. Or Coast Guard, in the lifesaving jobs. I have far more respect for those guys than I ever did while on active duty.

Good luck, and thanks for your service.

[EDIT] - as others have said here, get anything promised in writing. I've been out for years, and while some things have likely changed, I'm willing to be that hasn't. If you don't have it in writing it does not exist.

 

AirForce
Aerospace physiology

The best enlisted job there is.
Train pilots to fly altitude even up to space, egress/ejection, centrifuge.
Get jumpmaster cert, train all ops to jump including HALO & HAHO, AF cadets to jump at the airforce academy and into stadiums and air shows. Job is tits!

 

This could depend on a couple things....
Are you looking to make a career out of the Navy? (complete your 20+ years and retire)
Or did you just join to get the GI Bill college benefits? (complete your contractual 4+ years and get out)

 

Remember a lot of the electronics in the military are very outdated.
The Aegis system was the cat's ass in the 80's and early 90's but it is now very outdated. So keep that in mind with anything to do with electronics.
Hopefully under this President things will get modernised. Like the other folks said lots of cleaning and painting whether on ship or shore. If you are over 6ft tall you should be able to get into the Coast Guard.

GM= BM with a hunting liscense.

 

Many good points here...the most important being choose your rate, choose your fate. Like you I was thinking about Gunners Mate, but was persuaded otherwise and wound up choosing Master at Arms. Got to shoot a whole lot of firearms, had a fantastic schedule (work 2 days, off 3, work 3 days, then off for 2), and was able to live in Europe and float around the Med for 3 years.

Make sure EVERYTHING that is promised you by your recruiter is in writing and on your contract BEFORE you sign ANYTHING.

If you have an Associates Degree or better, you qualify to become an E-3 immediately out of basic training. Study diligently for promotion exams, and volunteer for every class/training you can get your hands on, and you will find yourself climbing the enlisted ladder quickly.

The Navy was the best thing I've ever done, it wasn't easy, but the friends and experiences will last for the rest of your life.

 

I retired from the Navy as a senior chief after 20 years and 21 days... and having spent time working with all branches, and going to MP school on an Air Force base... it is hard for me to disagree.

I think the only drawback is that it is more difficult to promote in the Air Force (from what I saw... but I retired 11 years ago).

 

why not supply? Ships Serviceman is cake, you just fill vending machines and run the store. I mean yeah making rank isnt that great but if you set youself apart at your command IE, GET INVOLVED, you would do fine. Logistics Specialist is legit too. Im a supply guy and these rates are often overlooked because they arent "tacticool" enough.

 

Currently a MMN2 3356 NEC. I'm a staff instructor at an NPTU and if you like shore duties (which are supposed to be chill) to be terrible hours and slave driving then be like me.

Nothing I was told when I joined was how it is. That being said I cleared 98K last year not including BAH/BAS. This year with bonuses it'll be closer to 60k not including BAH/BAS. I make $900+ a month just from BAH/BAS compared to actual cost of living. Not to mention SDAP.

 

Good info here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhioeOeOHsA