Son Thinking of Enlisting in the Navy

[1sum41]

i wouldnt talk to recruiters my friends dad was head recruiting officer for the Texas
National Guard and he says that most recruiters would lie... BTW any time he caught 1 lieing he "fired" them.

[1pLUs44]

Ah there is much for you to learn 1plus.

There are something like 10+ ways to make E-3 after basic.  Being an Eagle scout, enlisting for 6 years active, ROTC, degrees, etc.  Recruiters will hook you up with any info you need, and if they don't give me a shout and I can get it for you.

I already meet one of those requirements. And from what I was told, X amount of years in NJROTC (Navy Junior) gives you X rank when you join. Dont know completely though.

[nirvana]

When it comes the time, ask a recruiter.  Policies change fairly frequently but as far as I know ROTC of any sort will only get you E3 because to be an E4 you have to be rated.  Regarding being an officer, you have to go through the Coast Guard Academy or OCS to be an officer in the Coast Guard, not sure about other services.  The Coast Guard doesn't even accept graduates from other maritime academies for direct commission, they still have to go through mandated training like everyone else.

[Sandman]

He should finish his school and go for the commission. The standard of living is like night and day.

[Yossarian]

Sorry for sort of hijacking this, but if you want to become a pilot in the Air Force or Navy etc do you need to go through actual parachute training?  I've wondered about this for quite a while (btw in case you wonder about my location, I have dual nationalities of both US and UK).

<S>

Yossarian

EDIT: removed retardation

[JunkyII]

He's 2 classes short of his Batchelor's.

On the corpsman rate, is it possible to come out of training and get right into radiology?

Finish the degree then join as a officer. And go Army its better for you : )

[Sandman]

Sorry for sort of hijacking this, but if you want to become a pilot in the Air Force or Navy etc do you need to go through actual parachute training?  I've wondered about this for quite a while (btw in case you wonder about my location, I have dual nationalities of both US and UK).

<S>

Yossarian

EDIT: removed retardation

I don't believe they have to jump out of an airplane, but yeah... they do ejection seat training.

[Sandman]

I already meet one of those requirements. And from what I was told, X amount of years in NJROTC (Navy Junior) gives you X rank when you join. Dont know completely though.

...and it usually amounts to squat. They all make those offers. "You'll be an E-3 after boot camp." Big friggin deal...  in two-three years, your peer group won't be any different anyway. Advancement is pretty rapid from E-1 to E-2 to E-3 and even E-4 in the Navy, but after you make E-5, things slow down considerably.

I had this one jerk instructor in "A" school. We didn't get along at all. At the time, he was an E-5 and I was an E-1 or an E-2. About five years later I saw him again. We we're both at E-6... and I must say I was deliberately disrespectful.

[Russian]

 Take ASVAB and look at what's available. Nuclear medicine tech school is almost a year long (with a hefty bonus last time I checked).....if he can't take regular college - what makes him think he will be able to finish military style tech school? One is much more stressful than the other....

I highly recommend finishing those two classes...

[Yossarian]

Ok, thanks.

<S>

Yossarian

[alskahawk]

You dont have to listen to anything I say but this one tidbit of info. DO NOT JOIN UNDESIGNATED! Get yourself a rate. Or else you end up hating life chipping paint and cleaning on a daily basis.

 Yes Get a school! Go in undesignated you lose control of where you go. The Navy will assign based on"needs of the Navy". With a school at least you get some control. Orders to a graduating A school are often(not always) assigned on graduating rank. Highest grade gets 1st choice.
 I got lucky when I went in. Went in with no A school, just choice of coasts and designated as a airman recruit. I got orders to a squadron. Worked hard, got the squadron to send me to A school. Graduated. Returned to my squadron went on deployment. Ran into couple of non-designated guys from boot. Both working flight deck. Humping chains/chocks chipping paint working 12-18 hours a day. Not a good life.
 Its also important to pick a school that you can complete. Failing out of a school is another way get into a paint chipping career.

                         USN retired

[Toad]

He should finish his school and go for the commission. The standard of living is like night and day.

You know that and I know that but he, being 23, knows everything, trumping our accumulated knowledge. 

[Maverick]

He should finish his school and go for the commission. The standard of living is like night and day.

Toad let me add a very definite +1000 on what Sandy said. The down side of going commissioned is that he might not get a specific medical specialty like radiology unless he has a medical degree. As an Officer he won't have some of the options an Enlisted man gets but on the other side he won't get the "details" either. Have him check with the Guard for the Officer side especially if there is a hospital unit in the area. He may be eligible for a direct commission as well without ROTC but that's going to be dependent on his particular skill set and degree. Medical folks are likely to get preferential treatment in that case.

[Sandman]

Toad let me add a very definite +1000 on what Sandy said. The down side of going commissioned is that he might not get a specific medical specialty like radiology unless he has a medical degree. As an Officer he won't have some of the options an Enlisted man gets but on the other side he won't get the "details" either. Have him check with the Guard for the Officer side especially if there is a hospital unit in the area. He may be eligible for a direct commission as well without ROTC but that's going to be dependent on his particular skill set and degree. Medical folks are likely to get preferential treatment in that case.

In addition... the leadership experience after even four years as an officer is worth more than ten or more as an enlisted person... that is if I we're weighing resumes.

Bottom line, odds are he'll get paid more when he leaves the service if he has a commission.

I still work with the Navy as a civilian. By and large, they hire prior enlisted for technical positions. they hire officers for management.

[Timofei]

Navy is a relatively good choise, (not like Army infantry or Marines), if you don't want to him to come home in small pieces in case of an "Incident", like Iran or Afghanistan.