First off, sorry this is a little long. I've been thinking a lot about this so I had a lot to say.
Lately I've gotten it into my head about trying for the navy when my lease expires next year instead of continuing in community college. Cause honestly, I really dislike it. I can't stand it most days. And, due to my own fault, I don't have the high school grades to transfer anywhere nicer. Almost no one who goes there really cares, they're just there because that is what you do after high school around here. Of course I'm in that group too, cause I still haven't picked any major or done anything real with my time here.
I'm sure there are plenty of people like that in the military as well, but hey at least I would have done something. I could look back on it and say hey, at least I served with something bigger than myself. Did something instead of this retail job, home, tv, internet, sleep cycle I've got going on. Maybe I could even find what it is I want to do since I would be out doing things and talking to people outside of the two mile zone between work and home that I operate in currently.
I know boot camp is something awful, but its only for two months. And there could be issues with my sexuality and all that jazz, but I've been really turned off of sex and people in general as of late, as long as I don't get a lot of trouble from the other guys I should be okay.
The biggest issue would be actual combat (hence going into the navy branch), since I don't think I would survive well in that situation. But only about 5% of the navy serves in serious combat situations, and most of that is being medics to the Marines, which I would not be doing. I don't need to decide until months from now, but I can only get so much information from the internet and my cousin who is currently serving in the navy nuclear program (he's hard to reach understandably). Does anyone have any experience, stories, or advice to give?
I really believe that any job in the armed forces is a difficult and tough job. It's just not a job but a lifestyle. You will have to be prepared to be killed or kill others for your country. You have to look at all aspects of the job and be prepared and willing to accept these............
If you are prepared to try out boot camp then give it a go and see how you feel about it all.
I wish you all the best with it all. It can be a hard time deciding what career choice to make at such a young age.
My dad is a retired Chief from the Navy and I have been around the Navy much of my adult life as well as having grown up in a military home and on base. The Navy served him well as he served his country well.
Sailors tend to be like everyone else. The highly motivated do well. Slackers don't. But often men and women find they flourish well in a lifestyle that is disciplined and structured. I fare much better in that sort of setting and prefer to be around military
types who do so as well.
You may find just what you're looking for in the Navy. You're right about boot camp and serving aboard ship is unavoidable to most sailors. (A sailor belongs on his ship and his ship belongs at sea.)
Gays fare much better in the military now than in times past and the military is far ahead of the rest of our society in embracing social change imposed upon them. They integrated racially ahead of the rest of the country and are still miles ahead of the rest of our society in that regard. Gay bashing won't be tolerated up or down the chain of command.
Be very careful what contract you sign. Recruiters can lie to you.
And American military are often seen as rich and frequently naive and thus good targets to get drunk (and/or drug) and rob (or pick pocket, etc). I've heard of American soldiers doing this (for example, one sergeant would recommend a bar to soldiers where they'd get drugged drinks and robbed and the sergeant got a kickback) and it's sometimes worse in other countries. And one guy told me that one thing that happened to his Navy brother was a little boy picked his pocket and when he told a cop (in the Philippines) the cop casually shot the boy dead to get his wallet back, and that was much harder to recover from than a lost wallet.
Should you decide the military isn't for you and try to get kicked out then don't try to fail a drug test. I've read a report where those who failed their test were sent to Iraq anyway but after their contract was up they were given a dishonorable discharge for having failed the drug test years earlier.
Should you be one of the many afflicted with fundamentalists (can't say I've heard of any significant harassment in the Navy, so it may be rare there) then there are atheist (and I think pagan) organizations that can help. Of course you'll probably have to find them on your own (the internet is your friend) as, well, the military really isn't anywhere as honorable as people claim it is.
And I recall that submarine life can be really hard living in cramped quarters with no contact with the outside world (no net, no calls, etc) for days, weeks, even months. It's no place for people who can't handle being cooped up in tight spaces with others and all their flaws (and having your own flaws magnified to them as well). Given the near terror of fire while below the sea and where air is precious I wouldn't be surprised if smoking is strictly prohibited (which means you might have to go months without smoking). Even if you can handle that then say if there's a family emergency you may not learn about it for months (even if your commanding officer knows but feels you can't return anyway he may not tell you) which means someone you love could be dead and buried before you even know about it, let alone return. But I hear it's easy to get out of being assigned to a sub, just say you've had experiences with claustrophobia before and that's supposed to automatically get you on a ship instead.
For me as a pagan - in my spiritually way - it is strictly forbidden to support any military Organisation. A military organisation is build to "protect" by taking lifes.... no way for a pagan. Protect my own life ... my friends and family lifes is allowed... and if I have to take a life to protect my own life ( or family ..blah blah.. ) is allowed... BUT I have to decide is it justified or not. In a military organisation it is not possible to decide for myself .... and it could be that I have to take a life for commercial, other peoples power reasons and so on ... NO WAY....
A wonderful life. 'Course I can only speak of the Royal Navy where I served 9 years. Oh, it was tough back then. I did my training at HMS Ganges. I'm somewhere in the film.
Joining the Military to escape your pathetic little life is not a good reason to join any branch of the Armed Forces.
In high school you barely applied yourself, most likely barely passed by the skin of your teeth. In college you are just doing what ever you think you need to do to just pass. That sort of attitude isn't working to work in the Military - any branch.
I suspect you will apply yourself only enough to retain an E-1 Pay Grade (this is the lowest rank in the Navy).
You lack a joy for life. You are aimless, without a compass. You got into this rut that you think you will get out of by turning to things and situations outside of yourself. Trust me the problem is internal and the only one who can change this is you.
If you said you wanted to learn new cultures and learn a useful skill set beyond the navy, then I may believe you have a real interest.
Choosing the Navy because: "... only about 5% of the navy serves in serious combat situations..." Is a chicken shit reason to join the navy.
It screams 'I'm just trying to slide by in life and not apply myself to anything remotely requiring real commitment'.
Trust me, your CO will sense that on you ten miles out and will ride your ass in a bad way night and day until you quit or until you mess up so bad you get a dishonorable discharge.
The NAvy is not for slackers, they don't want that. They want men and women who are willing to lay down their lives. They want men and women who want to excel in life.
That is why they offer so many education positions and have a nuclear program (which requires top of the class students, not bottom feeding slackers).
Well said Bowyn, and that applies to life in general as well. Look, this world does not owe you a darned thing and, it isn't going to just hand it to you. You want it, you earn it, plain and simple.
Keep taking the easy road and, in 20 years, ask yourself why you have a minimum wage job, an ex or three and the barest excuse for a roof over your head with a stack of bills you can't pay.
I've seen it happen to too many, did it myself but, by 30 I figured it out and fixed ME. Yep ME, not my skills, not my world, not my job ME, and the rest fell into place once I did that.
YIKES......This vibe here is really getting creepy....I can barely force myself to respond to anyone anymore after reading this stuff...
I am glad I didnt' come here for advice when I joined the Navy.
BTW...I loved it and have no regrets...and I was also in a combat situation as we were evacuating Vietnam. You will do just fine even if you are not perfect. I wasn't perfect...it is NOT a requirement. Sheesh
East Wrote:YIKES......This vibe here is really getting creepy....I can barely force myself to respond to anyone anymore after reading this stuff...
I am glad I didnt' come here for advice when I joined the Navy.
BTW...I loved it and have no regrets...and I was also in a combat situation as we were evacuating Vietnam. You will do just fine even if you are not perfect. I wasn't perfect...it is NOT a requirement. Sheesh
Agreed. And the truth is, many a guy who has lost his way has turned his life around by joining the navy. I didn't understand the hostility here.
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