Anybody put anytime in the Navy? [Archive]

hardcrab

01-23-2011, 10:32 AM

You get out of it what you put into it.

I have a friend who joined the Navy soon after high school. He made that decision because he didn't have any specific job skills and no college funds.

He did well on his aptitude tests and had a choice of direction in a naval carreer. Without initial intention, he re enlisted several times until he finally retired last May after 24 yrs of service and obtaining the highest rank available to enlisted personel.
He enjoyed spending the majority of his duty living in Hawaii on two occasions for a total of 10 yrs. / Bermuda for 3 or 4 yrs and Lexington Park, Maryland - his home state.
He met his wife in the navy, they now have two great kids and have built their home in Pennsylvania ( her home state)

ON THE OTHER HAND ................

I had another friend who enlisted at approx the same time but for other reasons.
He joined the Navy because he thought it was going to be a free ride .

He soon found out it ain't no party if you don't put the effort into your training. You are responsible for your actions and behavior.
It was hard to say if he was happier to get out of the Navy or if the Navy was happier to be rid of the dead weight.

So anyway, congratulations on your decision, make the most out of it and it comes back in spades !

fegettes

01-23-2011, 12:11 PM

Congratulations.

I agree with everything hardcrab said.

I spent four years in a branch of the Navy, the Marine Corps. When I went in, my boss gave me some "boot camp" advice I would pass along. "Keep your eyes and ears open, and your mouth shut". And he was so correct.

Good Luck.

Steve

Fishermanjm

01-24-2011, 08:04 AM

u go j-dogg proud of u kid

J-Dog

01-29-2011, 09:21 PM

hardcrab, thanks for the reply. The first guy you mentioned sounded like all his dreams came true. Good for him. I'm confident that the navy is a great choice for me and i hope it takes me far in life. I've had many words of wisdom from my older sister who put 4 years in the navy and is living in san diego and getting a degree for free. She really inspired me to enlist. I'm really excited to go to bootcamp and find out how the navy is through my own eyes. Thanks again

J-Dog

01-29-2011, 09:22 PM

Thanks for the advice fegettes. I've heard that before.

THEDONZ33

01-31-2011, 07:27 AM

J Dog

Thank You for your choice to serve our Country !!!!!
I wish I had the chance when I was younger but I was denied do to medical reasons. Non The less I have great admiration for those who do and did make the sacrifice.
I wish you good fortune in your future.

GO NAVY!!!!

GBond

01-31-2011, 06:44 PM

Thank you for your service... from all us civilians. Keep a good attitude and stay focused, you'll do great. The security field has lots of potential, especially in our current climate. Have supported the Navy for over 20 years both conus and overseas.

Air Force has the best Chow Hall. :biggrin:

Last Tango

02-03-2011, 11:23 AM

Air Force has the best Chow Hall. :biggrin:

Apparently, you have never had the pleasure of eating in the Chief's Mess on an aircraft carrier on deployment. Best food and selection, bar none. Officers have the worst food and selection. That's because the Chief Mess puts a Senior Chief Mess Specialist in charge of the Chief's Mess. The officers put the junior most Ensign in charge of the Officers Mess and quarters.

AWCS (AC/AW) USN (Ret) 20 years, 6 months, no days (but I wasn't counting). And I'd do every one of those days again.
They promised me I would see the world, and I did.
They promised me that if I worked hard, I would get promoted, and I did.
They promised me the support to get a college education, and I did.
They promised to take care of my family when I was away, and they did.
They promised to take care of my health care for the rest of my life, and they have.

scippy

02-03-2011, 09:13 PM

I'm leaving for bootcamp in about 6 weeks. I'm going to be an MA and i'm very excited! I'm chomping at the bit to get out into the world and start my life and I think the Navy is a great way to do that. What do you think?

The "A" schools alone are worth the enlistment........."GO NAVY" !!!!

gpapich

02-03-2011, 10:21 PM

Go get 'em!

I went to the Naval Academy and went Surface Warfare as an officer. I put in 6yrs and my last two years were the best as I was a test and evaluation project officer. The Navy taught me project management with a great team of people to ensure success.

I went to my county's Sheriff's Academy at 40yrs old because of a chain of layoffs in the civilian sector. I missed the people but not the deployments or being sea-sick when I should've had better mental focus. I would've probably stayed in the NAV if I wasn't distracted by blowing chunks in seas greater than 8ft.

Anyway, the police track is a great one too! To echo the rest, put your time in early during all your schools. Talk to as many chiefs as possible. They won't steer you wrong, expecially if they know you are serious about the rating and not just being a suck-up. Let your performance speak for you.

Work hard. There will be plenty of time for fun later.

God bless! Fair winds and following seas to you.

hardcrab

02-04-2011, 12:56 PM

I went to the Naval Academy

I go to the Naval Academy from time to time.

There's some good bars on and around the city dock ! .......:wink:

GBond

02-05-2011, 06:28 AM

Not to derail the thread...

Just IMO...Best place to relax and view the sites of Annapolis (Ego Alley) on a summer afternoon would be the deck of the American Legion.
Then hit Cantler's for dinner if the hall doesn't have a special going on that evening. :wink:

GBond

02-05-2011, 06:40 AM

[quote=Last Tango;590013]Apparently, you have never had the pleasure of eating in the Chief's Mess on an aircraft carrier on deployment. Best food and selection, bar none. Officers have the worst food and selection. That's because the Chief Mess puts a Senior Chief Mess Specialist in charge of the Chief's Mess. The officers put the junior most Ensign in charge of the Officers Mess and quarters.

Fortunately...I've never had to experience any of the Chief's Fine Dinning... :biggrin.:

Thanks for your service Tango!

J-Dog

03-02-2011, 06:10 PM

Only 5 more days left for me as a civilian. Can't wait to be a US Sailor!!!

hardcrab

03-02-2011, 06:22 PM

Only 5 more days left for me as a civilian. Can't wait to be a US Sailor!!!

I went to my nephews graduation from basic training at Great Lakes, just outside of Chicago. It is a beautiful area.
Where are you reporting ?

Fishermanjm

03-03-2011, 08:55 AM

Get it done kid!!!

J-Dog

03-06-2011, 06:10 PM

I leave tomorrow!! Wish me luck and updates in 9 weeks. Thanks for all the good advice and support. Can't wait to come home in august and go for a ride in my dad's Donzi!!!! Love you DAD!!!!!

GBond

03-07-2011, 05:11 AM

Good Luck! You'll do just fine...

DonziJon

03-07-2011, 07:01 PM

That's the date when I went off to Navy Boot Camp. Great Lakes Naval Training Center is about an hour north of Chicago by train. As a Recruit you land in Chicago.... Then you Jump Off to Great Lakes which is on the Illinois border with Wisconsin. The Naval Training Center is on a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. As a recruit you will never see the lake.

I have tried to stay out of this conversation because I know the Recruit and her Proud Father. You can guess who that member is. Her older sister served on the USS Bunker Hill, CG-52 during the Relief Effort to the Haiti earthquake....returning to their homeport on the west coast Via the "Straits Of Magellan". (Cape Horn)

I know the new Recruit will do fine and I wish her good luck. There is a Navy Tradition building in this family. :) DJ

PS: Do they still have Condos and Private Rooms for the recruits.. ?? :lookaroun:

Fishermanjm

03-07-2011, 08:36 PM

Thanks John,,, I wasn't completely sure that was u. I'm sure now
thanks for the kind words. You are a good guy. I will keep
u informed of her progress

DonziJon

03-08-2011, 06:37 PM

WHAT...NO Condos..?? :bonk:

When I went to boot camp (7/59) we lived in a WWII wooden barracks.....had to do our own laundry..that was a scrub brush on a washboard..we did laundry every night...then hang up the stuff on an indoor.. or outdoor clothes line according to the weather....Would it be DRY the next morning when we had to wear it...? Always a concern. :nilly:

Six months later a friend of mine from back home came through BOOT and I visited him over there at "Bootside" ..while I was in "A" School over at "Schoolside". .. where you CAN see the lake.

Boot camp barracks had transitioned to new modern barracks and they had freakin washing machines and dryers. :bonk:

Bootside and Schoolside were separated by the very fast passenger railroad that connected Chicago with Milwaukee. Those were the days. :) Getting old..Just rembering.. DJ

http://www.navy-info.com/boot_camp_list.html

hardcrab

03-08-2011, 06:48 PM

When I went to boot camp (7/59) we lived in a WWII wooden barracks..

So how long did it take to load a musket ? :hyper:

Fishermanjm

05-03-2011, 10:36 AM

mrfixxall

05-03-2011, 12:02 PM

my daughter is graduating from the great lakes navy training facility friday, she made it through her training, and will be going on to san antonio for her a school she will be a navy ma ( navy cop),,, i'm gonna be in chicago looking for the best steak dinner, the best pizza and also the biggest best hott dogg's i can find, thanks for your good wishes to her, they are appreciated
I am a proud Navy Dad

Congrats and tell your daughter good luck.:)

now hot dogs,,their are 2 places that are the best..Portillos are famous for them and their is a place called gene and judes on river road and grand ave in Franklin park but that may be to far out of your way so may want to stick to portillo's which btw is a food chain here so they are everywhere.

Stake dinner,,look for a wildfire stake house and make sure you order their artichoke dip and bread,,''the best''..

Pizza! http://www.loumalnatis.com/ just ask Hedgehog they have one of the best in Chicago..any of the butter crust pizza's are the bomb.

Fishermanjm

05-03-2011, 12:19 PM

thanks fixx

DonziJon

05-03-2011, 05:42 PM

SO: Fish

1. What was the Recruit's Job during "Service Week"..? Service Week is (or used to be..c1959) always the most memorable part of boot camp. I did "Mess Cooking/Sculary." Builds character. :yes:

2. Does she go directly to "A" School...or does she get leave in between boot and "A" School..and come home..? John

Phil S

05-03-2011, 10:22 PM

...plugging along in the ICW about a month ago...just after a very mild stroke....he had to have surgery for it, but fine now.

No, we didn't make it up to St. Augustine....but had great fun running around Ormond / Daytona on the river there.

WWII Navy Veteran....always welcome at my helm, and has forgotten more about seamanship than I will ever know.

WKR,

Phil S.

ps....he's very proud of his Navy these days...

Fishermanjm

05-04-2011, 09:06 AM

john, im not positive about her service week job, i think she had said somethin about that in one of her letters about that, it was MA related, and she leaves for san antonio on saturday so we dont get much time with her,,, i'm really bummed out about that, she will be home sometime around the end of july Jim
Proud Navy Dad

DonziJon

05-11-2011, 06:34 PM

So: Fishman. The Seaman Recruit is now a Seaman Apprentice on her way to "A" School. How did the Boot graduation go. I presume she will be home after "A" School....NO..?? :) John

GBond

05-11-2011, 06:56 PM

Yes...Please keep us posted on the new recruit's progress.

Thanks

Fishermanjm

05-16-2011, 09:15 PM

the bootcamp graduation was awsome, just like my oldest daughters was she did very well she was in the 925 division she carried the west virginia flag, it was soo good to see her and the look of accomplishment on her face deffinantly a proud moment for me she is in san antonio for a school now. jon she might be joining all of us at clearwater,,, that would be fun she will be home after a school for a week or so in june. the hot doggs in chicago were awsome and the deep dish pizza at Lou Malnatis was even better. Didnt have steak,,,
proud navy dad

J-Dog

05-25-2011, 04:27 PM

Hey everyone. I'm back! Two thing that are different about me. I'm a U.S. Navy Sailor and now i'm training to be a cop! Bootcamp is done and over with. It was a great experience. Did a lot of cool things that i never would have done as a civilian. Now i'm in a 8 week training to become a Master-At-Arms. This has brought me a lot of new experiences already as well. I've only been here 3 weeks and already i've been cuffed, i've cuffed other people, I learned and practiced how to apprehend a subject and to top it all off, i've been OC (pepper) sprayed in the face. I highly reccomend it haha! Not really, but i'm liscensed to carry it now and it's more experience under my belt. We're starting our weapons training this week. It's going by fast, just like bootcamp, but i'm having fun and can't wait to get out to the fleet. Also, can't wait to get out onto my dad's Donzi this summer when i go on leave!!! More updates later.

SR Jordan Anderson