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Joining the Navy. Suggestions?

Joined
13 June 2008
Messages
47
Location
Texas
Hello Everyone,

Well my brother decided to join the navy, after thinking abit I decided to look into it more also and decided I will go also. Now last I took my ASVAB was in high school and I blew it off because I was sure I wasn't joining anything, so I scored a 63 and do not have any AFQT scores that I remember of. I haven't started college yet and was thinking of going in as enlisted. If anyone could give me some advice I'd appreciate it. I was thinking I should study and go retake my ASVAB to score higher and get better opportunities, I think my bro scored 78-79 and was kinda dissapointed... thnx for any advice in advance.

-Chase
 
How long has it been since you took the ASVAB. The main number they give you is your AFQT, the others are line scores. Depending on how long it's been, you may not have a choice in taking it again. As I recall, in the guard, we accepted scores up to 3 years from the test date.
 
Years ago I talked to the Navy recruiters, and they had me take a sample test before they did anything else. Ended up not having enough math classes to do nuclear engineering, so I went Army instead.

There's study guides with sample tests available, too. I think you can even find them at Barnes & Noble. Might be a good idea to get a feel for it before you go to the recruiters, just to keep them from herding you towards a job you don't want.

I wish you the best- no matter how hard it might seem at times, in the end it's well worth it.

Nick
 
I joined the navy a year ago. If you search NAVy and my name I'm sure you'll find my farewell post. Anyways, I got kciked out (to make a long story short). I don't want to list the details on a public forum in case "the man" is watching. If you have any general navy questions ask away. Go damn good on your ASVAB and get some killer line scores. I had everything lined up to go in as a Nuc, but at the physical/MEPS they said I was color blind (only missed 4 out of 14.. and they classified me as 100% colorblind. punks).

Heck, if you don't like it, you can be kicked out within 6 months and it will NOT go on your record as a dishonerable discharge and all the bad things that happen with that. Don't think of it as signing your life away.. even the final paper works. They don't 100% have you in their control until you have been in for 6 months (altho, you won't hear this from anybody but me, and Navy Legal after they kick you out).

Also.. after I was denied Nuc (understandable.. its deals with colors, wires, etc)... I fell in love with the SWCC rate. I wanted (and still wish) to be a SWCC. They have the most awesomest jobs in the world, if you ask me. But now I'm banned from the military, and I would have never gotten to be a SWCC in my navy career anyways... sad face. They tried to stick me with Machinist Mate! Stuck in the pits of the steam engined powered ships all day getting dirty... no thank you... I'd much rather be shot at on a speed boat.

Good luck on your Navy career.

And remember, when you get your DEP ID card.... show it to police... it somehow gets you out of trouble if need be =]
 
Go Marine Corps. With a few exceptions, you can do just about any job available in the other services. I'm working on leaving the AF and going back. AF is chill/laidback but IMO, there's really no sense of pride like in the Corps. I asked guys what the AF birthday was, and 9/10, probably more, they couldn't tell me. Ask any Marine, and they'll tell you Nov. 10, 1775 without thinking about it.
 
I worked with a ton of prior-service Marines while in the guard and much preferred working with them to prior active Army or life NG's. Most of them terribly missed the Corps, but ended up in the Guard so they could stay somewhat in the same place and build a better family life with a civilian job.

One of these days I'm gonna have to make some calls and get a tour of PI, though I really shouldn't, that would probably be the last bit of pushing I needed to re-enlist or even cross branches.
 
I worked with a ton of prior-service Marines while in the guard and much preferred working with them to prior active Army or life NG's. Most of them terribly missed the Corps, but ended up in the Guard so they could stay somewhat in the same place and build a better family life with a civilian job.

One of these days I'm gonna have to make some calls and get a tour of PI, though I really shouldn't, that would probably be the last bit of pushing I needed to re-enlist or even cross branches.

That's where Im at right now, Guard. I miss the Corps , badly. I'm still single and have no kids, so I'm making the move back.
 
thnx for the replies so far. I may have read it wrong when I got the test back and I just remember 63, and that was suppose to be the main score I think. I took it last November. I planned to probably go Navy Reserves for now, I have a wife and 18 month old baby girl so figured I would try to stay close for now. Would I be able to retake my ASVAB? I dont really like my score and with a little studying it shouldn't be hard to improve it. Also Marines wouldn't be bad, but my wife would argue with me about trying to go to the Marines... thnx for the advice so far.
 
That's where Im at right now, Guard. I miss the Corps , badly. I'm still single and have no kids, so I'm making the move back.

Seems you guys are never quite happy in the guard. At least we were Infantry so it wasn't that big of a change in pace for the Marines. We actually had a few guys who came to the Guard with the intention of making their rank then going back (as long as you're semi-competent E-7 is damn near given away when you make appropriate TIS and TIG)
 
To the OP.

I'd say if you want to go to school, and you were diehard wanting to enlist, do so in the naval reserve ( or guard ) and get in the GI Bill to go to school.

If you want to go straight to school, I'd highly recommend Navy ROTC. Officer side is a little different than enlisted side if you're interested in that.

I'm an AF ROTC kid at Tennessee and it's great. :tongue:

Some ways are harder than others, but any way you go, be it Navy, Army, Marines, AF, or Coast Guard,....enlisted or officer... you can't go wrong.
 
To the OP.

I'd say if you want to go to school, and you were diehard wanting to enlist, do so in the naval reserve ( or guard ) and get in the GI Bill to go to school.

If you want to go straight to school, I'd highly recommend Navy ROTC. Officer side is a little different than enlisted side if you're interested in that.

I'm an AF ROTC kid at Tennessee and it's great. :tongue:

Some ways are harder than others, but any way you go, be it Navy, Army, Marines, AF, or Coast Guard,....enlisted or officer... you can't go wrong.

There is also always the STA-21 program for the navy. Have navy pay you E-3 pay while you attend a public university and get commissioned afterwards. Very compeditive though. Google it.
 
I just spent fourteen months deployed (Army), and the Marines who were on our FOB always had great morale. Of course, they also were constantly asking for things, because it seemed like they had no supply chain. Cleaning supplies, weapon parts, sleeping bags, gloves, you name it, they came to us because they couldn't get it on their own.

Nick
 
I just spent fourteen months deployed (Army), and the Marines who were on our FOB always had great morale. Of course, they also were constantly asking for things, because it seemed like they had no supply chain. Cleaning supplies, weapon parts, sleeping bags, gloves, you name it, they came to us because they couldn't get it on their own.

Nick

Yeah, things are sometimes that screwed up like that over there. Then again, Army does waste alot of resources they have sometimes, so I can see how the Marines would go to them for supplies.. When I first got to iRaq, the Army units left behind crates upon crates of all sorts of ammo, MRE's, and other supplies. They even left us a 2 1/2 ton truck and other vehicles. I guess they just wanted to get out of there ASAP. They had already been there over a year.
 
I can't believe I'm even considering this, but I just got off leaving a rather long voicemail for the local recruiter. I guess there's no harm in seeing what's being offered these days..........
 
Chase,

How old are you? Do you have some college experience? Do you want to work with your hands or be a manager? Do you want to fly airplanes, or work on them?

I've been on the aviation maintenance training side for the last 3 years and will be moving back to the surface warfare side. I work with retired and ex-navy from E-4 to E-9, up to O-6 The hours can be long, the work hard and hot, but you are in control of your destiny.

Miner
 
Chase,

How old are you? Do you have some college experience? Do you want to work with your hands or be a manager? Do you want to fly airplanes, or work on them?

I've been on the aviation maintenance training side for the last 3 years and will be moving back to the surface warfare side. I work with retired and ex-navy from E-4 to E-9, up to O-6 The hours can be long, the work hard and hot, but you are in control of your destiny.

Miner

I'm 19 years old, turning 20 in October. I have no college experience because i was unsure what i wanted to do. I haven't been able to look at all the jobs that are available, but i wouldn't mind anything hands on or being a manager, and dont really want to fly airplanes but would like to work on them. I guess my plan was to Enlist, go to bootcamp, and go to college right after i get back if that was possible. Hopefully this week I will be able to talk to my brothers recruiter and find out alot more info. Any more info is much appreciated, thnx again.
 
Chase,

If you are wanting to go to college after boot camp, then the reservers are for you. If you want to go after a 4 year hitch, then aviation maintenance is a good route. Management as an officer generally requires a relavent college degree, management as an enlisted takes time and advancement.

If I remember correctly, your ASVAB scores contribute greatly to where you go. If your scores are high, you are not going to wind up as a grunt, and vice versa. Aviation maintenance is broken up into roughly 3 groups, mechanical, electronics and propulsion. Those skills are highly transferrable into private sector FAA jobs. Some of the Navy aircraft are land based (P-3), some are carrier (F/A-18s, E-2), some are ship based (H-60). You will see the world in aviation. It just may be from the inside of a plane.

If you do go in for a 4 year hitch expecting to leave after that, the service will have spent well over six figures training you, and will offer you a sizable bonus to re-enlist. After you've done that 4 or 5 times, you'll have 20 years in and can "retire" from the service with a great pension and benefits, but you'll still want (possibly need) to work as you'll only be 40 ish.

Whether you end up enlisted or eventually officer, the money is OK, the benefits are good, and the memories are fantastic.

And finally, no matter what you do, how long you serve, you will have served your country. That fact will make you a more desirable worker down the road. And chicks dig the uniform.

Miner
 
To the OP.

I'd say if you want to go to school, and you were diehard wanting to enlist, do so in the naval reserve ( or guard ) and get in the GI Bill to go to school.

If you want to go straight to school, I'd highly recommend Navy ROTC. Officer side is a little different than enlisted side if you're interested in that.

I'm an AF ROTC kid at Tennessee and it's great. :tongue:

Some ways are harder than others, but any way you go, be it Navy, Army, Marines, AF, or Coast Guard,....enlisted or officer... you can't go wrong.
I went Navy ROTC...I'd recommend ANY ROTC and then keep selecting "elite" training. Surround yourself with competitive people BETTER than you are.
 
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