In the Navy, what is considered a "small" ship?

Question

I signed up for the IT rate but don't leave until November 3rd. I'm trying to get as much info about my rate as possible and from what I heard smaller ships would benefit me if I wanted to work with computers and do actually IT work. I also heard going on shore duty or working on large ships such as carriers would put me into the "comm" side of being an IT in which I would have to work w/ radios. Bummer!

Answer 1

We call them "small boys" ... Destroyers and the new ships (Littoral Warfare Ships???) that are replacing the Frigates.



A cruiser is not a small ship, not big either anymore, although they are great duty.



Your chances of getting shore duty, right out of boot camp and school are between slim and none. If you request sea duty list Destroyer, Destroyer and Destroyer as your first 3 choices.



You could try for a showboat, like USS Blue Ridge, but that might be a tough nut to crack. With Commander 7th Fleet on-board they must have a gaggle of IT rates.

Answer 2

Frigates, and Destroyers are traditionally thought of as small ships, both in size and crew. Small deck Gators can also be considered small ships because they generally have small crews, when compared to other ships of their size.



Communications work is part of the IT rating. Most of the senior IT's that you'll be working for used to be Radiomen (RM), and Data Processing Technicians (DP). At lest now you'll be working with computers more, even if you work with communications, for transmitting and receiving message traffic, instead of having to get all your message traffic from a teletype. You'll more than likely get to work with all the computers on the ship, with the exception of tactical computers, no matter what ship you get assigned to.

Answer 3

DEFINATELY NOT A CRUISER. A FRGATE, A DESTROYER YES, A CRUISER IN MY NAVY WAS NEXT BELOW A BATTLESHIP IN SIZE WITH 6 INCH GUNS LIKE USS-SPRINGFIELD A LIGHT CRUISER OR A HEAVY CRUISER WITH 8 INCH GUNS.LIKE USS NEW PORT NEWS. SOME WERE AS LARGE AS A BATTLE SHIP WITH THE DIFFERENCE BEING LESS ARMOR PLATE AND SMALLER GUNS. AN IOWA CLASS BATTLEWAGON HAD 16 INCH GUNS. LITORAL SHIPS ARE JUNK JUST LKE OBAMA CARE IS JUNK. AT THIS RATE OUR WHOLE MILITARY WILL BE JUNK IN A FEW YEARS. there IS AN ELECTION COMING UP SOON SO IT CAN BE CHANGED.

Answer 4

any ship who carry 300 or less sailors such as destroyer, cruiser, mine ship etc.. In those command can be good and bad, good is that advance opportunity area easier due to had less people to compete, and you more likely has more management position and know what other rate does more. and you know almost everyone in the ship, unlike big ship like carrier who there's like mafia alike society and sometime not very friendly. The bad thing could since is small ship, you more likely work more than your IT in bigger ship counterpart. Also small ship will not has the same equipment or job training compare to bigger ship.



I not sure about IT in small ship, but big ship,IT is more kick back, like my IT in the airwing, all he does is do few trouble calls, but spend most of the time in the world wide web.

Answer 5

Aircraft Carriers and large deck amphibs (LHA/LHD) are the only ships that ARE NOT small boys... that's who created the term... the Carrier Sailors... Don't believe that part about where you go will decide what you do..... the command decides what you do... and even on a small boy, they have COMMS... my best friend did it for 22 years and loved it so much that now he is doing COMMS in the Merchant Marines...



Keep your options open!!! And welcome aboard shipmate!

Answer 6

Frigates, Cruisers, Subs are considered small ships.

Answer 7

depends on who you talk to, bust generally speaking, Small boys are Cruisers, Destroyers and Frigates. the new LCCs will also have relatively small crews on board.