What is it like being on a Navy ship?

Question

I am thinking about the Navy but I have a few questions about ship life. What do you do during off hours? Do you get cabin fever? Are you allowed to go up to the deck to get fresh air when your not working? Is it true you can attend online colleges? Do you get board? Do you see a lot of exotic places? I know that's a lot of questions, but I'm really curious.

Answer 1

You don't get many "off hours on ship" routine consists of a full 8 hour work day and also standing watch in various duties you may be assigned in.



Expect to get about 18 hours of work and watch standing duties in a day, and the rest of the time is yours to shower/shave, rest or train and qualify for higher levels of responsibility etc.....



You are allowed on deck for fresh air if topside is not restricted for operational reasons for example chemical warfare, darken ship, or during high seas, flight operations and fowl weather.



There are college courses made available onboard, but it is difficult to perform courses and maintain a comfortable routine while underway. It can be done, but I never attempted it. I wouldn't try to do more than 1 course at a time.



It is possible that you could get bored, but if you are doing what you are supposed to do, there is never a shortage of work, training, and other responsibilities aboard a ship.



I have seen the world, Europe, the Caribbean, the Pacific, Hawaii and have gone to places I would never have gone in my lifetime if it weren't for the Navy. Travel is an education and experience that can not be replaced.



I hope you choose the Navy. We need good sailors with positive attitudes to keep the fleet going. Good luck in your decision.

Answer 2

My daughter was in the Navy and was assigned to the USS Hopper in Hawaii. She was there her entire enlistment. She went all over the middle east, Australia, Japan, and a few places I'm forgetting right now. She and her friends and the rest of the crew were able to get off the ship in ports that were considered safe. She has pics from Hong Kong, Australia, Dubai which is a wealthy port in the middle east. She really had a good time and saw places that she would probably otherwise not get to see. She got bored but then you get bored no matter where you are, right? She worked a lot, a lot more than she did when she was on land. That's the down side. She got to go up on the deck whenever she wasn't working. They had days when they got to 'play' in a Navy sort of way. There are ways to get college credits on line. Did I answer you questions? Good luck to you in whatever you decide.

Answer 3

Chief Yoopertrooper is right on.



I only did 4 years and got out for th wrong reasons and wish I had stayed in.

out of 4 years I have 3 years of "at Sea" duty. the rest was in training and a few months limited shore duty for an injury.



Two and a half years I was on a guided missile cruiser and the rest was on the Kitty Hawk (An Aircraft Carrier)



My Division had six men (Not counting the Chief and the Division Officer) We had two men on watch 24/7 so long as we were at sea. That meant we stood 4 hour shifts twice a day.



0745-1145 Section 1

1145-1545 Section 2

1545-1945 Section 3

1945-2345 Section 1

2345-0345 Section 2

0345-0745 Section 3



If you were in section 1 you would be off during sections 2 and 3. but not entirely. If you were "off" but it was during normal hours you still had to work in your divisions doing maintenance or whatever needed doing. after hours you may have other housekeeping duties such as cleaning compartments assigned to your division and any personal chores such as eating, laundry, studing for exams and qualifications, and finally. sleep

You will be lucky to get 4 hours uninterupted sleep in any given day.

Add in special evolutions like Refuel at sea, General Quarters Battlestations, Flight Quarters, and any and all Drills such as Man Overboard, Fires, Flooding, you name it.



Usually on a sunday we will have a day off. that means Watches are still stood but we generally dont have a workday schedualed unless it is vital maintenace or repair work. We have a Steel Beach Picnic back on the fantail.

Sometimes in the Evening you may get some time to yourself to just watch the waters go by. watch the stars come out when you are 1000's of miles from the nearest land or lights.

The 4 years I was in was some of the hardest working days of my life!

and some of the greatest as well.

just in my four years I saw things that most never get to see. I have seen danger, and wonder. I have seen missile tests go awry. and have helped people devestated by Volcano and Typhoon recover.

I have been to Olongapo City and walked Magsaysay Avenue (Those who know... KNOW)



just some of the places I have seen...

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Tahiti

Fiji

Singapore

Subic Bay, Phillipines

Phuket, Thailand

Hong Kong

Pusan, Korea

Yokosuka, Japan

Sasebo, Japan

Columbo, Sri Lanka

Bahrain

Dubai, UAE

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Jebel Ali, UAE



There is a Navy Captain who has a Milblog. he has written a story in 53 parts that goes through a 24 hour period in the Life of an Aircraft Carrier. It is mostly from the view of various Pilots (The Author is an F/A-18 Hornet Pilot) but it has some from the view of an E-4 Third Class Petty Officer standing watch in CIC.

read "Rhythms" at neptunuslex.com



http://www.neptunuslex.com/?page_id=190



UPDATE:

Hey Popeye...

I think you got enough spinach there bub. Time to eat some fish... (brainfood)



Or at least use the spellcheck that is built into this program!

Answer 4

I been navy for a while, i get can answer u question honerstly about it.



Off hours,, well if u don't go undersea(ship that's isnlt moving and staying in port) u get decent time off alot like regular job exception of watch.. some watch can last up to 8 hours or more, and u recalled for like while day 24hours mean u can't go anywhere but in ship. there's duty secion depend size of ship smaller ship shall aleast 4 secion bigger ship up to 8 sectiosn like the carrier. what i mean by decent hours is around or work 8 hours, some work less and more, depend the job. ljob like master arm, curlastry specialist usually work the most hours, admin work, paperwork job usually less hours work. but while underway, job hours usually extend. i only been the carrier and i telling u those squadron attanch to the carrier when the ships is underway, got the worst wokring hours.. 12to15 hours etc.. why cause of intense mainterance for the plane, is not staple hours because really depend the condition of the plane, underway don't get days off u work all the times except in port of course but those 3 to 1 month underwat at sea suck cause u don't get any port or go to land in those time.

Yes u get fresh air most people prefer during smoke break for that. good way to avoid work and deliever streess, u would be supirose found tha navy has the highesrs % of people that smoke than any other workforce. online college well is a slow process, .. even now only small amound of peple take those, but those that take usually take full advantange. online college is ok and adjustable when u in land or shore duty, but in ship and sea command is really diffucult, first cause u got tons of workload. and alot time unexpect what time get off, if u in shore command u usually get regular hours. also in ship computer access internet is really really suck, probablyt the worst place of any organization that offer access, maybe only 5% people in the ship get to access internet anytime rest probably has only fewe hours per days..... eventhough u can access emai all the time,(not yahoo mail i talking about shps email) now they block yahoo email etc.. webmail, internet is began even more restrict.... navy is too sterotype, cause they want us spend alot of times go online college and go to NKO take thouse online training course? yet sametime downgrade our internet access...??? some ship like carrier even worst, they monitor u internet usage. i think in sea command more people prefer those NCPACE, basically self study with a book and cd, u take the test from a education officer or chief. no need to go online but can be diffult to find help.

Answer 5

Sounds interested

Answer 6

i spent a month working the flightdeck on the john c stennis, im about to go back. (im a marine by the way) it was single the worse month of my life. there is not one good thing about going on the boat.

i thought about jumping over about 83749 times. once because i saw land i thought i might make it. the other times because i was hoping a shark was in the area.

Answer 7

Was on Yahoo Answers for something else, then this topic was trending on the sidebar...

Answer 8

1st---off hours? no such thing

2 - you wont be in a cabin....

3 - NO

4- probably

6- bored---yes...board as in free room and ---yes

7- you sail right past them

Answer 9

It's like, "Dude, it's so sweet that we're safe out on the water."



"Yeah, dude... wanna make love again?"



"Sweet"

Answer 10

CRAMPED