New Mar-El here

[Sepulchrave]

I'll be starting BMQ in march. I've quite a few questions for you guys.

What is the trade like? Navyblue mentioned stress and being pressured to take courses prematurely. Could you please elaborate on that?

Where'll I be posted to? I'd like to go to Victoria.

How often can I expect to be out at sea? Is it possible to defer sea-time for a few months under certain circumstances (if I was newly married, for instance)?

Can I get accreditation as an industrial electrician on civvie street?

tia

 

[George Wallace]

Did the CF issue that 'wife'?  I am sure that if they did, they would allow you to stay at home with her, while your ship is at sea.  I am sure that they will then send you on a First Class Airline ticket to join your ship at some foreign port.  This is after all the new CF.

 

[zipperhead_cop]

Did the CF issue that 'wife'?  I am sure that if they did, they would allow you to stay at home with her, while your ship is at sea.  I am sure that they will then send you on a First Class Airline ticket to join your ship at some foreign port.  This is after all the new CF.

Aw, man!  I knew I should have gone Navy.  All I got was the thundersh_ts for two days from haybox pork chops.  Whatta gyp! :crybaby:

 

[Melbatoast]

No, you certainly can't "defer" sea time, esecially as an Ordinary Seaman.  The only circumstance where you could would be if you had a baby.  Then you can take a load of leave at 90% salary (as in months).  The downside to that is that the time is not pensionable nor does it count toward career advancement, so you'll be six months behind your peers when you come back.  Might as well be a year when you're an OD or AB.

If your deployment is long enough you could be supplied with an LTA (fly home for a week) or reverse LTA (fly your wife out for a week) at some point.  Don't count on it.

But, you joined the Navy.  You will be away from home for short or long periods of time at irregular intervals for at least six years - probably longer as ETs don't have a lot of shore posting opportunities outside of the FMFs.

 

[geo]

A port for every storm and a storm for every port....

(Or something along those lines)

 

[Navy_Blue]

Welcome to the Trade!  It is quite possibly one of the best in the Navy right now next to Hull Tech and Fire Fighter.  First off my comments about being pushed through training.  I'm on my Tech course now and at least half the guys on the course don't want to be there right now.  It is very intense and stressful allot of knowledge for one year (after a year your on the equipment phase).  You can get behind very quickly.  I'm on this course after only 4 years which up until recently only happened on rare cases.  If you like your work you'll get through this course though its worth it.

But all in all we have a great working life on ship and not to bad alongside.  You get to work with your hands and fix things but don't need to be dirty all the time like Stokers.  On watch you check your spaces once a watch and stay in touch with the MCR and life is good.  You can pick up secondary duties as well if your interested like Diver and Boarding Party as well.  I'm very happy with being an ET but you'll have to see the whole Navy thing isn't for everyone tho. 

Sailing all depends on the ship but expect 6 months a year and you'll be safe.  The wife should expect at least that.  Your bonus is not moving the family much.  You can buy a house make a home and not expect to bounce around much.  Don't get me wrong it sucks waving to the wife and kids and knowing you wont be home for six months.  You can only try and make the most of the time you have.  In four years I've done two major deployments and a few smaller one month trips.  I had time off for parental leave and a surgery too.

There are ways to get your training accredited and hours counted to be an industrial ET (still need a code course)  but I'm not sure who or where myself.  DND wont do it for you because we would all leave.