New to the Navy

[CLEM512]

Hello, I joined back in 2008 and went to CFLRS, then went to LFCA TC Meaford for Battle school (was originally infantry). But I had VR'd. Then when I rejoined a lot of trades were closing so I picked what ever sounded best and I ending up picking Naval Electronics Tech (Radar). But I don't really know a whole lot about the Navy and I have some questions and was wondering if I could get any tips from someone who knows about NE techs.

Is it true you get 2 beers a day on ship?
Do you still have to do SQ?
Do you still wear your combats?
Do you have to march everywhere you go? (in Meaford that was the case for people who didn't complete battleschool yet)
Are you issued your Navy cap badge right away or when you completed your trade training?
Is there going to be ruckmarches?
What extra pieces of kit are you issued that are different from basic?(I know our kit almost doubled when we got to Meaford)
How often do you parade?
Is it true that you have to shape your berret a different way, like instead of having the cap badge flat against the forehead you actually have to make it stick out?
Do you have to always keep your hair short or can you let it grow a bit in the Navy?
Also anything that would be different from either the army or basic.

That's about all that I can think of right now. Help would be appreciated, thanks.

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

Is it true you get 2 beers a day on ship?

Alongside during lunch you may have a beer, that being said showing up with beer on your breath might send you to the Coxn

Do you still have to do SQ?

No...hard to section battle drills in the Mess Decks

Do you still wear your combats?

We have our own naval combat dress

Do you have to march everywhere you go? (in Meaford that was the case for people who didn't complete battleschool yet)

If you're a hard sea trade (search for it as its here) you will march in Esquilmalt and certain other courses may require you to.

Are you issued your Navy cap badge right away or when you completed your trade training?

I LOTP'd from the army a few years ago but the kids that were on my 3s had Naval Operations Cap Badges

Is there going to be ruckmarches?

The flight deck is kinda small for ruckmarches and Air Det gets mad.

What extra pieces of kit are you issued that are different from basic?(I know our kit almost doubled when we got to Meaford)

I did Basic over 21 years ago so there is quite a difference from what you get then til what you get now.

How often do you parade?

Whenever your CO deems it.

Is it true that you have to shape your berret a different way, like instead of having the cap badge flat against the forehead you actually have to make it stick out?

No

Do you have to always keep your hair short or can you let it grow a bit in the Navy?

We follow the same Dress and Deprtment as the rest of the CF.

Also anything that would be different from either the army or basic.

We sail on minor and major warships and submarines plus there are lots of posts here that tells you what sailors do and what navy life is like.

Milnet.Ca Staff

 

[x35pm]

"What extra pieces of kit are you issued that are different from basic?"

There's very little actually. When I finished basic the majority of my field kit was immediately returned to stores since there are very few opportunities to use wash basins and web gear at sea (or ashore for that matter). Special kit like helmets, flak jackets, anti-flash gear, Canary suits, floater jackets, etc. are issued on an as needed basis by the unit or ship you're posted to and in most cases stays there, so you won't have to lug any of it from posting to posting. As for optional gear, I've always sworn by the advice given to me by my first Cox'n "Every sailor, regardless of rank or trade needs a good knife". So even if you've been issued a multi-tool, investing in a solid, locking blade knife with a rubber grip and a partly-serrated edge (straight edges do not cut wet rope very well) with a carrying case is probably a good idea.

 

[Otis]

The flight deck is kinda small for ruckmarches and Air Det gets mad.

:rofl:

 

[MSEng314]

The closet thing to a ruck march I have to do it get my kitbag across the brow and down to the mess  ;D

 

[CLEM512]

Thanks for the anwers, so how's the PT?

 

[hold_fast]

Alongside during lunch you may have a beer, that being said showing up with beer on your breath might send you to the Coxn

For some reason, I keep remembering a documentary or promo for navy life on a Canadian ship, and it showed a vending machine with beer. Unless that was an American ship...

Is social drinking prohibited then, unless alongside? I just always imagined relaxing after a tense shift with some rum or scotch. Keyword there being 'imagined'.

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

For some reason, I keep remembering a documentary or promo for navy life on a Canadian ship, and it showed a vending machine with beer. Unless that was an American ship...

Is social drinking prohibited then, unless alongside? I just always imagined relaxing after a tense shift with some rum or scotch. Keyword there being 'imagined'.

US Navy ships are dry and have been for decades.

There are vending machines but they have to be unlocked and the only time hard liquor is served is when we are alongside a foreign port or during mess functions.

 

[MSEng314]

Extension to what Ex Dragoon said, the vending machine with beer is in the Master Seamen and below mess, the Chief and PO's mess and the Wardoom just have a fridge with beer in it.

 

[Pusser]

Extension to what Ex Dragoon said, the vending machine with beer is in the Master Seamen and below mess, the Chief and PO's mess and the Wardoom just have a fridge with beer in it.

Just so everyone is clear on this, the officers and C&POs still have to pay for their beer.  Whereas the MS&B have to feed coins into the beer machine, the other two messes operate an honour bar and members are expected to mark their chits for the alcohol they consume (you're allowed wine at sea as well).  Spirits and are only allowed alongside.  At the end of the month, everybody pays their mess bill and the cost of all the missing alcohol (ie. that drunk by the b------ds that didn't mark their chits) is divided amongst the members.  As an aside, the C&POs chits are usually perfect (almost TOO perfect it seems) and the Wardroom's are usually a mess!

Contrary to popular belief (unless Ships' Standing Orders or MARCORDs have changed in the last two years), there is no actual limit to the amount of alcohol sailors are allowed to drink each day.  The "two beers per day" is a figure the stewards use for calculating the amounts to order (there are other figures we use for spirits and wine), but alcohol is not otherwise rationed.  IF the ship starts to run low on alcohol, the Captain MIGHT direct that certain items be rationed, but that is done on a case by case basis and is very rare (ships can actually carry a lot of booze).

Having said that, sailors cannot just drink themselves silly whenever they feel like it.  There are two very simple rules that come into play:  1) you're not allowed to get drunk at sea and 2) you cannot have any alcohol within six hours of going on watch.  As long as these rules are followed, there are few problems.  Besides with the 1 in 2 watch rotation that is the norm these days, there is little opportunity for anyone to drink at sea, so it's largely a non-issue now.

 

[MSEng314]

Well said Pusser. The only people who really have time to drink at sea are the people who work day shifts; even being in a 1 in 4 doesn't allow a lot of time to have a few wets and get all your other personal stuff done.