Boats or Ships

[Walter Raleigh]

I'd like to go boats, but I've been told that I would not get to do any travelling, bar being under the sea. Is this accurate? I know on ships they visit ports regularly. Do submarines literally spend the whole mission underwater, and don't see the light of day until it's over?

 

[Caillou]

I'd like to go Subs, but I've been told that I would not get to do any travelling, bar being under the sea. Is this accurate? I know on ships they visit ports regularly. Do subs literally spend the whole mission underwater, and don't see the light of day until it's over?

I was told the same, i even asked a few of the guys at the afco and they said you may get to see some ports but to not count on it. One guy mentioned having time off at Gibraltar and that he knew some guys who got to spend some time in Norway. I'm sure that someone here will have a better answer but just figured i'd leave some anecdotal support

 

[janner]

They are called Submarines or Boats. Port visits are fairly rare, you may get the odd one on an SSN but would be extremely lucky to get the very occasional visit to the USA on an SSBN.
Your pay is greatly enhanced and whilst discipline is still there it is usually lacking a lot of the bullshit.
Most would say go General Service to start with then apply to transfer to Boats after a few years.

Good luck.

 

[WreckerL]

As Janner has said SSBNs don't get foreign runs ashore, it's straight out of Faslane, do the patrol and straight back in again but you may get lucky and get to Kings Bay in Georgia in the US, (I've been there on an SSN, there's nothing there but rednecks and good 'ol boys! ) SSN'S you will get foreign runs ashore but not as many as your surface counterpart.

If you want to go boats, do it, failing that go surface first (get some foreign runs in) and then to boats, it's what I did, admittedly I was a non-volunteer initially.

 

[Caillou]

I start Raleigh on Monday and I was convinced to change my application from the general service to submarine. The selling point was remaining in Scotland but I do like the idea of the training for the submarines after they pitched it as learning the inside and out of the boat to cover roles as and when required.

I reckon it'll be good, not heard anyone say they don't enjoy boats

 

[slim]

Go Submariner
With the extra pay once the pandemic is over you will be able to use your leave and go anywhere you want to without the restraints of having to return to your ship boy 0800 when you have trapped.

 

[Walter Raleigh]

Thanks for your replies. I won't be calling them subs again. I've already done 4 years in the RAF and hopefully won't need to do basic, but just a compressed course. I've got a young family, and feel that boats are more structured when it comes to going away. I'm happy to be away. I also like the idea of the close-knit team, learning how everything works and the way boats work in general. I'm applying for CIS. Just waiting for the re-joining cell to get back to me.

 

[klgreload]

feel that boats are more structured when it comes to going away.

They aren't as well structured as you would think. Especially SSBNs. Also as a CISSM you do the skimmer course at Collingwood first and then the CISSM course at Submarine School. It will take more then 1 year just to finish phase 2.

 

[Walter Raleigh]

They aren't as well structured as you would think. Especially SSBNs. Also as a CISSM you do the skimmer course at Collingwood first and then the CISSM course at Submarine School. It will take more then 1 year just to finish phase 2.

I was told that I would do it all at Submarine School at Raleigh, and then on to my first boat. It also states that on the website. However I know how inaccurate they can be. What are the promotion timescales like in the trade? I'm a bit older, so hoping to fast track if possible.

 

[klgreload]

I was told that I would do it all at Submarine School at Raleigh, and then on to my first boat. It also states that on the website. However I know how inaccurate they can be. What are the promotion timescales like in the trade? I'm a bit older, so hoping to fast track if possible.

Fast track is available only for tech. Not spec. Just in case you don’t know the difference tech does the maintenance and repairing of equipment. Specialist operate the equipment and deal with the signals etc.

 

[Walter Raleigh]

Fast track is available only for tech. Not spec. Just in case you don’t know the difference tech does the maintenance and repairing of equipment. Specialist operate the equipment and deal with the signals etc.

Thanks for the information. I sort of know the difference, but only from reading. Again on the careers website they have CIS(SM) under the engineering branch. So I was hoping they might do the fat track. I've been trying to do as much research as I can. Is it a minimum of 3 sjars before consideration for LH??

 

[klgreload]

Thanks for the information. I sort of know the difference, but only from reading. Again on the careers website they have CIS(SM) under the engineering branch. So I was hoping they might do the fat track. I've been trying to do as much research as I can. Is it a minimum of 3 sjars before consideration for LH??

I haven’t looked that much into it but when you arrive to collingwood or Raleigh just tell them you are interested in the fast track scheme and they will point you in the right direction. At collingwood we had someone came down and literally say “Put your hand up if you want to do fast track. I’ll do the interviews now” I believe it’s normally 3-4 years before getting LH normally.