The Future

[rici]

Hi all,

I have been seriously considering a career in the Royal Navy and I am preparing for my AIB, however the current trends worry me.

Reading about the downsizing of the fleet, cancelling of new builds, reduction in the numbers of personel and promotion freezes makes me wonder if the Navy can actually offer me a career.

Is there a future?

With todays political climate and smaller fleets what about the increased demand on the fleet? How much time will I spend away from family and friends? Can anyone give me a percentage of the time I will spend away? I have not been able to find out exactly how navy ships 'operate'. Deployments I understand can be up to 9months but how frequent are they? What about exersises, training etc? when actually alongside how long do you have to remain onboard?

I realise that I will make some brilliant friends in the navy but I'm just thinking about the strain on marriage. Sorry if this seems a silly question but I want to be sure that the Navy is for me, if I commit.


Thanks for any help.
Richard

 

[Lingyai]

There will always be something for you to do, there will always be a navy but as for deployment times, no one can tell, you just have to put up with the time away and make the best of it. One of the pissers is when you are in UK and you have to go in every day even if there is nothing to do. If you are allready married it might not be such a good choice. We used to have a right laugh and enjoy it to the max but there were always the few married types that mooned about lokking at pictures of their family and getting sad. Not all of them but quite a few.
We came in for Christmas leave once and the families were on the jetty and we got an emergency turnaround and had to go out again over Christmas (didn't even fall out from harbour stations) and the way these marrieds' were acting you'd have thought the world was ending whilst the rest of us made a good laugh out if it. Don't let any of the "pink" types tell you about family harmony etc. the mob needs men that will go away, do the job, put it first and put the welfare issues second. If you can do that you will be a great asset to the navy.
I am away a lot too but I have always told my womenfolk before hand and they say OK, time tells, some piss off cos they can't handle it (fair enough) and the present one hasn't. Bottom line, job comes first, without it you can't eat.
When you are thinking about joining the navy you should be looking forward to excitement and going away, if you are already giving thought to time off and being away from the missus then maybe the air force might be a better option.

 

[wardmaster]

When you are thinking about joining the navy you should be looking forward to excitement and going away, if you are already giving thought to time off and being away from the missus then maybe the air force might be a better option.

Lingyai is right. If you are fretting now about separation you haven't got the right attitude.

 

[chockhead819]

Its all about commitment it really is the service or family, I saw a lot of divorces in my time & it just wasn't the junior rates.

 

[Jack_McHammocklashing]

SNIP

Hi all,

I have been seriously considering a career in the Royal Navy and I am preparing for my AIB, however the current trends worry me.

makes me wonder if the Navy can actually offer me a career.

Is there a future?

How much time will I spend away from family and friends? Can anyone give me a percentage of the time I will spend away? I have not been able to find out exactly how navy ships 'operate'. Deployments I understand can be up to 9months but how frequent are they? What about exersises, training etc? when actually alongside how long do you have to remain onboard?

Richard

End SNIP

Yes there is a future

Time away, depends on the branch, usually nine months then UK for three months
Time on board, well the same if not more than a civvy
When you are alongside in the UK, Then you work onboard every day just as you would in an office again depending on what branch, watchkeeping then you will be onboard at night too

I mean if your ship is in Guzz and your family are in Newcastle, then you will not be home every evening or at weekends, just on long leaves

If you get married quarters in Pompey, then unless anythings changed they will give you a Guzz ship :lol:

Think of it this way
Get your self a shiftworking job 200 miles away from where you are living just now, the distance will mean you will not be home on an evening, and along with the distance the cost will limit your weekends home to maybe once a month, getting home at midnight Friday and leaving mid day Sunday
Solution sell up home and move to your ships base, then after your nine months away, you will have three months of been home three evenings then duty then home three evenings

It was a great life for a single man and indeed for a married man providing his wife was strong, could run the home and finances plus travel about, then up and shift home again after two years

I do not think now once you have signed the dotted line you are compulsory commited to serve the nine years with no get out :lol:

 

[rici]

Well thanks for the advice guys, really much appreciated.

Take care,
Richard