If I wanted a traditional-sailor rate when I join the Navy reserve

Join the Coast Guard. Navy isn't big on traditional sailor shit anymore.

>>30008883

To many tattoos; in the process of getting my Merchant Marine credentials and while doing so the Navy has completely changed their tattoo policy so I am looking into the reserves.

>>30008883
Submarine or minesweeper is way to go. Small crews, all men usually, and old traditions.

Ya wanna be a true sailor? Go in undesignated

>>30008870

>traditional sailor

Any man can make a rate but only God makes Bo'suns Mates.

Have a post navy exit plan working when you are in. Including but not limited to understanding your GI Bill, va disability, veterans hiring preference for federal civilian jobs, retirement and thrift savings plan.

If your young do the 20 yrs don't be dumb like I was and get out at 7 yrs. I have good federal job now where I bought back my military service time but I floundered for about 5 years after I got out trying to figure out my path.

Stay out of trouble too. Be a hard worker. The military is what you make it like everything else. Get as many certs and training as you can. If you want to be ICE when you get out you need your small craft licenses.

>>30009475

Thanks mate, but like I said in my OP I was already in the Marine Corps, and then a PMC for years after so I'm not new to the whole thing, including 'after the military' stuff.

>>30009425

I didn't think you could enlist for certain ships and such? (In regards to your minesweeper suggestion. I know you can try to join as a submariner).

>>30009475

Oh and since I am guessing you are a boatswains mate or were:

Do you still learn marlinespike seamanship in school?

Is BM culture in the Navy similar to infantry culture in the Marine Corps/Army?

Bamp.

>>30010157
Yea except more retarded

>>30008870

>says not to warn him
>fuck it, I'm'a warn 'im
As a former nuke MM, I feel I should warn you that those rates are probably closer to "POG" than "traditional sailor".
The population in each is less "traditional navy" and more "navy fetishist".

That said, QM is probably closer to what you're looking for. BMs are painters. Pretty much just painters.

>>30010093

Yes you will learn ropes and knots at school it's 7 weeks at Great Lakes and even more in the fleet. Deck apes spend most of thier time at sea. You will be master of the rope, the chain, the paint brush and small craft.

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>>30011309

Corpsman out of thread. This is for real blue water rates not medics.

>>30011472

Submariners are know wierdos and degenerates. Stay away from them OP.

>>30010060
Minesweeper is a rate.

>>30011517

Small vessels have better chow and berthing.

>>30011472

How many surface ships have you been on because BM just paint in the silent service don't mean that's all they do in the rest of the navy. Wak on subs are thier own special thing IIRC.

>>30011543

Stupid auto correct....QM on subs have thier own school they attend different then surface.

>>30008870
Why are you going pog sailor after 0311?

Fuck man. Trying to get your 20? Sounds like failure sauce fuck that.

>>30011741

Not sure what kind of question this is really?

I am considering it for the exact same reasons I joined the infantry and then went on to be a PMC.

I joined the infantry during a time of war so that I could go to war (and I joined the Marine Corps in no small part because of the Corps Naval/maritime traditions).

Then I became a PMC to go to war-zones in that capacity.

Now I want to join the Navy so I can try my hand at being a sailor and going sea.

Why does it matter if it is a "POG" job? Are all of my firefights, combat action ribbon, attacks as a PMC, etc. somehow negated because I want to be a sailor in your opinion?

>>30008901

I've been a Navy Reservist for years, ask me anything. Off the rip, Merchant Marine credentials would probably be best served by being a Boatswain's Mate. The only problem is that in the reserves, you'll be on small boats and probably never see a ship.

>>30014221

Thanks for the response.

>Merchant Marine credentials would probably be best served by being a Boatswain's Mate

That is what I was thinking as well. What is your rate if you don't mind me asking and do you have an MMC? Do you have any Mariners in your unit; what happens if they are at sea during drill-weekends? Also what exactly do Navy reserve units do on drill weekends anyways?

>The only problem is that in the reserves, you'll be on small boats and probably never see a ship.

That sort of puts a damper on the whole idea. Small boats as in patrol-boats or literally just HSVs and stuff?

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>>30014260

I'm a Yeoman.

>MMC

All of the Merchant Marine types that I've worked with were Maritime Academy grads that were commissioned into the reserves as Military Sealift O-1s after college. Never met a deck guy that did it in the civilian world, but I did say BM because it's the rate that is supposed teach you line handling, securing cargo, anchor ops, and underway replenishment type things. However, chances are you'll just learn how to be a small craft coxswain as a reservist (which personally I'd prefer but you seem gung-ho about hauling lines and shit).

>at sea during DWE

It would a valid reason to reschedule, I'm sure they do it with the MSC Officers all the time.

>Drills

Depends on the unit. OSUs are administrative hubs that do pretty much nothing, they're basically IA factories. Other units do their specialty, small boats, aviation, seabee things, cargo things. A cargo unit might actually be a good idea for you if you go this route.

>Boats

Little boats

Motherfucking Boatswain's Mate.

One if the few rates that can damn near go anywhere or do anything.

Source: I'm a motherfucking Boatswain's Mate.

>>30014352

Is a small-craft coxswain sort of like a crew-chief on a helo?

And I'm not gung-ho about hauling lines and stuff; I just want to do sailor-related things as a reservist, not IT, etc. related things.

A coxswain or boat captain is fully responsible for his craft, crew, and gear. Candidates must qualify all watchstations unique to their craft before going up for their Small Craft Insignia. A majority of the Navy sniffs at it, but I find the small craft community very rewarding. A good Boatswain's Mate excels here.

>>30014491

More like a vehicle commander combined with driver in a Humvee, but yeah - I think the answer is still BM. It is THE old school Sailor rating.

A lot of people will talk shit about BM because of its low ASVAB requirements. Truth is its one of the most hard-working and prideful rates in the Navy or CG. You're a sailor in the truest form and the backbone of your service. It's the only rate where you'll be in a supervisory position at E-4 and BM CPOs are some of the most respected senior enlisted in the Navy. Take it for what it's worth.

As the saying goes, "first rate, best rate"

Disclaimer: I'm not a BM

>>30008870
Gunners Mate - Do you enjoy standing watch and dealing with retards who can't clean their weapons?
Quartermaster - Are you Filipino?
Boatswains Mate - Do you have an IQ above potato?

If so any of the answers are yes, then those rates will match for you!

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Guess who pipes the skipper aboard?

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A BM is the Navy. All the other are either button pusher or professors, along merely to hand us the saw; we do the work.

>>30014943
No one? The skipper doesnt get piped aboard his own ship.
>>30008870
Navy vet here. Dont go reserve and go GM. Better bonuses plus a good job.

>>30015043

Not OP but I DESPERATELY want to be a GM. Going to MEPs Monday, hoping for the best.

>>30015080
Well it is a pretty good rate. If your asvab is high enough and you meat all the other quals then just hold out for the contract.

>>30015043

GM's not that bad of a rating for the reserves, it's aviation I'd advise people to stay away from.

>>30015164
>for the reserves,
But why reserves at all? If youre gonna go then go all the way.

>>30015196

There's pros and cons, it's treated me really well. Got to deploy, do a lot of good work, and I have more flexibility as far as where I go, what I do and when. I just got paid a lot less and it took longer to get a GI Bill.

>>30015224
>Got to deploy
Bro everyone in the navy deploys. I was in for 4 and deployed twice.

>>30015256

Yeah, and I did it, mission accomplished

>>30015297
Im not saying you are lying just if youre gonna go go all the way.

>>30015256
Not true. Some rates dont deploy much if at all and will vary based on NEC.

>>30015380
True but thats cherry picking. The vast majority of rates will deploy. There are exceptions sure but most will.

>>30015336

Like I said, I made good decisions and I'm happy with them. Going all the way for some Sailors means a 4 year contract and getting sea time to be a "real Sailor", and I think a lot of that is valid. I just didn't want it, I like the reserves because it's a lot of expeditionary and embedding with other branches, it's been pretty great.

>>30015469
Ok i see where you are coming from.

>>30008870
Ex sea-going squid here. Did my time on a cruiser, battleship and a frigate.

If you want something that will either translate to civie life or at least have some fun go GM. IF you want something that could get you a job in the Merch Marines later go QM. If you do deck division (Bosuns mate) you will get to work with some pretty colorful individuals, knuckleheads and dudes on power-trips after they get their first stripe.

>>30015514
>Did my time on a cruiser
Same here, which one? I was on Antietam and Cowpens.

>>30015539
Fox CG-33

>>30015478

Well I saw where you were coming from too, no worries. We're starting to do more with the LCS but its a drop in the bucket compared to what we mostly do. There were ships manned by reservists decades ago but they did away with them because it just doesn't make sense as a concept.

>>30015539
What was your rate?

i once knew a dude who got a street hit in boot for walking on the wrong side of the road.

I also knew a dude who is still making payments on a 1970's olds that is on bricks.

They were both BMs.

>>30015554
Bro how old are you?
>>30015558
Same
>>30015577
OS. Why were you there?

>>30011543
>because BM just paint in the silent service don't mean that's all they do in the rest of the navy.

There are no BMs in the silent service.

>>30015759
Hahahaha..51

I was an EW which is now a CT.

The one that bends over most

>>30015827

Ladies(traps) and gentlemen, the oldest man on /k/!

Kinda cool to talk to an old fleeter on here.

>>30011472
I'm taking the NAPT monday.

Got an 85 on my asvab and I want to be a nuke mm.

What am I in for? My contract is for SECF if I dont pass the NAPT

>>30015827
CT is a good rate in every version. This >>30015871
wasnt me.
>>30015882
>want to be a nuke mm
Can i ask why?

>>30015895
Because I'm weird I guess? Everyone keeps calling my weird for wanting to do that.

I want to make myself the best future I possibly can.

>>30015882

My buddy was a nuke MM and he wound up taking antidepressants and getting medically separated. I met one nuke who genuinely liked it, everyone else seemed to really dislike it.

>>30015871

confirming this was me and not this guy:

>>30015895

>>30015910

Your best possible future involves a GI Bill, you've got all the time in the world. Your rating now isn't what decides your future.

>>30015910
>I want to make myself the best future I possibly can
What do you mean by that?

>>30015941
If I go nuke, and don't like it, I can leave the Navy when time is up and find a civilian job that makes good money.

If I like nuke, I can stay in and reap the re-enlistment bonuses.

>>30015965

That's 6-8 years isn't it?

>>30015965
>find a civilian job that makes good money.
You mean in the same line of work? If thats the case then yes that is a good plan. Get the ELT NEC if you can.

>>30015975
Yes 6-8 is about right.

>>30015979
The civilian job would be a lot of money, more likely less pressure, and I already know it's not hard for a Navy nuke to find work out of the Navy.

>>30016018
Youre right, so go for it.

>>30016018

(Don't do it bro)

>>30016042
If I fail, then I've got submarine electronics computer field.

I don't see how I can lose in this situation because I'm still getting rank after basic either route and I can always try to change rate if I go SECF

>>30015871
Thanks...I think.

>>30015925
BE& E school was right next to Nuke school in orlando. I used to watch Nukes wash out daily from the stress.

That being said, my uncle was a nuke on the Stonewall Jackson and Nautilus. He's done pretty good post USN.

Out the relatives I am aware of one was a Doolittle Raider, Grandpa was deck, uncle a nuke, cousin an Opticalman and I was an EW.

>>30015965
mm's and em's re-enlistment is nothing next to ET's re-enlistment, I am fixing to make 100,000 before taxes just to add 2 years to my contract. also, nuke ET's and ELT's are honestly the only nuclear rates, EM and MM are support for the electric plant and the steam plant.