<p>I have a few questions that I was wondering about over the course of this week and am curious about the answers. </p>
<p>1) How easy/difficult is it to have a family/meaningful relationship after graduating from the Academy and serving in the Navy?</p>
<p>2) How are you treated while at the Academy and after? (Kinda excluding Plebe year) With respect? Fairly?</p>
<p>3) What happens when you are sick at the Academy? (Just wondering because I have a cold know, and imagine it would be unbelievably sucky to have one at the Academy)</p>
<p>1) I’ll defer that to someone who has been there done that.</p>
<p>2) Um, yeah, you are treated with respect always. Demeaning people here is forbidden as it qualifies as hazing. Yes, even as a plebe. You will find that your time here is probably more civil and respectful than other civilian colleges. Like it or not we are all being trained to be “Officers and Gentlemen/Ladies” and are taught to act as such. That is not to say we are always prim and proper, we all can be spiteful, but yeah, we are a decent enough bunch.</p>
<p>3) You get looked at by a doc at sick call every morning, and if you are sick…or tell them you are sick…you get a piece of paper which says you can stay in your room and do nothing all day. You rest when you are sick here same as anywhere else. </p>
<p>From the tone of your questions, it sounds like you have a rather brutal view of the academy, where it is every man for himself, locked on hardcore all the time. Trust me, this place is that model maybe 5% of the time most of that being during plebe year, the rest feels like as normal a college as it can given the circumstances.</p>
<p>Negative. Having been to a normal college for two years, the Academy is not like a normal college at all, nor should it be. The Naval Academy is tougher in every aspect and has a completely different goal in mind; all of which is are positive things.</p>
<p>I never said it felt like a normal college, I said it felt as normal as possible given the circumstances. I was just trying to let the kid know it isn’t boot camp 24/7 like the tone of his questions seem to imply he thinks it is.</p>
<p>Krypter offers a really important and valuable insight, imo. I’ve come to conclude that it’s more in line viewing USNA as training/schooling that is being provided as a consequence of one’s earlier commitment to serve our nation via the USN …rather than college w/ uniforms in a pre-conceived military environment to which 8 years ensuing obligation is attached. There are no scholarships as there is no tuition. The only similarities are that through the process both a degree and a commission are earned. </p>
<p>I know it’s an old issue, but the more I hear people talking about getting a “free” education, the more I laugh. Ask any parent whose child has finished USNA or one of the other SA’s, and are now deployed in defense of our nation, facing the gravest of possibilities. They’ll confirm the price of it all …and I guarantee, it’ll not be “free” that they use in responding.</p>
<p>Some of our family members don’t really understand what the USNA is. They think our son is enlisting and feel bad for us that he has wants to go this route. We tell them how proud we are and we are fully aware of the service committment that goes along with this great honor to attend this Academy. To us, it is not a free ride. A lot of thought has been put into it. My son has been so focussed during this whole process, only applied to the USNA, did everything himself, and never waivered. So, I think that those who attend need to go for the right reasons. You can not do it for others, you have to really want it. My son is actually looking forward to the structure and challenge. He knows it won’t be easy, but that is what makes it a special place.</p>
<p>Relationships are never easy, they take time, work, and committment, just like everything else. Possible? Most certainly! I would suggest searching this site for discussion on “significant others”… it was a few [?] months back, but it is worth the search!</p>
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<p>With respect, and fairly. Sorta.
YOU have to EARN respect.
“Fair”- depends on fair to who? You? Your company? The Brigade? The Academy? The Face of the Navy? It is a matter of perspective- if you come out “ahead” then, to you, it was “fair;”, if not, it isn’t. Sort of the way it goes.</p>
<p>From a more practical level- much of your experience will be shaped by your company, and no two are alike. All I can say is that it is “doable,” with the right attitude, motivation, tenacity, perservernece, and determination. If you have those, you are good to go!
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<p>you get up at 0-dark-thirty and head to Brigade Medical, get checked, and if you get SIC [sick in quarters] if necessary. Most hesitate to go as missing classes can set you back. But there are times when it is best for you- and your shipmates- to stay back and get well rather than spreading those germs around.</p>
<p>Difficult, but not impossible. The primary stress is the considerable time away from home where the SO has to deal with life on their own. Some couples handle it fine. Others, not so much.</p>
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<p>You are treated the way you deserve to be treated based upon your behavior and treatment of others, within the logical restrictions of job titles.</p>
<p>Kinda like in real life. ;)</p>
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<p>You tell your Squad Leader that you are reporting to Sick Call down in Medical (wherever that is these days). The doctors look you over and, if you’re really sick, will prescribe appropriate medications or diet, and will likely give you an SIR (Sick In Room) chit (assuming they still call it that), which allows you to miss class. If you’re sick, it’s really no big deal. You’ll hardly be the first, last, or only one.</p>
<p>You’ve heard the old saying: “A $250,000 education rammed up your backside one nickle at a time…”?</p>
<p>It’s true (although I suspect it’s more than a quarter mil now), and that’s BEFORE you graduate. Afterwards, you may very well have to pay for it with your life.</p>
<p>I am seriously considering going to USNA (if I can get in) but i am not sure what to do after. I am willing and want to be deployed so that is not a problem but i also want to have a family, what are my options? also I wanted to know what the requirements you have to have to be a medic? Any ideas? I want an active job so no desks, and I don’t know if I could stay on a ship for that long… I was thinking marine medic??? Anybody know what thats like?</p>
<p>The Marine Corps relies on the Navy to provide their medical care, so there are no “Marine medics”. Medics usually refer to enlisted personell with medical training (called corpsmen). It sounds like you are looking at becoming a Navy doctor who wants to work with Marines. My experience with Navy docs is that they are not always able to choose their assignments, so there is no guarantee that you would never have to be on a ship.</p>
<p>Unless you want to become a Marine officer (either ground or air), the Navy will probably expect you to deploy on a ship. Even pilots serve at sea when their squadrons deploy.</p>
<p>The Marine Corps relies on the Navy to provide their medical care, so there are no “Marine medics”. Medics usually refer to enlisted personnel with medical training (called corpsmen). It sounds like you are looking at becoming a Navy doctor who wants to work with Marines. Do you have hopes of going to medical school? My experience with Navy docs is that they are not always able to choose their assignments, so there is no guarantee that you would never have to be on a ship.</p>
<p>Unless you want to become a Marine officer (either ground or air), the Navy will probably expect you to deploy on a ship. Even pilots serve at sea when their squadrons deploy. </p>
<p>Spend some time looking at career paths for naval officers. Just keep in mind that the needs of the Navy will always supersede your wants. You may not get exactly what you want.</p>
<p>Go P-3 (P-8’s pretty soon) like I did (land-based, sub hunters and surveillance) and you may only have to go to sea once (prior to Department Head billet), and some guys/gals not at all. Sure, you’ll never be CNO, but it’s a great airplane, good duty stations and a lot of fun.</p>
<p>To all my SWO, TACAIR, SUB brothers and sisters, “bring on the abuse!” :)</p>
<p>Seriously, if you’re going Navy, the peacetime deployments are a lot like the wartime ones. Get used to the idea that you’re going away for probaly at least six months out of every 18 when you’re in a “sea duty” billet. Plus, you’ll be doing workups, qualifications and inspections pretty much the minute you return home so you can be ready for the next deployment in 12 months time, give or take.</p>
<p>The Navy can be pretty “un-family friendly” for those who can’t cope with separation, even in peacetime. My brother, an Army LTC with over 20 years in the Army, is doing his first extended period away from his family over in Afghanistan, 6 months. I did my first deployment as a Lt (j.g.) within 3 years of commissioning from USNA. For the first two years of my married life, I spent more than half away from home, and missed the birth of son #2 (now a USNA 2nd class Mid). Most Surface Warfare Ensigns in the Navy will deploy while they are still Ensigns.</p>
<p>The Coast Guard has a great saying about deployment. “You have to go out, but you don’t have to come back.”</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the advice. It really helped. I am a female so a lot of the opportunities in the navy and marine corps are off limits to me, I want to be deployed and I am more interested in working in a hands on type of job. Do you know of any career paths for women? the reason I am more interested in the marine corps is because I would like to work with the people of Iraq and Afghanistan, translator, first aid provider, anything like that would work for me, Any ideas? and again thanks so much for your input it means a lot.</p>
<p>These days it is very different from the old days. For example, women are now found at every level of command in the Surface Warfare community, and are climbing the ladders in the others. Submarines are about to be open to them, and Aviation has long been an option.</p>
<p>I regret my knowledge of the options available to female Marine officers is extremely limited, so I won’t comment because it would just be conjecture.</p>
<p>Regarding “hands-on” work, I think it would be best for us to understand what you mean by that term. For example, if you define “hands-on” as being the perso who repairs Gas-Turbine engines, then I am forced to tell you that officers don’t get “hands-on” in that manner. It’s true that an officer in the main spaces of a ship will crawl all over the place doing his inspections and getting his qualifications, but the old adage that the most dangerous thing on the planet is an officer with a screwdriver is true for a reason.</p>
<p>So, the fact is that the enlisted ranks do most of the real “hands-on” work, while the officers do the leadership and command. Those two are “hands-on” in their own way, but at a different level.</p>
<p>Therefore, the task of first-aid provider would not fall as a primary task onto an officer. That would be a job done by Medics and Corpsmen. Translator may work if you go into the Intelligence branch, and even then it will be a secondary duty. On the other hand, if you end up working as an Engineering Duty Officer, you may find yourself in Iraq in charge of rebuilding infrastructure or something.</p>