# Joining the Navy **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 24, 2015, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joining-the-navy/713554 "2015-02-24T22:52:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joining-the-navy/713554/21 "2015-02-25T17:18:19Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > If one of the training cadre asks if there’s anyone in your recruit company who likes food, no matter how hungry you might be, do NOT respond. Unless you like scrubbing pots. That reminds me, don’t volunteer any information about yourself whatsoever. When I went through they asked if anyone did debate or speech. I did, but kept quit. The person they ended up picking had to go in front of the TIs every meal and ask permission for the squad to come in. Or something. I don’t really remember what they did. I just know they got yelled at a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joining-the-navy/713554/22 "2015-02-25T18:21:58Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Crap, who was that…Oakminster? No…if not, I feel like it’s a similar name. **Oakminster** ’s a lawyer, but I vaguely recall that he might have been an Air Force JAG officer at some point. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joining-the-navy/713554/23 "2015-02-25T18:32:04Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > **Oakminster** ’s a lawyer, but I vaguely recall that he might have been an Air Force JAG officer at some point. Nope, that’s not it. Dang, I know the answer though.,…just can’t come up with it. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joining-the-navy/713554/24 "2015-02-25T18:34:51Z")
I was in both the blue-water Navy and the Seabees. I though being a Seabee was about 1000% better than living shipboard, even on the greatest ship ever to sail the oceans, USS Enterprise. But I’m happy to answer questions about both. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joining-the-navy/713554/25 "2015-02-25T18:57:35Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Nope, that’s not it. Dang, I know the answer though.,…just can’t come up with it. IIRC, **Oakminster** was a sub guy (as in submarines) just like me. Unless I’m thinking of a poster with a similar username. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joining-the-navy/713554/26 "2015-02-25T19:06:14Z")
Can’t link from my phone, but it was Oakminster. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joining-the-navy/713554/27 "2015-02-25T20:28:10Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > IIRC, **Oakminster** was a sub guy (as in submarines) just like me. Unless I’m thinking of a poster with a similar username. [Robby](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php) was a Naval officer in the sub fleet - I am pretty certain my husband served with him on one of his boats. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joining-the-navy/713554/28 "2015-02-25T20:34:34Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > [Robby](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php) was a Naval officer in the sub fleet - I am pretty certain my husband served with him on one of his boats. When was your husband in the Navy? I was on the Philly out of Groton from '04 to '07. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joining-the-navy/713554/29 "2015-02-25T22:44:50Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Four and out? > > Mine was a six year commitment. When did you enlist? 85 to 89 but technically enlisted in 84 with a short delayed entry. Purposely dropped Nuke program and so only trained as EM. 4 years active and 4 years inactive reserves. You had to do 6 years active? Was that Nukes or a standard rate? ---
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2015, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joining-the-navy/713554/30 "2015-02-26T00:05:14Z")
My recruiter wants to come to my house tomorrow to have me do a statement for medical. Is this normal? What does the statement consist of? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2015, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joining-the-navy/713554/31 "2015-02-26T00:18:13Z")
> [@boffking](#): > > My recruiter wants to come to my house tomorrow to have me do a statement for medical. Is this normal? What does the statement consist of? I remember the recruiter coming to my house multiple times, so that’s not weird. There were multiple docs I had to sign – some of them were medical related, but I don’t recall the specifics. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2015, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joining-the-navy/713554/32 "2015-02-26T01:42:14Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > When was your husband in the Navy? I was on the Philly out of Groton from '04 to '07. '83 to 2003. Started on the USS Spadefish, segue’d to NSSF then San Juan and Miami with assorted shore time at NSSF. I think his favorite shore duty was at RadCon. ---
**Author:** ![keturah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e95f7d/32.png) [@keturah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keturah)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2015, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joining-the-navy/713554/33 "2015-02-26T02:42:44Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > '83 to 2003. Started on the USS Spadefish, segue’d to NSSF then San Juan and Miami with assorted shore time at NSSF. I think his favorite shore duty was at RadCon. Which tour was the one when you and your hubby brought home the sub parts and reconditioned them yourselves? I think you said it saved the military several hundred thousand dollars?? I love that story! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2015, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joining-the-navy/713554/34 "2015-02-26T03:43:14Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > 85 to 89 but technically enlisted in 84 with a short delayed entry. Purposely dropped Nuke program and so only trained as EM. 4 years active and 4 years inactive reserves. You had to do 6 years active? Was that Nukes or a standard rate? As a Nuke, I was committed to a six-year active term (as an ET/ Reactor Operator, I made sure that the first two years would be in schools :D). I wound up taking a six-year reenlistment just before my fifth year was up, and exited service after just shy of eleven years. ---
**Author:** ![toofs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@toofs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toofs)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2015, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joining-the-navy/713554/35 "2015-02-26T03:51:55Z")
**boffking** , remember this: if there isn’t a paper or electronic record of something, _it never happened._ KEEP YOUR FUCKING MOUTH SHUT! Did some coke with a hooker a few years ago and no one knows about it? No arrest, pictures, friends and family don’t know, etc? Then keep it to yourself. In bootcamp you will have a last opportunity to write down anything you may have withheld up to that point. Leave the page blank. The only way the Navy will know about something that doesn’t exist in records is _if you tell them._ So don’t. Remember that millions of people have been through bootcamp. You will survive it, and have funny stories to tell. **toofs** , 21 years active and reserve Navy, retiring in a few years. Go for the CT ratings if possible. PM if you want any advice. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2015, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joining-the-navy/713554/36 "2015-02-26T04:09:37Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > How boring! 🙂 If you’re any good at photography and do well on your tests, try going for aerial photography. There’s a Doper - I do not recall the name - who was one and he got to fly in all sorts of awesome planes. > [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Not if he was a photographer – he didn’t fly anything, he was just a passenger in a lot of awesome planes. I thought that was what “fly in” meant? From a friend, re. a different military’s Basic: “It’s kind of like school. You know how the math in math was more complicated than the math in physics, and the math in physics more complicated than what you’re doing now at work? Like that but everybody wearing green, and less math and more marching. You gotta learn the attitude, really.” ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2015, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joining-the-navy/713554/37 "2015-02-28T11:18:50Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > This is pretty much a continuation of his previous thread on the same subject, wherein he was warned about all that. Apparently, it didn’t sink in, or the recruiter BS-ed him. Yeah we just had this thread started in January, I link but if he doesn’t care, neither do I. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joining-the-navy/713554.md?page=1)