Joining the Navy
- Thread starter Liverslapper
- Start date
Captain Beard
No longer active
- Sep 6, 2001
- 28,010
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Captain Beard
No longer active
- Sep 6, 2001
- 28,010
- 99
- 48
Why expect rational explanation when you can smoke dope and blather endlessly about how the walls are moving until the Grateful Dead sound like a brilliant idea?
Jeff
Jeff
Captain Beard
No longer active
- Sep 6, 2001
- 28,010
- 99
- 48
Det Som Engang Var
Viking Bastard
derek
Grey Eminence
Do your thing man. I've always been attracted by the lifestyle a bit myself (enough for 4 years, anyways). I did some selection tests before going to University which gives me some confidence, but we'll see.
Take Chris' advice, this is one area he's (finally!) qualified to talk about.
Just kiddin', buddy.
Take Chris' advice, this is one area he's (finally!) qualified to talk about.
Just kiddin', buddy.
Dead Winter
STAHP
Do your thing man. I've always been attracted by the lifestyle a bit myself (enough for 4 years, anyways). I did some selection tests before going to University which gives me some confidence, but we'll see.
Take Chris' advice, this is one area he's (finally!) qualified to talk about.
Just kiddin', buddy.
derek
Grey Eminence
I've always found your personal insights into serving with the Armed Forces pretty interesting, esp. considering I've thought about joining myself sometimes.
I'm curious - do you have any binding contract that forbids you talking about your experiences? I mean, I suppose general stuff like this is ok, right? Some other things, operational info etc, you are not allowed to talk about, even after discharge?
I'm curious - do you have any binding contract that forbids you talking about your experiences? I mean, I suppose general stuff like this is ok, right? Some other things, operational info etc, you are not allowed to talk about, even after discharge?
Dead Winter
STAHP
I'm actually kicking around the idea of getting back in, but only in the Reserves. There's an opportunity here in Aviano at my old squadron but I think I'm going to pass.
As soon as this new GI bill kicks in I'm going to take up where I left off with University classes. Many of them I can do online, like with University of Maryland, with whom I've already CLEPed and taken my first Italian class years ago when I first got here. The main difference is that if you served in OIF or OEF, the GI Bill pays you pretty much double and you can choose whether or not to pay out of your pocket and have them reimburse you or have the gov't pay directly to the University. I also qualify for several grants for books and stuff called the Yellow Ribbon program or some shit.
Oh, and if you're thinking about joining the Navy, you can forget about going to college while you're in simply due to geographical constraints. You can't take many classes from a boat.
Unless that's your thing, I'd stay away from the Navy if you have a choice for the AF. I actually liked having a life and not having to sleep where I work for six months. Even when I was deployed downrange all we did was watch movies, play Counterstrike, surf the net, fill some sandbags and duck the daily mortar lobbed at us from outside the wire. Ok, it's the military and it's dangerous, but you don't join the military to be a librarian. That, of course, was when I wasn't doing my job of radar controlling aircraft onto the tankers, pushing them to frequencies for Forward Air Controllers to take over and bomb the shit out of lots of brown people, deconflicting the entire airspace above Iraq since we were the only controlling agency.
I'd like to add one more thing. If you're joining the military (whichever branch) simply because you're bored and don't have anything else to do, you might want to re-think your decision. The military is about mission first and service before self. You're going to have to do a lot of things you don't want to do but you don't have a choice. If you're not a mission-oriented type person who can see the big picture, it's probably not for you. It's about self-sacrifice and has no place for selfishness. That said, get all you can from it if you go. Use every opportunity available to you to get ahead because it's fucking free.
Lastly, it has no place for faggoty pacifists. On the flip side of the coin, it has no place for war-hungry, drooling retard rednecks who only want to kill people. Even the Marines have ethics.
I got out because I saw that my lifestyle and attitude was becoming more and more at odds with the military, and I decided to leave before I was bitter and pissed off. I still see my friends who have returned here after leaving for other duty stations, and they still enjoy it. They tell me that it has gotten worse from when I was in, and that I made a good decision to get out, but that's just because I really suck at politics. They're speaking of how it's more about politics and perception than getting the mission done these days, and that didn't go over well with me. Some people are able to play that game, some aren't. I'm one of the latter. I left because the AF I joined wasn't the same one I was in during the last few years, and I needed to get out. Fortunately, I was in a great spot and living in Italy is a nice place. If I had to return to Louisiana, I probably would've stayed in.
As soon as this new GI bill kicks in I'm going to take up where I left off with University classes. Many of them I can do online, like with University of Maryland, with whom I've already CLEPed and taken my first Italian class years ago when I first got here. The main difference is that if you served in OIF or OEF, the GI Bill pays you pretty much double and you can choose whether or not to pay out of your pocket and have them reimburse you or have the gov't pay directly to the University. I also qualify for several grants for books and stuff called the Yellow Ribbon program or some shit.
Oh, and if you're thinking about joining the Navy, you can forget about going to college while you're in simply due to geographical constraints. You can't take many classes from a boat.
Unless that's your thing, I'd stay away from the Navy if you have a choice for the AF. I actually liked having a life and not having to sleep where I work for six months. Even when I was deployed downrange all we did was watch movies, play Counterstrike, surf the net, fill some sandbags and duck the daily mortar lobbed at us from outside the wire. Ok, it's the military and it's dangerous, but you don't join the military to be a librarian. That, of course, was when I wasn't doing my job of radar controlling aircraft onto the tankers, pushing them to frequencies for Forward Air Controllers to take over and bomb the shit out of lots of brown people, deconflicting the entire airspace above Iraq since we were the only controlling agency.
I'd like to add one more thing. If you're joining the military (whichever branch) simply because you're bored and don't have anything else to do, you might want to re-think your decision. The military is about mission first and service before self. You're going to have to do a lot of things you don't want to do but you don't have a choice. If you're not a mission-oriented type person who can see the big picture, it's probably not for you. It's about self-sacrifice and has no place for selfishness. That said, get all you can from it if you go. Use every opportunity available to you to get ahead because it's fucking free.
Lastly, it has no place for faggoty pacifists. On the flip side of the coin, it has no place for war-hungry, drooling retard rednecks who only want to kill people. Even the Marines have ethics.
I got out because I saw that my lifestyle and attitude was becoming more and more at odds with the military, and I decided to leave before I was bitter and pissed off. I still see my friends who have returned here after leaving for other duty stations, and they still enjoy it. They tell me that it has gotten worse from when I was in, and that I made a good decision to get out, but that's just because I really suck at politics. They're speaking of how it's more about politics and perception than getting the mission done these days, and that didn't go over well with me. Some people are able to play that game, some aren't. I'm one of the latter. I left because the AF I joined wasn't the same one I was in during the last few years, and I needed to get out. Fortunately, I was in a great spot and living in Italy is a nice place. If I had to return to Louisiana, I probably would've stayed in.
Dead Winter
STAHP
Yes. I have a Secret security clearance and although it's inactive, it's still there. All I have to do is get a job that requires that level of clearance and they'll reactivate it.
Therefore, I am not allowed to speak of anything other than Unclassified or I risk facing jail time. It's still a federal offense even if I'm out simply due to the fact that I signed an agreement before exiting the military stating that I wouldn't divulge any classified information, documents, or experiences after leaving the service. Every single person who leaves the military must sign this document.
derek
Grey Eminence
I guessed as much.
I wonder is it a new thing? I know after the first Gulf War there was a spate of people writing about their experiences, to the huge chagrin of the government (British in this particular case, but American too, no doubt).
I wonder is it a new thing? I know after the first Gulf War there was a spate of people writing about their experiences, to the huge chagrin of the government (British in this particular case, but American too, no doubt).
Dead Winter
STAHP
Well there can be a difference. Writing about experiences that may look unfavorably towards one's own government is one thing, but that's kind of a freedom of speech thing as long as classified info wasn't divulged. They don't like it simply because it makes them look bad.
However, for me to come on here and tell you the classified range, elevation and resolution coverage of the AN/TPS-63 radar is another thing, a clear and defined breach of national security.
However, for me to come on here and tell you the classified range, elevation and resolution coverage of the AN/TPS-63 radar is another thing, a clear and defined breach of national security.
derek
Grey Eminence
Dead Winter
STAHP
One would think that, but governments think much more black and white than that. There is a big "what if" when it comes to national security policy and they enforce that severely. If I were to divulge specifics into, say, the Non-Cooperative Targeting Recognition function of a certain fighter jet's radar, that would be a big red flag right there and I'd probably be brought up on charges. It's not the enemy of the state that you have to worry about as much as it is the state itself.
That said, there is a website that publishes very sensitive information about much of the world's militaries...many times bordering on classified and in some cases they actually have published what was considered classified information at one time, only rendered de-classified after it made it's way to the net. The website is www.fas.org. The Federation of American Scientists website is like a one-stop shop for just about anything you want to know about weapon systems, doctrine, even nanotechnology. It's a wealth of information at your fingertips. Lately, however, it seems to have been toned down a bit. I'm sure they came under some scrutiny.
That said, there is a website that publishes very sensitive information about much of the world's militaries...many times bordering on classified and in some cases they actually have published what was considered classified information at one time, only rendered de-classified after it made it's way to the net. The website is www.fas.org. The Federation of American Scientists website is like a one-stop shop for just about anything you want to know about weapon systems, doctrine, even nanotechnology. It's a wealth of information at your fingertips. Lately, however, it seems to have been toned down a bit. I'm sure they came under some scrutiny.
Shpongled
Member
- Aug 30, 2001
- 13,483
- 88
- 48
Dead Winter
STAHP
Wow, I just browsed it and all the information that used to be there isn't there anymore. I used to use it in conjunction with classified briefings I was tasked to give when I worked in the Weapons and Tactics section of my squadron. It's all gone now.
Looks like they cracked down on them.
Looks like they cracked down on them.
Dead Winter
STAHP
So wtf are you waiting for?! Spill the beans!!
It's can see really high, really far, and can pick out individual targets within close range of each other. How's that?
Actually, that should be the APG-63 radar. The TPS-63 is a completely different and ground-based system. Haha even if you tortured me I wouldn't be able to remember everything. It's been a while.
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