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What's New In My Career?

Submarines

So what's new in my career right now? I am going through a major change in my career right now. I am converting to submarines. Now lemme tell you why. There are a few reasons, well really it boils down to 2 reason with a couple of bonuses. Up until May 2005 I had never been to a Navy fleet ship or on deployment. That is a pretty impressive skate time for not going on deployment. The total time was 8 years 8 mos 14 days. It started out with 2 years of school. Then a 4 year tour at NAS Sigonella, which counted as sea duty for rotational purposes (this used to count for double sea time). Finally a 3 year tour at BeachMaster Unit 2 Shore side. While at BMU2, I dropped in 4 special request chits to deploy with a team, and was shot down every time. So in my final year, I tried one last time to deploy with a team, but with a different approach. I approached the C.O. directly and asked him face to face, no chit for the rest of the chain of command to see an mangle with. He honored my request, no chit necessary. But who in their right mind wants to go on a deployment? I was thinking career. I already knew I was going submarine cause I dropped in a package to convert in July 2004, 11 months back. I wanted to go to subs with my Surface Warfare pin and I wanted to know that I was not going to like ship life and made the right decision. So far, to this day, I know that I made the right choice. I went on a 3 month deployment, not as ships company, but as embarked personnel. That made thing a whole lot better because I was not really under their command, their rules (to a certain extent), but more like looking at them from the pits (sidelines). I was able to be on my own schedule, doing whatever I wanted. I my case, I did just 4 things, slept, ate, played games and worked on ESWS. I accomplished my goals, by earning my SW pin and learning that ships life is not for me. Underway they have long days (0600 till 2100 or so), 6 days a week, 3 duty sections, and constant drills. That is just too much stress, no real time to relax, even if there is nowhere to go and the food is definitely not the greatest. The other advantage/reason for crossing over to the under, and probably the biggest reason, is advancement. Advancement in the sub world is so much better. When I was going up for 2nd class (E5) I took the advancement test 8 times before I finally made it. The quota was 4% of the people that took the test, advanced. Now I am going up for 1st (E6), and the quota is still the same. I have taken the test 3 times already with almost no hope of making it. I would have to score a near perfect on the test to make it, and that is just not possible for me. I don't test well with theory, I do well with practical, but that's not how you are tested. Now, with my new job in subs the advancement to 1st is 32% this past test and was 46% last time, Plus advancement to Chief (E7) is 67%. Surface doesn't even come close to those numbers. So if I want to move up in the ranks, I need to change my career path and subs was the answer. Now the some of the bonuses to subs are that you eat well, and you are compensated with pay very well. You make a ton of money in subs, as compared to surface.

Right now I am attending Basic Enlisted Submarine School (BESS). This is the school that every enlisted member must attend before entering the submarine world. After this school I am going to attend Nida and Techno, so I am told. I don't know what they mean or if they are even spelled right, but they are basic theory for computers and electronics. This will be a breeze to me as I am pretty smart with computers and have already gone through advanced training in electronics in the surface Navy. After those 2 schools, I will be attending Fire Control Technician (FT) Class "A" school. This is the basic training for my new job, which will include troubleshooting in electronics, weapons systems, and computer network, all my favorite subjects. I am projected to attend the school in Mar 2006 through June 2006. I am talking with my detailer (person who schedules my orders) to try and get 2 computer related "C" schools, since being an FT makes me eligible for IT (Information Technician or Computer people) "C" schools. I am so glad to finally be able to get navy computer schools, since that is the degree I am working on. For surface ET, there was only computer school, and it was nearly impossible to get. I tried and couldn't get it.

I have been asked by so many people why in the world I am going to subs and I tell everyone the same thing I just wrote above, then I all makes sense to them. But they still don't want to be in my shoes. The only disadvantage I can really think of when compared to surface fleet is the possibility of staying underwater for 90 days without seeing the light of day, which is the max amount of time due to food. Otherwise everything else make more sense. That's it for now, I should update my progress as I progress through my training.