recently enlisted in navy

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axeman2729
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recently enlisted in navy

Post by axeman2729 »

last wedsday I signed my contract and swore in to the navy. while I was there I was told ill get a wish list of where to be stationed. I was thinking maybe the Caribbean, Indonesia, or the Mediterranean. any other ideas?
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mtratcliffe
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Re: recently enlisted in navy

Post by mtratcliffe »

Good luck with your new career! A few things:

1. Yes, there is a Wishlist, but it's just that. You will be stationed where the Navy wants you to be stationed. Your specialty will also influence your assignments.
2. You will be exposed to lots of new Herping opportunities in the military, but I strongly suggest you pursue assignments based on what's best for your career in the Navy and NOT what might have the coolest herping opportunities.
3. Don't believe everything the recruiter says! After you finish basic, find a strong NCO/SNCO in your chain of command and learn from them how the Navy assignment system works for enlisted and how to best advance your career. Otherwise, you will be fed a lot of BS. Hopefully the Navy will teach you most of this in your first year.

When do you ship off to basic?
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axeman2729
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Re: recently enlisted in navy

Post by axeman2729 »

august 12th
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axeman2729
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Re: recently enlisted in navy

Post by axeman2729 »

and yeah I know the wish list doesn't guarantee anything but its hopeful thinking
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justinm
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Re: recently enlisted in navy

Post by justinm »

Good luck and thank you for your upcoming service. You're a real hero, and patriot. I would say that you should take every opportunity to get a trade in the Navy. Too many people squander their time, and don't get any real world value out of the opportunity of their service.
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axeman2729
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Re: recently enlisted in navy

Post by axeman2729 »

thank you
Zach_Lim
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Re: recently enlisted in navy

Post by Zach_Lim »

Thank you for your service, and as stated, it is a very patriotic stance you are taking.

Good luck out there and happy (and safe) herping. Please share pix.
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Eric East
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Re: recently enlisted in navy

Post by Eric East »

mtratcliffe wrote:Good luck with your new career! A few things:

1. Yes, there is a Wishlist, but it's just that. You will be stationed where the Navy wants you to be stationed. Your specialty will also influence your assignments.
2. You will be exposed to lots of new Herping opportunities in the military, but I strongly suggest you pursue assignments based on what's best for your career in the Navy and NOT what might have the coolest herping opportunities.
3. Don't believe everything the recruiter says! After you finish basic, find a strong NCO/SNCO in your chain of command and learn from them how the Navy assignment system works for enlisted and how to best advance your career. Otherwise, you will be fed a lot of BS. Hopefully the Navy will teach you most of this in your first year.

When do you ship off to basic?

Good info listed above.
Sometimes you'll only "kind of" get your wish. When I was in the Navy there was a guy from Mississippi who really wanted to be stationed there, so he put that as his preferred duty station. When he got his orders they said Mississippi, BUT there was a USS in front of it. LOL
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BillMcGighan
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Re: recently enlisted in navy

Post by BillMcGighan »

Good advice, so far.

Almost any duty station will probably bring you to an area where there are herps, new to you, to discover.

Some I had were extra special, but as mtratcliffe said, learn to understand the system.

Have you put in a wishlist for your MOS, what job you would like to be trained for?

After your primary MOS training and you are assigned somewhere. often the Navy equivalent to a company clerk is a good person to network with.

As justinm said, try for something that you can use later in life, if given a choice, even if later you think now that you "would like to be a XXXWHATEVERXXX right now".

Most of all, whether your experience is positive or negative, you will be a changed person because there are very few places you can be required to perform very responsible roles as a young man.

Good luck, and check in with us periodically.
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chris_mcmartin
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Re: recently enlisted in navy

Post by chris_mcmartin »

Zach_Lim wrote:Please share pix.
...while keeping in OPSEC mind. ;)
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axeman2729
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Re: recently enlisted in navy

Post by axeman2729 »

chris_mcmartin wrote:Zach_Lim wrote:
Please share pix.


...while keeping in OPSEC mind.
don't worry I already got briefed on when and how I am allowed to post pics basically only after ive left
BillMcGighan wrote:Good advice, so far.

Almost any duty station will probably bring you to an area where there are herps, new to you, to discover.

Some I had were extra special, but as mtratcliffe said, learn to understand the system.

Have you put in a wishlist for your MOS, what job you would like to be trained for?

After your primary MOS training and you are assigned somewhere. often the Navy equivalent to a company clerk is a good person to network with.

As justinm said, try for something that you can use later in life, if given a choice, even if later you think now that you "would like to be a XXXWHATEVERXXX right now".

Most of all, whether your experience is positive or negative, you will be a changed person because there are very few places you can be required to perform very responsible roles as a young man.

Good luck, and check in with us periodically.
my rating is aviation electronics, electrical and computer mechanics technician or av for short
Zach_Lim wrote:Thank you for your service, and as stated, it is a very patriotic stance you are taking.

Good luck out there and happy (and safe) herping. Please share pix.
lol and I will definitely share pics (when im allowed)
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tomharten
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Re: recently enlisted in navy

Post by tomharten »

I echo others in my thanks for your service. I have no military experience and don't know if this is realistic for most servicemen and women, but I really enjoyed the posts of this service member who was deployed to Iraq and shared his natural history observations, mainly birds, through his blog.

http://birdingbabylon.blogspot.com/
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axeman2729
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Re: recently enlisted in navy

Post by axeman2729 »

again thank you all
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lateralis
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Re: recently enlisted in navy

Post by lateralis »

Boy does that bring back memories. Firstly don't get your hopes up, the navy will place you where they need you regardless of what any recruiter told you. I ended up in Orlando for my RTC and then went to A school in Virginia for my rating and followed this with C school later on. If you want to travel sign up for BUD/S :D if you make it through you will get all the travel you can stomach and do some of the coolest work you can imagine.
Good luck!
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jamezevanz
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Re: recently enlisted in navy

Post by jamezevanz »

Wish lists are just that and you'll quickly find out that, depending on needs of the Navy and the specifics of your job specialty, there are certain places you have a very high likelihood of being stationed regardless of what you pick. I always got what I asked for but only because I usually figured I was just narrowing it between the two or three places they were likely to send me anyway. Best herping station I got was San Diego. I was still knocking lifers off my list when I left and with Arizona right next door, could have kept going for years before I ran out of things to see. With so many Navy bases in a small area with a variety of missions, it's an easy place to get stationed on your first hitch and you'll knock out a lot of classic southwestern american Herps between deployments. Additional bonuses include the first rate zoos and natural history museums in the area and lots of herp expertise that you can meet through the CA chapter of NAFHA who were very helpful to me when I was there. Good luck in the Navy, I'm glad I did it. Also glad I'm out :D
johnwe3
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Re: recently enlisted in navy

Post by johnwe3 »

It took this post to draw me out of seclusion.... Ive been herping for 12 years seriously. Im also in the navy. So I could possibly give you some pretty good insight. Im from SE TX where herping is awesome with many awesome places close by. Joined the navy went to p-cola for A school then on the Virginia where Ive been stationed for 6 years. One of the top factors for you is what rate did you contract in with????? That will decide you fate well before you have your orders handed to you after boot and a school. Certain rates only go to certain locations, and if you chose a seaman rate you will send most of your time on a ship. Are you married? They don't hand out over seas orders to people who are married for their first command. Ive spent a year on the ground in the middle east. To put this in perspective, I had out of that year 12 days off. Out of those 12 days I managed to get some one to sacrifice their liberty one time by tricking them into a sight seeing tour (with a hidden herping agenda) one time. To achieve this I had to convince them not to drink and get up early. (you cant go anywhere away from station in a zone like that without a liberty buddy and a plan approved through your chain of command) I saw some eryx jayakari trails in desert. The one chance I had was an insanely hot day with no chance of finding anything. Anyway, in Virginia, ive been here long enough to establish many spots I frequent and met some like minded people from the local populous. The military makes you relearn herping by moving you to new spots, which isn't a bad thing in the long run. Although, my first two years here we full of black racers and ringnecks. Now ive found Tx species in Va that I haven't found in TX. Things get much better with time. You have to be in a job you like, do well at that job and don't expect deployments to be unlimited herp adventures. You're there to complete the mission point blank. Its a great thing you are doing. Just remember IF they let you pick from the stack of orders available at A school, they will be picked like a sports draft. Top students get first round pick so study your but off and get that first pick. Otherwise you will be on the USS NeverPort. Jk But seriously my orders were handed to me, our class didn't get that choice. Best of luck and PM me if you need guidance.
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The Real Snake Man
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Re: recently enlisted in navy

Post by The Real Snake Man »

johnwe3 - John Eagleton, is that you? If so, it's me, Gene! And it's great to see you here on the Forum!

-Gene
johnwe3
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Re: recently enlisted in navy

Post by johnwe3 »

Yes gene, that's me! I'm planning to go to Edinburgh/McAllen area late May through early June, incase you're down there.
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The Real Snake Man
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Re: recently enlisted in navy

Post by The Real Snake Man »

I don't get back down 'til about June 13th or so. My guess is you'll have left by then? Hope I can catch you. We could double-team again!

-Gene
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Biker Dave
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Re: recently enlisted in navy

Post by Biker Dave »

You rock axeman! Even with all the crap going on you still enlisted. Major Huge salute to you!

I would suggest not Alaska!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8C7i9kdEf8

Dave
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jamezevanz
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Re: recently enlisted in navy

Post by jamezevanz »

I'll echo the sentiment about deployment herping. Navy liberty policy makes free-roaming herping very difficult and it will nearly always hinge on you convincing someone to go with you who would rather be sitting in a bar (most Sailors today and historically seem to prefer to see the world from a barstool). Some more perspective: Over four 6-8 month carrier deployments, I was able to herp Singapore (2 herping days) Malaysia (1 day), Thailand (1 day), and Perth (3 days because my best friend lives there and was cool with hiking every day). I could have herped Hong Kong and Dubai for a day or two as well if I'd known anyone to guide me out of the cities, but time was short and I still would have had to dupe a liberty buddy into tagging along. Moral of the story: get stationed somewhere stateside with a bunch of stuff you can't find at home, hit it hard when you're ashore, and if you can steal away for a few days to herp each deployment, that's icing on the cake. Your mileage may vary, but that's was my experience on carriers for 8 years and I worked hard to herp as much as was humanly possible. And don't worry about getting stationed in Alaska, the navy doesn't have any bases up here anymore. I had to get out before I could live here!
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axeman2729
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Re: recently enlisted in navy

Post by axeman2729 »

thanks again for all the support and tips folks! :D
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