Easy career path? There are no legal ones. Right now with the oil industry making money you can make a decent wage by the sweat of your brow. Get a limited boat license and make even more. BUT, when they start stacking boats again [and they will] you have only the knowledge you’ve gained to help you get a shore side job. Education, education and exeprience are the three rules for a pay check in the long run.
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stellarseas, I am new to this forum and I have a few questions for you. I am seriously considering enlisting in the navy as maritime firefighter or as the navy calls it damage controlman. Does the civilian maritime industdry have a firefighting branch and if so what are the pros and cons of military versus civilan maritime work.
USNavysailor,
As a retired Damage Controlman (24 years), believe me when I say that being a DC man is not a great career move. Bottom line, if you get in the navy, and discover it’s not for you, VERY LITTLE of what you will have learned will carry with you. In fact, the NON-DC stuff you learn as a member of the engineering department will be of more use to you if you choose to begin a career in the maritime industry.
If you want to join, believe me, the discipline and understanding of how a ship operates will be good.
Become a Main propulsion Engineman (EN)
Save money for school (Do 36 months active duty, and when you get out, you’ll have the Post 9/11 GI Bill
Make sure you take all the off-duty education you can.
It’d be a good start. Knock out as much of your STCW as you can while you’re in. MSC generally will give open seats to active duty people for many of their classes.
USNavysailor
I am currently getting out of the navy as an Engineman first class. while I agree with retired rat the one thing you should know about the navy is that they have gotten away from having the enlisted members fix the equipment. they concentrate on teaching you how to operate the equipment which anyone can do because there are step by step intstructions for every peice of equipment. when something breaks they have contractors come and fix it. they say its cheaper that way. if you want to get into the maritime industry see about going through the apprentice program at piney point. I am sure you will learn a lot more there than in the navy.
Pros of a Military career:
Job security - You won’t be laid off
Three hots and a cot - Meals, housing and a boatload of people in your situation will be there for you
Guidance - People who actually will look out for your interests will be around you all the time
Career Training - Depending on what path you choose, you will learn a skill that will likely be the stepping stones to a good job when you leave the military
Maturity - The Navy will mold you into a mature, been around a little respectful adult who (hopefully) makes good sound decisions
Travel - If you are fortunate enough to be forward deployed you will see parts of the world most will never get a chance to see
Respect - The American people LOVE the guys in the armed forces, as do employers
Adventure - Truly it will change your life as you know it
Cons:
Low pay
Long hours of thankless menial tasks
Crowded living spaces with limited privacy
Early in your career your decisions will be made by someone other than you
Follow your gut instinct. If not for the current problems in the world I would tell you to join in a heartbeat. That being said, the Navy would be one of the safest places to be if in a hostile place.
I was an engineman in the Navy as a young kid. I believe it was the best decision I ever made. At the time I was on the ship all I wanted to do is get off of it but now when I look back Those days were the best days of my life.
IF, you decide to join. As Rat said DC is not a great choice as it does not transfer to the civilian side very well. I went in as a STG Sonar Tech Guided Missles. Lucky for me I snoked a little weed at my going to bootcamp party and got tested DIRTY as soon as we arrived at bootcamp. I showed up at the ship as an undesignated Fireman Recruit. The Guy on the Quarter Deck was an engineman and after talking to him I never looked back.
Heres is my two cents, take it for what it is worth. If you go in choose a path that will reward you for your efforts.
An EN (Engineman is the guy that works on everything mechanical on the ship. Engine Rooms, Main propulsion, hydraulics, HVAC, ect…
EM (Electrictions Mate) An electritian. Very in demand and lucrative career
Also check out EM, ET, IC and some other technical ratings.
In closing my buddy was a Torpedoman long ago… Do you think he’s working on torpedos now?
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Cheng…Nice job of explaining that…
What ship were you on?
USS Barbou County LST 1195, 1984-1987, FR- EN2
USS Proteus AS-19, 1987-1989, EN3 EN2
Assault Craft Unit One- Coronado, 1989-1991, EN2-EN1
Naval Amphibious School Coronado, 1991-1994, EN1- ENC (selected) Instructor
USS O’Brein DD-975 ( Spuance ) 1983-86
I had 2 years of active reserve duty and was assigned to ACU 1 Santa Barbara…We did our 2 week drills at Coronado.I just missed you there…86 -88
We also did a lot of Amphib ops off of Pendleton…Barbou County sounds familiar …
Delta, Mike, Bravo, Bravo.
Del Mar Boat Basin… I spent some cold nights there.
So you guys were the ones rattling my windows as I grew up. I grew up in San Clemente.
Hay USNavy Sailor… Have you considered a path in the Navy that doesn’t go through the Engine Room? Try Quartermaster (QM), or Boatswains Mate (BM) which translates perfectly with the AB/Mate/Master licensing requirements in the Merchant Marine world. Join, whatever you rating you choose,
That’s just what my recruiter told me…Join up son, 3 hots and a cot … They will even pay you to see the world…Come to think of it he was a snipe too…lol… (.BT1) But he was right…
CMA Decky, I can neither confirm nor deny that we had anything to do with that…My guess is that the Marines are to blame though…We did however shoot the crap out of San Clemente Island ,on many occasions…It was supposed to be uninhabited, except for some wild goats…If you were a goat hearder back then, then you may have a legitimate gripe…<img alt="" src=“http://gcaptain.com/maritime/forum/js/FCKeditor/editor/images/smiley/msn/wink_smile.gif” />
San Clemente Island is different, bomb away…
No one cares about that rock anyways, every once in while if it’s super clear you can see it.
You must live up on the hill…That is a beautiful area…
Easy Career Paths? …Yeah right! And where is the fun in that? Nothing like knuckle cuts and sandbars to give you a sense of achievement.
Thanks for all the advice I appreciate it, I will take everything said into consideration.
No I live next to the bluffs, but you can see SC Island from the freeway by where I get off. Gorgeous area for sure, if only I could afford to buy a place there after I graduate…
I see…I hope that you can…It’s an area that historically holds it’s property values pretty well…Just getting in, is the hard part…lol…
dont mean to get off topic but where were some of places you visited in the navy retired rat?