I need help with a decision (I am not a Mom though)

[inROTC]

I'm sorry to be bothering you all on this forum because I am not a mother, I am in fact a student in college going through Navy ROTC right now. I have just been looking for some help on what to do, and this website looked like it was full of talkative people who liked the Navy.

I just finished my second year of college and I picked up a scholarship, but I haven't signed anything yet (I would have to sign for it in the fall). Before I was awarded the scholarship (just this past April), I had begun wondering whether or not the Navy was for me. I joined ROTC in 2010 when I got to school as a freshman because I wanted to fly the F/A-18, I think it's an awesome jet and I think I would really like flying those. What has me concerned now is that I have realized that being a pilot does not mean that you just wake up and go fly every day, that there are other responsibilities and that these responsibilities take up more time than you are flying (once you are done training, that is). I know that I would not want to fly P-3, Prowlers, or the E-2C. I think helicopters would be ok, but if I had known that I was going to fly helicopters I would prefer to fly for Army, or fly a helicopter that drops the soldiers off in a combat zone (from what I understand, Navy copters do primarily submarine related activities). I also know that I would not like to be surface warfare or submarines, I have always liked jets and I definitely want to fly, but I'm just nervous that the 10 year commitment once I graduate might turn out bad if I end up only liking flying in the beginning and that once the hype of it goes away and I just get into the day to day grind and paperwork that I won't be enjoying myself. And 10 years of not enjoying your job is a long time! I am an Aerospace Engineer and I have been doing well in school, so I'm not nervous about finding a job (already on my second internship). 

Since you all have so much respect and you all understand so much more about the Navy than I do right now, I was just wondering what you all thought. Maybe you hear your sons and daughters talk about this sometimes, or maybe you've heard other related stories. I've tried talking to my ROTC advisors (LT's), but they just talk about financial benefits or that you get to see the world (seeing the world is not a feature that really interests me, and I actually don't like moving too much to be honest). I really respect all of you here, and I respect everyone in the Navy, I think it's a GREAT service. 

I have to decide by 1 JUN what I want to do, and I've been trying to decide since January, so this is really my last shot. Thank you all so much for any help you might be able to give me here, I just want to make sure I use any resource I can to get info on what decision is best for me.

Very Respectfully,

Michael A. Estrada

[Angie]

excuse me while I laugh at what they told you.  Both Officers and Chiefs do paperwork (and lots of it) yes Chiefs are more technical...but they normally allow their First Classes to spread their wings and take the lead on that (at least good Chiefs do).

 

As far as Officers making sure that it gets done...not true until they are maybe the CDR level or above. Jr Officers are trained by Chiefs and keep in check by Chiefs also to make sure they don't do things wrong. 

[BunkerQB]

Not always true. Depends on the Chiefs and the JOs and area of expertise. By the time he left his boat, my son knew more about this one area than anyone on the boat. 

[BunkerQB]

BTW, not all Chiefs are great. Some won't take the time of the day to train anyone, enlisted or otherwise.  Good or bad, my son was closer to his Chiefs and enlisted guys than most JOs. The Chiefs know how things are done but not always the why. Remember that 4 years of college (electrical engineering or mechanical engineering)?  Your generalization that all Officers don't do anything until the CDR level or above is simply erroneous. In fact, it is so off-base that it is almost funny except it's borderline insulting. 

Of course, I am speaking only from the perspective of my son on a sub.  It may be different on another sub or battleship or carrier.

Keep in mind, if something goes wrong it's the Officer that gets canned. Maybe that is the real reason for their existence.

[Anti M]

Sub officers are far more hands on from everything I know, and from what I hear from my nuke nephew.  We kept our JOs on short leashes at the CommSta for sure, and they never came near the gear except to ask for status reports.   Our chiefs could work on the gear if absolutely needed, and we made sure they were not,  but that was in the ET community.  

Except for our mustang LT who had been an ET himself, he knew what we did as well as any of us techs.  He was a freaking rockstar.  But he came up through the ranks and had been one of us, and always went to bat for us when the command was about to give our workcenter the shaft.  A lot different from the kids with a degree and a commission.  They were smart, they were sincere, but they were a bit lost away from their desks.  

Lots of variety in experiences, hmmmm?

[inROTC]

Well, just want everyone to know, I decided to stay. Thanks for the help!

[BunkerQB]

inROTC, hey thanks for reporting back and please continue to keep us informed. We'll want to know how you are doing in the program. When you graduate, we'll have a virtual party for you.