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Comment by NavyBrat on July 4, 2014 at 11:35am

Typically for an unde, they do the job, someone else gets the credit.

Comment by NavyBrat on July 4, 2014 at 11:32am

To put things in civilian terms, undes are the "Dirty Harry's" of the fleet.

Comment by NavyBrat on July 4, 2014 at 11:29am

I chipped more than my fair share of paint too, but I didn't let them break me. They say the Navy will make you or break you. For undes, it is about making yourself because the Navy isn't going to lend a hand. "A" school grads get their crow before they've truly earned it; undes earn it the hard way. That's why we call the "A" school grads "rent-a-crows" in the fleet. They get the perks, undes get the hazardous duty and undes don't get hazardous duty pay as a general rule.

Comment by djk's Mom on July 1, 2014 at 9:36am

My son is also undes. he is on USS GW currently deployed. He is doing a lot of painting and scraping BUT is very goal oriented and I pray he is reaching for them. I hate it more than he does I think! He gets less liberty and gets stuck on the ship during port calls a lot more than the others, and that drives me crazy. Him he is just loving the navy life and looking forward to the next port. It also has taken him awhile to get adjusted BUT now that he has its all good!

Comment by Leach73 on July 1, 2014 at 8:45am

Hi Dilian - I accepted your friend request last night! Thanks! And yes, my daughter is going to talk to her career counselor so hopefully things will start to move in the right direction.

GMomma - My daugther is in Norfolk. She is on the USS Porter and it is/has taken her some time to adjust to life on a ship. Fortunately she says that her shipmates have all been cool to get along with and helpful.

Comment by Leach73 on June 30, 2014 at 2:35pm

Hello!

Just like Dilian son, my daughter did not want to wait any longer either and signed as undes. However, now it seems like it doesn't even sound like what she was told; that she would get to have hands on experience on different jobs that would help her to choose which rate she would want to go into after 12 months. She has been on a ship now for a month, painting and doing other chores. While i do encourage her to stay positive and motivated, doing these types of jobs repetitively is starting to bring her morale down. She finished a year of college taking classes for Surg. Tech. and she wants to be a Corpsman. I just hope that she doesn't lose sight of that goal due to there not being availability for that rate and she ends up settling for something else, then comes out after 4 years and not feel fulfilled. She has always excelled in school and has always applied herself well to her studies. However, now I hate to think that the Navy would overlook her potential. Her grades, GPA, and ASVAB scores are all proof of her capabilities and I just wish the Navy would consider that some of the recruits that go in as Undes. have so much potential to be valuable assets in the rate where they want to be,rather than make them work their way up. Since my daughter went to bootcamp I have given her all of my support and unconditional love, motivation,and encouragement. She knows that I am always going to say that because I am her mom, but in the real world and because she is the one experiencing life in the Navy, she is the only that knows what it feels like. My prayer for her and all Undes. is that they find their way thru the Navy and enjoy the journey that they are one and when they are done and come back out to civilian life,that they are prepared and confident to take on the world!

Comment by TropikalParadize on June 30, 2014 at 2:12pm

NavyBrat, thank you so much for your posts...you are definitely a wealth of information, and it is very good of you to share it with everyone as well.  My husband did have a horrible experience as an undes, however it really puts it in perspective seeing that you were in the service during the Vietnam war, and received far less than active duty members do today. 

Thank you again for your insight, and I definitely agree with your advice as well, undes isn't something I would ever recommend, but if you are already doing it, stay positive and get as much as you can from it, like the GI bill. 

Comment by NavyBrat on June 29, 2014 at 8:00pm

Yes moms, try to stay positive for your sons and daughters. Your sons and daughters must remember it isn't in their interest to try to take on the Federal Government.  Certainly, I could make the case that deceit by the recruiter makes the contract null and void, but null and void contract would nullify their G.I Bill benefits too. Plus, the government would send a sniper to handle me. Your sons and daughters need to stay focused on what good they can get out of it. The GI Bill education benefits are one of the good things.

The Navy loses anyway. Most undesignated sailors leave the service and don't advise their sons and daughters to enlist.

To be honest, Navy recruiters even lie to sons and daughters of Navy veterans so if they lie to family ...

Comment by NavyBrat on June 29, 2014 at 7:34pm

Food was better than what soldiers get, but the treatment was literally "non-rate." Still, my treatment as a non-rate was better than my treatment as a veteran by anti-military liberals.

Comment by NavyBrat on June 29, 2014 at 7:25pm

Dilian, undesignated is not something I would ever recommend myself, having started out in the fleet as an non-rate myself, but now that your son is in the Navy, your attitude is the right attitude.

Always remind your son that staying out of trouble and keeping a positive attitude is the best way to preserve his G.I Bill benefits which include a substantial amount of money for education.

I know how important that is because my age group of non-rates faced the triple whammy. No G.I. Bill, no "A" school, and discrimination against vets due to the unpopularity of the Vietnam war. Veterans in my age group have the highest homelessness rate of all veterans. We are the VEAP vets.

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