Family and friends are discouraging about joining!

[katydids61]

My son is planning on joining the navy and at this point has just been talking to the recruiter. This has been on his mind for a year now. He went to college a semester and just said it was not for him and that pretty much set his mind on the navy. However, any time he mentions about joining he receives so much negative feedback! Everything from "you are just being lazy and dropping out of school," to "how awful the Navy is and that people in the Navy are the worst of any branch." Obviously, that is not my perception and certainly not his. Have any of you dealt with this with family or friends making these comments? I think he is feeling down about his decision because no one (except his parents) seem to be supportive. For those that you have known who joined, do they usually have a good experience or is it really that bad? These comments are starting to make me doubt his decision as well.

[katydids61]

Very inspirational Lady Hamilton. Thanks for the kind words and thoughts. Gotta love JFK!

[Anti M]

I loved being in the Navy.  My father served too, I am born and raised Navy.  I married Navy, so now we are retired Navy.  I might be a little biased...

 

The Navy ca be tough, the training is excellent, and the rewards immense.  Are there bad days and frustrating procedures and mounds of paperwork? yes.  Hurry up and wait?  Yes.  But the Navy has given me so much, as a daughter, a sailor and a wife, that I cannot begin to tell you how highly I think of the service. It has always been a source of great pride for me and my family.  

 

The Navy is the best of the branches!  They're all great, but the Navy does everything.  

[JessicaB-Sailor Mom]

andrewsm1989   I had hoped that you had dropped off of this site. You input is not welcomed nor needed here. Since you have not been on here since Sept you must have been on deployment. I hope that you soon complete your service and go on with your life and  leave this site.

[navymomPSL]

My son went though the same thing with some of his friends.  They were saying stuff like, the Navy lies to people just so they will sign up, and that the Navy was going to change him into somebody other than who he really is, and saying that college is the best thing, etc. 

 

Think about how many college grads are on the unemployment line.  Think about how much college costs, and if you do get a job that isn't what you thought it would be, how easy is it to train for another one?  I have been told that if you don't like your job in the Navy, you can change to another one after a couple of years, and they will train you for it too!!  I just continued to be encouraging and give thim the facts.  He is currently in bootcamp and is doing INCREDIBLY well!  He is so positive and can't wait for graduation so that he can begin training for his career.

[Anti M]

Train for another job... there are very specific situations and details, so it is better not to say that because it doesn't apply to everyone.  It is true, but only sometimes.  I think that's why folks say recruiters lie, they get some information they don't understand or don't know the details on, then call it a lie when they can't do what they want.  Everything is in black and white and can be looked up.    And there are always exceptions and limitations, so you have to understand that what is true for one sailor at one stage of their career might not apply to a new sailor just starting out.  That's why it is important to ask questions and listen carefully to the answers.

 

Which isn't a bad thing, just one thing to understand and deal with.

[BunkerQB]

Congratulations! Way to go. Sounds like you have a great young man.

[katydids61]

Thanks for all the advice. He has thought long and hard about this decision. With his positive attitude he will have an adventure unlike any other he will experience at his young age of 19.  I wish I would have had a sense of adventure when I was young!

[BunkerQB]

Why bother to listen to a bunch of losers? There will always be people around who want to take him down or keep him from excelling. These people don't have anything going, so they don't want someone to do something that will make them look bad. Tell your son to decide for himself. Talk to people who are in the Navy. Make his own decision. Perhaps joining the Navy is the best course, perhaps not. It is his decision.

My son join the Navy AFTER he graduated from a top university with a fabulous engineering department. He graduated with honors in electrical engineering. He probably could've gotten a job but he chose to join the Navy. No regrets. He is an officer. The caliber of officers and enlisted men are at the highest ever. Coming out of high school, my son had a number of perfect 800s (in math on his SATs) and a few close to 800 (in physics). If your son is ambitious he can pursue his college education, apply to Officer Candidate School and become an officer. I know a young man who did precisely that. He enlisted at 18. He got his degree in EE. He became an officer. He just finished his MBA at a prestigious university. He is 32. All because he joined the NAVY. If your son can get in, tell him to GO FOR IT.