ET vs FC - which better for foreign soil bases/travel?

[MilSup4Life]

I posted this elsewhere but just found this group so thought maybe I'd get better understanding here.  My son just joined DEP.  His rating is AEFC but it's not designated ET or FC yet.  He wants lots of world travel.  He wants to experience foreign countries.  He's actually hoping for post assignment at an oversees base.  What we're hoping against is the only way he sees these countries is as he sails past with no shore leave or onshore assignments.  What we "think" is that ET is the way for him to go that will best suit his desires.  I'm being told by nonNavy types that ET is further broken down by category and he should choose Aviation in order to have the best options for travel and overseas bases.  Can anyone who actually knows gives some guidance on this?  Other than choosing ET, is there anything more specific he needs to do/specify for his training? 

 

Thanks for any help you can give in this.  His understanding after coming out of MEPS is pretty slim.  Too much for a just turned 17 y/o to comprehend and absorb all at once.

 

Lisa

[Anti M]

The dream sheet doesn't matter very much out of A school, but they must have one on file.  Excellent practice for the next time they transfer, when it does count (usually, not always).  Always think ahead on the dream sheet, once I got orders off my old one when none of my current requests had billets open.  That's how I was sent to Diego Garcia.  It was a "hot" billet, I was up for orders and I had once put it down as a choice.  Worked out in the long run, but wasn't orders I thought I'd ever get.

[Anti M]

Yes, that's sea duty.  The delay in FC C school is not like anything I've seen before.  Wild.  He is a "quad zero" or no NEC, so it shows as 0000.  

[Concernedad]

That's what my son told me about FC's as well. Can't believe they waste so much of a sailor's career just waiting and cleaning.

[Mary, Proud Mom of Nick]

Welcome! Glad you found the group, they no longer allow them to select if they want ET or FC, the good news is both are great rates with good advancement and lots of school time. Additionally both have a 5 year sea duty assignment so both rates will allow him to see the world. Both rates have opportunity to be stationed overseas in either sea duty or shore duty assignments. Our son was born in Japan as we were stationed there during our sea duty. He is going into a great field, at this point I would say --- go with the flow. He will be in Great Lakes for basically his first year with either rate and do the best he can because when he moves to C school ----- he could have a chance to pick his orders depending on his class ranking. It's a big experience just waiting for him!

[navybluemom]

Here's my son's experience: he went to bootcamp, A & C schools, and ended up shipping out about two years after the beginning of bootcamp. He is stationed in Japan. He was able to choose the orders after C school. They are forward deployed so go out for about three months at a time (sometimes longer), come in for a couple months, and then they are back out again. Not including Japan, he has been to seven ports in a year's time. He has at least two more years to spend in Japan on his current ship. He's on an amphibious transport ship & he's FC. He really enjoys being out to sea. Hope this is helpful.

[Cleaver6]

As GoldnG8r said, the ET vs. FC choice is made for our sailors towards the end of boot camp. My son just graduated on 12/21 and is now back in Great Lakes as an ET. (Yes, he got leave after BC. How great is that?)

You can't go wrong with either rating as there is quite a bit of overlap in their duties once they reach the fleet. I have an older son that is a Navy nuke. I did a lot of research before he enlisted and tried to convince him to choose AECF instead of the nuke field. Now that he's halfway through power school, he regrets not listening to me.

[Concernedad]

I'm curious. Why does your older son regret going nuke?

[Cleaver6]

I think it's probably due to horror stories from instructors, if not the work load at school. I'm not really sure though. He told us he wished he hadn't gone that way, but he's doing well and still determined to get through the training.

[duhhuh58 Ship 10/Div 267]

Got some bittersweet news from my daughter. She got her orders today. Japan! Sad she'll be far away but happy for the adventure. Guess I need to start saving my pennies for a plane ticket

[Jayme]

Since you have kids in the FC program now, how long was C school? Where did y'all's go?

[magsmom]

Just my 2 cents...my daughter went in Oct 2012 right after high school and is an FC at Dam Neck VA now still in school.  I would reiterate that they are sent where they are needed, sometimes there are higher-ups that try to give the kids advice and try to offer options and sometimes there are higher ups that are about to leave the Navy and just want to get the kid's paperwork finished.  Its the luck of the draw some days!  My experience is that you can try to figure out the system and make plans but as our recruiter said "It is what it is!"