pdhenry
Contributor
Seems a bit binary - jumping in his stuff vs "lying to him."
Questions for Ex-NAVY Divers
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T.C.
Contributor
Seconded!
I'm not jumping in his stuff. I'm giving him the unvarnished truth of what military service will be like, from 14 years of experience living it.
If you think THIS is "jumping in his stuff", just wait until Chief Petty Officer in charge of his basic training decides to REALLY jump in his "stuff". It'll make this little conversation seem like pillow talk...
Drin
Contributor
Doubler
Contributor
I'm a retired Chief Torpedoman (25 Years). In 1986 I was stationed at Navy Occupational Data and Analysis Center NODAC NMPC 6. My job was to extract a SEAL, EOD and Diver rating from the eligible ratings at the time. The reason for this was that sailors qualified in these specialties were getting the majority of E-7/8/9 promotions and these communities had no control on advancement within the community itself. One year for example there were 14 HTCM billets to be filled and each one of them was filled by a Diver. The regular HT's were a little miffed. The Navy Enlisted Classification Code (NEC) system for Divers and EOD already was a basic Rating System so it was easy for them. SEAL's were the issue. I transferred before all of this was completed as it takes years and lots of in-fighting especially when people think they are going to lose money.
As has been stated a recruiter can ONLY promise you a one time physical testing after that it passes on to the school command and rating detailers. These dive classes stay full and you may get right in or you may wait for months or years. I worked with many a salvor during my days and they all told me all Navy Diving is done by braille. So if you can handle cold, dark muddy places diving for aircraft some pilot parked in a river some place have at it. Navy divers are not SPORT divers. These guys work in some of the most dangerous places on earth. Who do you think they experiment on when working on dive tables, getting bent, some of them severely. Who do they put in a pool filled with two semi-truck loads of ice to test new wet suits for SEAL teams going on a mission under the ice, a Navy Diver. NAVY Diving is not for pansies. The stories I could tell but then I would have to kill myself.
As has been stated a recruiter can ONLY promise you a one time physical testing after that it passes on to the school command and rating detailers. These dive classes stay full and you may get right in or you may wait for months or years. I worked with many a salvor during my days and they all told me all Navy Diving is done by braille. So if you can handle cold, dark muddy places diving for aircraft some pilot parked in a river some place have at it. Navy divers are not SPORT divers. These guys work in some of the most dangerous places on earth. Who do you think they experiment on when working on dive tables, getting bent, some of them severely. Who do they put in a pool filled with two semi-truck loads of ice to test new wet suits for SEAL teams going on a mission under the ice, a Navy Diver. NAVY Diving is not for pansies. The stories I could tell but then I would have to kill myself.
The US Navy was extraordinarily good to me. I worked hard AND was very fortunate. I served on the deep submersible Trieste II as a Second Class diver and on the Mark II Deep Dive System as a First Class and Saturation Diver. The Navy was the world leader in deep diving technology at the time, but the commercial diving industry soon surpassed them and continues to today.
If you have not already, I encourage you to read through the commercial diving forum here on Scubaboard. It will give you a sense of the work done underwater, which also relates to Navy diving performed under the Supervisor of Salvage. This is very different work from Special Forces (SEALs) and EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal).
You can also download the US Navy Diving Manual here on Scubaboard: US Navy Diving Manual Rev. 6 with Change A This is worth doing for any recreational diving instructor.
I don’t know where you are located, but you can learn a lot by buying a few drinks. It isn’t too hard to find a Navy diving command and locate their favorite bar, usually not far outside the gate! Expect to get some “hairy-chested deep sea diver” crap initially, but there’s a good chance someone will see that you’re really interested and tell you more than you will ever learn from the Internet. With luck, you can get a tour. Definitely try to visit EDU (Experimental Diving Unit) if you are anywhere near the Florida Panhandle. That is also where the diving school is.
It sounds like you are trying to make a decision that would affect the rest of your life. Visit commercial diving schools while you are at it. It is worth doing a little travel even if you decide to take another path. You will learn things that will be of interest even if you stay in the recreational end of the business.
If you have not already, I encourage you to read through the commercial diving forum here on Scubaboard. It will give you a sense of the work done underwater, which also relates to Navy diving performed under the Supervisor of Salvage. This is very different work from Special Forces (SEALs) and EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal).
You can also download the US Navy Diving Manual here on Scubaboard: US Navy Diving Manual Rev. 6 with Change A This is worth doing for any recreational diving instructor.
I don’t know where you are located, but you can learn a lot by buying a few drinks. It isn’t too hard to find a Navy diving command and locate their favorite bar, usually not far outside the gate! Expect to get some “hairy-chested deep sea diver” crap initially, but there’s a good chance someone will see that you’re really interested and tell you more than you will ever learn from the Internet. With luck, you can get a tour. Definitely try to visit EDU (Experimental Diving Unit) if you are anywhere near the Florida Panhandle. That is also where the diving school is.
It sounds like you are trying to make a decision that would affect the rest of your life. Visit commercial diving schools while you are at it. It is worth doing a little travel even if you decide to take another path. You will learn things that will be of interest even if you stay in the recreational end of the business.
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cb5150
Contributor
With this receptive attitude you will no doubt have a STELLAR Navy career...as a cook.
Cooks are actually overmanned...he's more likely to be selected as a hull tech....in other-words he will get to un clog the crappers...and maybe weld something someday.
So this navy guy was always telling people his brother was a male prostitute. When someone pointed out he knew his brother was in the navy he replied "Yeah but he's a hull tech, I was too embarrassed to tell anyone"
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