SWO vs SUB

[BRM21o]

I'm applying for USMC Air but my roomate and a bunch of other people I know want to get out as soon as possible and get their MBA-->Wall Street: For Class of 2008, SWO is competitive! They are also forcing a lot of USMC/Navy Air/SWO wannabes to go Subs (volunteer?). My question is, why do Subs get such a bad rep and most people would rather go SWO? I could never imagine spending months on a Sub but I had a blast during my 1-week, flick-burning, mid cruise. I've heard horror stories from recent SWO grads and others on their Mid cruises. It seems like they both suck (no offense) but in one you get paid more and look more competitive in the business/MBA world.

Are Subs gone more frequently than Surface and what about in port? I've heard rumors as a JO on a Sub that you spend like 1 out of 3-4 days on the boat standing watch instead of going home at night. Our never-ending briefs keep preaching about how DDG/CVN XX did 1 port call after 400 days at sea and that this is now common in the Navy. If you're going to be limited to about the same time in port, why does everyone want to go SWO and not take the cheese if that is what they are eventually after? If you're going to get stabbed in the back and have a shitty life, why not go for the dough? What's the catch?

 

[FLYTPAY]

I'm applying for USMC Air but my roomate and a bunch of other people I know want to get out as soon as possible and get their MBA-->Wall Street: For Class of 2008, SWO is competitive! They are also forcing a lot of USMC/Navy Air/SWO wannabes to go Subs (volunteer?). My question is, why do Subs get such a bad rep and most people would rather go SWO? I could never imagine spending months on a Sub but I had a blast during my 1-week, flick-burning, mid cruise. I've heard horror stories from recent SWO grads and others on their Mid cruises. It seems like they both suck (no offense) but in one you get paid more and look more competitive in the business/MBA world.

Are Subs gone more frequently than Surface and what about in port? I've heard rumors as a JO on a Sub that you spend like 1 out of 3-4 days on the boat standing watch instead of going home at night. Our never-ending briefs keep preaching about how DDG/CVN XX did 1 port call after 400 days at sea and that this is now common in the Navy. If you're going to be limited to about the same time in port, why does everyone want to go SWO and not take the cheese if that is what they are eventually after? If you're going to get stabbed in the back and have a shitty life, why not go for the dough? What's the catch?

www.subwarriors.com or www.swowarriors.com Why not have your "friends" do the research? You can get an MBA on active duty, I did it in 14 months. I think that any naval officer who has been a leader and has an MBA will be attractive to Wall Street. As far as making someone go subs....that is almost as but not as aggregious as making someone go SEAL.

 

[BigIron]

I'm applying for USMC Air but my roomate and a bunch of other people I know want to get out as soon as possible and get their MBA-->Wall Street: For Class of 2008, SWO is competitive! They are also forcing a lot of USMC/Navy Air/SWO wannabes to go Subs (volunteer?). My question is, why do Subs get such a bad rep and most people would rather go SWO? I could never imagine spending months on a Sub but I had a blast during my 1-week, flick-burning, mid cruise. I've heard horror stories from recent SWO grads and others on their Mid cruises. It seems like they both suck (no offense) but in one you get paid more and look more competitive in the business/MBA world.

Are Subs gone more frequently than Surface and what about in port? I've heard rumors as a JO on a Sub that you spend like 1 out of 3-4 days on the boat standing watch instead of going home at night. Our never-ending briefs keep preaching about how DDG/CVN XX did 1 port call after 400 days at sea and that this is now common in the Navy. If you're going to be limited to about the same time in port, why does everyone want to go SWO and not take the cheese if that is what they are eventually after? If you're going to get stabbed in the back and have a shitty life, why not go for the dough? What's the catch?

Stick with aviation. SWO may be competitive, but... As far as duty section, it depends on how big your ship is. On our carrier, we have 8 section duty, so it's every 8 night spent on the ship. If you're a reactor type SWO, you're probably on the ship every 3 or 4 nights.

I don't know much about Subs. However there are a lot of former sub people on this board that are now doing aviation. That says quite a bit.

 

[et1nuke]

I don't know much about Subs. However there are a lot of former sub people on this board that are now doing aviation. That says quite a bit.

You can look but I don't think you'll find anyone that has ever gone from Air to Subs. That says a whole lot as well.

We're all trying to get out of the community, not a lot transfering in.

 

[BRM21o]

Just to clarify...I'm already sold on aviation...just wanted to know the difference between SWO and SUB. Thanks!

 

[llnick2001]

I could never imagine spending months on a Sub

Theres one answer. When I did my cruise (sub) I couldn't stand being that close to everyone all the time. I use to tell my friends that went subs that they were nuts. Most have admited I was right. Why not go nuke SWO if you're all about the money?

 

[The Chief]

You can look but I don't think you'll find anyone that has ever gone from Air to Subs. ...

Well, never say never. I personally know one, there are others.

Admiral C. R. Larson, USN, (Ret)

Winged May 1960. NUC Power Training April 1963.

Sewer pipes are tough duty but very rewarding, from a personal satisfaction standpoint. Pay is good and outlook for employment after the NAV is outstanding, in particular, as the Nation gears up for a re-birth of CIV nuclear power. Suggest a close look.

Also suggest reading "Blind Mans Bluff".

 

[phrogpilot73]

Admiral C. R. Larson, USN, (Ret)

SUPE!!

 

[The Chief]

SUPE!!

And very nearly your Lt. Gov with R.F. Kennedy's daughter as Gov.

 

[SnipeDude]

Stick with aviation. SWO may be competitive, but... As far as duty section, it depends on how big your ship is. On our carrier, we have 8 section duty, so it's every 8 night spent on the ship. If you're a reactor type SWO, you're probably on the ship every 3 or 4 nights.

I don't know much about Subs. However there are a lot of former sub people on this board that are now doing aviation. That says quite a bit.

When I started STA-21, we only had one former bubblehead wanting to go back and that was only after touring a DDG and deciding that if he had to put up with stupid bullsh*t he might as well get paid for it (he was too old to fly).

 

[BigRed389]

I'm applying for USMC Air but my roomate and a bunch of other people I know want to get out as soon as possible and get their MBA-->Wall Street: For Class of 2008, SWO is competitive! They are also forcing a lot of USMC/Navy Air/SWO wannabes to go Subs (volunteer?). My question is, why do Subs get such a bad rep and most people would rather go SWO? I could never imagine spending months on a Sub but I had a blast during my 1-week, flick-burning, mid cruise. I've heard horror stories from recent SWO grads and others on their Mid cruises. It seems like they both suck (no offense) but in one you get paid more and look more competitive in the business/MBA world.

Are Subs gone more frequently than Surface and what about in port? I've heard rumors as a JO on a Sub that you spend like 1 out of 3-4 days on the boat standing watch instead of going home at night. Our never-ending briefs keep preaching about how DDG/CVN XX did 1 port call after 400 days at sea and that this is now common in the Navy. If you're going to be limited to about the same time in port, why does everyone want to go SWO and not take the cheese if that is what they are eventually after? If you're going to get stabbed in the back and have a shitty life, why not go for the dough? What's the catch?

That sounds really off, one of my SWO buddies is on a CG planning one of those little PR tours of Europe..."show the flag" stops. I'm not gonna get into specifics due to OPSEC, but all of them are places people would plan vacations to. And it's a HELL of a lot more ports than 1. And he stands 1 watch night a week while in port.

I'm surprised you say SWO is competitive...it seems they're hurting for people. It took ~18 hrs from my aviation NPQ to becoming a SWO. Granted there were pressing circumstances, but I was amazed the Navy could work that fast. My understanding was that the SWO community is always looking for new victims, I mean JOs.

 

[SnipeDude]

That sounds really off, one of my SWO buddies is on a CG planning one of those little PR tours of Europe..."show the flag" stops. I'm not gonna get into specifics due to OPSEC, but all of them are places people would plan vacations to. And it's a HELL of a lot more ports than 1. And he stands 1 watch night a week while in port.

I'm surprised you say SWO is competitive...it seems they're hurting for people. It took ~18 hrs from my aviation NPQ to becoming a SWO. Granted there were pressing circumstances, but I was amazed the Navy could work that fast. My understanding was that the SWO community is always looking for new victims, I mean JOs.

I think when you're NPQ'd you are looking at a different pool for SWO quotas. The last couple of years the ROTC SWO quotas have run dry leaving many midshipmen taking the ASTB and looking at NFO at the last minute.

Yes, there are still good deals (UNITAS, Baltic, etc) but on my med cruise we spent one night in Rota on-base, three days in Bahrain five months later and six working days in Augusta Bay/Sigonella. My point is its the luck of the draw whether you're going to get to see the world...if you really want to see Europe take shore duty orders there.

 

[phrogpilot73]

I'm surprised you say SWO is competitive...it seems they're hurting for people. It took ~18 hrs from my aviation NPQ to becoming a SWO. Granted there were pressing circumstances, but I was amazed the Navy could work that fast. My understanding was that the SWO community is always looking for new victims, I mean JOs.

Look at it this way. Naval Academy graduates all have to go into the Navy or Marine Corps. With only so many billets available, and a protracted ground war going on, the balance of power has shifted from wanting to go Marine to wanting to be "safe". Without BUPERS assigning more SWO billets to graduating classes of USNA, and now more (apparently) guys wanting to go SWO, it is now competitive. But it is only competitive at the Naval Academy. ROTC/OCS guys probably have the same number of billets as years past, but don't want to go SWO.

Oh, and ships not making many port calls is really the luck of the draw. My first deployment, we made 1 or 2 port calls that were "port calls", the rest were working ports. We only made about 4 or 5 total. My third deployment, we hit 7 ports, all libbo ports and the ship made three working port calls while we were off the ship. It all depends on what's going on in the world.

 

[CommodoreMid]

And very nearly your Lt. Gov with R.F. Kennedy's daughter as Gov.

I just vomited in my mouth a little bit. That was an ugly election.

 

[Thisguy]

If you're going to get stabbed in the back and have a shitty life, why not go for the dough? What's the catch?

Keep in mind that Nukes don't make the big money until AFTER their commitment is up and the Navy starts throwing that Nuke bonus at you (12,5K for year to year, 23K per year if you re-up for 4 or 5 years...don't hold me to those numbers, they're just ballpark).

My cousin called going Nuke the "10,000 dollar mistake" That bonus really isn't a lot of money considering it determines how you spend the next 5 years of your life.