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time at sea

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navsup

BDCP Supply
when we are on sea duty(supply officer) what would be a typical number of days per year out to sea, not including the 6 month deployment? Examples for carrier, cruiser, etc....

Also do sailors on carriers get liberty ports less often than the smaller ships, because of their size?
 
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airpirate25

Grape Ape...Grape Ape
Sea time is really hard to predict these days. The "Shooters" ie DDG, FFG, etc have a saying, "It's Friday, time to get underway!". I served on two Amphibs, both LPD class; in four years, did two 6+ month deployments, with 2-4 week underways about every month and a half other than shipyard periods (this is a total crap-shoot, could be 3-12 months, but you work from 5am to 6pm, so no real difference). I guess just off the cuff, we spent well over 70% of the year at sea. From what I know of carriers, they deploy longer, but may spend a little more time in port. from what my friend on the GW said, liberty ports were rare, but not any more so than when we were both in the Gator Navy. When you factor in duty days (up to every third day on a smaller ship), which is even worse than being underway at times...it's a challenge to find ways of "enjoying" sea duty. The good thing is, when you look at civilian careers, how often do you land a job making up to 40K, with 30 days paid vacation a year, and annual business trips to exoctic places? I've been on the civ side long enough to get bored.
 
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navsup

BDCP Supply
thanks for the info. I will be looking forward to shore duty. Although I dont know where I will be as a supply officer. Maybe a recruiter or some AF base near my home town
 
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airpirate25

Grape Ape...Grape Ape
I asked the Supply O on our ship about there choices on duty, and as it he explained it, any Navy Supply guy will do the same track as a SWO...two DIVO tours at sea, then shore rotation before Department Head school. If you're AF, then you got it made...unless they send ya to Diego Garcia :) Supply guys still have "warfare" pins and at sea quals like anyone else, and it's not a "dead-end" career like 1305. My advice would be to get the sea time out of the way, get your pin, kick arse in your second DIVO tour (can't be done on first tour), then vie for the best location you can find.
 
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smell the glove

Registered User
Quote: "The good thing is, when you look at civilian careers, how often do you land a job making up to 40K, with 30 days paid vacation a year, and annual business trips to exoctic places?"

Military Sealift Command civilian mariners have it way better than USN guys. Once you've been to an MSC ship, you're ruined.
 
fc2spyguy

fc2spyguy

loving my warm and comfy 214 blanket
pilot
Contributor
My experience on the ship side of things. One sea tour for four years. During that four years one deployment in 98' one 9 month ROH (Regular Overhaul), and 2 years forward deployed in Yokosuka, Japan. While in Japan it seemed like we were underway all the time. But, we hit some awesome ports and had a good time. The ROH period absolutely sucked. There is no getting around it. Can't sugar coat it or anything else. The deployment we hit two ports on the way to the Gulf from San Diego: Thailand and Singapore. Then on the way back from the Gulf hit Australia in two separate ports: Darwin and Townsville. While in the Gulf hit Bahrain and Jebel Ali (sp?) a bout 4-6 times total. Overall the cruise was fun especially since we launched a bunch of T-hawks.

On that Friday underway thing. Yeah we had an Ops who everyone thought hated his family, underway Friday pulling in on Monday for the entire workup cycle prior to going to Japan.

Oh yeah, this was on a Cruiser.
 
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navsup

BDCP Supply
do we go to the ship everyday when on sea duty and the ship is in homeport?

how do our days off rotate?

and for vacation if we want to take 3 weeks off and the ship will be going to sea for a few days during that time, how does that work?

by duty day, is that when we go spend the night on the ship? or......
 
Thisguy

Thisguy

Pain-in-the-dick
the ship is your workplace, so yes, when it's inport you go on the ship.

Duty means you sleep on the ship. Sweet dreams.

3 weeks off? Good luck with taking that much time off in a row even if the ship isn't at sea. If it is, it's highly unlikely your command will approve leave during an at-sea period.

Enjoy your sea time :)
 
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airpirate25

Grape Ape...Grape Ape
Navsup, "generous leave" doesn't exist in practice out in the fleet. My last four year years before getting out, I used less than twenty days of leave, I got like five when we got home from deployment, a few other big chunks during standowns and maybe 2 or three days for the two Thanksgivings I was in port...I didn't do a Christmas the entire time, had duty for each one. Not trying to sount dismal, but sea duty does have its challenges. The XO usually approves all leave, and no matter what you have on the books, it can be swatted down by the infamous "needs". Now that I'm back in the civil work-force, I can say its still better. I work nights, and have to be with the company for a year or more to get a week of paid vacation.
 
Thisguy

Thisguy

Pain-in-the-dick
navsup,

you'll have to pick and choose your spots. Commands usually have two 2-week periods where they let people take leave around the holidays. Otherwise, you'll have to work vacations into your work schedule, not the other way around. For instance, we were at sea for 3 weeks this past June, and I took a week of leave as soon as we got back. Anyway, I know you're concerned because you're accumulating leave in BDCP, but just be glad that when you drop a leave chit, you're not really gonna care how much you have on the books.
 
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smell the glove

Registered User
airpirate: Get yourself a Mate's/Captain's license fom the Coast Guard, call up MSC, and voila $100K plus, 1-3 months of leave per year (working for the Navy), and your very own stateroom.
 
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EngineGirl

Sleepy Head
It takes a bit of time to get your Mate/Engineer's licsene. I have my 3rd assistance engineers liscene from the Coast Guard and have sailed for MSC, and yes, they are a great company. If you have any questions on how to get your liscene or about MSC, you can PM me and I can help you out.

And before anyone asks, yes, I am going active duty as opposed to sailing on my liscene. Yes I know that means I'll only make 1/4 of the money and I won't have as much time off and crappier rooms and food...but its what I want to do.

EngineGirl
 
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