Navy | Navy Recruitment

Naval Aviation: Make way

: Image by POsrUs via Flickr

Naval Aviation is the use of air power by the navies; it involves usage of manned aircrafts and also carriers. Naval Aviation utilizes the usage of aircrafts aboard the carriers near to the target, the aircrafts used for the carrier operations need to be sturdy enough to withstand the different kind of stresses faced . The aircrafts are specially modified for such kind of operations. The Navy uses its aircrafts for Reconnaissance, Search and Rescue, surface attack, air-to-air combat, surface warfare and for material and personnel transport.
The history of naval aviation dates back to the year 1910 when Glenn Curtiss, A pioneer aviator showed that the airplanes can take off from and land on ships at sea, which led to the development of the concept of aircraft carriers . The navies also operated sea airplanes or flying boats during the most part of World War I. By the Second World War, Naval Aviation was significantly improved and it became a decisive element in the war at sea. Japan, US and UK were the significant users. Naval Aviation played an important role in Battle of Midway, Pearl Harbor and Battle of Okinawa etc. during that period. It was also used for Anti Submarine Warfare.
The development of advanced aircraft carriers has given a significant boost for the Naval Aviation secto0r. It enables the navies to have an Air cover for its forces while at sea, which cannot be provided by land based aircraft due to the distance factor,. The Anti Submarine Helicopters on board the Naval Carriers and destroyers are potent weapons against submerged threats. During the period of the cold war, the NATO navies began deploying light aircraft carriers with ASW helicopters and also started using long range reconnaissance planes for countering the threat by the Soviet SSNs and SSGN submarines.

Filed Under: Navy Tagged With: Aircraft Carrier, Anti Submarine Warfare, Battle of Midway, Glenn Curtiss, NATO, Naval Aviation, Navy, World War II

A Pre-set Fate

: Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Earl used to race a souped-up Model A down the streets of L.A. This was in the 1930s. He had a buddy with a shop who milled the heads and did various other things to the buggy to make it romp. Earl went through a number of different hotrods, racing title for title. He was a cut-up all the way around, going pretty much nowhere with his life.

When the United States become active in WWII, Earl’s younger brother, Don, joined the merchant marines at age 17. Earl was never one to be one-upped. He joined the Navy. He became a medic and floated from port to port across the entire globe. He also literally had a wife in Liverpool and one in L.A. He used to buy cheap watches in one port and sell them for triple the price in the next. M.P.s caught onto the doings and attempted to arrest Earl. Earl was sharp. He knew he couldn’t be arrested at his duty station so he slept there, having buddies deliver meals. He once slept at his duty station for two weeks before the M.P.s gave up.

Earl got his hands on a .25 caliber pistol. The troop transport was a converted ocean liner, heavy guns mounted. During gunnery practice, Earl pointed the 25 caliber out the port hole of his stateroom and fired three shots. (Yeah, he had a rough life in the Navy . . . a stateroom.) Gunnery practices ceased immediately. He discovered that the piercing noise of small firearms can be heard through the din of heavy artillery. As he heard the approach of feet, with doors opening and closing, the pistol made it to the bottom of the Atlantic.

The little boy in Earl never quite grew up. At age 80, and as a minister, he still drove like a kid. It eventually cost him his life. Some kids are born to be hell-raisers, and it doesn’t seem to matter how much structure you give them, you can’t save them from themselves. The Navy tried. Earl did what Earl was going to do.

Filed Under: Military, Military Photography, Navy, Navy Facts, Recruitment Tagged With: Atlantic Ocean, Earl, History, Liverpool, Navy, Parliament, United States, United States Navy

One Footlocker, One Porthole

: Image via Wikipedia

When Earl hit his eighteenth birthday he joined the Navy during WWII. To be on the safe side, he entered as a medic, not knowing that medics in the Navy filled both Navy and Marine positions. He stood in line, listening to someone going down the line saying: -Marine, marine, marine. . . when Earl was reached, the words hit his ears: “Navy. . . it was the first of many blessings to come.

Earl was on the second largest troop transport in the fleet a converted ocean liner. It was also fast, allowing it to steam on its own without being a sitting duck in convoys. Earl’s quarters were a private stateroom”an amazing luxury. One bed. One footlocker. One porthole.

Earl worked primarily with the men who were suffering from shell shock, although he often dealt with men whose bodies came aboard with missing parts. These events left endless silent scars inside. He bled as much as the injured.

The ship traveled three oceans. Bombay was always pleasant with families waiting ashore to take the men home to dinner, treating them like family and of course introducing them to their daughters in hopes for better lives with the young American boys.

One trip to New York found the ship full of German prisoners who were so shocked that the Statue of Liberty was still standing that they rushed to one side to stare. The ship listed. They had to be forced evenly across the deck, port and starboard. German propaganda convinced them that New York was leveled.

Earl’s stories were mostly fun with occasional drifts into the horrors of the medical unit. He didn’t talk much about those events. WWII broke him in many ways. He hid deep pain for the rest of his life. But he found enough strength to keep giving as a minister until he died in his mid eighties”broken medic to broken minister but tough enough to persevere. No one ever knew his deepest feelings. They were locked forever in a footlocker with one porthole open to God.

Filed Under: Navy, Navy Facts Tagged With: Navy, Ocean liner, Statue of Liberty, United States, World War II

The Weird Legend of Wes

: Image via Wikipedia

The son of a minister in Northern Idaho, Wes was an average student but smart as a whip. He was the fastest sprinter in the high school but never turned out for the track team. He was desired by some of the most beautiful girls in school. He dated most and the relationships failed miserably. Wes was married to beer, tequila, whisky, gin, and cheap wine.

By his high school senior year, Wes had totaled seven cars and two motorcycles. Totaled, not wrecked”as in junk yard refuse. In the final accident, Wes flipped a 1971 pearl paint job Javelin end for end for a quarter of a mile down the highway. He arrived to the hospital DOA . . . except for a twitching little finger on his right hand. He later told his friends that it was an LSD flashback. Oh, yes, it wasn’t just alcohol.

Wes tried college for one year in 1973 but could not take the pressure of being told what to do. A few months later he joined the Navy. Yes, everyone went: Huh!?

The folks in the U.S. Navy must have been pretty savvy about Wes, or maybe it was just pure dumb luck. His duty? Helmsman. Try to imagine the conversations in the bars at Wes’ hometown. Try to understand the enormity of this irony. You can’t, right? Don’t bother trying. It was the kind of event that was so ridiculous that you would never see it in a movie. It was way too unbelievable.

Wes remained in the Navy for one hitch which, from what little was known, went without incident. It was likely the most stable time in Wes’ life.

In 2010, Wes is near crippled. The condition of his body is not from the Navy who seemingly tried their best to make him face his demons and correct his life’s course. The crippled body was due to the nine totaled vehicles. Age shows the after effects later in life. One of Wes’ friends used to say: -Live fast, die young, and have a good looking corpse. Wes tried and failed.

Filed Under: Navy, Navy Facts Tagged With: High school, Navy, United States Navy, US Navy

Financing College: Crowdfunding or the Military?

Saving money to return to college can be a difficult task for many people. There is financial assistance available for some, but there are an unlucky few that are not eligible for such help. These people must locate other ways to raise the cash needed to fund their tuition, as well as other things such as textbooks and the supplies necessary to go back to school.

Crowdfunding can help those that dream of getting a degree. The idea behind this option is that people will donate money to help you achieve your goal. You can set up a campaign on a mediating website that will take the donations and present them to you at the end of your campaign. While it is running, you are responsible for promoting the idea of returning to school and getting others to help you in a financial manner. Thanks to the internet, you can reach millions of people who may be willing to assist you in returning to college.

Another option to get back into school is by joining the military. Every branch offers various programs to help those wanting to go back and earn a college degree. The Navy is no exception to this. Recruiters use the ability to return to school as an advantageous perk for enlisting in the military. Dedicating a short period of your life to your country can help you get the education you have always wanted. Obtaining a degree will enable you to get a better job once your military days are over.

Whether you choose crowdfunding or the military, you should understand that there are ways to make going back to school a reality. You may just need to think outside the box in order to raise the money necessary to pay for college out of your own pocket.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Education, Navy, People

What You Need to Know to Join the Navy

: Image via Wikipedia

Deciding to enlist in the military is a big decision that will affect your life forever. If you have thought about joining the military and feel like the Navy would be a good fit for you, knowing the qualifications and requirements will help you prepare:

Basic Qualifications
To join the Navy, you must be at least 18 years old and no older than 34. 17-year-olds are permitted to enlist, but they must have signed permission from their parents. If you want to be an officer in the Navy, you must be between the ages of 19 and 35 and have a Bachelor’s degree. You also must be a US citizen or a permanent immigrant with a green card.

Physical Requirements
Those who want to join the Navy must fall within a certain body fat percentage for their height. The Navy has charts that help you determine if your weight puts you in the acceptable category. You will also need to pass a medical test to ensure you don’t have any illnesses or issues that would put you or your fellow soldiers in danger, as well as a physical fitness test that involves running, push-ups, and other basic exercises.

Educational Requirements
The Navy requires you at least have a GED or high school diploma to graduate. Anyone wanting to join any branch of the military must also pass the ASVAB (Armed Forces Vocational Aptitude Battery), which is an entrance test. It includes nine categories, including science, math, mechanical comprehension, and paragraph comprehension. There are many ASVAB study guides and practice tests that will help you prepare.

While a recruiter is the best person to talk with to find out specific requirements for joining the Navy, these are the basics you must know. Joining the Navy is physically and mentally demanding, and these qualifications help make sure the Navy is a good fit for you.

Filed Under: Navy, Navy Facts Tagged With: Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, Navy, United States Navy

Organizations Within the Department of the Navy

: Image via Wikipedia

If you would like to work with the Navy, you do not actually have to be a part of the US Navy proper – though being a sailor doesn’t hurt. The Department of the Navy (DON) employs over 180,000 civilian workers in their respective organizations, and even as a civilian you can offer your services and skills to supporting America’s military. Because these are jobs with the DON, having Navy experience can’t hurt your job chances, but what’s important is that you have skills and ambition to bring to the table, and a patriotic attitude as you serve your nation’s primary defensive organization.

If you choose to start seeking a job with the DON, you immediately have dozens of options wherein you can being to find a job that fits you best. You can join in at the Office of Naval Research if you’re a student looking for real world application for the skills you’ve earned during your college experience, or if you’re interested in the filed of military intelligence, the Office of Naval Intelligence offers hundreds of jobs in a wide variety of intelligence-based fields. You would be stationed at the National Maritime Intelligence Center, which is also home to the Marine Corps Intelligence Activity and Naval Warfare Information Activity.

Or if coordination and administration are on your list of skills, you can work Bureau of Naval Personnel, which pick the right people for the right jobs and handle the Navy’s more complex human resources. There is also the Navy Secretariat and Staff, if you are looking for a job in an office. The Navy needs administration, too. There are also opportunities with the Navy’s Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, if you are civilian with experience in the fields of health and wellness. The Navy needs people who care and can treat the suffering and wounded, and with the military, the two sometimes go hand-in-hand.

Ultimately, sailor or not, the Navy is always looking for people to serve.

Filed Under: Navy, Recruitment Tagged With: Military, Navy, US Navy

How to Become a Navy Seal

Every military in history has had an elite force, comprised of only the most physically elite, mentally acute, and technologically proficient warriors. These warriors – usually men – are truly ultimate fighters, able to adapt to all kinds of weather and battle situations, and can survive even the most dire of circumstances while maintaining the fortitude of mind and body that only the most elite warriors can. In America, these ultimate warriors are the US Navy SEALs. Every boy fantasized about one day growing up to be a Navy SEAL, and a lot of men join in the US Navy with hopes of becoming one some day, but the tests and rigors that a SEAL must endure reserve it truly for a select, elite few.

SEAL stands for Sea, Air, and Land and points to the versatility of the Navy SEAL’s combat prowess. The SEAL program is actually ran by the military’s Special Operations Command, who also overseas other branches of the US Military elite fighting forces, like the Army’s Green Berets.

Primarily, SEALs are selected, and he needs to have already met a number of requirements prior to becoming a SEAL. First, they have to have completed both of their high school and college educations, and most importantly, they must pass the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, which tests mechanical, word, language, technological, memory, math, science, and electronics aptitude.

SEALs have to enter the program before they turn 28, and they must be men. Their vision must be 20-200 and be correctable up to 20-20, and they have to endure and pass extremely rigorous physical training and tests to even be considered. A SEAL applicant may do well on everything else, but if he can’t pass the physical tests, which involve intense, seamless push-up, sit-up, pull-up, swim, run, and even diving tests, then he is out of the program.

And once you’re in – well, only the SEAL knows what happens next.

Filed Under: Navy, Service Tagged With: Military, Navy, Warriors

Being a Part of the US Navy Reserve

: Image by @mjb via Flickr

If you want to join the United States Navy, you have a lot of options for what branch of service to select for your duty. If you are already balancing a busy social, family, or professional life but still want to offer your time to your state and country, then you might also consider joining the US Naval Reserves. When you are a member of the US Naval Reserves, you have to go through the same six-week basic training as everyone else in the US Navy, and must commit to serving one weekend a month in the service, and go through yearly two-week courses outside of your basic service.

If the reserves are called upon, you will be sent out with them, but that’s what the reserves are there for – to serve if necessary. Of course, when you are not serving, you are free to live your life as necessary, whether you’re a business owner, a family man or woman, or just have a busy civilian life, the US Naval Reserve offers you flexibility. You can live your civilian life, and then spend the occasional weekend or few weeks away, perhaps to recharge and serve your country in the meanwhile.

The Naval Reserves comprise 20% of the total US Naval forces, which means that you will also be plugged into a national network of support for the shift in life that will happen when you join the US Navy. It should be understood, however, that the Naval Reserves are not a part time job. Like a volunteer firefighter – if there is an emergency, you are called to be up to the task. You will be part of a mobile, accessible force that has mastered the transition between civilian and military life, and as a member of the Naval reserves, you will value both equally.

Filed Under: Navy, Service Tagged With: Military, Navy, US Navy

Being a Woman in the Navy

: Image via Wikipedia

The military stereotype assumes of the military that it’s like a boy’s club. No girls allowed. Like some stereotypes, the generalization was born from some truth, but as society has developed, so too has its military consciousness. The military is no longer ‘just for men,’ and the possibilities for a woman in the US Navy are just as plentiful, challenging, and rewarding as they are for any man. In other words, equality is the new standard of measure for excellence within the service. If you work hard and excel and what you’re told to do, you will progress and succeed, regardless of who you are.

Furthermore, the US Navy enables its seawomen-and-men to succeed. If you enter the Navy without a degree, you might just find after four years that you’ve not only earned the respect and admiration afforded our nation’s service veterans, but all of your hard work has paid off and you have a B.A. or B.S. too. The US Navy can help fund your education while enlisted, with their tuition assistance program offering you up to 75% compensation for college courses taken while you’re off-duty. And in some cases, the Navy might pay your entire tuition.

There are also job tracks in the Navy which are in high demand that don’t require a degree. Like becoming a Navy diver, working to service and salvage equipment under water and offer your support to some of the Navy’s other skilled branches. Or you can become an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician, working to locate, disarm, and neutralize potentially dangerous and cloaked explosive devices. You can save lives along with the rest of them, and take your accrued skills into the workplace outside of the Navy if and when you choose to end your career.

Ultimately, it is no easy thing being in the Navy – and this is the same for everyone. Respect and success are never free, but always earned, and always worth the time and effort put forth to attain them, regardless of race or gender.

Filed Under: Navy, Service Tagged With: Military, Navy, United States Navy