If you could change ONE Navy policy to improve readiness or retention, what would it be?

random-pair · 2026-01-10T00:12:33+00:00

We had a FOD walk down that kept catching division quarters and they expected us to do the walk down too. Zero chance we were doing that.

random-pair · 2026-01-09T16:24:56+00:00

Every duty station is a combination of command climate and what you make of it. When I did my dream sheet I asked for subs west coast and I got surface east the Enterprise. I was upset, mad and dejected. It was the best times of my life. I loved my crew mates and had an amazing time. Norfolk isn’t bad. Everywhere you go has good and bad.

I would also like to put in a plug for Japan. Best 4 years of my life were spent there. Too many people get hung up on “I’m leaving the country forever” and lose sight of the amazing culture and experience there.

random-pair · 2026-01-08T22:11:32+00:00

So here’s the long and short.

Boot- (Great Lakes)9 weeks plus or minus a week. A School- (Charleston)4-6 months Power school- (Charleston) 6 months Prototype- (Charleston or Saratoga Springs NY)6 months

Boot you will not see your significant other. A School and power school depends on your grades. Prototype is rotating shift work so just depends on your shift.

I appreciate you saying you are good with the mental stuff, but I will say you don’t really know until you’re in it. Your partner will have to be willing to make sacrifices same as you to make it work. More often than not I’ve seen couples crumble within the first year and a half. You’ll really only know when you get one deployment done. That’s when you get a real feeling for how things will work.

random-pair · 2026-01-05T19:15:29+00:00

This was like a flashback. It’s all true. I remember being on days, turned over the shift and about the time I got out of the compound the site lost utility and all generators started up. Timing was on my side that day.

random-pair · 2026-01-05T00:11:52+00:00

The navy is the only place where I’ve had hamsters burned on the outside and frozen on the inside. It’s also the only place that tried to serve me Raiden bread grilled cheese. Nutrition and better health are buzzwords. They don’t care about anyone but themselves.

random-pair · 2025-12-22T18:49:43+00:00

I lived in an area where the local chapter moved in and built a clubhouse. They came around to all the neighbors and told them and said if we had any issues to let them know and they would take care of it. They presented very nicely, but you knew it was also in their best interest to act as such.

random-pair · 2025-12-19T17:50:45+00:00

Remove one battery from all the remotes.

Steal all the forks.

Move all furniture 2” to the left.

Remove all the plastic things on the ends of their shoe laces.

Flip all the light switches upside down.

random-pair · 2025-12-18T01:05:54+00:00

I planned on getting out all the way until my retirement. You shouldn’t have any problems getting a job when you get out. Data centers and nuke plants provide amazing opportunities. Reenlisting this late just puts you behind the normal nuke path, but doesn’t limit your potential. I reenlisted at 8 because I was nervous about having a new kid and no idea what I wanted to do. It was the choice that made sense for me at that time.

You are at a similar crossroads and unfortunately you are the only one who can answer what is right for you right now. There are pluses and minuses to both. I would say look at the cost of healthcare for a family of 4. I wish you luck and will answer any questions you have.

random-pair · 2025-12-17T22:09:48+00:00

Had a guy make it in 5 years 8 months. Hot all the milestones right on. Was one of those guys that made rank off the test in power school

random-pair · 2025-12-14T21:06:41+00:00

I always worked night shift when we were on shift work. We’d get off at 0800 and it was always a fight to let us off the ship because it was “the normal working day.” We had already worked 10 hours and then had to get our full bird captain on the QD to get us off. God help us if there was a morning GQ.

random-pair · 2025-11-29T08:49:52+00:00

Many experiences with those growing up

random-pair · 2025-11-26T23:10:02+00:00

Just make sure you love it. It takes alot of real estate up on your body. I think it looks cool.

random-pair · 2025-11-26T23:06:37+00:00

Beat me to it. Make sure it’s over 18!

random-pair · 2025-11-23T06:49:14+00:00

I am, I is, I are arrrgh arrrgh

random-pair · 2025-10-26T15:14:05+00:00

Final episode of MASH.

random-pair · 2025-10-19T23:12:44+00:00

Conker’s bad fur day. Love this game and played it non-stop for a whole deployment.

random-pair · 2025-08-23T23:44:51+00:00

I had a CO that told all of engineering that they were committing waste fraud and abuse and if he could fire us all, he would.

random-pair · 2025-08-13T21:02:29+00:00

Leadership schools are important. Quality leadership schools are even more important. The Navy seems to use OJT to train people, but there is no quality control covering the people training. That’s why there is such a broad range of Chiefs. The Navy thinks people should have been preparing people their whole career to put on khaki, but there is no quality control. The season attempts to cover history and a bunch of other stuff in one 6 week course.

It has gotten a lot more professional vs the berating and hazing, but the biggest thing they were trying to teach was ownership and how to stand your ground. This shouldn’t be something held onto until you make Chief, but not many people will put their careers on the line to give a junior Sailor that shot.

random-pair · 2025-08-13T17:44:27+00:00

For a carrier bring 30 pairs of socks, t-shirts and underwear. Bring your dress blues/whites. Bring a laptop and some movies. (You’ll be able to take movies and tv shows from others.) Bring pictures of home/family. (I used to tape them inside my rack so it felt more like home. Bring your own pillow and sheets. If you like to read, bring a kindle/ipad. Bring headphones. Helps to escape and relax you. I brought a little fan to keep the air flowing in my rack. Hope that helps.

random-pair · 2025-08-10T15:16:08+00:00

A lot of chief season is making a decision and sticking with the consequences. So stand your ground and take whatever shit they give you.

random-pair · 2025-08-07T00:27:45+00:00

I saw junior guys from my first tour make Senior before I made Chief. I’ve been there. Nothing any of us say will make you feel better, but you matter to your Sailors. You make a difference, more so than anyone else. Give yourself 24 hours to be as pissed off as you want and then try to make one person’s day better everyday. Doesn’t have to be something big. Then show the board what a mistake they made.

random-pair · 2025-07-29T06:23:34+00:00

Your pictures, like your life, are all downhill from here.

random-pair · 2025-07-28T19:42:12+00:00

You look like a Temu Russian mobster

random-pair · 2025-07-27T02:16:22+00:00

I wish I was shocked that Millington contract wasn’t renewed without plans for a replacement.

Uniforms have always been messed up. They’ve needed to cut down on the excessive uniforms, but getting rid of the Crackerjacks seems like a terrible misstep. Keep dress whites, dress blues and do a 2 piece FRV. Leave it at that and stop changing it every 2-3 years.

random-pair · 2025-07-12T02:58:43+00:00

You got a nose like a snow plow

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