StarDestroyer.Net BBS

I was talking with my mother earlier, discussing how I seemed to be going nowhere. The prospect of the Royal Australian Navy came up. I've peered over the website, and they of course talk it up.

So, is joining the Navy a good idea for a career?

Wow Gandalf, I didn't know you were interested.

I don't know the answer myself, but I've pestered a lot of the Navy boys here with incessant questioning.

I suppose the best way is to find out and enlist.

Military worked for me. Getting out with an honorable discharge and college money does wonders for you down the road. Plus other stuff I have probably forgotton to mention.

Unfortunately, I don't have enough information to help you with the Aussie Navy.

I don't really know anything about the Australian Navy to help you with that decision.

There were a couple of Australians Navy guys going through the same school I was but the two guys I was aware of were in different classes than I was so we didn't interact much.


I suppose the best thing you could do is try to find some people who were in the RAN and some who currently are in it and ask them some questions. Also if it's possible see if you can get a tour on an active ship.

Military can be a good route if you have the mindset for it. The navy can be a good technology choice which also offers you the chance to see new things.

Other choices might be the Airforce or Coast Guard. Down in Australlia their Coast Guard is extremely important given the merchant routes that are all over the place. You would be doing something important.

Gandalf wrote:So, is joining the Navy a good idea for a career?

I'd recommend the Coast Guard, but since you're Australian, it looks like this is your version, so you'd be better off going with the Navy.

Well, if it was the USN, I'd say if nothing else, you could see a lot of different places.

But how far out does the RAN wander? Do they go all over the world too?

RogueIce wrote:Well, if it was the USN, I'd say if nothing else, you could see a lot of different places.

But how far out does the RAN wander? Do they go all over the world too?

They only rarely leave the Western Pacific and Indian ocean, the Persian Gulf is about as distant a deployment they have on anything like a regular basis.

Gandalf, my brother knows a guy who was in the Navy for some time. I'm going to eventually contact him for my own benefit, but if you have questions about it then feel free to give them to me and I'll pass them on.

From what little I know - based on what this guy has said, and others like Tsyroc, RogueIce, Lonestar and Ender - it's a hard life. But you get to travel, you're surrounded by high-tech gear, and if you leave the service getting a job is supposedly easier, or at the very least you have one more thing to put down on your resume.

My whole family are military, I've a cousin who flies FA MK2's in the Navy, Fleet Air Arm, My uncle is a sergeant in the Royal Air Force, My dad was a major in the British Army, My mothers Uncle was a Squaron Leader in the Royal Air Force... and so on. They are all telling me how good their lives have been and how I should follow in their footsteps.

But I want to teach English to foreigners, much more exciting

Go for it, my pal recently joined the Royal Navy as an Air Engineering Mechanic and he is having the time of his life. He is about to be assigned to the Ark Royal, lucky bastard. He's got great prosects. Our other cousin, Brad, was an AEM for 6 years- and he toured the states, asia, africa- he's seen the world, and he went in at the bottom. The Pay is good, it seems, but like you say, it's a hard life, literally pulled out of your every day routine, away from your family etc etc, thrown into being told what to do, how to do it- every day.

Jon wrote: Go for it, my pal recently joined the Royal Navy as an Air Engineering Mechanic and he is having the time of his life. He is about to be assigned to the Ark Royal, lucky bastard. He's got great prosects. Our other cousin, Brad, was an AEM for 6 years- and he toured the states, asia, africa- he's seen the world, and he went in at the bottom. The Pay is good, it seems, but like you say, it's a hard life, literally pulled out of your every day routine, away from your family etc etc, thrown into being told what to do, how to do it- every day.

The last time I saw the Ark Royal she and her crew spent a month (at least) in port in Florida, during December. Not a bad gig if you can get it.