My boyfriend is going to try and join the Navy soon.I'm looking into different colleges for registered nursing. If we get married after his first set of four years, how will that effect my job?I'll have my RN by then but will I be able to transfer that to other countries? Or will all of that be in vain? If I'm not signed up with the Navy, will I be able to still work on the base if I'm a Navy wife? Or will I have to learn a new language everything we get transfered to a foreign country? I can't imagine that working out to well in the medical field....Also-How long is their schooling after bootcamp?Is that like college on land or is it on the ship?How often are they deployed? And for how long? What is the biggest gain from joining the Navy? What is the biggest sacrifice? Sorry for so many questions in one form but I'm very confused about all of this and I'd like to get answers from people who have already gone through it. Thanks in advance! God bless! Just to clarify-I will NOT be joining the Navy. lol Sorry for the confusion. I will just be marrying a man IN the Navy. Thanks for all of your advice so far! It really helps clear things up! :) First off, congrats to both of you! Completing your RN degree is an awesome accomplishment, and serving in the military is an honorable profession.
I've been in the Navy for 18 years now, and I recently completed a 4 year tour as a classifier - a person who interviews applicants for jobs and places them in fields, signs contracts, answers questions, etc. Here's what I think:
Is completing your RN degree in vain? No, it'll be worth it, especially as you move around the country. Being in the medical field is an excellent move; it'll allow you to transfer your skills from one duty station to any other. If your husband is stationed overseas, the best advice I can give you is to apply for a job on base, where you'll not only be working with English-speaking people, but you'll also find it easier keep employed as you move around. The biggest downfall with working for the government is the pay - you'll find that many civilian companies are more competitive when it comes to that department!
It sounds like your husband is joining as an enlisted sailor. When he goes to test and physical, ask to be there when he selects his job. It'll give you an insight into what he's offered, the school length, start/end dates, etc. There is no rule about who can be in the booth when he selects his job, so don't take no for an answer! Some classifiers I know really don't like having girlfriends/mom's in the booth, mainly because their goal is to get your husband in and out as quickly as possible and answering questions can get in the way of that goal.
As far as deployments, time away from home, etc., it all depends on the job field he chooses. There are many different communities in the Navy, and some deploy more than others. For example, if he chooses "Full Tim Support" jobs, he'll probably be working at a reserve center and won't deploy much at all. Take a job like Hospital Corpsman, and you'll find the duty station selections are numerous, but mostly hospitals - great if you want to see each other every day. The downfall with HM's (Hospital Corpsman) is they deploy with Marines in the battlefield and that can be 12+ months at a time, not something I'd recommend for a newlywed.
If you husband is looking for a job that'll get him training, promotion, bonuses, etc, look for advanced electronic jobs. There's ton's of school involved, and the skills he'll learn will convert directly to high-paying civilian careers. Pick a job like "Damage Controlman" and he'll be on a ship very quickly and, if he stays in, for the long-hall, he'll probably be on a ship 60%+ of his navy career. Other jobs, like Yeoman, Cryptologic Technician, Personnel Specialist are mainly office-type of jobs, where there are lots of duty station selections. The career progression for some of these sucks, though, so there's an old saying "choose your rate, choose your fate" - and make a wise decision when sitting down with your classifier.
And finally, the biggest sacrifice that I've made since I've been in is time away. Most of my navy-career has been as a single sailor, but now that I'm married, being away sucks - a lot! Learning how to deal with the separation is important in keeping your marriage strong, so I'd make sure that you're prepared before you both make this decision. There isn't a single job in the Navy that is 100% shore duty based at all times, so you never know when your husband will have to pack his seabag and deploy.
Good luck and God speed!
Brian L. You could try getting a civil service job as a nurse and it might be easier to move with your husband.
You don't need to learn a foreign language in every country you go to cause there will be Americans there with you and many people around military bases speak English. There are many sacrifices in the Navy, but many gains.
You should go ahead with your nursing career. My sister-in-law (a nurse) says that nurses are in high demand everywhere in the United States.
You not have to learn a new language if your boyfriend is stationed overseas, but if you are married to him by then it could not hurt to learn. I wish I had learned Spanish, Italian, Japanese, and Arabic before I went to overseas bases. Wow, lots of questions. Ok let me try and sort thru them. First if you work on the base you will be working on an US base so everyone there will be speaking English. If you get a job as a nurse working for the govt you will not have to join the military you will be designated as a Government Civil Servant or GS. You will be able to work at any military base world wide once your hired as a GS employee.
I would highly recommend you going this route vs joining the Navy just to be with your fiance. Trying to coordinate two military member's orders when it's time to transfer is difficult at best. Good luck and get ready for an adventure of a lifetime. Absolutely go for your RN. You can not know what tomorrow will bring, but you need to make sure you can support yourself in a career you will enjoy.
You will not be able to automatically transfer your nursing license to another state, much less a foreign country. If a state is in the nursys system it is easier to get a license from another nursys system state. Otherwise you have to apply and pay fees and turn in proof of your credentials, etc.
As far as the navy thing goes, it depends on the job he will be doing when considering the time he will be in training after basic and then if he is assigned on ship, he could be gone months at a time. If he is sent on a overseas tour, you could be separated years.
I am a nurse and former military.
Please, go for your education. You will not regret it. US bases are considered US sovereign territory. In other words any qualifications legal in the united states are legal on all military bases. This would theoretically apply to an embassy as well.
As for languages, you'll end up learning the language of wherever you get stationed. Force of habit and it'll make life easier. No one expects fluency but the basics is always handy.
If by schooling you mean college, it's the same as a normal degree. You get 4 years.
Biggest sacrifice is you lose all control over where you get to live for the next four years. Also, for at least one of those years he'll be deployed. My uncle is a lt. colonel and its a year for every four years. It might be different for enlisted men. Of course, they can split that up. Theoretically it's a single consecutive year. They made him do a small tour and then a full year.
Biggest gain is they'll, in theory, pay for college. But that's not necessarily all of college and the pay cheque isn't exactly grandiose. Just because he is in the Navy doesn't mean he will be stationed overseas. If you wait to marry him until after your degree you will be able to use the RN at military bases around the world, as they don't mind hiring spouses who are qualified; but beware, they may have a glut of them and you may not be able to take work out on the economy.
The length of his A and C schools will depend on his rating and NEC. The classes are held in a schoolroom environment for the most part with some lab/real world simulation hands-on training. His first command will most likely be a ship; expect him to be gone around 6 months out of the year with a 6 month deployment every 18 months, but the schedules are subject to change at any time. My wife and I spent the first year of our marriage apart except for maybe 3 months, and it was split up over two training cycles and an emergency 9 month deployment.
The biggest sacrifice is the time taken away from your family; the gain is the training and sheer life experience you take away from the Navy. Italienn has a good answer. RN's are necessary everywhere in the world. I don't think you would have a problem with employment in other countries. Locations of military installations welcome RN's to work in local hospitals, clinics, etc. I am certain.
As far as language, I have been all over Europe and some Asian countries. In Europe "English" is their second language and I never had, or as I continue to visit, any problem. I have a Navy buddy that flies his own charter planes and lives in Gaeta, Italy. He has lived there with his business 10 years and never learned much Italian and does a good business in flying his charters. This same town has a gentleman from New Jersey with the best pizza in town and he never learned Italian as well, in business 15 years.
You will do well, God's Speed!, stay positive. Way too many questions, but your husband will have to select orders and be eligible to go overseas. You can do 20 years in the Navy and never be stationed overseas. He WILL deploy, but you can't go with him. You will not be able to work as a nurse in a foreign country unless you work on a US Military Base. Your training and certifications is only good in the state you get it in. You will need to recertify for any new state you live in if you want to work as an RN. His "A" school time all depends on the rating he chooses. It can be as short as 10 days if he in undesignated all the way up to two years if he goes nuke. You will be underway a lot with your ship. You will deploy for 6-8 months every 15 to 18 months. More depending on the ship he is on. The Navy will take care of you 100%. If you are financially responsible you can put away tons of money each year. You can get all of your college education while on active duty and still have your GI Bill to use after you get out. YOu get the worlds best medical and dental care for free. You get 30 days of leave a year. You get to travel and see places you would never dream of as a civilian. You get to have the time of your life and get paid for it. Go talk to a recruiter if you want more specific answers. You can get a job wherever he is stationed. There is a nursing shortage all over the country. How his being in the Navy is going to affect your job that is up to you. He may not be in the Navy after he has done his first 4 years in, he may get out so then the Navy would have no affect at all on either of you.
Some people in the Navy have stayed in the same area for 10, 15, 20 even 30 years without moving. It will depend on what the AD member 's job is, what the demand for his rating is, where the openings are, etc...
Some bases will allow civilian nurses & doctors to work there, while others will not. It will change from area to area, base to base, command to command. You should be able to get a job in the local area.
Whether or not he goes overseas will depend on what jobs are open for him at the time. Overseas assignments include Hawaii so maybe you will go there. Or you could go to Japan, Spain, Italy, Cuba, who knows. Whether or not you will work there will depend on the base, the demand, and what is available. If you are in a foreign country if you want to learn the language go ahead, if you don't then don't. Your choice.
For his schooling it will depend on what rating (job) he chose. Some are 2 years long, while others are several months. All schooling is at a base and not on a ship.
How often they are deployed will depend on the ship he is assigned to and the demand at the time. Sometimes they can be gone 90% of one year and the next year 60%. There is times they are gone for a few days and other times when they are gone for over 6 months.
The biggest gain is a job that you can't really get laid off from, a paycheck twice a month, free medical, free dental (for AD member, monthly charge & co-pay for dependents), housing/barracks, free meals, gyms, theaters, pools, bowling alleys to use on the base. Plus there is stores on base that are just for the military and are discounted prices. Then there is the free college education, a chance to see the world, the list goes on.
The sacrifices it depends on what you think you are missing. Yes there is time spent away from family & friends, you can move with little notice, sometimes you are in high price areas beyond your budget, but that is part of any job these days.
Now as a gf you will not be able to live with him, use the base facilities, go to certain areas, etc... |
