What The Navy's Really Like - The Truth About Sea Duty

[@jeffplumblee6376]

I love the idea that a sailor wouldn't be disappointed or apathetic until he was assigned to a ship.

[@2F2FPod]

And even then it's often only from culture shock through "food service duty" and working parties 😅

[@jeffplumblee6376]

@@2F2FPod is getting to your first boat really the first time a sailor discovers that no one cares about them?

[@2F2FPod]

I was just commenting on what the training video said; that sailors would only experience that once they're met with the realities of food service duty, cleaning, and working parties. That being said, I think most sailors (specifically, enlisted) really do join thinking that they, individually, will make a difference and be an important piece of whatever their personal motivation was. Further, I think most training pipelines and schoolhouses do a pretty good job of making you feel important as an individual. When we were in Nuke School, we were constantly being told that our school was harder than BUDS (lol), and how much money the Navy was spending on each and every one of us as an investment. I think it can be a culture shock when you get to the fleet just how inconsequential and replaceable every individual is. Whether or not that has a dramatic impact on someone probably has to do with lots of other factors. I think we always understood that we were nothing more than cogs in a machine that would never stop turning, but tried to utilize any power or influence we eventually gained to make that machine a less painful ride for the next guys and the guys in the bilges with us.

[@zackprivette8102]

Guys I just want to say I really appreciate the content. As someone who is currently being recruited into the Navy Nuclear field all this information has been a blessing to come across.

[@2F2FPod]

We're glad to have you watching! If you need anything, please reach out.

[@wbrockstar9550]

I hope you enjoy studying & retaining difficult subject matter comes naturally to you.When I was in,I became an MT (missile tech) and was a crewmember on a ssbn.I went from sub school to Bert (basic electronics rate training) to swse A & C school.Nukes went to school day and night. Longer hours at school & also studying on the side more than any other rate I saw.

[@AarmOZ84]

My first patrol we crossed the equator and got to do a shellback ceremony. Granted, boomer submarines tend to do circles in patrol zones so they aren't known for their far distant travels. In my case, we were moving our boat from Kings Bay, GA to Bangor, WA so we had to navigate around the tip of South America. So, my first patrol I got to travel halfway around the world..... and get qualified. I also saw the 2000 training video on the First 72 Hours and felt like the sailor that turns into degenerate was me. Granted I couldn't get in trouble for underage drinking because I reported to the boat at age 21. Oh, and I first met my COB because he card me at a "mandatory fin" event where we had a keg so I was grabbing a beer and he never saw me before. Too many good and bad stories being an M Div'er on a boomer. Anyways, glad to see the nukes making a podcast. Next up, take over the world.

[@2F2FPod]

We did shellback in the late 2010s on our transit from Portsmouth to San Diego (through the Canal). I can't imagine the differences between your ceremony and ours, it was very obviously watered down by then. Blue nose a few years earlier still went pretty hard, though. I think most of us felt exactly like the kid in those training videos. It also seems like something that hasn't ever really been addressed by big Navy. "Have a sponsor program" seems to be about as far as they've ever gone. Thanks for watching, we're glad to have you!

[@AarmOZ84]

@@2F2FPod I was a shellback in 2005 so it was probably very different. There was only a few submariners on my boat that didn't go through the ceremony. I wish I could have gone through the canal, but we were fully loaded with nuclear weapons so that was never happening. Fun thing about the southern tip of South America.... the water is so cold that I could see my breath in the engineroom. I had to wear a winter coat even with the heaters on.

[@kingRADi88]

"Regular stairway" Bruh. What? Please show me a home or commercial building where "stairs" are almost vertical. Lolol.

[@2F2FPod]

I guess they are pretty steep 😂 Compared to the ladders though... nice and easy.