Navy Life Questions

[Possible]

Hello, I'm leaving for boot in 3 months, and I've been lurking around this forum for awhile now, but I have some questions about life in the Navy that I've not been able to find the answers to on this site, and I've searched this and other sites. If they were answered then I missed it.

1. How are exercise facilities on a sub? I'm just wondering if they have a designated area for such activities since I've recently started working out to get prepared for boot, and I forgot how much I missed it, and it'd be nice to have a place to keep up my practice with martial arts while underway.

2. How hard is it to do volunteer work while in the Navy? One thing I would love to achieve during my time in the military is the Outstanding Military Volunteer Service Medal. I joined the Navy because I realized I needed to make a change in my life, and volunteering is something I would definitely love to get involved with, and that medal would be a symbol of that change for me.

Thank you service and for putting your experiences on this forum to help DEPers like me.

[stephpatton]

1.  I am a woman, therefore will not be on a sub...yet.  However, in many many discussions between sub vols and my SLPO and instructors here at Powerschool, I can affirm that there is exercize equipment on subs, with limited running room. 

2.  I am aware of a ribbon for volunteer service you can achieve here at NNPTC.  200 documented hours of community service and its yours.  There are always volunteer opportunities available on our plan of the day through the command, as well as organizations in the area you can get involved with.  The time to get it done is hard to come by, mostly you will be limited to weekends, since free time during the week is minimal.  I reccomend getting your hours of service during t-track where you have more time and are able to leave base when not at work (phase 1 and 2 kinda stink, and you'll be on that for minimum 2-3 months after arriving.  You must remain on base more than you wish, so hours will be difficult to accumulate until phase 3)

Any questions, PM me.

[number41]

There is virtually no work-out room on a fast attack.  There is equipment, but I hated having to make Conar Techs move out of the way every hour so that my lower level watch could take R-114 logs.  There will be limited equipment, but trust me, you will be hard pressed to get the time to use any of it as a nuke.  There's a reason people become a member of the "three mile a year club."  Boomers are a bit better.  Room for martial arts?  Well, I'm assuming you mean practicing punches, kicks, movements, etc.  I'm no Chuck Norris (although I've seen a few of his movies), but in my opinion, you just wouldn't have room.  If it's that important to you, go surface.  You'll have more than one gym and plenty of room to work-out.
As far as volunteer work goes, I had some opportunities here and there.  I never kept track of the times to work towards the volunteer service medal, but I don't imagine that I came close to the required time.  I believe it was in the neighborhood of 2000-2500 hrs, but don't quote me.  Again, I'd bet that you would have a hard time devoting your free time to volunteer work if you go fast attack.  As with any advice on THIS forum, I'd take it with a grain of salt.  If you are determined enough, you certainly can accomplish both goals.  However, most navy nukes that get good at their jobs turn into workaholics, either through their own devotion or because they are forced against their will.  If you follow the pattern, don't count on very much time off to either work out or volunteer.

[crusemm]

To answer your questions:
1. Typical exercise equipment on a Submarine, T-Hull (SSBN, SSGN) or Fastboat (SSN) Treadmill, Elliptical, rowing machine, stationary bike, dumb bells (maybe, technically not allowed, but sometimes they make exceptions), bowflex or other "rubber band" type.  That's about all I've seen of typical exercise equipment.  there is a lot of homemade type stuff also (chin up bars, some free weights, those forearm wheel/rope things).  One thing there is not a lot of is room.  No room for Kata's, sparring, etc (maybe some tai-chi type stuff).  might be able to get creative on a BN/GN, but not too much.

2. Volunteering: per the previous poster for school, I guess.  But during my time in school there was almost no time for anything BUT school.  8 hours a day M-F, and then 25-50 extra hours after school, most of which is made up on weekends.  After school/prototype, when you get to your boat you have got at least a year of "Your DINQ (Delinquent IN Qualification), get qualified NUB (Non Useable Body)".  After that, more power to ya buddy.  According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_Outstanding_Volunteer_Service_Medal) it takes about three years to get the medal.  So figure 2 months for boot, 6 months for NNPS, 6 months for NPTU, plus waiting/hold time, 1 year on boat, your looking at almost 1/2 way through your enlistment before you can start.  Take the next three years to work on the medal stuff (between deployments / patrols, trainers, schools, other upkeep / refits) and then you are looking at being almost to the end of your enlistment.

It may seem like I'm saying you cannot do it, I'm not.  What I am doing is being honest.  Typically you spend so much time at work, that there is barely enough time left over for a social life let alone volunteer work.  Although now that there are going to be women on subs, you may be able to combine work and social life (just kidding ).

Hope this helps, thanks for your (coming) service, good luck.

[JustinHEMI05]

I have been known to do hundreds of fast paced laps around engineroom upper level while on watch.

[crusemm]

I have been known to do hundreds of fast paced laps around engineroom upper level while on watch.

Nah, the really good guys get in 2 miles while on watch in ERF (without sustaining any injuries )

[deltarho]

You guys had it bad on subs...

Fitness was a priority on the cruisers; they installed a modified rock climbing wall in each engineroom. Well, it was actually a ladder; but it was really long--extending three levels--from the 6' 9" level to the 2nd deck. You could get quite a workout going up and down that thing a few times an hour during watch. Some used the exercise equipment for the "my knees hurt so bad I need a medical discharge" program.

Oh, we also figured it could also be used in an emergency if one needed an evacuation route to do a strategic withdrawal from, say, high pressure steam or a feed rupture.

[Marlin]

   Resourceful sailors will find a way even if there is no installed equipment. We used a single step as a "stair stepper", wrapped spare lead shielding blocks with duct tape for dumbells, used framing for pull ups, and handrails as parallel bars for leg lifts. We didn't really have any place to run, the 637s were a bit tight on space as compared to the boomers or 688s but any place we could stand we could run in place or do calisthenics. Several of us played rugby with a local team when in port and had to do at least a little something to be prepared after a deployment, not always as successful on the aerobics side as I would have liked as noise abatement limited some of that activity.

[HydroDave63]

You guys had it bad on subs...

Fitness was a priority on the cruisers; they installed a modified rock climbing wall in each engineroom. Well, it was actually a ladder; but it was really long--extending three levels--from the 6' 9" level to the 2nd deck. You could get quite a workout going up and down that thing a few times an hour during watch. Some used the exercise equipment for the "my knees hurt so bad I need a medical discharge" program.

Oh, we also figured it could also be used in an emergency if one needed an evacuation route to do a strategic withdrawal from, say, high pressure steam or a feed rupture.

DeltaR,
   You seem to have forgotten the "Members Only" reboiler sauna used by #1 plant mechanics and a few others to shed unwanted pounds (would that be considered a taxable benefit nowadays?), the Shore Power cable curls up to the 03 level, and the mando-commando Possum crawls on the helo deck every Wednesday at sea. That, and the "wannn scooop duuude" portion control regimen. A virtual (barely) floating Carnival Cruise ship! Gotta stay thin and pretty in those D2G plants, to shimmy back to hidden level detectors and broke wiring in the confined spaces!

[Possible]

The time to get it done is hard to come by, mostly you will be limited to weekends, since free time during the week is minimal.  I reccomend getting your hours of service during t-track where you have more time and are able to leave base when not at work (phase 1 and 2 kinda stink, and you'll be on that for minimum 2-3 months after arriving.  You must remain on base more than you wish, so hours will be difficult to accumulate until phase 3)

I don't mind giving up my weekends if it means helping myself change as well as supporting a good cause, and I'm far from being allergic to hard work. I'll make sure to get in as much volunteer work as I can without having it interfere with my studies. Also, I don't mind being on base because I don't drink or do anything that I couldn't really do on base if what I've read about the activities available on base is true. Well, skydiving is pretty fun, but I don't do that very often at right now anyway.

I'm thinking carrier life might be better for me from the sound of things. I really like having space to practice some basic kicks and punches plus more port calls are always good as is the ability to stay in touch with my parents who aren't in the best of health.

[Preciousblue1965]

If you really want a good work out on a carrier, I got three words for you:  DEMIN RESIN HUMP.  Those who have been on a carrier know what I am talking about.

[deltarho]

DeltaR,
   You seem to have forgotten the "Members Only" reboiler sauna used by #1 plant mechanics and a few others to shed unwanted pounds (would that be considered a taxable benefit nowadays?),

I was neither fond of the smell of JP-5 exhaust nor the idea of being incinerated without a moment's notice--that's why God made MMs, remember?

[Possible]

I was neither fond of the smell of JP-5 exhaust nor the idea of being incinerated without a moment's notice--that's why God made MMs, remember?

God made MMs? I was under the impression MMs were god.  

[HydroDave63]

I was neither fond of the smell of JP-5 exhaust nor the idea of being incinerated without a moment's notice

You would have been far less flammable if you weren't always carrying and reading those Bose, Crutchfield and Harmon Kardon catalogs out of the RC Shop

[deltarho]

God made MMs? I was under the impression MMs were God. 

I think we need a new emoticon: a smug emoticon being zapped by a lightning bolt from on high.

Mr. Possible, you may want to rethink your post and edit your spelling from an upper case "G" to a lower case "g" in the last word. You are aware that this tact has been tried before--the whole: I'm just as good as You, if not better, game. It didn't work out so well for him and his associates. Well, maybe you might disagree with me; after all, he is a prince.

He is the prince of demons and of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience. Some call him Beelzebul, most know him as Satan.

Mr. Possible, you may want to rethink your post before your station in life forces a change of your name to Impossible.

[DSO]

Try smuggling some free weights onboard in your green seabag on the weekend..I did. I stored them in a can that fit in a stanchion in shaft alley(688 class sub) I also had a 1 inch big piece of rubber to throw down on the deck..and a small cheap bench tied up by the aft part of the main engine there in shaft alley. You will have to throw your body on them all if they are on the deck during angles and dangles and its best to workout with someone else to spot you so you done make noise. If they totally outlaw weights... pushups at an inverted angle with a weight belt attached to some tdu weights works and making dumbells with barstock and tdu weights taped to the ends. Those rubber resistance  cables attached to various pipes or equipment are another resort if the eoow or ews gets whiney about your working out and possibly causing noise...

[Possible]

Mr. Possible, you may want to rethink your post and edit your spelling from an upper case "G" to a lower case "g" in the last word.

To be honest, I didn't even realize I made it capital. I'm not particularly religious, but I really hate using "G" for the simple reason that some people find such things offensive. I'm glad you pointed it out to me so I could correct it.

[JsonD13]

I believe that religion should not be discussed in this forum, since the basis for the subject is the Navy.  Delta, your remark would have been better served as a PM.


Jason

[deltarho]

I believe that religion should not be discussed in this forum, since the basis for the subject is the Navy.  Delta, your remark would have been better served as a PM.


Jason

Heck, I gave to Gozer's "#1 Fan" for having fun with the thread!

Thanks for your opinion, Comrade. Did they have Chaplains in your Navy? They did mine. And while we are on the subject... Was your retort Navy related? No, sir, you were too busy chastising me to follow your own advice to use the PM system to let me know that I should have used the PM system.

Please, next time come out to play only after you develop a sense of humor and learn more about the personality of the posters. Some folks on this board don't take themselves seriously, and use opportunities to speak to others through others. Did you notice that Mr. Possible's: sweat pumps were still at 15 Hz?; panties weren't in a gather?; nose wasn't bent out of joint?;  feelings weren't on his sleeves?

deltarho

[JsonD13]

I recall they DID have chaplains in my time in the Navy......in fact they were of all different religions.

I didnt view my friendly reminder as chastising, but more related to co-worker coaching......or in this case, co-poster coaching.


Have a bright shiny haze gray Navy day,

Jason

[Possible]

I have another question which I've been unable to attain the answer to that I was wondering about. Alright, so if you are doing rotations from shore to sea say every six months, what happens to the stuff you keep on base when you are staying there when you head back out to sea? It's probably a rather silly question, but the search function (and google) seems to have failed me.

[crusemm]

I have another question which I've been unable to attain the answer to that I was wondering about. Alright, so if you are doing rotations from shore to sea say every six months, what happens to the stuff you keep on base when you are staying there when you head back out to sea? It's probably a rather silly question, but the search function (and google) seems to have failed me.

OK, lots of different possibilities here, so I am going to lay out some basic assumptions.
You are single/ no dependents, E-4 when reporting to your ship, on a Submarine.  Therefore, while on Sea duty you will live in a barracks room on the base where your Submarine is homeported.  Your stuff, what little of it there is, will be in your barracks room.  Barracks rooms are sort of like a hotel room that you share with another person, usually on your ship (if your lucky another nuke).  Unlike a hotel, there is no room service or maid, so you are expected to take care of it yourself.
If you are married, you will live in housing or find your own place to live and the Navy will provide you money for housing.
If you are single with dependents you will be provided housing, but will have to make arrangements for dependent care and provide proof of arrangements to the Navy.
Once you are promoted to E-5 you will be allowed to find your own housing off-base and provided money to pay for it (called BAH, look it up)
Those are the rules for subs, surface may be different.  Hope this helped you out
-Matt

[shocker]

I actually can't find the place I was reading about this earlier to link - but I'm sure someone else knows where to find it.  To answer the question about what happens when you are deployed: I believe the Navy will either pay for storage or provide storage.  If you are married, have dependents, or were granted housing out of the barracks while in port you will continue to get BAH while deployed.

But I am just a fellow DEPper going by what I read on the internet so actual results may vary...

[Fermi2]

There is actually a Chaplains Rate Manual. I have a copy of it!

[crusemm]

To add to my earlier post, when I was single living in the barracks in Hawaii (on a sub), Barracks space was at a premium so we had to put our stuff in to storage when the ship deployed.  If you did not deploy with the ship (augmented---look it up) you had to make your own arrangements for your stuff, usually in a space provided by the Navy.  Also another big issue is storage of vehicles.  As far as I know, all of the bases have some sort of arrangement for long term storage of your car/truck/motorcycle(hoo-rah)/mini-van (wimp) in a locked or secured parking lot or building.