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Offline bigbrentos

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Average underway time: Sub vs. Carrier
« on: Nov 06, 2011, 08:41 »
Hi guys,

Just been browsing through some of the topics to compare stories between submarine life and carrier life. I was looking for average times out to sea in a year between the carriers, fast attack submarines, and the boomers to help me think about which one would suit me best. All and all, from what I've read, the unpredictable schedule of a fast attack has me turned off on working for one of them, but I am trying to compare how long each one spends out at sea. The boomer "On crew, off crew" set up sounds appealing, and I have not really obtained a number for how long or how well predictable you will find carriers out at sea.

Thanks for the help,
Brent

Offline Gamecock

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Re: Average underway time: Sub vs. Carrier
« Reply #1 on: Nov 06, 2011, 09:05 »
Do not mention specific schedules of any submarines or CVNs if you choose to reply to this thread.

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Offline Higgs

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Re: Average underway time: Sub vs. Carrier
« Reply #2 on: Nov 06, 2011, 09:27 »
Seems you already have your answers. Boomber is best for predictability, Carrier is somewhere between that and a fast attack, and a fast attack is unpredictable..., as it should be. I've been called on a sunday to get underway monday morning, unscheduled.

YMWV.
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Offline GLW

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Re: Average underway time: Sub vs. Carrier
« Reply #3 on: Nov 06, 2011, 09:31 »

YMWV.



YMWV,...


That says it all,...

been there, dun that,... the doormat to hell does not read "welcome", the doormat to hell reads "it's just business"

Offline bigbrentos

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Re: Average underway time: Sub vs. Carrier
« Reply #4 on: Nov 06, 2011, 09:36 »
@Gamecock's advice - By all means do not make public any information the Navy would not want you to make public!  ;D

@TheHiggs - Thanks for the response and helping me see where a carrier sits in the picture a little more. Now yall have peaked my curiosity on what YMWV means.

I am mostly fishing for responses to the tune of, "I work on a (CVN/SSN/SSBN) and last tour I spent (X months/days) out at sea in a year." Also, helpful little tidbits on how well in advance you got information on going out to sea would provide some great insight too. It is definitely not necessary to name your vessel, months you were where, or other things that may be frowned upon for such a discussion.

Thanks,
Brent

drayer54

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Re: Average underway time: Sub vs. Carrier
« Reply #5 on: Nov 06, 2011, 09:51 »
@Gamecock's advice - By all means do not make public any information the Navy would not want you to make public!  ;D

@TheHiggs - Thanks for the response and helping me see where a carrier sits in the picture a little more. Now yall have peaked my curiosity on what YMWV means.

I am mostly fishing for responses to the tune of, "I work on a (CVN/SSN/SSBN) and last tour I spent (X months/days) out at sea in a year." Also, helpful little tidbits on how well in advance you got information on going out to sea would provide some great insight too. It is definitely not necessary to name your vessel, months you were where, or other things that may be frowned upon for such a discussion.

Thanks,
Brent
Carrier guy here. If you are trying to avoid sea, you can always look up the carrier in RCOH. If you are trying to go to sea, pick pretty much anything else. In a 54 month sea tour, I did 3 deployments, average length of about 7 months. I always knew my schedule well in advance, usually 6 months at a minimum. Very little surprises, except for hurricanes. Between deployments expect about 14-20 days a month at sea.

Good Luck,

Derek

Offline Starkist

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Re: Average underway time: Sub vs. Carrier
« Reply #6 on: Nov 06, 2011, 09:58 »
Hi guys,

Just been browsing through some of the topics to compare stories between submarine life and carrier life. I was looking for average times out to sea in a year between the carriers, fast attack submarines, and the boomers to help me think about which one would suit me best. All and all, from what I've read, the unpredictable schedule of a fast attack has me turned off on working for one of them, but I am trying to compare how long each one spends out at sea. The boomer "On crew, off crew" set up sounds appealing, and I have not really obtained a number for how long or how well predictable you will find carriers out at sea.

To be the negative nancy, you have about 1% input on what you do.

I was the ONLY mechanic in my class to NOT get sent to the enterprise. I was the first to qualify, and did very well in powerschool/a school (this is merely a frame of reference, NOT me boasting of my position in said classes). The worst of it :  I REQUESTED THE ENTERPRISE! blew my mind! lol

Navy will put you where you need to be. Everyone hates it until they dont any more, its difficult to describe.

I was on the same carrier as drayer above me.
« Last Edit: Nov 06, 2011, 09:59 by Starkist »

Offline Higgs

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Re: Average underway time: Sub vs. Carrier
« Reply #7 on: Nov 06, 2011, 11:28 »
The only thing you need to know is that sailors belong on ships and ships belong at sea. :) We can give you all of our stories, but that fact remains the same.

YMWV = your mileage will vary.

If it helps, I spent 2/3rds or so of a year at sea on a fast attack. Not all at once of course.
« Last Edit: Nov 07, 2011, 12:04 by TheHiggs »
"How feeble is the mindset to accept defenselessness. How unnatural. How cheap. How cowardly. How pathetic.” - Ted Nugent

Offline Gamma Glue

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Re: Average underway time: Sub vs. Carrier
« Reply #8 on: Nov 07, 2011, 10:04 »
Carrier guy here. If you are trying to avoid sea, you can always look up the carrier in RCOH. If you are trying to go to sea, pick pretty much anything else. In a 54 month sea tour, I did 3 deployments, average length of about 7 months. I always knew my schedule well in advance, usually 6 months at a minimum. Very little surprises, except for hurricanes. Between deployments expect about 14-20 days a month at sea.
Agree. A '6 month deployment' can last 6-12 months. Usually closer to 7, unless Iran gets frisky, then they'll need a 'Big Stick' in their 'hood for a while. But between everything else, about 2-3 weeks a month (not always at once), can be expected.

Offline a|F

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Re: Average underway time: Sub vs. Carrier
« Reply #9 on: Nov 07, 2011, 10:22 »
Spent 48 months on a carrier - 18 of those were on deployment (3x6).  Every year there were one or two month-long underways, with numerous 1-2 week jaunts.  I could comfortably say we spent 1/2 - 2/3 of our time at sea.  There were quite a few schedule changes but nothing like subs deal with.   

Add in the 24 hour sea (duty) days and that number approaches 75%.  Yikes.  :o

LaFeet

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Re: Average underway time: Sub vs. Carrier
« Reply #10 on: Nov 07, 2011, 10:27 »
Fast boat, Fast Boat, Fast Boat...... then Boomer...then twilight shore duty. 


I prefer shore duty to fast boat, but I liked the Fast Boat community more.

Good luck wherever you go

Offline 93-383

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Re: Average underway time: Sub vs. Carrier
« Reply #11 on: Nov 07, 2011, 05:40 »
I would say 50% of my sea tour was spent at sea (roughly)

Offline Already Gone

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Re: Average underway time: Sub vs. Carrier
« Reply #12 on: Nov 07, 2011, 07:04 »
It seemed like my tours on fast boats followed a predictable pattern:
Go to sea on Monday
Pull in on Friday and stay until about 9 p.m. putting the enginehouse to bed
Duty on Sunday (no sleep because there is too much to do getting ready to go back out)
Repeat until the boat gets scheduled for a 70 day deployment
ORSE workup
ORSE
Take two weeks leave
Start the cycle all over.

Boomers?  They say they are better for married guys.  I can't see how.  It sure isn't better for their wives, having to kick the boyfriend out of the house every three months.
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Offline Roll Tide

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Re: Average underway time: Sub vs. Carrier
« Reply #13 on: Nov 07, 2011, 09:07 »
Boomer, AD (the destroyer tenders are all gone, so I will skip that schedule), Boomer, Boomer, Fast Boat. (No, I never had shore duty)

Since the old Boomers had a different base for the crew than the boat, the schedule was pretty strict 98 days off and 102 days on. Max 2 days deviation in 12 patrols (to avoid turnover across Christmas Day!).

My son tells me his schedule is much less set on a modern Boomer. They may change crews a month or two early to support change of command or other special events. And both crews work most refit / upkeep periods.

Fast Boat: My first deployment, I was to meet the boat at a remote station where she had pulled in. I asked Squadron how long it would be out (so I could pack enough toiletries in my seabag). The answer defined fast boat life: "She is 2 months into a scheduled 2 week deployment!". Carriers and every other single crew vessel can end up with the same thing!

And lastly, thanks for the service of all these posters!

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Offline CT-Mike

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Re: Average underway time: Sub vs. Carrier
« Reply #14 on: Nov 08, 2011, 01:07 »
2 boomers, two fast attacks. As mentioned, the boomer life is very predictable, but the underways are very boring.  Fast boats on the other hand, underway schedule varies dramatically, and can be on short notice. But, you will do some pretty cool stuff that you will likely never be able to talk about.
« Last Edit: Nov 10, 2011, 02:36 by Rennhack »

Offline ToadSuck

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Re: Average underway time: Sub vs. Carrier
« Reply #15 on: Nov 08, 2011, 03:21 »
I think it also depends on the Planned Incremental Availabilities...aka Overhauls.

My 1st year on a CVN I spent 10.5 months out to sea follow by a 6 month overhaul. Then it was in and out for a while until our next 5 month deployment. After that we home port changed and went into an extended overhaul so we were in port for over a year...

Life sucks in a different kind of way in the shipyard, but if you want to be home try to find a boat that is going into the yards. Some overhauls last up to 3 years dry docked.


Offline bigbrentos

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Re: Average underway time: Sub vs. Carrier
« Reply #16 on: Nov 10, 2011, 10:09 »
Thanks for all the replies!

I just also wanted to clarify I'm not opposed to going to sea at all(I did just sign up to a sea power exhibiting service after all!). Its just I have found many great posts talking about the differences in carrier and submarine life in aspects such as quality of life, work schedules, experiences, and such, but nothing quite in detail on their sea times. If there were significant differences in that, it'd be another pro/con to weigh if you catch my drift.

I'm sure I may be on the fence about it until the day they throw some papers to volunteer submarines in front of my face. I'm liking the smaller, close knit community side of submarine life, but there is also the more space, more accomodating, able to see the Sun aspect to carriers too. Both crew's nukes seemed to get worked to the bone, but a 5 duty section compared to 3 between carrier and sub may be significant as well. (EDIT: I know duty sections vary on commands too, but the general impression I get is carriers have more nukes on board to rotate.)
« Last Edit: Nov 10, 2011, 10:18 by bigbrentos »

Offline ToadSuck

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Re: Average underway time: Sub vs. Carrier
« Reply #17 on: Nov 10, 2011, 12:11 »
In port (outside of an overhaul) my schedule was M-F 0630-1230 and 8 section duty. If you were at least senior-in-rate qualified you were allowed to leave when your maintenance was done. Unless it was a duty day or sister section day (1/5 2/6 3/7...), I was usually headed home about 0900-1000. It was pretty nice on the Stennis while I was there (2001-2006)

During overhauls we went to 4 section duty with M-F 0630-1600. The last month to month and a half were usually not-crit steaming which put us on 36 hrs on 12 hrs off (duty day and 12 hour work day then back to duty...)

From what I here, our overhaul schedule was better than most sub schedules in their best of times.

Hope this helps.


Offline Starkist

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Re: Average underway time: Sub vs. Carrier
« Reply #18 on: Nov 10, 2011, 12:29 »
(EDIT: I know duty sections vary on commands too, but the general impression I get is carriers have more nukes on board to rotate.)

eh... of my time on a carrier, most of it was 3 section duty. We had some spats of 4 section, and for about 2 weeks after a shipyard we had 6 section. We never came close to 8 :p

Again, it just depends on being on the right ship at the right time... its all speculation at this point.

Offline Gamma Glue

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Re: Average underway time: Sub vs. Carrier
« Reply #19 on: Nov 10, 2011, 01:17 »
Again, it just depends on being on the right ship at the right time... its all speculation at this point.

4,5,6,8 Section is what I saw. 8 Section was rare, though. 6-6 or 4-8 watches while in port.
At sea, I also stood mostly a 5-15 (5 hours on, 15 hours off) watch rotation, was 5-10 when I first qualified (as it should be). I did see 5-25 and 5-35, but that was only once.

Offline ToadSuck

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Re: Average underway time: Sub vs. Carrier
« Reply #20 on: Nov 10, 2011, 01:42 »
It was 8 the entire time I was there (5 yrs) except for shipyard...

We had the same watch rotation 6-6, 4-8...but for a while Load Dispactchers were on 6 and goes...

Underway, the first half of my time was 5-15, but then we went to 5-25 with drill team and support for the 2 watches 0700-1200 (1700-2200 watch supported drills) and 1200-1700 (2200-0300 supported drills).

IPREGEN

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Re: Average underway time: Sub vs. Carrier
« Reply #21 on: Nov 10, 2011, 03:22 »
It all depends.
On refueling schedules
refits
fleet exercises.
 Ask about daylight, that's easier. More on top of the water than underneath. I always liked going topside at dawn before breakfast. It allows for a little sanity reset.

And, some vessels will See more variety in liberty ports than others.

But if you don't want to go to sea, there are some organization looking for a few good men

Offline Jechtm

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Re: Average underway time: Sub vs. Carrier
« Reply #22 on: Nov 12, 2011, 06:06 »
WTH I was told boomers were weekdays only 9 to 5??? Im gonna kill my recruiter!















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Offline Starkist

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Re: Average underway time: Sub vs. Carrier
« Reply #23 on: Nov 16, 2011, 07:07 »
WTH I was told boomers were weekdays only 9 to 5??? Im gonna kill my recruiter!
.

Nukes DO work 9-5!  9am - 5am! :p


LaFeet

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Re: Average underway time: Sub vs. Carrier
« Reply #24 on: Nov 17, 2011, 03:04 »
Nukes DO work 9-5!  9am - 5am! :p

And Nuke work weeks have no Saturdays or Sundays..... just Field Days

 


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