Foreign Ports

[Rama93]

First off I apologize if this has been answered before, I did try looking for an answer, here an google, but could not find a straight forward answer. My question is, when you are on deployment, either on a sub or surface ship, when you arrive at a foreign port, how long are you generally at that port for? And does it vary from a carrier and a sub?

[GLW]

Boomer subs have fairly predictable schedules, but spend little to no time in foreign ports, and that's publicly known.

Carriers and other subs are less predictable.

Your ship will issue a schedule.

All details of that schedule which are posted in the public are public knowledge.

The details of that schedule which are not public are not to be discussed with persons without a need to know.

In my Navy experience those schedules are not "general".

They vary like the tides, the seasons, the winds and the following seas.

The Navy has a website which publicly discloses projected schedules for ships.

If you are talking with a Navy recruiter at this time he or she can help you navigate that website.

You probably do not have to join the Navy for that courtesy, they will probably be happy to assist you, and they will know what you can know and what you cannot know.

[spekkio]

First off I apologize if this has been answered before, I did try looking for an answer, here an google, but could not find a straight forward answer. My question is, when you are on deployment, either on a sub or surface ship, when you arrive at a foreign port, how long are you generally at that port for? And does it vary from a carrier and a sub?

Generally somewhere around 3-5 days. Depends on the reason for the port call.

[MMM]

My experience on carriers was 3-5 days, enough time to make sure everyone gets a full day off the ship, but short enough that you can get out before the sailors cause too much damage  . I did spend 2 weeks in Perth in 2003, but that was a "working port" so we had workdays during that time as we prepared to go back to the gulf (we left Australia the day we were supposed to pull into Everett, WA).

[Rama93]

Thanks for all the quick responses, for some reason I thought you would be in port for a couple months!

[spekkio]

Thanks for all the quick responses, for some reason I thought you would be in port for a couple months!

You berth at your homeport for a couple of months for maintenance availabilities. But the nukes generally work very long hours during those periods. There's also that whole 3-section duty thing.

When I was on deployment in EUCOM there were no 'working' or 'liberty' ports. It was just a port call. If your division had work to do, it did work. If it didn't, it got early liberty.

Although early liberty in Spain is kinda useless. Everyone goes to sleep around 1pm so nothing opens back up until about 4pm. And people wonder why their economy is in the toilet...

[Rama93]

Ah I see, thanks for all the information. Still not sure if i should go Nuke or not though