Quote:
Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc
Going in, I had no idea that OS was a 7/2 (sea/shore) rotation. I probably would've picked another rate! I did two cruises (1st 9 months (9/77-4/78) and the 2nd 8 (2/79-9/79)) in three years. The first year we were married I was home 52 days, minus duty days. The first anniversary I was home was our 3rd! When I was up for reenlistment I gave the detailer my demands; 4 years at Pt. Loma teaching, Top Gun school (I was an air Intercept Controller) & AIC Supervisor school. I got everything, except they said they could only guarantee 3 years at Pt. Loma with a year extension, which wouldn't be guaranteed. He tried to tell me the extension was a gimme as the Navy doesn't send people to sea for only a year. I wasn't born the night before, so I said thanks, but no thanks. I got a great career, so can't complain.
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I was a detailer 1985-88 as a LT; I was responsible for new Ensigns and for Warrants in the Cryptologic field. Best job and worst job ever! I needed to fill Navy jobs with qualified people and balance that with the career needs of the people and their personal desires -- rarely did all three align. In particular, that was a period of expansion of warrants in the field as each AEGIS cruiser had a warrant billet. Given that we are talking about CTs, some of those warrants had little to no sea time and were resistant to going to sea duty billets. In a couple of cases, I got into pissing contests about it but I always won. I got a couple of "complain to my Congressman" letters, which didn't bother me -- a sailor who refuses to go to sea? Pfft! Duh, it's the Navy.
It sounds like you got a good offer on reenlistment, but you were right about that 4th year: No way was that a gimme.
I, on the other hand, got a bit of bum deal in 1974; I had gotten out after four years to further my Chinese studies in Taiwan and quickly decided to reenlist if I could be stationed in Taiwan. The Bureau of Personnel took their sweet time responding and so I kissed my $10,000 reenlistment bonus goodbye -- that was some serious money for a single 2nd class -- since it was over 90 days broken service. Then they said OK but I would have to reenlist for six years. I agreed, came back on active duty and soon thereafter the word was passed that the station was closing and we would all get orders to elsewhere. So I gave them six years in return for one year in Taiwan.
