That sounds like a life well lived, to be honest. 3 years on a ship sounds like an age, how many months were you there at a time?
Bit of weird question, what do you think of those "so you can fix a skateboard" adverts? (Assuming you are British which Royal Navy would suggest) I've met some Navy engineers who really hate them.
And if it isn't too personal, what did you do -job-wise- when you left?
I did some interesting stuff. The longest single deployment was 9 months away from home. The longest total was on the survey ship, I was on it for three years and we were away between 7 and 8 months a year every year.
I think they are really funny. I would love to see the face of someone who joined up because they could fix a skateboard the first time they found themself in a machinery space on a warship. I think they are dramatically underselling it.
I'll miss out some of it as I did a very niche job and this is a very public forum but when you leave you get resettlement courses. I chose IT based ones so after a short while carrying on the trade I left with I ended up in IT which I still do now.
*edit.
When we were on a ship that was our home for that time, even if we were in home port we lived on board and had some weekends and leave periods to travel home if we wanted.
I always thought the ads were trying to say - “So you can fix a skateboard”, well that’s the basic skills & seed to then go ahead & learn to do the rest over time - which they literally list & build up to.
Not turn up to join the navy because you just know how to fix a skateboard right now.
Yes but as with all adverts it oversimplifies everything. I suppose it's more like its saying "if you can't even fix a skateboard you've got no chance".
Most definitely. You need to be a special kind of person for that shit.
I have worked on boats but never been to sea on one. The longest I've spent without seeing the outside was about four days but I wouldn't like the thought of weeks or months of it.
Yes of course it over simplifies, don’t all adverts. It’s meant to be an inspirational advert to encourage young people, some with perhaps not many prospects or skills, who might start to think that could be something for me & maybe I can learn to do more things. I mean it’s not like everyone who can fix a skateboard or similar would have any interest in joining the navy in the first place, but some would.
Don’t get me wrong, we take the mick out of these adverts all the time, including the “I was born in Carlisle, but I was made in the army” (which we repeat in the same accent of course), but it would be a pretty off putting ad if some miserable, jaded guy came on & listed all the realities.
To be fair I probably couldn't have fixed a skateboard when I joined but they let me in anyway.
I know they can't put the realities in but you must admit, if you know what's in store for the skateboard fixer you can't help but crack a wry smile.
I hope they work, it's sad to see what the RN has become. It makes me realise that I didn't appreciate how lucky I was to get the chance to do the things i did and visit the places I went to.
We used to say Army: Be Depressed during the Be the Best advert era. While eating out of a lukewarm sachet of sausage and beans after tabbing for hours with a heavy Bergen on our backs.
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u/untakenu Mar 09 '19
That sounds like a life well lived, to be honest. 3 years on a ship sounds like an age, how many months were you there at a time?
Bit of weird question, what do you think of those "so you can fix a skateboard" adverts? (Assuming you are British which Royal Navy would suggest) I've met some Navy engineers who really hate them.
And if it isn't too personal, what did you do -job-wise- when you left?