u/JustoneInuk

I’m very new to understanding how things work after you enlist.

How realistic is it for new Navy recruits to have time to work towards their degree (in like an online program) once they’re in the Navy?

If they won’t have much time in the early stage of their time in the navy, will they have time a couple years in?

The recruiter my family member has spoken to says she’ll be able to work on her bachelors degree online while in the Navy and I’m just wondering how realistic that actually is.

I’ve seen some posts where people said that you really don’t have much time at all. And of course, I know it also depends on how disliked you are and how much you want it. But, help me out here, I’m curious what your thoughts are.

Hi All,

I'm helping my younger sister decide whether joining the Navy (or any branch of the military), is right for her. What do you wish you had known? What advice would you give to someone who is newly considering this path? Please explain as if the person knows absolutely nothing, lol. All the pros, all the cons, etc.

Hi All,

My younger sister (21), is interested in either pursuing a medical career or a career as a pilot (I know, two very different things, she is passionate about both). She does not have her bachelors, only her high school diploma.

She recently mentioned wanting to go to medical school and just met with a Navy recruiter to explore her options.

My sense is that she is primarily interested in the Navy as a pathway to pay for her education (medical or otherwise). We are not well-versed in the ins and outs of what it means to join any branch of the military, so I want to help her make an informed decision before making such big, life-changing commitment.

I'm really worried she is diving in without fully thinking things through. I'm also worried about her being deployed to a combat zone during these tumultuous times. We just lost our father last fall, and I would hate to lose her too.

Here are my questions:

(Note - If you use military acronyms in your answer, please explain what they mean.)

• What do you wish you had known before making the commitment to join the navy/military? What do you feel a young person ought to know?
• Is joining the Navy a good path for pursuing a bachelors and medical school? If so, what should her plan be? How would she go about that? What do we need to do know if she really wants to commit to this goal?
• Realistically, would she have the time to go to school while being in the Navy? If not, is there another path that would make more sense? For example, someone recommended in another post to join the National Guard if you want to go to school full time and then serve.
• What are her chances of being deployed to a combat zone? What factors determine the likelihood of this? Please explain in layman's terms as I don't understand military jargon.
• If she pursues a career as a navy hospital corpsman, would she have civilian career options afterward? What would she need to do to ensure she could have a career in the civilian world?
• What does the pathway to pursuing a career as a pilot look like? Not as much the focus of this post, but I know she's thinking about it.

Thank you in advance for any insight you can provide, I really appreciate it.