pros vs cons?

What kind of action do you like? What kind of job do you want? Do you like running away from noises or do you like to go investigate to see if it's something you can kill? As a SONAR Tech, I couldn't see myself on a "boomer" so I never was stationed on one. To me, they would seem boring compared to a fast boat.

I second what bubblehead said. I was an ET on attack boats and enjoyed my job.

Neanderthal on a fast attack , good place to be , weird people to be with . Well weird compared to whats accepted as normal to the rest of the world .

Depends on your rate. If you are a cone it makes a difference I guess... if you just push... it's all the same.

The benefit of Boomers (and SSGNs) is that the boat goes to the other crew half the year, and you get off crew. The down side is you never go anywhere "fun" like PI (old days), or Thailand (now). Foreign ports to Boomers are Hawaii, Sitka, AK and Guam. Whoopidy do.

I never spent time on boomers. Three fast boats in four years, hot runner on all three.

As an ST, I noticed that boom agfays were brilliant TMA guys, but tend to tunnel vision on a few contacts. Their technical competency was usually very high, but operationally, they were two left hands, one of them numb. Fast boat ST's get really good at operating and getting things done so they work. Boomer guys get things done so they are right, and inspection ready. The officers loved that part, until they had to conn the ship on their watch in the Straits of Gibraltar, say. Then you want one of us fast boat ST's that lack the polish, but make up for it in spit and grit.

Just my thing. You can tell me I'm wrong. If you want a career out of it, I'd pick one and bounce back and forth between the two for the best experiences. If you want to get in and get out and find a job that pays real bucks, then find whichever boat fits your lifestyle, and attempt to land one. Chances are, you wont' get what you really want.

Stumpx , yer not suppose to tell him that , now he has nuthin to sneak up on him for that cool sprize .

I am on a GN and we will go to foreign ports. :-)

Read the news, one just visited a foreign port.

http://www.c7f.navy.mil/news/2008/02/11.htm

It is the best and worst of both worlds, but you can't beat off crew so, no matter how bad it is, you always get a break, sort of. Lots of training.

Is there a significant difference in living conditions aboard ssn vs ssbn/ssgn? I've heard that there is more hot-racking on a ssn. Anyone have a rough guess on the percentage of submariners hot rack on each? I image that higher ranking/qual'ed submariners would be more likely to get their own rack. Any info you have on the comparison would be appreciated.

On a side note: where do you put your gear when you are sharing a rack? Do you have a small locker or just bring less along with you?

Boomers on the West Coast at least hardly pull into anyplace now even Hawaii or Alaska, it is out for months, then back in. Friend just left one after 2 years on it, this was his 2nd or 3rd.

If you have a family that you want to spend more time with then Boomers. If you don't and want to see the world then FA's. Dh did both and much preferred FA's, that way he didn't have to switch every few months so had more control over his area. Personally I liked FA's better, of course that could also be because we went through 18 months of shipyard h&ll.

quote:

Originally posted by Wemblers:
Is there a significant difference in living conditions aboard ssn vs ssbn/ssgn? I've heard that there is more hot-racking on a ssn. Anyone have a rough guess on the percentage of submariners hot rack on each? I image that higher ranking/qual'ed submariners would be more likely to get their own rack. Any info you have on the comparison would be appreciated.

On a side note: where do you put your gear when you are sharing a rack? Do you have a small locker or just bring less along with you?

On a fast boat, if you're a non-qual, you're hot racking. Even most PO3 and some PO2 that are qualified will have to hot rack. It's the nature of small warships. I know there's more room on a boomer for storing of personal items but on a fast boat, you bring what you can and leave the rest in your barracks. I was never on a boomer so I don't know what their berthing is like.

I am a qualified third class who have been onboard for 1.5 years and I do not hot rack, never have. SSGN actually have an extra 65 racks known as sof berthing in MC2L. I am in our division bunkroom though. There are 14 9-man berthing for crew not including sof berthing. So hot racking is rare.

On my ship (orginal LA class SSN) all PO2s and below hot racked (qual and non qual - it didnt matter). Just not enough room for everyone.

quote:

Originally posted by SubManRM:
I am on a GN and we will go to foreign ports. :-)

Read the news, one just visited a foreign port.

http://www.c7f.navy.mil/news/2008/02/11.htm

It is the best and worst of both worlds, but you can't beat off crew so, no matter how bad it is, you always get a break, sort of. Lots of training.

nice... One of my old boats visitin' Korea... feh... now I've been there done that they go... sheesh. Oh well, have fun boys... Korea is nice for souveniers... get the Fleece blankets... VERY nice and warm.

PS on Boomers there is NO hot racking. Plenty of space for extra "porta racks".

quote:

Read the news, one just visited a foreign port.

Dang when I went to Korea 20 yrs ago they would not allow us to tie up to a pier. We had to tie up to a Tender. Must be nice.

quote:

Originally posted by ErikBloodaxe:
PS on Boomers there is NO hot racking. Plenty of space for extra "porta racks".

Tell Adam that. Some inspection came on board one patrol and decided that all the extra racks were unauthorized and made the crew get rid of them and hot rack.

Another patrol they had a bunch of midi's come aboard (doing midi ops from the Academy). The midis all got their own racks, and EVERYONE E5 and below got to hot rack, and quite a few E6's did as well. Adam was pissed.......

Granted after hotracking on the NR-1 (4 racks and 12-13 crew members on board) the above doesn't phase him as much any more.

Is it harder to get on a fast attack or ssbn/ssgn? I imagine that a majority of people would want fast attack.. Is it easier to get a ssbn/ssgn if you want that type of boat?

It may depend on your rate. example: MT's are only on boomers. It also depends on where they need people. The ET school I attended was specifically for attack boats. But I do not think they do that anymore.

I am a firm believer in the rate X the absolute +/- how much you want it = Your boat. That means, even if you were an MT, that if you REALLY REALLY REAllY wanted and needed to be stationed in Bangor, on blue crew, and busted your tail to get it, you could theoritically want it so bad, you will end up in New London, on the NR-1.

If you, say, grew up an ST, with a pop that retired in VA Beach as an ST, and your home town was Norfolk, and you graduated at the top of your A and C school classes so you could have your choice of orders, then wanting that Norfolk billet so bad would actually give you your choice between two boats operating out of Guam.

Bottom line: Pay more attention to your job and what you are doing now than dreaming of where you wish you could be in the great blue Nav.

With a little luck you'll wind up on the opposite ocean that your family is close to and then you can focus on quals and after that exploreing the world . Not getting what you think you want can be a good thing .