A few Navy MA ?s

[Tracy2108]

Hello,

I'm currently entering my senior year in high school and seriously considering joining the armed forces. I've narrowed it down between Navy and Army. I like everything about the Navy but the one thing holding me back is I want a taste of combat. So I've done some talking with my recruiters and they said you can get combat training in the Navy depending on which job you enlist as and what programs you volunteer yourself for.

Now, my goal (keep in mind I'm 17 so I'm bound to change my mind) is to serve active for four-five years and then become a civilian police officer. I would hope to go federal sometime in my life. I figure I should give back to my country while they gave back to me with the education benefits and the training.

Now, I've done some reading and I think I'm interested in the Master at Arms mobilized security force unit. My recruiter says that is something you pick out at "A" School and not at MEPS or the recruiting office. If so, is it hard to get into? Are there usually a lot of openings?

Can you request to go to Iraq as an MA to do security and what not? I know Iraq isn't the main focus of the Navy but they do have sailors in Iraq, boots on the ground. I've been told deployments to Iraq in the Navy are only about 6-9 months long vs. 12-18 months long in the Army. That sounds much better to me. I want to fight and serve this country but I also want time to enjoy enlisted life and get the educational benefits. I don't want to spend 60% of my time in the military in a combat situation. Call me selfish but that's just how I feel. I have no problems going over there for a year or so and like I said, I might even request to.

Anyway, besides those questions my only other questions are simply how did you enjoy MA life and Navy life? My biggest concern is getting out of the Navy with no job training (besides police officer but some states don't notice it as police training) or anything. I want to be ahead in life when I get out and feel proud of serving. I want to be a combat veteran in the United States Navy. Is that possible given today's conflicts and what do you think I need to do to get there?

Thanks a lot for your time.

[SO explorer]

Hello,

I'm currently entering my senior year in high school and seriously considering joining the armed forces. I've narrowed it down between Navy and Army. I like everything about the Navy but the one thing holding me back is I want a taste of combat. So I've done some talking with my recruiters and they said you can get combat training in the Navy depending on which job you enlist as and what programs you volunteer yourself for.

Now, my goal (keep in mind I'm 17 so I'm bound to change my mind) is to serve active for four-five years and then become a civilian police officer. I would hope to go federal sometime in my life. I figure I should give back to my country while they gave back to me with the education benefits and the training.

Now, I've done some reading and I think I'm interested in the Master at Arms mobilized security force unit. My recruiter says that is something you pick out at "A" School and not at MEPS or the recruiting office. If so, is it hard to get into? Are there usually a lot of openings?

Can you request to go to Iraq as an MA to do security and what not? I know Iraq isn't the main focus of the Navy but they do have sailors in Iraq, boots on the ground. I've been told deployments to Iraq in the Navy are only about 6-9 months long vs. 12-18 months long in the Army. That sounds much better to me. I want to fight and serve this country but I also want time to enjoy enlisted life and get the educational benefits. I don't want to spend 60% of my time in the military in a combat situation. Call me selfish but that's just how I feel. I have no problems going over there for a year or so and like I said, I might even request to.

Anyway, besides those questions my only other questions are simply how did you enjoy MA life and Navy life? My biggest concern is getting out of the Navy with no job training (besides police officer but some states don't notice it as police training) or anything. I want to be ahead in life when I get out and feel proud of serving. I want to be a combat veteran in the United States Navy. Is that possible given today's conflicts and what do you think I need to do to get there?

Thanks a lot for your time.

Well, first off don't believe everything your recruiter tells you, I learned that the hard way, but if you want to be a military cop and see Iraq within lets say your first year of enlistment, then I would say go Army. The thing with the Navy MA "A" School (Navy's Police Academy) is that it's constantly changing, when I went through most of the training was LE, but now I hear it's mostly combat security. And with trying to pick where and what you want to do once you get to your "A" School can be very difficult, I did not pick at all, I was told this is were I'm going and that I have no say in it, also when I went through, my class had only one opening for "mobilized security force" (but I think it's called something else I don't remember). But that’s the way it was when I went through, for all I know it's changed completely or maybe not at all.

[Tracy2108]

But if I'm an MA (MSF or not) and I volunteer to IA to Iraq why would they say no to me? Don't they need more people over there? I just want to be there for 8 months or so (however long the Navy deployment is) and then come back and enjoy Navy life. Get an education. Start a family. Do my job. That kind of thing. The problem with the Army is I know I'd be there but I'd be stuck there for a long, long time. I could possibley spend 2 years there or more of my enlistment. I would have no time ot get an education.

[SO explorer]

But if I'm an MA (MSF or not) and I volunteer to IA to Iraq why would they say no to me? Don't they need more people over there? I just want to be there for 8 months or so (however long the Navy deployment is) and then come back and enjoy Navy life. Get an education. Start a family. Do my job. That kind of thing. The problem with the Army is I know I'd be there but I'd be stuck there for a long, long time. I could possibley spend 2 years there or more of my enlistment. I would have no time ot get an education.

I wish I could just tell the Navy, hey I want to do this and that too, but sadly it doesn’t work that way. Yes there are IA's that you can volunteer for and sometimes you might be voluntold, but that all depends on where your stationed if IA will even be available to you and I'm not sure who told you that deployments are only 6 to 8 months, you could be out there for 8 months or 15 months, then come state side for a little bit then go back over. Also when I went through MA "A" School no one was being sent to Iraq, Byran (or how ever you spell it) yes but not Iraq. Oh and I highly doubt you will have time to go to college full time while your Active Duty, no matter where you are.

[Tracy2108]

I don't expect to go to college full time, but I want to leave the Navy with an associates degree. Isn't it reasonable to assume I could get a two year degree in four years?

Anyways, my recruiter told me as long as I don't piss anyone off in "A" School they'll send me to Iraq if I volunteer. Going from what he said, they need people to volunteer so if you say you'll go willingly they will do it. He said it's the same way for Afghanistan. Is he lying to me because he knows I want to go or what?

I understand it is all about the needs of the military but as a civilian, and I understand my knowledge of this is vague, it seems to me that they could use people who want to go over there. Doesn't that seem logically? The Army is exhausted so wouldn't it make sense to send some Sailors to help the Soldiers out? Once again, I'm only a civilian though so I don't quite understand but it seems silly to me that they would say no to someone wanting to go.

[SO explorer]

I don't expect to go to college full time, but I want to leave the Navy with an associates degree. Isn't it reasonable to assume I could get a two year degree in four years?

Anyways, my recruiter told me as long as I don't piss anyone off in "A" School they'll send me to Iraq if I volunteer. Going from what he said, they need people to volunteer so if you say you'll go willingly they will do it. He said it's the same way for Afghanistan. Is he lying to me because he knows I want to go or what?

I understand it is all about the needs of the military but as a civilian, and I understand my knowledge of this is vague, it seems to me that they could use people who want to go over there. Doesn't that seem logically? The Army is exhausted so wouldn't it make sense to send some Sailors to help the Soldiers out? Once again, I'm only a civilian though so I don't quite understand but it seems silly to me that they would say no to someone wanting to go.

This is what you need to ask yourself about your recruiter : Is he an MA and has he gone through the MA "A", if no then how does he know that they will send you to Iraq if you ask and does your recruiter have a monthly quota to fill, the answer to that one is yes. Your recruiter is going to tell you what you want to hear, just like mine told me I can drive around in a cop car all day and eat doughnuts after my "A" school if I want to. I can tell you this for a fact and that is if your recruiter is telling you that all you have to do is say "I want to go to Iraq" during your "A" school and you will go, then your recruiter if full of it (if you want, pm me your recruiters e-mail or number and I will educate him on the MA rate.) Personally I was somewhat like you when I first joined, wanted to drive around in a patrol car, go do combat security for only 6-8 months then come back and drive around in a patrol car some more and go into a civilian police dept. after four years with a 4 year degree and my recruiter said that I could do that, I can tell you now that is not what happens. And you can get an associates degree after 4 years, however it's unlikely if you’re an active duty MA.

Personally after reading your first post were you said you would like to do something in Federal LE after military LE, then this is what I would do if I were you, first join the Navy as an MA under NCS (National Call to Service) where you will do only 2 years active duty and most likely drive a patrol car some where state side, then after those two years you will be place in the ready reserves where you have a better chance of going to Iraq then Active Duty, however this is where you get the best of both worlds, before you leave active and go reserve under NCS, apply to the U.S. Border Patrol. They are Federal LE and you should qualify for GS-7 or maybe even GS-9 (prior LE). That’s what I would do if I were you.

[Tracy2108]

So you don't honestly think I could be an MA, do one tour of duty in Iraq and get an associates degree in a four year term in the Navy?

[SO explorer]

So you don't honestly think I could be an MA, do one tour of duty in Iraq and get an associates degree in a four year term in the Navy?

Personally no, but anything could happen:rolleyes:, like I said (from what you said you recruiter told you) your recruiter is full of it, ask or go to another recruiter.

[Tracy2108]

But my recruiter just got promoted to Chief! He can't be full of it.

[SO explorer]

But my recruiter just got promoted to Chief! He can't be full of it.

so did the one that put me in.:D

[Tracy2108]

So tell me, what is life like as an MA? Is most of the time spent shoreside or are you deployed a lot over sea (on a ship)? Is it fun or irriating?

Are the girls hot? :p

[SO explorer]

So tell me, what is life like as an MA? Is most of the time spent shoreside or are you deployed a lot over sea (on a ship)? Is it fun or irriating?

Are the girls hot? :p

well, it really depends on your duty station, you most likely wont get put on a ship after "A' school but you could get put overseas. for the most part it's not bad again it's on where you get station, girls again where you get stationed, unless your talking about navy girls then the answer is no. :D

[Tracy2108]

Being stationed overseas that could be Iraq or Afghanistan, correct?

[SO explorer]

Being stationed overseas that could be Iraq or Afghanistan, correct?

more like Greece or Italy, don't know of many MA's in Afghanistan, but they are there.

[Plazoo]

like I said (from what you said you recruiter told you) your recruiter is full of it, go to another recruiter.

Like a Marine Corps recruiter! :D