Quality of life on ship.....

[CallOfDuty]

  Hey there guys..heres a question for you.  Who do you think has the best quality of life on ship.................the techs or the operators?
    I've been talking to some NET's and have been hearing some things about how yes, CSE is the best place to be on ship, but on the other hand, I've been hearing about how the operators have more staff, so they have more and longer breaks while off duty and as well that, while a ship is in port....the operators have more time to go and have fun while the techs tend do do most repairs to the equipment while in ports.
  I know its not a big deal, and we're all there to work....but to us newbies going through what seems will be years of  academics and hours upon hours of homework and study, we'd like to think it'll all be worth it in the end.  ( and most operators will get the same spec pay too)
  Any opinions?
Cheers guys
C.O.D.
 

 

[Old_navy_062]

If you compare operator to tech, hour for hour on board, you will have more time off as an operator.  One of the issues for CS techs today is the additional hours spent ensuring that systems are ready for operations.  That's the job.  I would recommend that you try not to worry what other departments are doing (or not doing) and enjoy your new vocation.  Welcome to the CS comunity.

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

If you are worried about who has the most time off and who does not you are joining for the wrong reasons.

 

[Rhibwolf]

Try not to mistake time off for quality of life.  In terms of shift workers and day workers is more realistic.  Shift workers (both operators and techs) may get more actual time off, but its broken time and often punctuated with drills and whatnot.  Day workers "secure" at some point in the day and are usually off until wakey wakey the next day, but are always on call.  Quality of life is relative to who you are, what you expect out of the Navy, and what satisfaction you get from a full day of work.  To put this in perspective, as a day worker I greatly enjoy my "day worker" status, but typically, my day starts at 0600 and ends at about midnight.  I wouldn't have it any other way, and indeed I do have the freedom to take the evening off.  My case is not quite like yours, however, as I'm neither tech nor operator.  To put that in perspective, and to tie into what I said about who you are, I spin the following dit:
I was in the breezeway having a smoke one night at about zero dark thirty and there was an ex infanteer (now Navy) just finished his watch and about to go to ground.  One of his mates came out of the airlock and started complaining, "G** D***ed 1 in 2 watch rotation!!!"  The ex army guy said it all: "yep..... half the day off sounds pretty good to me." It was clearly a case of half full half empty, and one was happy while the other was not.  Its all up to you mate. Good luck.
PS: getting all (or most) of your sleep at once is never a bad thing.

 

[NCRCrow]

"Operators have more time to have fun and longer breaks"...LOL...(this is fucking hilarious)

Yes we do! Plus I get spec pay because I am an "Analyst"

Did you hear about the new equipment that works by itself while the operators are having pizza and playing euchre. There is a chaff launching button in the Main Cave.

We are a team the maintainers and analysts.  If the equipment is broke we work together to trouble shoot and diagnose the problem. This may include sentries and FC operators or going through the software together. Us operators are highly trained in UNIX/LINUX applications and can do some first line troubleshooting on our own gear. 

Life onboard sucks...do not join the Navy!! Plus we are broke!!

I am bringing a jerrycan to work on Monday to help out!

 

[CallOfDuty]

  Hey guys...thanks for your replies.  I don't like to sound like a complainer,  but you know how it is....sometimes you just have a crappy day and every little thing can bother you.  We'll that was my whole class yesterday. 
  I really like your analogy Rhibwolf...."glass half empty or half full".....I try to live like that as a general rule everyday....glass half full attitude.
Cheers all
C.O.D.

 

[jollyjacktar]

Some trades are better or more enjoyed than others dependant on who you ask.  I am in the Marine Engineering area, a day worker, we finish at 16oo hrs unless a problem crops up that the duty tech cannot handle alone.  Of course there are other distractions as well such as RAS and the like.  I am happy with my lot overall.  Many of the shift guys love what they do as well.  Each trade has their plus and minus.  For example when I am working on the blackwater system, it does indeed suck, but that is why they give me the Spec pay.

 

[Rhibwolf]

"Operators have more time to have fun and longer breaks"...LOL...(this is fucking hilarious)
<---snip
Did you hear about the new equipment that works by itself while the operators are having pizza and playing euchre. There is a chaff launching button in the Main Cave.
snip__>
Life onboard sucks...do not join the Navy!! Plus we are broke!!
\

HFX Crow - Yes, certainly. _ This "new equipment" is called "someone who cares!" 
Don't be an idiot! 
Call of Duty asked a decent question and you just demonstrated how jaded you you are.  Get over it or request an OT - the Navy is likely better off without you.
RW

 

[Rhibwolf]

HFX Crow - Better yet, simply get out.  Your loss will be lamented......somewhere, but given your last dozen posts, .....probably not....

 

[NCRCrow]

Chaff away!!  Thats means you! Sir (are u a shad O?)

 

[Stoker]

Chaff away!!  Thats means you! Sir (are u a shad O?)

You know there's guys like you who bitch and complain about how Navy life sucks :crybaby: and give such good "advice" to guys who are just starting out and there are guys who are positive and give the new guys some good guidance. I notice in your profile, you don't say much about your career...you talk like a career killick.  If you don't like being where you are drop in your release, the navy will be far better off for it.
Oh yeah, i'm a SHAD. ;D

 

[flames9]

Serbved in all 3 branches, Reserve Infantry (time in Croatia), Reg Force Nciop for nearly 10 yrs and Aesop for 3 prior to moving to the USA.  Life on board the ship for most is pretty damn good.  1/2 rotation can be a drag after awhile, but for the most part it was all good.  If things are going well, I'm sure the techs have a lot of time to knit and sew, but when things crumble they put in a lot of extra time, as in most traes they were short of qualified people.  Plus they tend to be very busy prior to deployment, quite often working through the wekends while most operators were at home, that is if they were not on duty,lol  In the end, career as a tech is probably the way to go, as one can find work related jobs once retires, most operator jobs don't.  Now if you want true quality of life, put on the blue and go Aesop. Sleeping in a fox hole, was ok, sleeping with 50 guys in a mess, was better, sleeping in a Days InN with a pool and full TD $, hard to beat,and no duty watches,lol  Cheers.

 

[NCRCrow]

Your right,

Crow

 

[Sub_Guy]

flames9 hit it on the head!

Although the sub fellas get the hotel with the pool too, we just cause an oil slick once we jump in!

Quality of life on ship is what YOU make of it.  It has its ups and downs, but overall it is good.  Don't listen to cranky old killicks!

 

[flames9]

I enjoyed my time in the navy. Sailed on the old Kootney, Protecteur, Vancouver and finished on the Algonquin. Its not the ahip that really matters, its the crew, had a blast, even the techs are good people, lol  Buy a few beers in the mess and wow no Cinderella leave on OSUT,lol.  For some strange reason the Bosn's just wanted chips!!

 

[CallOfDuty]

  Thanks for all your replies guys!  Bosuns and chips?  There must be more to that story...

 

[kratz]

My other half just replied to the post:

Life onboard sucks...do not join the Navy!! Plus we are broke!!

I am bringing a jerrycan to work on Monday to help out!

If every sailor brought in a jerrycan (25L) to help out, one ship could sail for 1.5 days.  ;D

 

[NCRCrow]

I was thinking about that on a Tribal Class--303 pers x 25 L= 7500 L

For the record I have 12 years Sea Time Reg Force and not a crusty Killick. Have not been for 9 years. Still a bit crusty and provoking though!

I just hate different trades comparing work loads at sea. Analyst and TECHS work together and if you are not doing something trade related, you are being a sailor someplace else.

If the TECHS stay late, I can guarantee you on my ship that one or two analysts are staying behind helping out in some capacity.

We do not have Cindrella leave anymore, its hard to tell a 34 year person family man/woman etc that he/she has to be home and tucked in by midnight.

 

[Navy_Blue]

I think I was one of the last bunch of people to get Cinderella leave.  2002 first foreign port ever Gibraltar and they set down Cinderella leave for all the OD's without there OSQAB.  Bunch of  :threat:  And i was the Mid 20's married family guy.  They really knew how to make you feel 12 again. 

Ah the memories.

 

[Sub_Guy]

LOL Cinderella leave...

When I was an OD I never had that crap to deal with, and I know my OSUT package wasn't complete during 2 port visits to RR and that was back in 97

Its a nice way to make you feel like a kid though.  It was a stupid idea, probably brought on by some old crusty CPO who still has U-boat flashbacks.  I would agree with it if you had some dink who was really lazy and needed a fire lit under his ass to get the job done.

It makes no sense, for example if you reported to the boat on a Monday and sailed on tuesday, with your first port on Friday, how hell would they expect you to get everything done to avoid Cinderella leave?