Public affairs guide x

NRD Nashville

PUBLIC AFFAIRS
SUPPORT GUIDE
Personal Assistance
For Maximizing Your
Recruiting Power

Introduction
Before most sailors become recruiters, they have experienced Navy life in other commands,
aboard ships or in some other essential capacity. Their experience with public affairs in those
operations has often centered on internal news and events -- photos, videos, shipboard news and
the like – with occasional nuggets of news for external dissemination. That‘s just what you
should expect from a Navy mass communications initiative.

Within this broad-based district, one thing remains constant. YOU ARE THE FACE OF THE
NAVY TO YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY. You are most often the initial contact source. You
are the source of information to those around you. And you are the people we count on to
represent Navy in the strongest way possible.

This guidebook has been assembled to help you do that successfully. It also has been developed
to help make your recruiting effort as productive and successful as possible.

You will find that regular use of the resources contained in this guide will broaden the Navy
knowledge base of the people you are trying to reach, entice more people to contact you about
Navy opportunities, enhance your relationship with school administrators and guidance
counselors, and shorten the time frame with candidates from the initial discussion to the
commitment to enlist.

STREET-SMART RECRUITING

You did the training, learned about all the forms and processes, and grew to understand
everything you needed to know about the step-by-step procedures that would take a remotely
interested young person from almost unaware to a committed enlistee. But the reality is that this
is Navy reality! Nothing goes exactly as planned.

In this Fit vs. Fill environment, the pressure is on every day for you to find exactly the right
person to fill exactly defined jobs in the Navy. The pressure comes from the top and relentlessly
pushes down to the CO, XO, OPO, EPO, CR, ACR, LCPO, LPO and then to you. You feel the
heat from the time the goal is set until even after your station has met its numbers.

That process won‘t change, but the way in which you go about achieving goal can and should
change. Let‘s explain.

The top-down pressure you experience is focused on acquiring qualified recruits one at a time –
we need one more NUC, one more CT, one more ET, one more doctor, one more dentist, one
more chaplain, etc. The problem is that you need to have way more than one in your source pool
in order to work the prospect successfully, and that only adds to the frustration. Besides that, if
you haven‘t had enough conversational sessions with each qualified individual, it still will take a
long time before you can successfully move the person into the available slot.

Our objective here is to 1) broaden the base of interested individuals in the source pool, and 2)
shorten or reduce the number of conversational sessions that it takes to move someone from
remote interest in the Navy to keen interest in an available job slot. More simply, the objective is
to have you working SMARTER, not harder – freeing time for you.

The process is really no different from what takes place in an industrial sales environment.
Cahners Publishing Company conducted research that shows that it typically takes 8-11 sales
calls from the time an industrial sales person first calls on a purchasing agent until the time the
sale is complete. That‘s the sales process for key equipment or production supplies, but your
recruitment process is similar. After all, recruiting is virtually the only place in the Navy where
we have something to sell – Navy jobs, educational opportunities and experience.

In the first few sales calls, the industrial sales person explains his company, his product, and the
key differences between his offering and that of his competitors. He also explains how he
operates as the conduit between the purchaser and the supplier.

In the next few sales calls, the sales representative gathers information about the prospective
purchaser‘s company, end products, and how his particular product can fit the prospect‘s needs.
He also finds out about just-in-time delivery requirements, payment practices and other things
essential to any transaction.

It is only after these initial calls that the two parties really get a chance to rollup their shirtsleeves
and get to work on the particulars that can make the sales transaction take place. The same is true
for your recruiting process – general information, followed by trust building, followed by needs
analysis, followed by commitment in the form of a contract.

What Cahners Publishing Company also found out is that the organizations that did the best job
of explaining the particulars of their products and services in advertising and publicity
campaigns also enjoyed significantly more prospective-customer responses, and their sales
people needed to make fewer calls with less overall sales call time required to complete the
transactions. Why? Because 1) many more people were aware of the company and its offerings
and 2) the detailed information that prospective customers already had meant that less had to be
covered in person.

The very same practice applies to productive Navy recruiting. The better job we do via school
media and news media of building Navy awareness, explaining Navy opportunities for jobs and
educational support, identifying Navy personnel needs, focusing attention on the local Navy
Recruiting Station, and highlighting YOU as the right contact for your target audience, the
MORE PROSPECTS WILL BE COMING TO YOU instead of you to them.

There are three important places where we intend to focus this initiative:

1) Where your target market works (school)
2) Where your target market plays (key events)
3) Where your target market and their influencers gather information

There are important messages:
1) Navy has important skilled jobs to fill – with good benefits.
2) Navy supports advanced education in a variety of ways
3) Navy has qualifications to be met – intelligence, physical conditioning, health, legal,
behavioral
4) Navy has people on hand to help them join, and the nearest location is YOUR NRS
ADDRESS.

STREET-SMART MARKETING MOTTO:

―Put your mouth where the Money is.‖

SCHOOL ACCESS EDGE

The best single opportunity to access quality candidates is through the schools. However, getting
schools to grant that access is difficult, especially if we are simply ASKING for the opportunity
to set up a contact location in the school cafeteria.

You all know that you will have much more success if you can OFFER some resources to help
them enhance their own higher education experience. That‘s why we are working to provide
tools to help in that regard.

Please recognize that your position with your school contact will be enhanced just by offering
this kind of support, regardless of whether or not the school takes you up on the offer. The four
key areas are:

 NAVY ―HORIZON‖ BAND – This one-class-hour contemporary show includes pop,
rock and rap music and invites students to join in. The band points out the recruiters who
set up the show, and also identifies the location of the local station(s). Only nine locations
in the country can take advantage of this. This is a special advantage for NRD Chicago,
but the windows of available band time are small.

 SCHOOL NEWS – A number of ―canned interviews‖ are being prepared so that you can
offer support to the school newspaper or intranet. Some are included in the following
pages. These nuggets of information will help you get a foot in the door, but you can
enhance your position even more by producing information about recent graduates who
now are seeing the world as U.S. Navy Sailors. Contact the PAO for assistance doing this

 S.T.E.M. INITIATIVE – Students proficient in Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics are high on the Navy‘s wish list. We are working to assemble elements that
you can bring to the schools that will point out how acquired STEM skills can be applied
in the Navy and the real world. Those elements are expected to include videos, speakers,
and even Great Lakes ―A‖ school tours. In the meantime, please investigate whether the
schools you serve have things like First Robotics Teams. If so, offer to help with the
development and construction of the team‘s robot.

 WIDE WORLD MENTORING – This is your opportunity to be a guide to others. It
begins with a brief 10-15-minute presentation that lets you address HS staff and students
to explain the level of character and contribution expected of American employers,
including Navy. This is designed as a platform from which you can also a) bring your
Navy-taught skills to a classroom and/or b) bring in nugget presentations detailing how
skills developed in high school can be applied in real world jobs, especially those
available in the Navy.

In addition to these four keys to help access school students, we are trying to also help you
maintain the interest of delayed entry personnel with three other initiatives:

 NEWS SPOTLIGHT – This is really a warmed over version of Fleet Hometown News,
but it accomplishes much more. With this minor-input effort, we can help spotlight the
fact that your future sailor has taken the initiative to join the Navy, and thereby enhance
their commitment to their future career.

 SPORTS CONNECTION – As a part of our public affairs effort, NRD Nashville has
been able to institute some relationships with sports teams in our area. Occasionally these
teams offer tickets to service members for actual games. Working with them, we also
have been able to identify a few ways in which we can gain entry to practice sessions and
other similar events. As we can set these up, we will make those opportunities available
for you to bring in delayed entry people as a part of the mix, adding another enhancement
to committing to Navy. Sports resources we are working with include: Tennessee Titians,
Nashville predators, Memphis Redbirds, Bristol Speedway and a few other small outlets.
If you know of any sports teams that the NRD Nashville could benefit from contact the
PAO to discuss.

 OTHER VENUES – other possibilities for boosting future sailor interest and involvement
include Navy Week activities, air shows, etc.

SCHOOL NEWS

Every school has a news program – a way of alerting people about things that are going on in
their school community. Most of these are faculty-supervised, student-run newspapers,
newsletters, intranet sites or blog spot. Where faculty people are involved, there is a direction to
students for gathering news and for contributing articles of worth. In every case, there is at least
one student who is most aggressive in supporting the effort, and at least one student who lags
well behind the others, but still has a requirement to fulfill a news obligation.

Either of these student categories will ultimately be our link to informing all students in the
school about Navy. But first, we have to make a positive connection with two others at each
school – your ongoing key contact in the administration or counseling office, and the faculty
advisor responsible for the school news.

Those recruiters who work with this in a positive fashion will quickly recognize that
implementing this on a regular basis, while appearing to be an added obligation, is really just an
opportunity to get in front of the right school people every few weeks in a way that impresses
them with the Navy recruiters‘ skill, knowledge, professionalism, and most of all –
OPPORTUNITIES FOR JOBS AND EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE STUDENTS. You
become a key to the future of many of the schools‘ best and brightest young people.

What follows is a series of interview vignettes. They are designed to put you in the limelight
with school administrators and counselors. They present an opportunity for you to make a
focused visit to the school. If two copies are delivered on each visit – one for the counselor and
one for the news faculty advisor – it can multiply your points of access in each school. They each
impart a nugget of fairly general but uncommonly known information that can help to elevate
your status as a knowledge source to your contacts. And they will remain in the office of those
you visit for a longer period than you do.

Review the series of vignettes for yourself and determine which ones will be most appropriate
for your schools. The school year is only eight months long, so there are more than enough of
these for you to deliver over the course of the school year. If you made it a point to deliver one
every three weeks, you would only use ten of these in a year‘s time. Over the course of two
years, you can begin to repeat vignettes that you delivered before, and most people will regard
them as fresh information.

CAUTION: All new things take time before they become acceptable and useful to others.
Persistence is the key here. It could take at least a half year for some administrators to begin
delivering the second copy to the school news faculty. It could take almost the entire year before
the faculty person decides that this is a reliable enough information flow so that he/she can feel
comfortable passing it along to a student for inclusion in the school news media. Nevertheless, it
is sure to produce opportunities for access within the school.

ONE-ON-ONE

INTERVIEW
VIGNETTES

An Interview with Navy ____________________________

About America’s Navy

Q Most Americans recognize the Navy as a military force on ships protecting us from attack
from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, but it really is a lot more than that isn‘t it?

A Certainly it is true that our ships are present on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the
Caribbean and Baltic sea, and other bodies of water that border our shores, but your Navy
operates on the water, under the water and above the water in oceans and seas around the world,
and we operate on land as well. It is because of that extensive presence that the Navy is typically
the first responder both to aggression and to natural disasters anywhere in the world. We really
mean it when we describe America‘s Navy as A Global Force for Good.

Q When you say that we have a presence around the world, how far- reaching is that, and is
it always a military presence?

A Since 70 percent of Earth‘s surface is covered by water, you can count on us having
vessels in major ocean bodies adjoining each continent, including in the Arctic Ocean and off the
coast of Antarctica. We are present to protect America‘s people and since 80 percent of the
world‘s population lives near an ocean, we are confident that we can protect most of those
American interests.

As far as identifying that as a ―military presence,‖ that might be a little more difficult to define
because our capability and our typical daily activities are two different things. We are always
ready to deliver aggressive force and firepower, and support combat operations, when and where
those are required, but it is much more likely that you will see us protecting shipping lanes in
open waters to assure the free flow of goods around the world. 90 percent of the world‘s goods
travel by water, so it is essential that we maintain those trade routes.

Q Does maintaining trade routes mean escorting convoys?

A It could be an escort, but mostly we work to spot and deter elements that threaten ships
transporting goods, such as the pirates off the coast of Somalia. We are there and elsewhere on
the world‘s oceans every day offering that protection, but that‘s only one location where our
presence is known. Actually, we have a strong presence everywhere in the world.

Q Why is the Navy spread out so far? Wouldn‘t it be just as good to simply operate close to
our own shores?

A Navy‘s official maritime strategy is clearly to maintain a presence everywhere so that we
can protect American interests everywhere and, when necessary, take the fight to our enemies to

keep aggression away from our shores. Our widespread presence also assures that we can
respond to natural disasters such as the tsunami in Japan, the earthquake in Haiti and hurricanes
such as Katrina.

Q How does the Navy have a role in a place like Afghanistan that is far inland?

A For starters it is important to point out that we often have had nearly 15,000 sailors on the
ground there in Afghanistan at one time. Just as in our other service branches, some have been in
combat roles and others in support roles, and many have been attached to Army and Marine
units. At the same time, our ships and our aircraft are instrumental in delivering ordinance to the
region.

Q I forgot about the aircraft in addition to the ships. All of this requires a lot of equipment.
How many ships and aircraft does the Navy have?

A Including aircraft carriers, cruisers, frigates and a host of other ships, plus the 80 or so
submarines, America‘s Navy has nearly 300 ships and subs of which about two-thirds are
underway at any one time. Including fighter jets, other specialized airplanes and helicopters, the
Navy has nearly 4,000 aircraft at work, roughly the same number as the regular US Air Force has
(not counting Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard).

Q With all of this happening all over the world, we also know that it takes a lot of people to
maintain all of this. How many people are in the Navy?

A Right now, there are about 325,000 sailors in the Navy, stationed around the world -- on
the sea, in the air, under the ocean and also on land.

Q It is easy for us to recognize that there are sailors involved in actually sailing the ships
and flying the planes, but there probably are a lot of other jobs involved, aren‘t there?

A Well, with all of the equipment we need to keep at the ready every day, it should also be
apparent that Navy needs people to fill all sorts of jobs from steelworkers, aircraft maintenance
people, cryptologists and healthcare professionals to dentists, clergy, nuclear power technicians
and electronics technicians and missile technology people. We also have needs for special
warfare and other highly specialized people.

Q How does one get started pursuing some of these opportunities?

A Actually, the best first step is to contact the local recruiting station to find out about any
and all of the jobs that we have available. To reach us, simply contact our station by calling

______________, or stop in most afternoons at __________________________________. If
you or an out of-town friend want to locate another station near them, visit www.navy.com and
click on ―find a recruiter‖ on the right side of the home page, then enter your zip code number. A
call to 800-4go –Navy will do the trick as well.

Additional comment:

To put the Navy‘s role in perspective, you need to recognize that 70 percent of the world is
covered by ocean, 80 percent of the world‘s population lives along coasts and 90 percent of the
world‘s commerce travels by water. Protecting all of that is our job, and that makes America‘s
Navy a global force for good.

Sailors serve on land and from the sea; from ships on the water, submarines under the water, and
planes and helicopters over the water – all to meet America‘s threats far away so that those
threats cannot harm us here. We welcome the best men and women to join us in accomplishing
today‘s missions and meeting tomorrow‘s challenges.

- 30 –

An Interview with Navy ________________________

About Navy as a Job Fit
Is Navy right for you?

Q. Parents, teachers and counselors often shy away from recommending military service to
kids like us. Why is that?

A. Each instance can have a different reason for that, so I can‘t comment on what it might be
in any particular case. At the same time, my experience has been that parents are reluctant to
recommend anything that might put their youngsters in harm‘s way. Although we are talking
about ―armed services‖ here, the facts show that overall military training does an extraordinary
job of helping people learn how to assess and minimize risk, while learning job skills and
meeting performance and safety standards that in many cases are at a higher level than what you
might find in comparable civilian occupations.

Q. Would I be using a weapon in the Navy?

A. The Navy‘s foremost purpose is to defend American citizens, so learning how to use a
weapon effectively is one of the many things a sailor learns in basic training, but individual Navy
jobs go way beyond that. Serving as a nuclear technician, hospital corpsman, welder, aviation
support person, submariner, or any other Navy job requires special skill and training. The Navy
is committed to provide that training so that our people can excel. That‘s what it takes to make
ours the world‘s finest Navy.

Q. You mentioned a few Navy jobs that sound a lot like civilian jobs. Can a high school
graduate apply for a job like that?

A. Certainly. Navy has virtually every kind of job that is available to you as a typical
civilian … plus a few special ones. Your Navy recruiter will have access to positions that are
currently available and to ones that will be coming up. Be advised, however, that we cannot offer
you a job that isn‘t available, and some jobs will not come available for a long time. Most often
it makes sense to take a job that you can qualify for now, knowing that you can work to transfer
to a different rating later on.

Q. That word ―qualify‖ might need some explaining. What does it take to qualify for a Navy
job?

A. Different jobs require different aptitude for achievement. That‘s why the Navy requires
each candidate to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), a series of
tests that help to identify your particular strengths and weaknesses. How your tests score helps
determine your suitability for one job or another. Please note that no job is more important than

another or offers more opportunity for advancement than another. Nevertheless, the tests help the
Navy identify your innate capacity to perform in the job you might select. Studies have shown
that a student can improve his/her own capacity through independent study and by taking on jobs
in related areas while still a student. That learning is often reflected on the ASVAB performance
scores.

Q. Are there other things that a student can do to help him/her prepare for entering the
Navy?

A. Preparation starts with decency and fitness. Approximately TWO THIRDS of the Navy‘s
target market, 17-24 year old males, are INELIGIBLE for Navy service due to medical
conditions, inability to meet academic standards, or legal/conduct issues. Medical conditions that
can exclude someone from entering include obesity, so staying physically fit tops the list.
Academic standards begin with completing school; more than 95% of Navy personnel are at least
high school diploma graduates. And legal/conduct issues includes any and all police report
issues, including drug use.

Q. So staying in school and out of trouble is key. What about ethnicity or gender issues, is
there a bias regarding these?

A. Diversity is important to us. America‘s Navy works hard to have the make-up of its
personnel mirror that of the population as a whole. While we as recruiters cannot make people
join if they don‘t want to, we certainly can and do make sure that we invite people of all ethnic
backgrounds to apply. Over time, the number of black, Hispanic, Asian and Pacific Islander
personnel is becoming more representative of the overall population, and the male/female ratio is
improving as well.

Q. Does family status have any bearing on eligibility for the Navy?

A. The Navy is very sensitive to the role of family in the performance of our people.
Without family support, our Navy could not perform as well as it does. In general, while family
status does not have a bearing on eligibility, custody of dependents sometimes can. This is an
issue that needs to be discussed with your recruiter. In any case, we encourage all applicants to
discuss service options with their families to garner that all-important support for the decision.

Q. Are there some people who are particularly right for the Navy?

A. We want America‘s best, brightest and most dedicated to serving this country‘s defense
and humanitarian support efforts. But as an all-volunteer force, we recognize that will only
happen if those talented individuals see Navy as right for them. The days of just filling bunks
with warm bodies ended long ago. Now we are fitting, not filling. In this environment, it is

incumbent on each individual applicant to be as qualified as possible to gain entry to the Navy
job school he/she really wants. That‘s what‘s right for the individual. That‘s what‘s right for
America‘s Navy, a global force for good.



Additional comment:



- 30 –


About Navy Recruiting Post bin Laden

Q A short time ago, a US military special operations team killed the world‘s most wanted
criminal, terrorist Osama bin Laden. Has that had an effect on Navy Recruiting?

A We don‘t have enough information to comment properly regarding the operation itself,
but it is fair for us to say although there might be some people who go to recruiting stations
saying that they want to be like those guys, we don‘t have numbers that would suggest a surge on
that basis. Please recognize that the environment for military recruiting in general has been pretty
good for the past few years. We don‘t want to speculate on the resulting ramifications of this, but
it is clear that in general the American public seems to have a renewed respect and appreciation
for this elite group of servicemen. To the extent that this encourages people to look to Navy as a
career, we‘re all for it.

Q I noticed that the term SEAL is all in capital letters. Does that mean something?

A Yes. The letters stand for Sea, Air and Land. The Navy SEALs are trained for all three,
and it is important to point out that in fact the Navy operates on the water with our ships, under
the water with our submarines, above the water with our aircraft, and on land as well.

Q What does it take for someone to become a Navy SEAL?

A First of all, it requires a keen desire to reach that level of accomplishment. If someone
doesn‘t truly have that interest level, they won‘t make it. What we just witnessed was the result
of an extraordinary level of training and discipline. Physical conditioning and mental toughness
are prerequisites. Training extends the limits for these individuals. What is especially important
for your audience to understand, however, is that the Navy SEAL classification is only one area
of Navy special warfare or special operations that an interested person can become engaged in.

Q What other areas are there?

A SEAL training itself begins with basic underwater demolition training, so divers and
explosive ordinance demolition personnel stem from this same area. Also, special warfare
combatant-craft crewmen and aviation rescue swimmers work in related areas. These are all
Navy jobs that there is a fairly high demand for, and we want people in this area to know that.

Q Does this geographic area produce many of these specialty people?

A Actually, yes. During my time here our recruiting district has had a lot of success
bringing many of these people into the Navy, but I also think it is important to point out that the
Navy has many other specialties, including ones that probably were involved in this most recent
operation. Without taking any credit away from the SEALs or any other special forces, we have
to point out that there were aircraft crews who delivered the special forces, undoubtedly also
standby and support personnel in a number of specialties, and credit has to go to the intelligence
and cryptographic people who figured out what was going on. While it might not have been
Navy personnel in each of these categories, certainly it is important to note that Navy does have
all of these kinds of jobs. We hope that people come to see us about what we have available.

Q Do you have certain jobs that you especially want to fill?

A Fit versus fill is the philosophy of the Navy, so it is important for us to make sure we
have the right people in the right jobs. Certainly special warfare and special operations is an area
where we want to attract the best possible people, so we will always welcome applicants. Also,
we actively search for people who want to become specialists in the nuclear arena. Navy has
roughly the same number of nuclear power plants as there are commercial ones on land across
the nation. Also, we have room for prior service personnel and for a number of reserve
categories, especially clergy, physicians, dentists and other healthcare related people.


______________, or stop in most afternoons at _________________________________. If you
or an out of-town friend want to locate another station near them, visit www.navy.com and click
on ―find a recruiter‖ on the right side of the home page, then enter your zip code number. A call
to 800-4go –Navy will do the trick as well.

Additional comment:




About Navy Education

Q Some people in our school have aspirations for college while others have a pressing need
to start earning money. The Navy talks a lot about educational opportunities. What do you really
mean by that?

A First let‘s agree that a traditional college-to-career path is not always right for everyone.
The Navy understands that. That‘s why there is a wide variety of educational support programs
available. That said, let me also point out that our Navy wants every job to be handled by the
smartest and most highly trained people available so, in essence, it is all about education whether
it is in a Navy technical school, a college environment, help with courses while on duty or on-
the-job training.

Q When you talk about ―Navy‖ school, what do you mean?

A When each recruit leaves the processing station for basic training, or boot camp, he or she
is already destined for a school where specific advanced job skills are taught. For some people
this may mean construction skills such as steel working, or maybe aviation technician training.
For others it can be radar, nuclear or missile technology, or mass communications, or hospital
corps training. These are just a few examples. But Navy schools don‘t end there, and it‘s not just
for enlisted people. Officers attend schools for strategy development, logistics, warfare
techniques and other specialized training. The Navy also offers schooling for people to transition
between enlisted jobs and officer jobs. And let‘s not forget that the Navy also has colleges such
as the Naval Academy in Annapolis MD and several others that are Navy from the start.

Q Can someone get financial assistance from the Navy and go to a school such as a State
university?

A Certainly that is possible. One way is to enroll in a Naval ROTC program at schools that
offer them. That way the Navy pays for a big chunk of the schooling and some specifically Navy
courses in things like navigation and telecommunications are sometimes rolled into the
curriculum. Another way is to enroll in a degree program while on enlisted duty. Just as many
companies have a tuition reimbursement program for advanced study, so too does the Navy often
cover such costs.

Q I have heard that the Navy actually offers scholarships. Is that true?

A Yes it is true. The specifics are too involved to get into here, so if anyone is interested,
they can call our recruiting station. Nevertheless, a Navy scholarship is valued at about $180,000
these days. That‘s pretty significant.

Q How do we find out more about the Navy‘s education support programs?

A Nearly all the information is available in the Education Opportunities section of the
www.navy.com website, but we can also provide additional information and help to navigate the
site at the recruiting station. To reach us, simply contact our station by calling ______________,
or stop in most afternoons at ____________________________________. If you or an out of-
town friend want to locate another station near them, visit www.navy.com and click on ―find a
recruiter‖ on the right side of the home page, then enter your zip code number. A call to 800-4go
–Navy will do the trick as well.

Additional comment:



- 30 –


About Navy Submarines

Q Some of us remember being inside the German U-Boat at the Museum of Science and
Industry. Are submarines still like that?

A Even that submarine is way beyond where submarine service started, but U.S. Navy
Submarines today are much larger and dramatically more sophisticated than the World War II
models. As a result, we are able to do significantly more with our fleet.

Q When did America begin using submarines?

A The Navy began using submarines during the Civil War. Submerged vessels could travel
undetected into enemy territory to gather valuable information about military activity. Those
vessels could only accommodate one or two people and could only remain submerged for brief
periods. Now, of course, our Navy operates under the water with our submarines, on the water
with our ships and over the water with our aircraft.

Q What are our submarines used for today?

A As you might expect, all of our submarines are equipped for waging war as a strike force
in one fashion or another. That‘s essential for our nation‘s defense, even though we hope we
never need to use those capabilities. Perhaps more important is the ability of these
technologically advanced ships and crews to gather intelligence, provide surveillance and
reconnaissance, and deliver specialized resources to parts of the world that might be practically
unreachable via any other means – such as to the North and South Poles, for example.

Q Just how large are these ships today?

A Our fast attack submarines, capable of undersea, anti-surface, and special warfare, stretch
more than a football field in length. Ballistic and surface-to-air missile-carrying submarines are
longer than the Washington Monument is tall – almost two football fields long.

Q Do people aboard submarines require special training?

A Certainly it requires special training to deal with the special conditions that submarine
life presents, but sailors aboard submarines also have jobs to do. Those jobs range from running
specialized equipment to maintenance and support work and more. The ship is a self-contained
unit that has to remain operational in every respect. We need people to run engines, radar
systems and computer gear. We need tradesmen including cooks, plumbers, electricians,

mechanics, welders and a host of other specialties. That‘s a long answer but, yes, a lot of
specialized training is required to be a submariner.

Q How long can our submarines remain under water?

A Unlike the old submarines that had to surface every few days to recycle or replace air on
board, today‘s submarines have systems that maintain air quality, handle temperature
adjustments, and produce fresh water from seawater so that they can remain submerged for
months at a time.

Q When people deploy, for how long are they gone?

A The length of a deployment will depend on the type of ship and the mission assignment
for the ship. Some cruises may be limited to only two to three months while others might be a
year or more. On average, a ship and its crew are typically deployed for a period of about six
months.

Q If our submarines are nuclear powered, how safe are they?

A It is true that nuclear power means that the fuel source is a radioactive material. Although
the total amount of it is quite small, it is capable of producing enough heat to generate steam,
thereby powering the ship‘s propulsion system and also generating the electricity required for all
of the ship‘s on-board needs.
Navy‘s first nuclear powered submarine was put into service in 1954, so we have more
than a half-century of experience with nuclear powered vessels, and although some of these ships
have had some accidents, those accidents have not been related to the power supply. The nuclear
power plant on one of these ships, once in place, is designed to power the craft for 30 years.

Q Are there other countries that have nuclear powered submarines, too?

A Other countries do have nuclear submarines. Movies have been produced about the
Russian submarines, but in addition to those, France, United Kingdom, People‘s Republic of
China, and India all have operating submarines, and Argentina, Brazil and several other countries
have ongoing projects in different phases to build nuclear-powered submarines

Q Is some of our students are interested in submarine service, what is the best way to find
out more about it?



About Navy Fire Prevention/Protection

Q I have heard that recruits learn the basics about fire fighting in boot camp. Why is that?

A Yes, it is true. Fire is perhaps the single biggest threat for any ship, so we need to know
how to deal with fire in order to survive and continue our missions. We recognize that fire is a
likely outcome for any hostile action, since most enemy attacks include the use of some kind of
explosive device – bomb, mine, torpedo, missile, etc.. You might recall from your history
lessons that Japan turned many of its pilots into suicide fighters, called kamikaze, in the final
days of World War II. Their goal was to seek out and attack our ships by simply flying the plane
into the deck of the ships, bursting into flame. Of course fires can also be caused by the same
causes we see in domestic fires as well. Fire fighting is an essential skill for any Navy Sailor.

Q By domestic causes, what kinds of things do you mean?

A Basically, I am talking about common things such as errant cooking flames, faulty
electrical connections, smoking on board, and a host of other sources that are typical anywhere.
On board a ship, however, some of what I might consider potential domestic hazards become
much greater. For example, in your garage you might store a couple of gallons of gasoline,
whereas one of our frigates would carry thousands of barrels of diesel fuel just for its own
operations.

Q I can see how things like fuel can add to the risk of fire. Wouldn‘t warfare materials
add even more to that risk?

A Absolutely they would. All of our ships carry explosive ordinance of some sort or
other. Aircraft carriers also carry jet fuel. As you think about this, I‘m sure you can recognize
that the list of combustible materials is quite large, and the risk of fire goes up proportionately.

Q Yes, I can see that. Are there other aspects of ship fires that add to the importance of
the Navy‘s emphasis on fire fighting?

A The fact that it is aboard a ship is the ultimate challenge. You see, there isn‘t any place
else to go to get away from the fire except overboard, and that simply isn‘t an option. Sailors
simply have to confront fires within the confined space of the ship, and once the fire is put out,
we have to live with the aftermath. It is a life and death issue … always.

Q So every sailor learns something about fire fighting. Is there anyone who is in charge
in the event of fire?

A Training everyone in the basics is what the Navy does to assure that there are enough
ready hands to take initial action and step to the fight, but we recognize that it is also important
to have specialists in fire protection/prevention and public safety to take charge of this. That‘s
why we have advanced training in this specialty. You see, not all types of fires are fought the
same way. Different methods are effective for putting out electrical fires vs. cooking fires vs.
petroleum fires. What‘s more, we count on these specialists to put in place and enforce policies,
procedures and practices to prevent most of these situations from happening in the first place.
These same highly trained individuals are charged with many other safety program developments
aboard our ships.

Q Could this kind of skill transfer to the civilian world?

A Most definitely it does. Although there are many schools and other organizations that
teach courses in fire control and public safety, virtually all of them have been modeled in some
fashion after the Navy‘s training program. And, given the fact that the Navy trains for extreme
conditions, it is no surprise to find that of the people working in civilian fire and public safety
occupations, many are former Navy sailors. Many former Navy people also have been tapped to
manage safety programs for major corporations.

Q How can interested people here find out more about the Navy‘s opportunities in fire
protection and public safety?


Additional comment:




- 30 –


About Navy SEALs

Q Whenever I see the name Navy SEAL, SEAL is always in capital letters. Why is that?

A SEAL is an acronym. The name comes from the wide-ranging competencies of these
individuals on Sea, Air and Land.

Q SEALs are considered to be among our elite military forces. Why is that?

A Not everyone can become a SEAL. Last year less than 300 graduated the rigorous
training required to earn this designation, and that‘s higher than the 150 or so that would be
typical. At the end of the complete training, these individuals will have learned a wide range of
specialties ranging from diving to parachuting, stealth warfare to paramedical expertise, foreign
languages to escape and evasion survival.

Q Do people need to meet initial qualifications before entering?

A Yes. Candidates must pass physical examinations and have good eyesight. They must
score well on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, be U.S. citizens and not more
than 28 years old. Finally, there‘s a physical fitness screening that takes place in the delayed
entry program and in boot camp.

Q When you say rigorous training, what does that entail?

A The key training program is called BUD/S, which stands for basic underwater
demolition/SEAL, but first the individual must go through boot camp and an eight week SEAL
preparation course. BUD/S training itself includes physical conditioning, combat diving, land
warfare and parachute jump schools. That alone is more than six months, and then there‘s
another six months of SEAL qualification training that presses physical and mental endurance to
the limit. Advanced training for individual specialties, unit work and task group work is
generally another 18 months.

Q How big is a typical SEAL group?

A SEALs learn to bring compatible skills together productively in groups as big as 32
people and as small a group as 2. Teamwork is one of the mainstays. Adaptability is the other.

Q Under what kinds of conditions do SEALs typically work?

A SEALs train for all manner of environments including in deserts, urban areas, mountains,
woodlands, jungles and even arctic conditions. Enduring the conditions is important, but so is
having the specialized skills to handle the high-tech equipment required.

Q How long have SEALs been in existence?

A The first group of SEALs was formed in early 1962 under the Kennedy administration.
While still an elite group, the numbers have increased to address the widespread threats around
the world.

Q What happens to people who don‘t make it all the way through the training?

A Most people who begin to engage in SEAL training but fall short in one area discover
along the way that they have some offsetting skills in another specialty area that is most
gratifying. Being able to uncover those unique capabilities and channel them productively
certainly cannot be classified as failure. As far as the Navy is concerned, those occurrences are
among our greatest rewards, because it means that the very people we challenged in the
beginning are in turn challenging the Navy to be the finest possible in every specialty area.

Q How can someone find out more about the SEAL program and how to qualify?

How does one get started pursuing some of these opportunities?


Additional comment:




About Seabees

Q What is a Seabee?

A Although it is commonly spelled Seabee, the word was actually derived from the letters C
and B, the shorthand for Construction Battalions. Those letters also capstone the organization‘s
Latin motto -- Constriumus, Batuimus – which translates to ―We build, We fight.‖

Q When did the Navy first organize Seabees?

A The first construction battalions were formed in 1942 and were made up mostly of
experienced construction people to support the war effort in World War II. They would follow
Marines onto islands in the Pacific to build airstrips, bridges, roads, fuel storage units,
warehouses and hospitals.

Q Are Seabees still as active now?

A The demand for construction crews is far less than it was during World War II or the
Vietnam War, but it still is a key job specialty. Seabees built camps, hospitals and expanded
airbases during the Gulf War and similarly in Iraq and Afghanistan, and they are now
instrumental in rebuilding infrastructure in those locations. They also play a key role in the
Navy‘s humanitarian efforts in Somalia, Philippines, Haiti and at home rebuilding areas affected
by hurricanes such as Katrina, for example.

Q What kind of training is involved in becoming a Seabee?

A Following boot camp or some fleet service, Seabees will train in schools for about three
months. That schooling will include both classroom work and a lot of hands-on training. Most of
that training is for work on land, but some will be on the water or under water. Of course a
certain amount of weapons training will also be involved.

Q Are there specialties within the Seabee ranks?

A Of course there are. Some will be construction mechanics or equipment operators. Others
will be utilitiesmen, responsible for mechanical and fluid systems. Still others will be
electricians, builders, steel workers or engineering support personnel.

Q Does there have to be a war in order for Seabees to be needed?

A Wartime situations put the most pressure on Navy resources to build facilities in support
of that effort, not only to satisfy Navy and Marine requirements but also Army and Air Force to
some extent. When those forces stand down, there is still an enormous need to maintain our ships
and other facilities that have been built around the world. All of that falls under the domain of
the Seabees.

Q How does someone find out more about Seabee jobs that are available?


Additional comment:



- 30 –

An Interview with Navy ___________________________

About Women in the Navy

Q The Navy seems to be a male-dominated service branch, but we know that there are
women in the Navy now. How long as that been the case?

A Many people think that the presence of women in the Navy is a new thing, but really we
have had women officially for more than 100 years and actually for longer than that. Women
worked as nurses for the Navy during the Civil War, and a nurse corps was officially established
in 1908. In World War I, women joined the Naval Reserve where they could serve as yeomen
and handle administrative support work. Active Navy recruited women into a separate women‘s
auxiliary organization called Women Appointed for Voluntary Emergency Service (WAVES).

Q Has there been any significant improvement in opportunities for women in the Navy?

A More women served actively during conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, but the role of
women expanded dramatically beginning in the early 1970s when the Navy opened the doors to
women in ROTC and OCS programs, and later in surface warfare and flight schools. Now
women are active in every capacity, including submarine. The only exception is in a SEAL or
special warfare capacity, a discipline that is more strongly geared toward engagement in direct
ground combat.

Q Making jobs available doesn‘t automatically mean that there are growth opportunities.
Can women actually advance?

A Since the Vietnam War, we have opened virtually every occupational discipline. Beyond
that, Navy policy has always dictated an expectation of performance and a rewarding of
performance via merit promotion. It should be no surprise then that in a relatively short period of
time we have had women succeed as aviators, commanding Naval stations, combat ships and
strike groups, and earning ranks as high as Vice Admiral (three stars.)

Q Has the increased number of women been because of the recent changes in Navy policy?

A The Navy took a position long ago to open opportunities for women and over time many
more have taken advantage of that. Submarine service was essentially the last area of service that
was closed to women, principally because older ships were not physically equipped to handle the
needs of both sexes. Newer ships are equipped for both men and women, and the first class of
women officers for submarine service will soon be graduating.

Q Has recruitment policy differed for women vs. men?

A The Navy is an equal opportunity employer, so the recruitment policy remains the same
for both sexes. The shift in recruiting policy has been a move to fit people to particular jobs
rather than simply to fill positions. That process is based on capability, not gender.

Q As time goes on, what do you expect to see regarding the number of women joining?

A We want to see diversity in our ranks, and that includes gender and ethnic background as
well as things like rural vs. urban upbringing. Essentially the goal is for the makeup of Navy
personnel to be a reflection of America‘s population at large. Although the type of work that we
do and the lifestyle that requires might not be equally attractive to everyone, we certainly will
work to introduce Navy to that broad audience and invite all to apply.

Q You spoke earlier of lifestyle. Are there particular restrictions regarding things like
grooming for women?

A To be sure there are standards, just as there are standards for men. In general, the Navy
expects responsible grooming, including hair that is not outrageously multicolored or faddish,
cosmetics that enhance natural features, limited and tasteful jewelry, etc. More simply, personal
grooming must not compete with the effect of the uniform. In any case, women in the Navy are
nonetheless women.

Q Would being a woman affect deployment?

A In general, no. The only real departure from that is in the event of pregnancy.
Servicewomen must not remain onboard a ship past their 20th week of pregnancy, and will not
travel overseas beyond their 28th week of pregnancy. That policy clearly does not apply to men.

Q Is training different for women than for men?

A No, women undergo the same training as men and do it at the same time. It is important
to note, however, that women do have separate living quarters.

Q How do interested women find out more about their opportunities in the Navy?



Additional comment:



- 30 –


About Navy Medical

Q Medical care is an essential part of civilian life, but could it be even more so in the Navy?

A Certainly medicine in the Navy has the potential for being at least as challenging as in the
civilian world, and often more so. That probably holds true for physicians of virtually any
discipline.

Q Do you say that because of the way medical teams support the Navy‘s military missions?

A In part, yes. It‘s true that Navy physicians need to be prepared to support our deployed
sailors at sea and sometimes also Marines and sailors on land in combat roles, but please also
recognize that America‘s Navy is typically the first responder to natural disaster situations
ranging from earthquakes to tsunamis to hurricanes, so our medical teams often see situations
and medical environments that are rarely seen by civilian medical groups. Those situations
present not only challenges, but also learning experiences. And they often result in remarkable
innovations in medical practices and procedures.

Q So does that mean that Navy doctors serve primarily onboard ships?

A Everyone who joins the Navy must anticipate that shipboard duty will be a part of their
future. At the same time, it is important to note that even the saltiest sailor only spends a portion
of his or her time at sea, and many don‘t have sea duty at all.

Q If Navy medicine is regarded as an especially important career category for the Navy,
does the Navy do anything special to attract physicians?

A Navy offers a variety of incentives, both for active duty and reserve physicians, ranging
from sign-on bonuses and special-incentive pay to advance education assistance. Of course, the
benefits of serving America as a Navy officer come into play as well. One of the greatest
incentives we have for medical students who are willing to serve on active duty is our Health
Professions Scholarship Program

Q How does that work?

A In this program, the physician candidate enlists in the Navy Reserve until after graduation
from a graduate medical program when active duty starts. The active duty commitment time
period will vary depending upon which year of the educational program the enlistment starts. In

return, the Navy pays the graduate school tuition plus a sizeable monthly stipend to help cover
most of the student‘s living expenses. Upon graduation, he or she receives a commission,
entering as an officer, and begins an exciting career without incurring start-up costs or equipment
expenses along the way.

Q Does the individual need to be licensed as a part of this?

A Yes, the graduated doctor must have and maintain a license to practice as a Navy
physician. The license must be from a U.S. state, territory or District of Columbia, and that will
require passage of the required exams as close to graduation as possible.

Q What rank or status will the doctor have upon activation?

A The doctor will be commissioned as a lieutenant or higher in the Navy Medical Corps,
depending on specialty, so both status and salary are comparable to that of civilian doctors. And
when you consider that a physician in this program typically avoids having to take out a student
loan to get the degree, a lot more of that earned money remains in his or her own pocket.

Q Are there opportunities for people to be a part of a medical team without a medical
degree?

A Of course physicians and nurses are at the top of the Navy‘s needs list, but as you might
imagine, the medical field is extensive, so the Navy also needs strong medical technology
people, corpsmen and medical technology people as well.

Q How does one get started pursuing this opportunity?

______________, or stop in most afternoons at ______________________________________.
If you or an out of-town friend want to locate another station near them, visit www.navy.com
and click on ―find a recruiter‖ on the right side of the home page, then enter your zip code
number. The website will identify contact locations for both enlisted and officer programs. A call

Additional comment:




- 30 –


About Navy Nursing

Q Nursing is an essential element in any medical program, but could it be even more so in
the Navy?

A Certainly medicine in the Navy has the potential for being at least as challenging as in the
civilian world, and often more so.


A It‘s true that Navy nurses need to be prepared to support our deployed sailors at sea and
sometimes also Marines and sailors on land in combat roles, but please also recognize that
America‘s Navy is typically the first responder to natural disaster situations ranging from
earthquakes to tsunamis to hurricanes, so our medical teams often see situations and medical
environments that are rarely seen by civilian medical groups. Those situations present not only
challenges, but also learning experiences. And they often result in remarkable innovations in
medical practices and procedures.

Q So does that mean that Navy nurses serve primarily onboard ships?

of his or her time at sea, and many don‘t have sea duty at all.

Q If nursing is regarded as an especially important career category for the Navy, does the
Navy do anything special to attract nurses?

A One of the greatest incentives we have is our Nurse Candidate Program which pays up to
$34,000 while the nursing degree is completed.


A In this program, the nurse candidate enlists in the Navy Reserve until after graduation
from a four-year baccalaureate nursing program when active duty starts. Depending upon which
year of the educational program the enlistment starts, the active duty commitment can be four or
five years. In return, the Navy pays an accession bonus of $10,000, another $5,000 when the
enlistment in the Navy Reserve starts, another $5,000 on the six-month anniversary, and a

continuation bonus of $1,000 a month ending after 24 months of school or when the degree
program ends. Altogether, that‘s up to $34,000.


A Yes, the graduated nurse must have and maintain a license to practice as a Professional
Registered Nurse from a U.S. state, territory or District of Columbia, and that will require
passage of the NCLEX-RN examination as close to graduation as possible.

Q What rank or status will the nurse have upon activation?

A The nurse will be commissioned as an Ensign in the Navy nurse Corps, so both status and
salary are comparable to that of civilian nurses. And when you consider that a nurse in this
program typically avoids having to take out a student loan to get the degree, a lot more of that
earned money remains in his or her own pocket.

Q Are there opportunities for people to be a part of a medical team without a four-year
nursing degree?

A Of course physicians and nurses are at the top f the Navy‘s needs list, but as you might
imagine, the medical field is extensive, so the Navy also needs strong medical technology



Additional comment:



- 30 -

An Interview with Navy ________________________________________________

About Navy Dentistry

Q Professional dentists and soon-to-be dentists seldom think about service in the Navy, but
it really is a viable option isn‘t it?

A Certainly anyone in the field of dentistry should consider Navy service. Sailors, Marines
and their families certainly need dental care every bit as much as other Americans, and the Navy
rewards dentists with competitive compensation and benefits. But the truth of the matter is that
Navy dentistry has the potential to be even more rewarding than dentistry in a civilian
environment.


A In part, yes. It‘s true that Navy physicians need to be prepared to support our deployed
sailors at sea and sometimes also Marines and sailors on land in combat roles, but please also
recognize that America‘s Navy is typically the first responder to natural disaster situations
ranging from earthquakes to tsunamis to hurricanes, so our medical teams often see situations
and medical environments that are rarely seen by civilian medical groups. Those situations
present not only challenges, but also learning experiences. And they often result in remarkable
innovations in medical and dental practices and procedures.

Q So does that mean that Navy dentists serve primarily onboard ships?

of his or her time at sea, and many don‘t have sea duty at all. The same holds true for dentists,
including dental specialists.

Q If Navy dentistry is regarded as an especially important career category for the Navy,
does the Navy do anything special to attract dentists?

A Navy offers a variety of incentives, both for active duty and reserve dentists, ranging
from sign-on bonuses and special-incentive pay to advance education assistance. Of course, the
benefits of serving as a Naval officer come into play as well. Already practicing dentists are
eligible for a sign-on bonus that can range from $75,000 to $300,000 depending on specialty and
service requirements. For medical students who are willing to serve on active duty, one of the
greatest incentives we have is our Health Professions Scholarship Program.


A In this program, the dental candidate enlists in the Navy Reserve until after graduation
from a graduate medical program when active duty starts. The active duty commitment time
period will vary depending upon which year of the educational program the enlistment starts. In
return, the Navy pays the graduate school tuition plus a sizeable monthly stipend to help cover
most of the student‘s living expenses. Upon graduation, he or she receives a commission,
entering with the rank of an officer, and begins an exciting career.

Q You mentioned specialties. What specialties qualify for the program?

A Actually, there are opportunities in any of 13 specialty areas, from general care to
maxiofacial prosthodontics to forensics. In all of these areas, Navy dentists use some of the most
advanced technology on the planet without having to make the front-end investment on their
own—no start-up costs, no equipment expenses and no insurance fees.


A Yes, the graduated dentist must have and maintain a license to practice as a Navy
physician. The license must be from a U.S. state, territory or District of Columbia, and that will
require passage of the required exams as close to graduation as possible.

Q What rank or status will the dentist have upon activation?

A The dentist will be commissioned as a lieutenant of higher in the Navy Medical/Dental
Corps, depending on specialty, so both status and salary are comparable to that of civilian
dentists. And when you consider that a dentist in this program typically avoids having to take out
a student loan to get the degree, a lot more of that earned money remains in his or her own
pocket.

Q Are there opportunities for people to be a part of a medical team without a four-year
nursing degree?

A Of course physicians dentists, and nurses are at the top f the Navy‘s needs list, but as you
might imagine, the medical field is extensive, so the Navy also needs strong medical technology



______________, or stop in most afternoons at ___________________________________. If
click on ―find a recruiter‖ on the right side of the home page, then enter your zip code number.
The website will identify contact locations for both enlisted and officer programs. A call to 800-
4go –Navy will do the trick as well.

Additional comment:



- 30 -


About Navy Aviation

Q When people think of the Navy, they typically think about ships at sea. But these days,
with modern aircraft carriers, the Navy has a few aircraft as well. How long have airplanes been
a part of the Navy‘s equipment base?

A Actually, the Navy has included aircraft as an essential equipment resource for more than
100 years now. Only a few years after the Wright brothers demonstrated that flight was possible,
the Navy recognized the tactical advantage that such advanced equipment could provide.

Q Were these early aircraft actually used on ships?

A We were able to fly planes off the decks of certain ships as early as 1911 to deliver an
airpower advantage to a battle zone, but they had to land elsewhere. Nevertheless, by the end of
World War I, it was apparent that the ability to have aircraft quickly deliverable to an area of
conflict would be important to America‘s combat readiness, and an imperative for the U.S. Navy.
The development of ships that had decks that airplanes could land on took a few years, but we
had them by the mid 1920s.

Q Does the Air Force fly those planes?

A No, the Department of the Navy is the owner and operator of aircraft for the Navy and
Marine Corps, so Navy and Marine pilots fly those aircraft.

Q How many aircraft does the Navy have?

A Altogether, the Navy has about 3,000 manned aircraft, which is roughly the same number
as the Air Force operates, not counting the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard.

Q What kind of aircraft are these?

A Some are attack planes, such as our F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets or E/A-18
Growlers. Others include command and control aircraft such as the E-2C Hawkeye, or support
planes such as the Greyhounds. Also, of course, we have Seahawk and Sea Dragon helicopters
equipped for attack or for utility operations.

Q Are all of those aircraft aboard aircraft carriers?

A Well, aircraft carriers certainly are a principal mode of delivery and readiness, but the
Navy maintains air bases on land as well, and other ships these days will also have deck capacity
for certain aircraft, especially helicopters.

Q Are all of these aircraft focused on delivering firepower to an enemy?

A No, that is not always the case. As a global force for good, the Navy does a lot more than
deliver defensive power to keep aggression in check. We also deliver humanitarian aid to regions
that need it, such as the Japanese coast following the tsunami a short time ago, or Haiti following
their earthquake, or our own gulf coast after hurricane Katrina. We also conduct sea search and
rescue missions around the world.

Q It probably requires a lot of pilots to support these air operations, doesn‘t it?

A Pilots only make up a small portion of the manpower requirement. A typical air wing is
comprised of a complement of 2500+ people. This includes aircraft maintenance people ranging
from mechanics and electricians to radar specialists, electronics experts and air controllers.
What‘s more, we need to have air rescue swimmers, helicopter crew personnel and weapons
specialists as well.



Additional comment:




- 30 -


About Navy Chaplains

Q From time to time in war movies we see a chaplain. Is there really a need for chaplains in
the Navy these days?

A Yes, the need is very strong, but not just because we have sailors, Marines and coast
guardsmen in hostile situations. Perhaps it is because they understand the perils of military
service that our men and women often have a unique need to understand their relationship with
their God and with others, both in times of aggression and in times of peace. Navy chaplains
provide that all-important counseling.

Q The symbol for a chaplain is a Christian cross. Does that mean that Navy chaplains need
to be Christian?

A Early settlers to America were Christian and early sailors were, too. But this country was
formed largely to protect religious freedom, no matter what the religion. The cross certainly is a
religious symbol, and is now regarded by the U.S. military as universal to all faiths. While many
of the 800 members of the Chaplain Corps are Catholic priests or Protestant ministers, we also
have lots of Jewish rabbis and Muslim imams as well, and more than 100 faiths are represented,
so the position is not restricted regarding faith. Most important is the fact that our chaplains are
trained not to convert service people from one faith to another, but rather to enable free practice
of religion, and improve the relationship of the individual with his or her God. Caring for service
members and their families, including those subscribing to no particular faith, is a part of the
ministry.

Q What qualifications are there for someone to be a Navy chaplain?

A In order to serve, one must have the education background from a qualified institution of
higher learning, so a baccalaureate degree plus a post-baccalaureate degree of not less than 72
semester hours in theology or related studies from a seminary or equivalent is required. That
education is coupled with the Navy ‗s own Chaplain School where interfaith disciplines are
taught along with counseling techniques, and practical application of those techniques in a
military environment.

Q Does that mean that chaplains will serve aboard ships?

A To be sure, the Navy Chaplain School will help to prepare chaplains for that kind of duty
and for all other in the sea services, but even the saltiest of Navy sailors only spends a portion of
his or her time at sea, and the same is true for Marine and Coast Guard personnel. In fact, while

many serve on ships and around the world, many don‘t have sea duty at all. Nevertheless, the
duty can be challenging.

Q Do you say that because of the way chaplains support the Navy‘s military missions?

A In part, yes. It‘s true that Navy chaplains need to be prepared to support our deployed
sailors at sea and sometimes also Marines and sailors on land in combat roles. These situations
can be difficult for our service people and also their families. But please also recognize that
America‘s Navy is typically the first responder to natural disaster situations ranging from
earthquakes to tsunamis to hurricanes, so our chaplains often see situations and faith
environments that are rarely seen by civilian religious counselors. Those situations present not
only challenges, but also learning experiences. And they often result in remarkable innovations
in counseling practices and procedures.

Q If Navy chaplain service is regarded as an especially important career category for the
Navy, does the Navy do anything special to attract chaplains?

A Navy offers a variety of incentives, both for those who are already serving a faith mission
and for those who are just now enrolled in a seminary or other religious training environment.
This is true for both active duty and reserve chaplains. Incentives can range from sign-on
bonuses and special-incentive pay to advance education assistance. Of course, the benefits of
serving as a Navy officer come into play as well. One of the greatest incentives we have for
seminary students who are willing to serve on active duty is a program that pays the individual
while going to school.


A In this program, the candidate enlists in the Navy Reserve until after graduation from an
approved graduate religious training program when active duty starts. The active duty
commitment time period will vary depending upon which year of the educational program the
enlistment starts. In return, the Navy pays the graduate student sizeable stipend to cover tuition
and most of the student‘s living expenses. Upon graduation, he or she receives a commission,
entering as an officer, and begins an exciting career without incurring start-up costs or being
saddled with student loan pay-back.

Q Are there obligations during the Navy Reserve time?

A I‘m glad that you brought that up, because in fact there is a requirement. While the
student remains in the seminary program during the school year, he or she will report to the Navy
Chaplain School in beautiful Newport, RI, during the summer, for our chaplain training. Upon

graduating from the seminary or other religious training facility, the student will return to
chaplain school to complete training before being commissioned for active duty.

Q Does the individual need to be certified as a part of this?

A Yes, the chaplain or graduated student must have the degree and also hold an
ecclesiastical endorsement from a religious faith organization registered with the Department of
Defense.

Q What rank or status will the chaplain have upon activation?

A In school, the chaplain student will retain a rank of ensign. Afterward, the chaplain will
be commissioned as a lieutenant or higher in the Navy Chaplain Corps, depending on whether
some specialty is needed. That way, both status and salary are comparable to that of civilian
clergy.


A Actually, the best first step is to contact the local officer recruiting station to find out
about any and all of the jobs that we have available. To reach us, simply contact our station by
calling ______________, or stop in most afternoons at _____________________________. If

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About Navy Nuclear Programs

Q I understand that some of the Navy‘s submarines run on nuclear power. Is that true?

A Actually, all of our submarines are nuclear powered and so are our aircraft carriers.
Nuclear power enables us to run our ships faster, quieter and over longer distances than we could
with the diesel engines that used to power these ships.

Q Does this mean that the Navy has made a significant investment in nuclear technology?

A With more than 80 nuclear powered ships, and roughly 100 nuclear power plants, it
probably would be safe to say that the U.S. Navy is heavily invested in nuclear power and also in
nuclear propulsion.

Q Is there a difference between nuclear power and nuclear propulsion?

A Yes, there is a difference. Nuclear power produces the electrical energy required to run
on-board systems. Nuclear propulsion actually propels the ship through the water. We employ
both.

Q How long has the Navy used nuclear technology on its ships?

A The USS Nautilus is regarded as our first nuclear powered ship, and that was launched in
1955, but the technology advanced significantly by the time Ohio class Trident submarines were
built beginning in 1981, and even more advanced technology is in place today with the Seawolf,
Virginia, and Los Angeles class submarines, Nimitz class aircraft carriers, and other ships that
now employ nuclear power.

Q How does the Navy keep up with these advances in technology?

A Really, it is not a matter of keeping up. Since we are at the cutting edge of such
technology, we are really participants in leading the way. To do that, we need to employ some of
the best and brightest minds in America – minds that already have been immersed in science,
technology, mathematics and also engineering. Then we introduce those individuals to even
more schooling for math, physics, chemistry, thermodynamics, metallurgy, materials
engineering, electrical theory, reactor principles, reactor plant technology and more, all at the
Naval Nuclear Power School in Charleston, South Carolina.

Q It sounds like a lot of study. Does any of this qualify for college credit?

A Colleges and universities vary regarding the amount of college credit they will grant, but
the American Council of Education recommends that up to 77 credits should be awarded.

Q Does everyone follow the same path once he or she is in the program?

A No. While one person may find a unique capability in electrical or electronics, another
may be more suited to mechanical aspects of the training. And while some might stay in the
nuclear power end of the program, others might pursue more study in nuclear propulsion.

Q Are all of these jobs enlisted positions, or are there some officer opportunities?

A There are several routes that a person can take. While some people might move into
highly specialized enlisted jobs, others might take a path into officer positions. Nuclear trained
machinist‘s mates, electrician‘s mates and electronics technicians, for example, can work on
operating reactor controls, propulsion and power generation systems and in other highly
specialized environments. Officer paths might stem from either the nuclear power area or the
nuclear propulsion area. What‘s more, some of our highly qualified candidates take a college
path to begin with, and that might include NROTC, Naval Academy or some other Navy
supported educational program along the way.

Q It sounds as though it could take a long time studying before someone would actually
have a sea tour. Does the Navy provide incentives for all of this?

A For a highly qualified submarine officer candidate, for example, to go through college,
the nuclear power training unit and then the nuclear submarine officer training will take a
commitment of several years studying in addition to the Navy service time. To make all of that
worthwhile, the Navy has made available a salary and benefit program that pays up to $168,300
starting up to 30 months prior to college graduation, plus a $15,000 selection bonus upon
acceptance to the Nuclear Power Officer Candidate (NUPOC) program, plus $2,000 upon
completion of the nuclear propulsion training, plus military health-care benefits while a student
in the program.

Q Does the program open doors of opportunity after the initial Navy commitment?

A After fulfilling an initial commitment of four to five years, our nuclear trained people can
use their invaluable experience to pursue leadership, research, teaching and advisory positions in
the Navy, or they can pursue a wealth of possibilities in the civilian sector.

Q How does an interested person begin to sort out all of these options to see if there is an
opportunity for him or her?


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- 30 -


About Prior Service Re-entry

Q A lot of people say that when you are in the military, you‘re in, but when you‘re out,
you‘re out. There is nothing in between. Is that true in the Navy?

A Actually, there is a lot of in-between. For starters, a lot of service people will end their
active duty commitment and then remain in the reserves for some time. For others, such as
people in school programs, they will be on reserve status and then become active upon
graduation. Perhaps even more important for people to know is that the military in general and in
the Navy in particular we keep the door open to prior service people, especially for job
classifications that are in high demand.

Q So someone who is out of a job now, but was once in the Navy might be eligible to get
back in?

A Yes, that‘s true, but that person doesn‘t necessarily have to be former Navy. Service in
one of the other branches also has value to the Navy and fits that qualification..

Q Speaking of qualifications, are there others? Like how old can you be and still gain re-
entry?

A In general, we will not be interested in someone who is more than 32 years old, but a lot
will depend on specialty experience. We have accepted certain physicians and chaplains who are
more than 45 years old. Further, each candidate must meet the same basic education and fitness
standards that the Navy has for everyone, and in recent years the quality of our people has been
improving substantially. Perhaps the biggest other qualification is physical condition, including
health.

Q By physical condition you mean the ability to run long distances and do push-ups and
pull-ups?

A In part, yes, and much of that will be evaluated at the point of re-entry, but certainly
being able to pass medically is important, and height and weight must meet current standards.
All records must be in order.

Q What proportion of people entering each year are prior service people?

A The Navy takes in about 45,000 people each year and less than one percent of those
individuals are prior service personnel. We would like to see that percentage grow. While a part
of that is our dedication to veterans, we know the true value of prior service experience.

Q You say the people with certain skills are in need. Can you identify what some of those
are?

A I already mentioned doctors and chaplains, and dentists will also fall into that category.
The greatest needs are in challenging career fields such as nuclear power, Navy diver, air rescue
swimmers, explosive ordnance disposal and Navy SEALs. Opportunities available are based on
the needs of the Navy. Prior service applicants are encouraged to consider other ratings in
addition to the rating they held before leaving the Navy.

Q I‗m starting to get the feeling that gaining entry into the active Navy is a little more
difficult now than it was before. Is that true?

A While greater retention in the military may limit the number of opportunities for those
who have previously served, desirable skill sets and flexibility with rating choice improve
chances for selection. Additional options are available in our Navy Reserve force.


______________, or stop in most afternoons at ____________________________.

If you or an out of-town friend want to locate another station near them, visit www.navy.com
and click on ―find a recruiter‖ on the right side of the home page, then enter your zip code
number. The website will identify contact locations for both enlisted and officer programs. A call

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