Life Aboard A Modern U.S. Navy Ship

This video is amazing, though short. What you will learn about what life is like aboard a U.S. Navy ship, for those who are not active duty Navy, or Navy veterans, will blow your mind.

As a Hospital Corpsman during the Vietnam War, though I joined the Navy, I never served on board a ship in my entire four years of active duty. As fate would have it, I spent more of my four years serving with the Marines in the Fleet Marine Force, and, ironically, the only ship I would spend any time on in those four years was the hospital ship USS Sanctuary. I was medivaced out to the Sanctuary suffering from malaria halfway through my 13-month combat tour in Vietnam with Bravo Co. 3rd Recon Bn., 3rd Mar. Div., and I was delirious with fever for much of that short stay on the ship. In short, I know nothing about life at sea onboard a ship.

Photo: YouTube/America’s Navy

Today’s Navy is a different animal than in my time or any time before my era. While the duties are much the same, though many of those duties are of a technological nature that didn’t exist in my time, the quality of life aboard ship is very different in many more ways. The military duties, watch standing, the maintenance of the ship, and the duties of the various ratings are essentially the same as they always have been. It is the things that are made available to the men and women serving aboard ship now that are as different as night and day.

Photo: YouTube/America’s Navy

There has been a great deal of attention paid to the maintenance of morale of the crews in this modern Navy. There are well-equipped facilities for the crews to maintain their health while aboard ship. There is mention in the video about the differences between serving on an aircraft carrier and ships like cruisers and destroyers. The amenities, yes, that word fits, that are available to crewmembers are incredibly diverse and range from entertainment to the spiritual and emotional needs of the crews.

Photo: YouTube/America’s Navy

For me, one of the most interesting points made in the video was the fact that sailors are able to earn AA degrees and bachelor’s degrees while serving aboard ship, without even touching their GI Bill benefits. The old days of thinking that the people who serve in the military are the less educated, etc. are proven false every day in the military of today. It is clear that the Navy can be a formidable and effective way of getting an education, as well as life and professional skills that will make one a valuable asset when one leaves the military.

Photo: YouTube/America’s Navy

Watching this video gave me a sense of life aboard a modern U.S. Navy warship that I had never considered before, and I think it will do the same for you. Service in the Navy or any other branch of our modern Armed Forces is very different than in the past. It is a valuable way to gain both valuable professional skills and life experiences.

Enjoy this video. I learned a lot about the modern Navy from it.

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