# Navy Electrician



## headrec (Feb 25, 2008)

Welcome to the forum! I would say you probably won't be at the top of the game but light years ahead of someone just starting out when you are done. And since it is very unlikely you will be doing residential work in the navy I would imagine you will be better with commercial work. There are people on here that will have a lot better idea though or maybe have done the same thing you have. Best of luck.


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## nick (Feb 14, 2008)

*navy electrician*

i was a navy electrician i think i maybe able to answer your question correctly ,uss nimitz cvn 68 4 years ships company ,your going to go to school 12 hours a day then study 3 more on your own this is fun .it depends on what your enlisting for, is it the nuke program 6 year hitch ? or a 4 year hitch ?,if you pass school which is 4 to 6 months of cramin in your head lots of theory dc ac math up the ass you get tested in labs and must pass if you fail one test your out the door and you become a cook or a snipe . then as you go out to sea they offer advance electrical stuff classes for times at sea when your off work on your time to extend what you need to advance in rate , but i went for myself to learn more its good training , i never bent pipe but i skipped 3 years of abc school as i passed the final exam the first day i enrolled and skipped my jr card by two years and va paid for my abc school.your going to see other places i went on a world tour so good luck i hope you like it you will learn about electric , when you get out you will not have any trouble getting a job. but you will have to learn the trade stuff like bending pipe , all the pipe on ship is welded to the panels all the wireing is 95 % cables in tube tray or exposed theres a big change from now to then , best of luck .


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## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

Have A good hitch,you might want to make it a career.Remember,we are paying your way,so don't let us down.


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## TheRick (Apr 13, 2008)

bobelectric said:


> Remember,we are paying your way,so don't let us down.


 
:thumbup:


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

I think when you leave the Navy your best bet will be industrial maintenance and repair. I have been in the trade for 33 years. The Navy trained guys were always the best control guys. I never met a Navy electrician in any type of construction. I am sure there are plenty of them, but the ones I met in industrial electrical work were the BEST. You see the transition from military to electrical construction is difficult. The military does not teach you how to bend pipe and stuff like that. They teach you theory and how to apply that theory to electromechanical installations and repair.
When you walk off that ship, you will be better trained to program a PLC than run 1000" of 4" RMC. You will understand how things work. How to wire complex circuitry, build control panels and implement them. 
Some of my best teachers were ex Navy. You will understand more of what I say as you progress through the ranks. Thanks for your up coming service.....John


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## John (Jan 22, 2007)

CE1 years ago :thumbsup:
You will be trained to do everything Electrical from any thing from climbing poles and doing HV line work to installing a light switch. You will be trained to do ANY electrical construction and expected to do it under the worst of conditions. Remember their slogan “Can Do” because you will DO. 
If you are in the USA you will do mostly “make work “ projects. Outside the USA will be expected to do everything Electrical. (From what I have heard this may have changed since I was in)

Some of the things I did when I was in:
Stood Generator watch in a 5 Megawatt power station.
Was on a crew doing 4160 Volt transmission service work.
Climbed a bunch of 120 ft wooden poles to change lights for a baseball field.
Drove a 5 ton dump truck for 3 months…. 6 days a week.16 hrs a day to make a golf course.
Worked on small civilian boat wiring.
Wired up a travel trailer park 
Drove around a sh-t hole little country delivering, hooking up and repairing small generators. 

And how did they talk you into signing up for 5 years?:001_huh:


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## Greg (Aug 1, 2007)

Even though I was a shipboard electrician, you will be ready when you come out. Trust me when I say stay and do at least 8-10 years and get your license. You may not know the control side that well but you can learn it. The control experts in the Navy are the shipnoard sparkys, just by nature of what we work on.

By the way make a fellow squid proud. EM1(SW)


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## rlc3854 (Dec 30, 2007)

John, glad you jumped in about being a CE 1, it didn't appear that most people read the OP "SEA BEES" construction. If he gets on a ship it is to transport the materials/tools and labor to start building remote temporay basis, air strips you get the picture.


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

Welcome aboard brother. Best of luck with the Navy career. I would make the most of it and stay in at your age. It's much easier to start a new career after getting out retired.


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## jrclen (Oct 23, 2007)

twine0801 said:


> Hey guys, I'm new to the site and wanted to first say it's great. I'm leaving August 15 to the Navy, as a construction electrician for the seabees. I have a couple of questions. Will my Navy training really prepare me for work in the civilian sector? After my 5 years of service, will I have any advantage over other's just starting out, or will I be at the bottom of the barrell? Also, I heard Navy electricians are best suited for commercial wiring, any truth to this?


Welcome to the forum Twine. There are a few former Bee's on the forum. My Dad was one of the first SeaBees (Electrician) at the start of WW2. I followed in his footsteps in the mid 1960's including a guided tour of South VietNam. When I got out after 4 I was able to walk right in to an apprenticeship program. I had a leg up on the other new guys because of my experience, but I still was low man on the totem pole like all the other apprentices. SeaBee electricians are suited for any type of wiring they decide to get into. "Can Do" goes a long way in this trade. You already know responsibility, self discipline, drive, and some electrical knowledge. Good luck and stick around the forum. :thumbup:

One of the union guys might have information about testing in to a second or third year apprenticeship in the union program. Rather than starting at year one.


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## twine0801 (Jul 28, 2008)

Thanks for all the great answers guys, and I'll definetly stick around in the forums. I'll write about my crazy seabee exploits, if anyones interested :laughing:


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Good luck in the Navy there seabee. Remember det cord is not a toy no matter how much you like playing with it.


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## jrclen (Oct 23, 2007)

twine0801 said:


> Thanks for all the great answers guys, and I'll definetly stick around in the forums. I'll write about my crazy seabee exploits, if anyones interested :laughing:


Sure we are interested. :thumbsup:


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## jrclen (Oct 23, 2007)

MechanicalDVR said:


> Remember det cord is not a toy no matter how much you like playing with it.


That sounds just like my old Chief talking. I can't count how many times he told us that. :laughing:


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## houghsa (May 11, 2012)

twine0801 said:


> Hey guys, I'm new to the site and wanted to first say it's great. I'm leaving August 15 to the Navy, as a construction electrician for the seabees. I have a couple of questions. Will my Navy training really prepare me for work in the civilian sector? After my 5 years of service, will I have any advantage over other's just starting out, or will I be at the bottom of the barrell? Also, I heard Navy electricians are best suited for commercial wiring, any truth to this?


 
The Navy has the best electrical schooling around. The best part is as you walk onboard your ship, youll start doing the work, the more you show you can do the more will be asked of you. Makes time fly by as well as keeps you exposed to bigger systems as you go. The longer you stay in the more responsility you will be required to deal with, This is what youll find is the best experence of all. Because you are gaining stuff that those whom never served couldnt imagine. And when you get out youll walk on the job maybe a low seniority but youll shortly find youll have you manager respect. Your work ethics will be above grade, your experenced and responsibitys that you had gained will shine as you go through time.
I spent 14 years, Last command was FF 1093 as EMChief. When I got our went to work at levitton MFG in RI, 3 weeks before my discharged date, while I was on leave. Factory maintenance is the closest match to your naval experence, but the construction stuff is just learning the material and just doing it. Bending pipe is just a thing, you will pick it up easly. Things have changed cant say which is best, the greedy seem to have this country in a strangle hold, Just last year expenced plant electrician were making about what I made in 1987 with no benifits. Where as a union constrution electrician wireman makesover twice that plus benifits. Youll have to keep you ear to the trends when that time comes. But I would not trade my navy time for any abc or appriniship school. One other thing is people whom have never served dont have a clue what you know, alot seem to believe you change bulbs and are a 12 volt electrician, And if you let them they will treat that way, but youll know you can work circles around most of them, 3ph/450v/60-400hz


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## Magnettica (Jan 23, 2007)

Not sure how I missed this thread 4 years ago but apparently I did. 

Hope the OP is doing well and making all of us Seabees proud as well. 

We build, we fight, we party all night!

USN


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

houghsa said:


> The Navy has the best electrical schooling around. The best part is as you walk onboard your ship, youll start doing the work, the more you show you can do the more will be asked of you. Makes time fly by as well as keeps you exposed to bigger systems as you go. The longer you stay in the more responsility you will be required to deal with, This is what youll find is the best experence of all. Because you are gaining stuff that those whom never served couldnt imagine. And when you get out youll walk on the job maybe a low seniority but youll shortly find youll have you manager respect. Your work ethics will be above grade, your experenced and responsibitys that you had gained will shine as you go through time.
> I spent 14 years, Last command was FF 1093 as EMChief. When I got our went to work at levitton MFG in RI, 3 weeks before my discharged date, while I was on leave. Factory maintenance is the closest match to your naval experence, but the construction stuff is just learning the material and just doing it. Bending pipe is just a thing, you will pick it up easly. Things have changed cant say which is best, the greedy seem to have this country in a strangle hold, Just last year expenced plant electrician were making about what I made in 1987 with no benifits. Where as a union constrution electrician wireman makesover twice that plus benifits. Youll have to keep you ear to the trends when that time comes. But I would not trade my navy time for any abc or appriniship school. One other thing is people whom have never served dont have a clue what you know, alot seem to believe you change bulbs and are a 12 volt electrician, And if you let them they will treat that way, but youll know you can work circles around most of them, 3ph/450v/60-400hz


My last ship was the Hart, FF-1092 as a Mk 42 GM.


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

MechanicalDVR said:


> Good luck in the Navy there seabee. Remember det cord is not a toy no matter how much you like playing with it.


what is det cord?


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

houghsa said:


> The Navy has the best electrical schooling around. The best part is as you walk onboard your ship, youll start doing the work, the more you show you can do the more will be asked of you. Makes time fly by as well as keeps you exposed to bigger systems as you go. The longer you stay in the more responsility you will be required to deal with, This is what youll find is the best experence of all. Because you are gaining stuff that those whom never served couldnt imagine. And when you get out youll walk on the job maybe a low seniority but youll shortly find youll have you manager respect. Your work ethics will be above grade, your experenced and responsibitys that you had gained will shine as you go through time.
> I spent 14 years, Last command was FF 1093 as EMChief. When I got our went to work at levitton MFG in RI, 3 weeks before my discharged date, while I was on leave. Factory maintenance is the closest match to your naval experence, but the construction stuff is just learning the material and just doing it. Bending pipe is just a thing, you will pick it up easly. Things have changed cant say which is best, the greedy seem to have this country in a strangle hold, Just last year expenced plant electrician were making about what I made in 1987 with no benifits. Where as a union constrution electrician wireman makesover twice that plus benifits. Youll have to keep you ear to the trends when that time comes. But I would not trade my navy time for any abc or appriniship school. One other thing is people whom have never served dont have a clue what you know, alot seem to believe you change bulbs and are a 12 volt electrician, And if you let them they will treat that way, but youll know you can work circles around most of them, 3ph/450v/60-400hz


Thank you and Welcome to the forum...:thumbup:


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## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

And the Sea Bees Aren't aboard carriers. The make the shore landings ready!


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