Navy NCP vs Army NCP, decisions, help

kangaroo621 · Mar 28, 2007

Army posts vary drastically in terms of overall size, moderness, size/busyness of their hospitals, age/quality of housing. That however, is true of navy bases as well. I've lived on several Army posts & Navy bases, and while there are some differences, it is more a matter of what city you are located near, rather than the branch of service you are in. You can't generalize to say that ALL Navy bases are in "better" overall surroundings and that Army is poorer...

I know Walter Reed has been in the news recently, and yes, this is an absolute tragedy, but believe me, it is not the only case of less-than-optimal care (both in military & civilian hospitals) and you could find the same conditions in either the Army or Navy. No branch is immune.

Hope you consider more than just housing before jumping into the service Not trying to be mean, it just seems like picking one or the other for the uniforms!

richardjboro1 · Mar 28, 2007

It's not just the uniforms, or just the housing. Just wondering what others thought of the housing and if it was isolated to certain areas. Thanks for the info.

kangaroo621 · Mar 28, 2007

Richard,

Sorry if that came out harsh... just had my brother go through this (though with his PCS after ROTC, not NCP) and while he did all the research he could about different branches & posts and where most wanted to be after commissioning, he got none of the above. Turns out he is incredibly happy -- even though he hot his "least" favored branch & least desired post... Sometimes no matter how much planning you do for the military, you get the luck of the draw.

Growing up as an Army brat, it soon became clear to me that they're all basically the same. Ok, maybe it's just a blur after 11 different posts & bases in 18 years

What other factors seem to stand out to you as different? I don't know much about NCP (sorry for my ignorance) so I'm curious too!

richardjboro1 · Mar 29, 2007

Well, to answer your question, I've actually just met with an Army recruiter so nothing from Navy yet, except their less than helpful website. It appears both programs are very similar tho, and from what I can tell, equal in benefits. I also talked to a (very rude) advisor about AF, and they appear to NOT have a nurse candidate program. Anyway, any info you have would be most welcome.

Thanks, Richard

ameritow · Apr 1, 2007

Hello Richard. I am a soon-to-be Army nurse, so I may not be totally unbiased but I will try. From what I have seen/heard, the Army bonuses are slightly larger than the Navy. Other than that, I haven't found too many differences. My ex-husband was in the Navy. The on-base family housing that we lived in (on two different bases, in two different states) was truly sad. The conditions were not pretty. We are not talking nightmare conditions, but not really appropriate for human habitation either. I gave birth to my son in a Navy hospital. The nurses were terrific, and the hospital had great up-to-date equipment, better than some of the hospitals I have done clinical rotations at. However, there were some more personal situations that I did not like about the Navy, those being largely the biggest reasons I myself did not choose that branch. I think, in the end, it really comes down to a personal preference.

richardjboro1 · Apr 1, 2007

Hi,

Thanks for the info. I am going Monday to meet with my Army recruiter again, to do some minor paperwork. I have a few possible waiver issues, so we'll see. Did you do the nurse candidate program or are you direct entry if you don't mind me asking?

Thanks

Richard