More dangerous: Navy or Army

Specialties Government

Published

Hello again.

I've posted before with some questions about the Navy's NCP and I was pretty much dead set on joining the Navy, but I'm starting to wonder if it wouldn't be the best fit. I chose the Navy because I knew my dad, who is opposed to me joining any branch of the military, would prefer me to join either the Navy or Air Force since they tend to have a better reputation as far as language and stuff like that in my dad's mind. Whether or not this is true, is besides the point and I kinda doubt, but my dad feels better about those branches. He served in the Army and he said he didn't like the culture there and he's made it clear to me and my siblings that he doesn't want his children joining the military.

I made it clear to him that I was going to join the military though and to kind of ease the tension a little I suggested that I'd join the Navy. Although he is still opposed to the idea he told me I had to make these choices myself and if this is the route I want to choose, then he'll support my decision.

Now, here's the problem I'm facing now. Although I am still very much attracted to the Navy because of how professional they seem and the fancy ranks like Lieutenant Commander and Commander (C'mon, you got admit that sounds really cool. LOL), I don't want to join and then end up spending my time in the United States never seeing any action. Obviously not the same kind of action the troops at the front lines see, but working in something like a field hospital or surgical team. I've heard a couple of different things about the Navy. I've heard working on a ship is rare and few nurses ever get the opportunity and I've also heard that, being the medical provider for the Marines, they deploy with the Marines. I've also heard they don't deploy with the Marines. Is it specialty specific and maybe those who said they didn't deploy were in the wrong specialty and never had the opportunity?

The Army, however, seems to be much more willing to throw their nurses into more dangerous areas.

If I'm looking to get in the s***, so to speak, would the Army be a better option?

Thanks for any answers!

Chuck

Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
Very quickly with in the military you start moving up the chain as an officer and will transition quickly, even as a nurse, from patient care to soldier supervisor. For example, Ive known O3 Captains (which means just 3-4 years in service) who were already the OIC's (officers in charge) of an ED and spent the majority of their time in an admin role as such.

THIS is my biggest complaint with the way things worked in the Army. A nurse with such a small amount of time at the bedside has not had enough time to get beyond "competent" to "expert," and is not truly prepared to run a department, yet that is what happens. I got lucky with some of my OICs, but ... yeah. It becomes even more clear as these OICs move up the chain. I was thankful to come in as an experienced ED nurse. And the more "high speed" you are, the more likely you are to get pulled to a non-bedside assignment, like running the troop medical clinic (TMC). A friend of mine who was a fabulous ED RN ended up in that position.

And yes, RIP CPT Moreno. She was killed when I was also in Afghanistan, which really made my family even more anxious and worried for me, though I assured them that my role there was very different. I didn't know CPT Moreno, but the nurse corps is a small world and we had lots of mutual friends. Terrible loss.

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