Hey, all you Navy clerk types out there

[Gouki]

Hello

Just wondering what RMS CLK is like on a ship?

I don't want to bog anyone down with details here, but basically I can't go infantry due to previous knee injuries..there was some unpleasantness I can never go back. Anyhow, I have such turned to persuing a career in the Navy, beginning out as a clerk (I have intentions to go elsewhere eventually but that is irrelevent).

My father tells me life as a clerk can be very different on a ship than it is anywhere else. While I am aware that it means more work and thus, more experience and expertise, I am just wondering if there are any Navy RMS CLK's around here who would be willing to tell me a few stories about what their job is and what it's like out at sea and the fundamental differences.

By the way, I would like to hear from anyone in Logistics as well about their experiences and thoughts. Logistics, clerks, close enough. I'm sure there will be some useful tips or things to tell.

And if anyone wants to share some stories/experiences they had in the Navy and what it's like .. I'm all ears.

Thanks in advance

 

[Cloud Cover]

If you have bad knees, then I don't know if you'd like being at sea. The salt air makes some peoples bones ache if they've had a fracture.  When I was in, I had some friends who were clerks, they much preferred being posted to a ship than on base or in one of the fleet schools. But on a ship, clerks seemed to catch quite a load of the bull shit that came out of the ward room, especially if the PO clerk was too timid vis the XO.*  As I undertand the way things are today, the MARS types pretty well look after their own admin duties, which probably makes life a little easier.

I have no idea what seamanship duties clerks are assigned these days, but on the steamers it was not uncommon to see them topside when entering or leaving harbour, usually on the foc' sle.    As for action stations, sometimes they closed up in the mag loading the hoppers for the 3"70. I belive they also did look out duty from the quarterdeck. [there's a proper term for that station, but damned if i can remember what it is called.]

There are a few serving reg Navy types on the site, only a few of them bite so I'm sure they will fill you in with the current state of affairs. Cheers.     

* LOL, on the Gatineau, there was a Francophone PO clerk [actually a Sergeant], who had those sew on paratrooper badges on his work dress. Hardly a timid man, in Hawaii he took some sort of coin out of his pocket and slammed it on a bar room table, challenging a bunch of much younger [and larger] Marines to try and take it from him.  He never seemed the happy type, I don't think he was very impressed with being posted to a steamer and just felt the urge to hit somebody every now and again. I don't know how he did it, but in San Diego, he came back aboard one night while I was working on the brow, he was covered in dirt and had a USMC flag with him. When we left harbour, he was trying to persuade  someone to run it up the the signals lines on the lattice mast.  He hated the XO, who was a Kipper. The XO was always very courteous towards him, perhaps even a tad leery, but there was no way that flag was going up. I think the Co was quite amused by the whole thing. 

 

[Gouki]

Oh... don't I know it  but from my understanding, your first posting is usually within your chosen element no? I should be expecting to go on a ship relatively soon after I get my three's right?

I don't intend to stay a clerk for my whole career, it's just for my 3 year contract, so it's just these first 3 years that I'm really concerned about.

 

[NavyShooter]

Am friends with a couple of the RMS types here on the ship.  They do a lot of work, tend to be sometimes unappreciated, but they're great people. 

Long hours in a small office, followed by duties with rounds throughout the ship at all hours of day and night (in a 2 day cycle....2 hours every 2 days) plus various seamanship evolutions, usually as the communications personnel as opposed to line handling.

The questions are never ending....folks don't stop in the office to ask, they'll ask them in the meal line-up, in the mess, etc. 

But, it's not a bad job, and the folks seem happy with their lot.  Can't really argue that, eh?

NavyShooter