I want to be an engineer for the Navy

[TNdude795]

Should i be a mechanical engineer or an electronics or an electric? I am not sure of the pros and cons of each,any tips or pointers? I am 15 will be 16 in nov and i want to go through NROTC

 

[berkeman]

Should i be a mechanical engineer or an electronics or an electric? I am not sure of the pros and cons of each,any tips or pointers? I am 15 will be 16 in nov and i want to go through NROTC

Have you looked into the available specialties in the Navy? https://www.navy.com/careers/engineering-applied-science.html

You might want to talk with a recruiter to discuss the different specialties and what likely locations you might be stationed for each. Does the Nave pay for college for these types of specialties? Or would you need to go to the Navy Academy and study the appropriate engineering field?

 

[Vanadium 50]

There is nothing you need to decide now - keep up your schoolwork and get into a good college.

When you get there, then you can decide a) what you want to major in, and b) what your career is. You can be a Navy EDO (engineering duty officer), or a CEC (civil engineering corps) officer, or you can drive ships or aircraft with an engineering degree. Just because you have an engineering degree doesn't mean you have to do engineering.

 

[TNdude795]

There is nothing you need to decide now - keep up your schoolwork and get into a good college.

When you get there, then you can decide a) what you want to major in, and b) what your career is. You can be a Navy EDO (engineering duty officer), or a CEC (civil engineering corps) officer, or you can drive ships or aircraft with an engineering degree. Just because you have an engineering degree doesn't mean you have to do engineering.

Well,i would like to design and build things,i like the idea of electronics engineering,and i like the idea of mechanical engineering.

 

[olivermsun]

Well,i would like to design and build things,i like the idea of electronics engineering,and i like the idea of mechanical engineering.

I would say keep your options open. If you want to design marine/naval systems you have many options that can lead to that outcome, but it's impossible to say what is the "best" option. You can do military service and gain training in your job function, or you do it as a civilian at one of the Navy labs, or you can transition from one to the other (and get further training). Ultimately, I think you just have to go with what interests you and follow that path.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Well,i would like to design and build things

That's not really what the Navy does.

 

[olivermsun]

That's not really what the Navy does.

How would you know that? There are quite a number of Navy activities that involve designing and building things.

Edit: Okay, maybe that is surprising but it's actually true.

 

[Vanadium 50]

How would you know that?

I served in it. Most officers, even with engineering degrees, go into the warfare communities. That's what the Navy does. Yes, CEC builds things, but the OP seems uninterested in civil. The EDO community largely works as liaisons with industry and are considered Acquisition Professionals: the real design work is in industry. Also, they really are looking more for people at the O-3 or O-4 level than fresh out of school. And even the ones fresh out of school have the same initial career path as 1110s and 1120s.

 

[olivermsun]

I served in it. Most officers, even with engineering degrees, go into the warfare communities. That's what the Navy does.

Then I will simply restate that there do exist Navy activities that involve designing and building things if that is what the OP is interested in. Even if the OP doesn't go straight into those activities, the opportunities (including further education) exist if he/she is so inclined.

 

[Student100]

Then I will simply restate that there do exist Navy activities that involve designing and building things if that is what the OP is interested in. Even if the OP doesn't go straight into those activities, the opportunities (including further education) exist if he/she is so inclined.

OP would be honestly better off applying to SPAWAR or something as a NP after college. Even then as an EE or ME it's a toss up whether they'll actually be designing anything. 95% of the work is systems engineering or field engineering. Most of the design work is done through contracts.

 

[clope023]

OP would probably be better off going into one of the Navy's contractors like General Dynamics or Lockheed Martin for example, this is where you'll find lots of the EE and ME naval engineering work. The Navy itself doesn't really build ships and subs and such, they USE ships and subs that they pay to be built for them to defend the nation.

 

[olivermsun]

OP would be honestly better off applying to SPAWAR or something as a NP after college.

Sure, SPAWAR would be a Navy activity where the OP could go to do designing/building. However, the OP has to complete some years of service right out of college.

 

[TNdude795]

Have you looked into the available specialties in the Navy? https://www.navy.com/careers/engineering-applied-science.html

You might want to talk with a recruiter to discuss the different specialties and what likely locations you might be stationed for each. Does the Nave pay for college for these types of specialties? Or would you need to go to the Navy Academy and study the appropriate engineering field?

It looks as if the Navy would pay for my college if i go through the NROTC,but i do not know if the engineering degree will be the one i need for mechanical engineering after the navy

 

[Astronuc]

It looks as if the Navy would pay for my college if i go through the NROTC,but i do not know if the engineering degree will be the one i need for mechanical engineering after the navy

I had a classmate who obtained an EE degree and did NROTC. He served in the Navy, then joined a contractor. I did NE, and several classmates were officers who went to graduate school. When they completed their service, they went into private industry.

 

[rootone]

Should i be a mechanical engineer or an electronics or an electric? I am not sure of the pros and cons of each,any tips or pointers? I am 15 will be 16 in nov and i want to go through NROTC

All of them are valuable skills and not only for military service, it's best to know a bit a about all of them.
Then work on the ones that you find personally more interesting.

 

[Dr. Courtney]

Should i be a mechanical engineer or an electronics or an electric? I am not sure of the pros and cons of each,any tips or pointers? I am 15 will be 16 in nov and i want to go through NROTC

Keep working hard. If you are not working hard, start. Math and science are important.

That's not really what the Navy does.

All the DoD professions (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines) are mostly about killing the enemy and breaking things they are using to threaten or harm US interests. Designing and building stuff is subservient to the main tasks (killing people and breaking things).

There will be more demand in the DoD professions for engineers to perfect weapons systems for killing people and breaking things. The Army and Air Force have more design and building type people, because they do more of their work from forward air bases and operations centers. But remember that the people who build those FORWARD bases get to be there early, before things are safe.

You can get the DoD to pay for your engineering education through a number or paths, but they will own you and decide what you do and where you do it for 5 years or so in return. If you trust the people in charge enough to kill people and break things on their behalf while you yourself are at some level of risk, then sign on up. I prefer being a DoD civilian where I can always say no to stuff outside of my comfort zone. But you got to find another way to pay for the education to go that route.