military?

[WCH_diesel]

hey guy i want to join the navy.i would like to be a welder or a underwater welder, can yall help me out what should i do and what is the pay like for them.im in welding school now and i love it,would like some suggestions please

[HeavyAssault]

Get 15 or more semester hours of college on a transcript. If you want to go diver/engineer the US Army has divers as well.

[ikeguy29]

if you want to do the underwater welding you will need to be a diver for the navy. That is a special program that requires you to be physically fit. I have a buddy going for diver and can get the info for it if you would like. Now if you want to just weld and you do join, make sure that the MEPs locks you into that school. If you just go HT you may end up just working on ship shi**ers, so make sure you get a locked in NEC for fabricator/welder school and make sure it is written up into your contract. I am not to sure if they can lock you into that type of NEC but they should be able to work it out. For pay it will be base pay of E-1 through E-3, it depends if you have any college. If I am not mistaken divers get special pay.

[campbellflage]

Yeah, don't they get some form of hazard pay? or dive pay i guess it would be called, but I'm sure its like jump pay if your not diving you dont get it. If your going to be an under water welder, to be honest dude the money is civilian side not military. Im all for the military, but if your looking to make big money its not there. Officer side sure, but then you wont be welding anymore

[HeavyAssault]

I remember a short diver story back when I was over in Scotland running submarines into the deep. Dude was over the side working an issue while in dock and a seal swam up bumping him into the boat. Said it scared him $sh!tless since it's black as ink in the water at Holy Loch, Scotland.

There was a show on Discovery about deep divers on the civilian side. Trust me when I say you got to earn your keep before they will ever send you over the side as a diver/welder.

[WCH_diesel]

ill have 5 semsters by the time im done a each semster counts as 8 credits, i would like to get that information and they pay to if you could for both a diver and the nec,im not bagging on the the army but the say the navy treats you better.can you ask him what all the divers do if they weld

[WCH_diesel]

yea i would like to do civilian but cant afford school for it and would like to sever my country

[studdgage]

going to a college for welding isnt worth it go to an actually welding school they are much shorter and do a better job of teaching welding. As far as pay civilian is the way to go wont make no money in the military. Im a combo welder i have been doin it for several years. I do construction i also have friends on the diver side of it too and they make huge money but you may be a tender for a couple years before you even get a chance to dive. You also wont be home much maybe a couple weeks a year. But if you was to do under water you have to go to a commercial dive school for that. And i dont remember exactly but even if you go through the military once you get out you still have to go to a commercial dive school. Whats sucks about the military for welders is its all based on rank. Just my .02 but if ya wanna know any more hit me up be glad to help!!!!!

[studdgage]

Originally Posted by WCH_diesel

yea i would like to do civilian but cant afford school for it and would like to sever my country

Where are you located i find for people that dont have the money to go to school you can get on with companies like S&B as helpers, still make around 800 a week. But any way get on with good companies and they have welding school programs that you get paid to do. Its best to learn from a real welding school not colleges or in the field because you have actual field welders teaching you the right way and what to look for. I have seen way to many college welders not have a clue what is goin on or how to weld things like pipe and different alloys properly. Also you go to college way to long for welding. A good welding school can have ya out in about 18 weeks and have been taught by actual welders. And the know how for structural plate structural pipe tig pipe mig flux and stainless.

[WCH_diesel]

ill be a combo welder when im done they just dont have use in class long enough, they have a day class that is 1 to 4 and night is 5 to 9 so i go to the day and night to get done and have the weld time, i was a i/w before and been on a good bit of construction site and a said bump that i want to tig weld but would like to do the underwater thing