From Civilian to Sailor

First of all I need to start off by stating how thankful I am that Mass Communication Specialist(MC) was open to me when I went to MEPS. My paper work tells me that there are about 1400 individuals in this rating. That is 1,400 MCs out of about 340,000 active duty Sailors. So the odds were against me but I was very fortunate.

With that out of the way I will describe what an MC is and what they do:

Mass Communication Specialists are Public Affairs and Visual Information experts. They present the Navy story to audiences in the Navy and to the rest of the world through a variety of media. MCs write and produce print and broadcast journalism news and feature stories for military and civilian newspapers, magazines, television and radio broadcast stations. They record still and video photography of military operations, exercises, and other Navy events. They serve overseas, on ships, and at stateside commands as photographers, public affairs specialists, newspaper and magazine staff, and TV and radio station staff and talent. MCs also create graphic designs in support of the public affairs mission, create and manage official websites, and perform high-speed, high-volume graphic reproduction.

What they do
The duties performed by MCs include:

• Prepare and write news and feature articles for publication
• Photograph events for publication and historic documentation
• Operate and maintain a variety of state-of-the-art still and video cameras
• Operate computer-based graphics software and desktop publishing systems
• Create original visual information displays and graphics
• Multi-media design and production
• Design and manage public and secure websites
• Layout and design military newspapers and magazines
• Manage radio and television stations
• Operate video and electronic imaging equipment
• Operate digital electronic reproduction equipment
• Edit video news, features, and documentation
• Shoot still photographs and video for accident or incident investigations
• Conduct interviews
• Market stories
• Perform as a Public Affairs Officer

Related Civilian Jobs

• Screen Writer
• Photographer
• Photojournalist
• Copy Writer
• Reporter
• Editor (Film)
• Editor (Video)
• Camera Operator (Television)
• Graphic Designer
• Multi-media Artist and Animator

Once Recruit Training Camp is over in late October/early November I will be heading to Ft. Meade, Maryland. There I will be attending my "A" school for 25 weeks. In "A" school you have more freedom than in RTC, meaning I will have internet access again. From what I've heard "A" School is much like college, just a little more strict. Earning more privileges as I progress. From here on expect a few updates before I go to RTC, I will be somewhat busy in this last month of civilian life, but I will have enough time to update a bit I am sure.

27 days!

Is it strange to say that an HBO miniseries changed my life? Because it did.

A while back, somewhere around the beginning of 2007, I caught a few minutes of "Band of Brothers" on The History Channel. About a week later my copy of the series arrived in the mail, and after the first episode I was hooked. Within a week I had finished the series. When the credits hit the screen on the last episode I was left feeling a little, well, hollow.


I looked at myself and compared to the men in that war and I did not like what I saw. I felt like I had nothing to proud of. I mean I sit all day and play video games, watch tv, and chat to people on the net. It was time for an extreme change, and what better way to do that than to test myself in the heat of battle, to throw myself headfirst into the fire and come out a better person because of it. However I wouldn't let myself join up just for "the rush" I felt like I was seeking.

One night, after a conversation with some friends about the military as a career option I really started looking into it though. I did research on pay and benefits, what jobs were offered from each branch, and comparison of civilian and military life. I was surprised by what I found. After a few months of reading up on my own and talking with friends I had settled on the Air Force. I gave all the branches a chance, and thankfully so, because after talking to the recruiters for the Navy I knew it was where I wanted to be. Better Educational opportunities, a better probability to get and keep the job I wanted, and the chance to see the world! I didn't rush it though, I took time to come back in and speak with the recruiters over a 2-3 week period, and they were patient with me. Had they not been I may have felt too pressured.

On 23 April 2007 I swore in at MEPS In Columbus as a Mass Communication Specialist(MC), the job I wanted. So here we are today!

28 days and counting.