Navy, Army, or Air Force HPSP ???

[supershinding]

Hi everyone. So I'm considering signing up for the HPSP with the Navy.
Initially, I miscorrectly assumed that I will be stationed at the base of my choice for the whole duration of my commitment.
WRONG!
(Holes in what recruiter said)

After talking to a friend who is already on the scholarship with the Navy, I am finding out new things.
There are 3 possible choices once joining the Navy.
1. Get Assigned to a Ship
2. Get Assigned to the Marines
3. Go Overseas

(Bare with me. I don't quite get everything yet.)

1. Get Assigned to a Ship
There are 2 year contracts to a ship, with 3 6-month sets.
Okay, from my understanding:
the 1st 6 months is preparation (on base),
next 6 months is on deployment (on the ocean),
and the last 6 months is for post-deployment (fixing ship and stuff back on base)
I don't know why it's a 2 year contract to the ship.

2. Get assigned to the Marines
So basically, I go wherever the Marine group I'm assigned to goes.
It's on land since Marines are on land. Bad thing is Marines are the first to go out and first in line in battle.

3. Go Overseas
Some choices: Japan, Italy, Spain, Diego Garcia, etc.
Contract is for 3 years. But if I'm married by that time, wife can go with me.

Most likely, I will be able to work on land at a base of my choice after one tour with either of the 3.

This is what I heard. If someone can clarify, please do.

I haven't sworn myself in with the Navy just yet so I'm considering possibly joining the Air Force or the Army.
The reason I'm having doubts about the Navy is that I'll be far away from home (friends and family) and biggest worry is possibly being married by that time.

I understand the Army deploys for possibly longer periods of time.

So how about the Air Force? I think the deployment is 4 months/year.
But also harder to get the scholarship.

I already made up my mind to join but don't know which branch.
Any help would be great.
Thanks.

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[MaxAnn]

This is a great question b/c everyone I've talked to have all said, "don't join the army." Seriously, many have said that the Army is the worst deal to take. Recently, one Navy dentist told me that the Army is deploying dentists for 12-18 months, and he himself had just done 6mths in Kuwait in a Navy field hospital supporting the Army b/c there were so many of them in Iraq and Afghanistan.

All the branches will deploy at some point, but 12-18 mths sounds absoutely ridiculous. An army recruiter told me that they deploy the dentists for 3-4mths, but I don't know who to believe?

Nearly everyone says that the Air Force is the way to go, but that could be the grass is greener on the other side mentality.

Any help with this would be great.

 

[DirtyMolar]

Well, first of all they are not contracts they are orders. You'll get orders to a duty station that will either be sea or shore(blue) or with the Marines (green).

Your orders with a ship depend on the deployment status of the ship. At times of high operational readiness (like right now) you could get orders to a ship that is going to leave in a week and your gone. For how long again depends on the extent of the exercise or operation the ship is involved.

Your orders with the Marines consist of deployments of various lengths and depend entirely on the location of your duty station. If you're with the 3rd dental battalion in okinawa, there are a lot of short deployments to various locations (usually lot's of humanitarian missions) and opportunities for longer ones (one dentist is associated with the MEU-marine expeditionary unit) to Iraq or other locations. the 2nd and 1st dental battalions (east and west coast) have deployments to Iraq quite often.
And be aware that if you do serve with the marines, a lot of times, especially if it's the MEU, you'll be on ships with Navy personnel.

There are other opportunites at the recruiting depots for the Navy and the Marines. A lot of general dentists are needed there and they are usually junior LT's who just got in the Navy.

As for deployment length I was told I was going to Cuba for 6 months (to Gitmo at the detainee camp..ughh!) Luckily that fell through but gave me some insight on deployment length for all the branches.

Navy 6 months
Air Force 4 months
Army 12 months

These are, however, the deployment lengths for those branches of service related to Gitmo...for Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan...I'm not sure. Again, it depends on the mission requirements.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you need any more info for the Navy.