I've heard you can find pleasure, search the world for treasure, learn science technology, make your dreams all come true, learn to fly, play in sports and skin dive, study oceanography...

Additionally, you can sail the seven seas, put your mind at ease, protect the motherland, and make a stand.

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist.

The short of it: what I know from my military friends and family.

does the Navy have jobs that don't require [basic training]

No, everyone goes through basic training: from parachute packer to artilery dude, unless you are working for the military as a contractor. Officers go to a different kind of boot camp - just as physical, but with lots of book-learning thrown in.

where I wouldn't have to be deployed anywhere (overseas)

No matter what a recruiter promises you, everyone has the possibility of being deployed overseas at some point. One thing about the military is that you have little control over your future, until your term of service is over.

That said, I don't think you should let boot-camp stop you from joining the military, or the fear of being deployed. Your degree in IT is really highly valued by the military right now, and basic training isn't really anything like it used to be (with 10 mile runs and screaming drill seargents). With the current soldier crunch, they'll take pretty much anyone, and most of those people fill non-combat roles. I think I read that by the end of boot camp, recruits have got to finish a 2-mile run, which is less than the nerdy Couch-to-5k program.

No. No matter what recruiters may tell you (and they WILL lie to you), there are no guarentees. Navy Corpsman are frequently attached to Marine units as support staff. When the Marines hit the beachs the corpsman are right there with them. No matter what branch of the service you're in or what job you applied for, you can end up in combat. Basic training is basic training, it sucks no matter which branch your in. And no, nobody gets in without going through boot camp. BTW, I was in the Navy for 3 years active and 3 reserve and I got recalled for Dessert Storm.

No offense, but you'd have to be an idiot to join the service right now. If they can take the national guard and put them in Iraq, they can certainly take Navy guys. If you don't want to end up in Iraq, don't join. Just picture coming home with your leg blown off and your boring job at BestBuy will look alot nicer.

and I got recalled for Dessert Storm

Ikkyu and I were just discussing the instituting of Doughnut-Fly Zone.

What the others said: RECRUITERS LIE. They are desperate for warm bodies to ship overseas right now, and they'll say anything to make you one of them.

Yeah, occhiblu my spelling is pretty deplorable, it actually took me a minute to figure out what you were making fun of :)

The only jobs in the Navy that do not require military training (Boot Camp) are civilian GS grade jobs. These used to range from menial labor (GS-2) to senior shipyard engineers and technicians (GS10-15). The Navy, like the other services, have reduced a lot of GS positions over the years in favor of contractors like KBR. It is extremely hard to find moderate or low skill GS positions anymore and those that exist are usually on or near major Naval bases. The only place where you will almost always find lots GS positions open is in Washington D.C.

Higher/specialty skills vary. It really depends on what's being offered and why they're looking. Most data entry is farmed out as well as basic systems administration. If it's not a crowd of SA's with a 3PO leading them, it'll be a warrant officer and a bunch of contractors. Most branches bend over backward to recruit for medical skills like imaging/radiography, dentistry, and rehab. (Despite W-R's neglect, which was mostly administrative incompetence, there is a huge demand for skilled medical staff.)

As for benefits, GS education benefits are somewhat rare these days for the Navy. Most outfits (NAVSEA, NAVSYS) who still retain a lot of GS staff will have MBA programs for people aiming at management. Some will offer reimbursements for classes "relevant" to the operation with a cap. You'd have to look at the benefits packages to get a firm number.

I have read numerous news articles that give me the impression that the US Navy has a significant land presence in Iraq, most likely in support of the US Marine Corps for the most part and that includes hospitals.

My nephew signed a contract that guarantees he will not step foot in Afghanistan, Iran or Iraq, however in exchange he had to accept a full-term assignment at a base of the Army's choosing. He is stationed at some remote base in the Korean mountains, though nowhere near the NK border.

It's all about the contract. Talk to a recruiter and see how far they will negotiate. I will bet they will accommodate most any reasonably intelligent person given the situation.

Hmm, okay, I think that's out. Thanks everyone!

I forgot one minor detail:

THE PAY SUCKS!!!

doctor_negative, I wavered about making the joke, because I didn't want to look like I was making fun of you, but the charm of the image of a flurry of pastries and powdered sugar and sprinkles won out. :-)

My nephew signed a contract that guarantees he will not step foot in Afghanistan, Iran or Iraq, however in exchange he had to accept a full-term assignment at a base of the Army's choosing.

Holy shit. Talk about "writing your own ticket."

Good on him.