Michael Schaeffer

I spent 4 years in the Army, 4 years Navy and my wife was 10.5 years Navy, including time as a Navy Counselor. When requesting a duty station, there is a place to put the name of a specific ship/duty station on the form. The problem is, when a detailer assigns you to a duty station, he (or she) has a list of billets available and can only choose from them. The primary consideration is to try and "fit" you to where the military needs you and in a position for which you were trained. A secondary consideration would be getting stationed with spouse/family members. Your request for location would only be a tertiary consideration with the specific command or ship being last! The best success is usually acheived by visiting the detailers IN Person at the Bureau in Washington, DC! (The farther you travel to see them, the more impressed they are!) This trip is not feasible for your first command but a good idea for any subsequent ones. Anchors Aweigh!