Great video , I was a MA years ago, first duty station was Bahrain . MA is one of the best ratings in the Navy, can be boring but very necessary. I loved it. Bahrain summer can be hot as hades.
@@Noirwheezy Don't drink the tap water, save your money, download Uber and Talabat, get your quals in section, don't complain, that's not a bad place to start.
Im an AD but you’re videos have definitely opened my eyes up to what an MA actually does and the responsibilities they hold. I might end up trying to cross rate in the future, I think it’s very genuine that you’re very upfront with people who may be interested rather than painting, a false picture and selling a dream to future recruits.
It would be easy to sit here and mislead people about what I do, but what would that accomplish? I don't want people trapped in years-long contracts doing something they don't want because they thought it was something else. Thanks, how's AD going by comparison?
@@hunchoyeyo3473 MA probably IS overrated in terms of the hollywood perceptions people have that I've tried to debunk but we could definitely use more people. If you've seen what it really is and want it, I say go for it.
Thank you for this. I think anything anyone does it will have annoying and boring moments. Thats like building a business. It takes time to grow and venture into the bigger areas. Props to you
It really all depends on what kind of deployment you go on: if you deploy on a ship then you're fine. If you're with a MESRON command they provide you with everything. If you go on an IA mobilization then RESFOR wilm provide you with everything you need. I did both AD and Reserves and I loved all 9 of my Reserve deployments to date.
Totally accurate about getting to know people on post. I wasn’t an MA, but I was ASF and I got to know people very well and that was always fun to talk to others. I got to go TAD to gate watch for six months every year at my command.
As an active duty MA for 6 years. It’s a great career.ive been to commands were it’s like the lite version of being a cop but also some commands your just security. It’s a great community with a lot of good people in it. Would recommend the navy is what u make it.
I'm a correctional officer and I've wanted to enlist forever but I've always had bad luck with Army recruiters. I'm hoping to enlist in the Navy here so as a Master at Arms, thanks to your videos. As someone who never considered the Navy, I appreciate you and your content. Wish me luck.
Best of luck to you! I’m 40 though lol. I have had bad luck with the Army too. I was a Corrections officer also. I also drove a semi and was going to go into the Army as a 88M (truck driver) but with an antidepressant. It could take up to two years with an age waiver! MHS Genesis is killing people that’s trying to recruit, but a Navy recruiter told me the other day that they are a lot lenient on meds.
@@nursenic03 From what I been hearing the Navy is the most lenient on antidepressants. Most of the Branches require a year to two years! By that time you have done moved on. This Genesis program is killing recruiting!
I joined at 33 ,failed AC A-school, decided to go MA. Stationed at NSF beaufort . Might stand 3 or 4 hour's of gate then patrol in the cruiser the rest of the day. Its really not a bad gig.
If possible, can you do a video of differences of MA duties vs SP (Shore Patrol)? Maybe interview a Shore Patrolman and you can compare! It might help people who are choosing one of those paths. Thanks, and thank you again for your service!
Sure, that's worth considering. Shore Patrol is an E-5 billet, and they want people with experience across different commands. It could be covered someday. Thanks!
I think what people are looking for is not a literal “day in the life” where a camera follows you and records all that you do, but you saying what your day to day consists of. Like you wake up, go to muster probably, then do whatever until your day or shift is over. What are the qualifications you need to get or should get first? What’s a normal day on a typical navy base consist of security wise? What kind of work or calls are being handled, etc.
Good stuff, Haeden. Been watching you since my son first considered joining a good 9 months ago. Appreciate your content. My son just DOR'd at BUDS and is considering MA to get a bit of time (he realizes this may be 2+ years but he would only need months) to improve his fitness then "get a package together" (I hope I have that term right) and approved to get back to BUDS. He's got a high ASVAB for other rates but his bunkmate that also dropped that said MA offers a good chance at "converting out" pretty early due to many locations not being undermanned. I can kinda get that impression from the community health chart notes online. What have you seen or heard regarding converting out from MA to other rates (bonus if returning to NSW) early? Thank you again and really enjoyed following your journey.
Lot of BUD/S drops end up as MAs, I've met probably a dozen of them. Yeah it's 2 years to go back, but they can deny the package to return. I'm not sure about going back early, I've only heard of the 2 year requirement.
Reserve MA here: it depends on where you go: I have been to Bahrain, UAE, Panama, Hawaii, Oman, Qatar, and Djibouti. I have also been with MESRON and did HPU in New Jersey. Having done LE, AT/FP, and waterside you're right about getting quals. I also am civilian police and am a dog hander for my dept as well as a federal firearms instructor which got me the SAMI equivalent NEC. I say for ppl that wanna do MA it is easier to progress and take those skills into the civilian world after getting certain quals. Also I made MA1 in 8 years after deploying so much to the point where I knew most of the material on the exam.
That's fantastic MA1, you sound like a good role model. No better teacher than experience, study all we want it's not the same, you're right. Stay safe out there!
@@HaedenBeck I see you're in Bahrain. If you need to make that video about life in the Reserves as an MA, I will be passing through in March en route to deployment so that people can hear it first hand. Stay safe put there shipmate.
I am a former AO. I got out of the Navy in 2017. If you ever get out, a part of you will always want to be back in. 7 years later and I'm strongly considering coming back in as an MA (AO wasn't available to me according to the recruiter)
If you want to be an AO again you can just tell the recruiter to call you back when it's available. Sometimes they say it's not available because they want you to pick something else, so you can just say fine let me know when it opens. MA is a good job but I try to be realistic about it and not try to fool anyone into thinking it's something it's not. And yeah, I hear you about getting out and wanting back in. Even on leave for a week, I felt like an alien at home that didn't belong there, total fish out of water. We're never the same after joining.
I did already sign a document that basically stated if AO becomes available before I sign all the necessary documents to be an MA, then I can have AO. But AO is kind of a tough job, in my opinion. MA and OS were my 2nd and 3rd picks, having already had prior military experience and being around many different rates (I was on carriers my whole enlistment). I knew I didn't want to be DC so when I saw that I qualified for that, I immediately turned it down haha
I feel like I never left haha. I've been out for 7 years and I still walk, talk, and act like I'm still in. The military changes you...even when you eventually leave, a part of you will always be connected to the military. Those you serve with will be lifelong brothers and sisters. Glad I found your channel cuz it's helping me to get more insight on what to expect as an MA. No matter your rate, however, it isn't always a glorious job. As an AO, I was always told I'd be blowing stuff up and working with the coolest weapons. That wasn't my case when I was in, however. My division had a lot of down time and didn't spend a lot of time at sea...which is where most of being an AO matters. And even then, you had to be on night check to build the ordnance. I was usually day check so I mostly did maintenance and organizal tasks; never felt like work. At 30 now, I realize it's not too late to go back and pick a rate that actually works for once haha. Even if it is just checking ID cards at the gate or roving, it's better than what I was doing as an AO. Even the military as a whole is better than what I do for work now even though my current job pays much better than the military haha
@@awkwardjones1673 How far off is it to say AOs load up and unload aircraft with munitions. That's what AO is to me. I feel 100% what you've said, I feel different and it's down to the bone. I was at a thrift store walking around not saying a word and a Vietnam veteran walked up to me and said you're military aren't you. Really nice guy. It takes one to know one too. Whatever changes there were a lot of them we probably can't even notice at first. Yeah it's tough stepping down from a high civilian job down to starting all over in the military. Although prior service is a big deal.
Hi, I'm thinking of becoming an MA to eventually move to Special Operations in the Navy. My question is, does MA have any physical training as part of the program? Like, do you guys have to run and do any physical stuff?
Not more than any other boot camp or A school experience. In my own experience, we PT'd in boot camp and after that it was just up to you to stay in shape. At my commands afterward, there was no mandatory PT besides the annual physical test everyone takes. At other commands that I haven't been to, it's possible to have command PT, though.
Solid video, Im not. A MA but all enlisted jobs are boring and I felt were a deadend.my job translated to the civilian world but it was still a deadend .I learned that pretty quickly. I went reserves and started doing college. I got my commission a couple years ago You guys are lucky. You have Internet , when I was looking with the recruiter for a job we had to read from a big ass binder the job descriptions and what the job responsibilities were.there wasn't even videos to watch
@@HaedenBeck hey you should make a video of the difference of policing for military law vs civilian law.. that way people aren't joining the military thinking they can jump into civilian policing
That's a ways away. Take the time to set up a navy federal bank account, get in shape if you haven't already, and make any other preparations you see fit. Best of luck!
@@serj5902 if you are stateside, get civilian quals esp if you plan on going LE after the Navy. I got my taser qual on AD as well as became a first aid/TCCC instructor. I also go my NRA instructor qual by paying outta pocket. Now I can take whatever orders are available b/c of my qualifications of being a shooting instructor which helps with getting evals and putting on rank faster.
Very helpful videos, man! Can I just ask that you go put your flag in the dryer for a cycle to unwrinkle it though? Additionally, I have a nice plain Crye JPC 1.0 plate carrier in OD Green with Level IV ceramics. If I put my rank, branch, and name patches on there would the Navy allow me to wear that as a Master-At-Arms while on duty? How much gear leeway are you allowed in your position between issued and private purchase? Maybe be a silly question. Thanks man on the clear and to the point videos!
You're not allowed to wear too much of your own personal gear, especially during inspections where they're considered hits against the unit. The vest is a definite no, but for stuff like a pouch here or a different handcuff key there or a name patch, stuff like that, it should be alright. But we can't go adding all kinds of call of duty DLC stuff.
@@HaedenBeck Thanks for answering me! I’ll leave my DLC gear at home, hahaha. I figured as much but I wanted to ask regardless as the different branches seem to have various takes on private-purchase gear. It really seems like it comes down to the branch, unit, and item itself. Your videos are well-made and informative. I talk to my Navy recruiter tomorrow 🫡 Thanks!
Currently in QM A school at Great Lakes, I wanted to go in as a MA but was a point off on one of my line scores. However I do plan on cross rating into MA as soon as I can. Im a reservist by the way so I know life is different for reservist compared to active. Do you think cross rating from QM to MA is a good idea?
That question's answer can vary wildly based on what you want to do after the navy, what you want out of your career, and so on. I'd rather be an MA than a QM but both are fine jobs and serve their purpose.
Reserve MA here : you have way more opportunities as an MA than you do as a QM. MAs have orders to Japan, Hawaii, San Diego, Romania, and UAE. I am glad I made MA my job .I have been fortunate thus far.
@@mohammad.Du93 that makes absolutely lo sense. Even without factoring overtime, that would be roughly 1100 every two weeks, and that’s at minimum wage. Sounds like your friend either had crazy gambling/drug problems or you’re being lied to.
Yeah I've met a ton of em, they're pretty chill. If you don't get K9 at Lackland, in A school it's a lot harder to transfer over later on. Some people make fun of them because a few act like they're really special because they have a dog, I jokingly call them paw patrol sometimes, but 99% of them are cool and are just doing their job like anyone else. I'm not sure what THEIR opinions of their job is, I don't wanna talk FOR them but I remember one of them said ya know being K9 there's a lot more [crap] involved than I thought, and not just like paperwork to do but literal [crap] from the dogs that you have to clean up.
@@V4Vendetta716 I covered it in the A school video. Long story short, they asked who wants to be K9 and EVERYONE raised their hand, so they said alright go here at this time to start the process. It turned out that out of the 30 people who raised their hand only about 3-4 of them actually showed up to the event so they pretty much got selected by default to ENTER the training for K9. Now if 20 people showed up there they'd have to do a bunch of screenings and tests to see who is good enough to actually start, but with no competition they pretty much just walked in. Still, they had to pass the separate training and everything before leaving Lackland K9 qualified.
Do you have any insight/knowledge on what happens if you sign a contract for a Rating that requires a clearance(like MA) but, say during A school, your clearance gets denied? Do you get to pick another rating as you're forced to reclass or do they give you a random one or maybe even turn you into an undesignated/non-rate?
You should be good to go before you arrive to the A school. Like the background checks start when you sign the contract at MEPS and should finish during boot camp behind the scenes. If they find anything terrible like a heart attack you never told them about or massive debts or something they will pull you from training and send you home. Nobody was pulled from my A school or C school classes but people during boot camp DID disappear because of the background checks.
How many hours and days do you work a week, typically? I don't mind 12 hour shifts as long as I get some days off to recover and study If I work 60 hours and get weekends or 2 days off midweek, then I'll be happy since my main goal would be to study online with the Navy Community College to finish a degree since I plan on entering with college credit to be e2 at the start
It varies, but you can expect 12 hour shifts like all navy jobs and a decent amount of days off. Unless you're at sea on a ship, then every day is a work day. You can get E-2 from passing the DEP test in boot camp, much easier to get it than the college or waiting 9 months for the promotion.
I've been stationed in bahrain and on a ship. The ship is cool because you'll visit different countries. You can be stationed in Poland, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Romania. I might be leaving one out, but that's a good list for Europe.
You're sent to a command and then perform daily tasks at that command. Unless you're expeditionary, then you have like a base but deploy now and then. On a ship, you're attached to the ship and deploy with the ship of course. The role you play at each command can be completely different. Could be checking IDs, working with dogs, driving harbor boats, a lot of it can be boring some of it can be really cool. I'd recommend it, glad I'm an MA and not anything else.
Far as I know, very few in number, but they exist and I met a few of them. It seems to be a temporary thing, the highlight of their career, and someone else rotates in and they go back to something more typical. If you're trying to be specwar, you can go that route and just go to BUD/S and try to be a SEAL or SWCC, but 90% of MAs are standing at gates, doing harbor security, or regular law enforcement.
@@HaedenBeck Thank you so much for the info, do you know of anyone like that that has talked about their experience online? I really like the idea of going K9 and doing everything I can to get assigned to a team like that. My plan is to try out for specwar but I don't want to spend a year getting ready I really just want to enlist rather soon, and I'm trying to pick a rate, so far MA, GM and Corpsman are the jobs i'm most interested in because of the possibility of an 'exciting' career as a non-specwar guy.
@@RyanEads-fb1vw Those ratings are cool but HM is very overmanned and is basically a doctor's aide or nurse, unless you go FMF (combat medic) GM is nice, my dad was a GM2, but I'm sure that's been overhyped by some, and MA of course people are told about seal teams and riverine squadrons and stuff and then people who join stand at a gate scanning IDs like me lol. I won't discourage any of them but the point of this and the video is to have low expectations so you aren't disappointed.
@@HaedenBeck I appreciate the reality check coming from someone who has actually been there. I want to ship in august and the closer it gets to that day the more confused I feel. Your videos have been helping me get a better idea of what to expect. Thank you for your time and your service.
Hello Mr Beck, I’m going in the Navy on the reserve side as an MA. Are there many opportunities on the reserve side of being a MA as they are on the active side?
Yeah they're around, some of my classmates from A school went there and seem to be enjoying it. They have their own warfare device and play an important role, but their next command isn't necessarily gonna be expeditionary also, they can rotate around to other stuff too.
@@HaedenBeck Thank you for the reply. I'm enlisting soon and although I have a 73 ASVAB score, MA interests me the most so I'm planning that route to try to get into MESF/Expeditionary so I appreciate any and all info on it!
@@tacoboy8182 Definitely pass the second class swimmer test at Lackland/Fort Sam. There's several opportunities to pass it. It'll increase the likelihood that you get expeditionary orders, but it's not guaranteed. Once you pick your second command it may be listed as an option to just choose yourself but still, it's not guaranteed. There's still other cool stuff to do.
I went from E1 to E4 in 15 months so I'd say it was pretty good. But that was before they changed the turbocrow policies. What I mean is to get E4 it's a lot harder now than when I got it. Still, it's better than other ratings where it's a lot harder to distinguish yourself like HM.
Not very high, some people have an overall score of like 40 out of 99 and work with me. The score you need is word knowledge plus arithmetic reasoning adding up to a number, I don't remember but google knows.
Yeah I hear this a lot "I'm joining the navy, I hope I don't get put on a ship." I'd suggest joining the army's military police or the air force's security forces if you want to be military police but avoid being on a ship. Is it possible to be an MA for 20 years and never be on a ship? Yes it is, my chief did it and he's like 19 years in. But it's not guaranteed you'll avoid a ship.
I've met plenty who have BEEN in the reserves but I don't think I've ever met anyone who is deployed WHILE in the reserves. Apparently there are some MAs in the reserves who serve as RDCs for boot camp. Typically it's hard for an MA to become an RDC because we're needed in the fleet and there are a lot of other ratings who need the career boost and are less undermanned to fill the RDC slots.
Hehe yeah it's not people's favorite command often times. You gotta do PT with marines and the watches are harder than say, where I am. The good news is you're in the US and you get your own little badge for being there.
Not a very high one, you don't need to be Albert Einstein to guard a gate. MA is one of the lowest scoring jobs, some of my coworkers got like 40, 50 on their test, others got high scores and still chose MA because it sounded cool. Just make sure you study for the math and reading/word knowledge sections of the test, those are the most important parts.
Few videos about the topic but as an E-4 in Bahrain I got about $1,500 a check. Here where I am now it's down to $1,100 since it's not tax free here. So $2,000-$3,000 a month.
Do I need to watch more of this guy, I’m looking up military videos and this dude is wearing a luxry north face jacket…. You still in the military bro?? It is pretty questionable that you are posting military videos while wearing a button down and A North Face. Yeah i would trust my life with this fool..😂
There's a video about why I don't wear my uniforms in videos, it's because I don't want to use it as a prop for UA-cam. I think it would be disrespectful to the uniform and the Navy. Other people post videos in T-shirts or whatever, but I wear suits to be myself and to be different from the endless other military content creators. The suits are very cheap to be tailored here in the middle east and I designed them all myself on the computer and send it over to the tailors. I'm not on Normandy beach here or in Stalingrad, I'm a security guard on a base so yeah my appearance makes sense. Hope this cleared things up.
discord.gg/kq9VCQQ53w
Join the discord and continue the conversation!
Great video , I was a MA years ago, first duty station was Bahrain . MA is one of the best ratings in the Navy, can be boring but very necessary. I loved it. Bahrain summer can be hot as hades.
Same, we melted like ice cream here. Got cysts on my chest and face because of the heat. Thanks for your service.
@@HaedenBeck Did Y'all get to see war
@@sun-risen8686 No.
I’m an MA and am going to Bahrain in May. Any advice or any info on what to expect when I get there?
@@Noirwheezy Don't drink the tap water, save your money, download Uber and Talabat, get your quals in section, don't complain, that's not a bad place to start.
Im an AD but you’re videos have definitely opened my eyes up to what an MA actually does and the responsibilities they hold. I might end up trying to cross rate in the future, I think it’s very genuine that you’re very upfront with people who may be interested rather than painting, a false picture and selling a dream to future recruits.
It would be easy to sit here and mislead people about what I do, but what would that accomplish? I don't want people trapped in years-long contracts doing something they don't want because they thought it was something else. Thanks, how's AD going by comparison?
Bro same I want cross rate evb say it’s overrated but idc
@@hunchoyeyo3473 Cross rate to MA?
@@HaedenBeck yea
@@hunchoyeyo3473 MA probably IS overrated in terms of the hollywood perceptions people have that I've tried to debunk but we could definitely use more people. If you've seen what it really is and want it, I say go for it.
Thank you for this. I think anything anyone does it will have annoying and boring moments. Thats like building a business. It takes time to grow and venture into the bigger areas. Props to you
Oh yeah man, new Beck TV upload. LIFE IS GOOD WHEN BECK UPLOADS!
MA shipping out march 4th anxious but u and austen alexander have me feeling like MAs bouta be a blast!
Best of luck!
You should make a video on what to pack for deployment as an MA !
It really all depends on what kind of deployment you go on: if you deploy on a ship then you're fine.
If you're with a MESRON command they provide you with everything.
If you go on an IA mobilization then RESFOR wilm provide you with everything you need.
I did both AD and Reserves and I loved all 9 of my Reserve deployments to date.
Totally accurate about getting to know people on post. I wasn’t an MA, but I was ASF and I got to know people very well and that was always fun to talk to others. I got to go TAD to gate watch for six months every year at my command.
As an active duty MA for 6 years. It’s a great career.ive been to commands were it’s like the lite version of being a cop but also some commands your just security. It’s a great community with a lot of good people in it. Would recommend the navy is what u make it.
I'm a correctional officer and I've wanted to enlist forever but I've always had bad luck with Army recruiters. I'm hoping to enlist in the Navy here so as a Master at Arms, thanks to your videos. As someone who never considered the Navy, I appreciate you and your content. Wish me luck.
Best of luck, I hope this is what you're looking for. If you have any questions let me know, I'll answer all of em
Best of luck to you! I’m 40 though lol. I have had bad luck with the Army too. I was a Corrections officer also. I also drove a semi and was going to go into the Army as a 88M (truck driver) but with an antidepressant. It could take up to two years with an age waiver! MHS Genesis is killing people that’s trying to recruit, but a Navy recruiter told me the other day that they are a lot lenient on meds.
Btw, I’m wanting to join MA as a reservist
Hey man same for me. Army recruiter wouldn’t even call back. Went to the navy office and I’m just waiting for my MEPS date
@@nursenic03 From what I been hearing the Navy is the most lenient on antidepressants. Most of the Branches require a year to two years! By that time you have done moved on. This Genesis program is killing recruiting!
I joined at 33 ,failed AC A-school, decided to go MA. Stationed at NSF beaufort . Might stand 3 or 4 hour's of gate then patrol in the cruiser the rest of the day. Its really not a bad gig.
It's a great, easy, and simple job. But can be dangerous, and it can be boring.
If possible, can you do a video of differences of MA duties vs SP (Shore Patrol)? Maybe interview a Shore Patrolman and you can compare! It might help people who are choosing one of those paths. Thanks, and thank you again for your service!
Sure, that's worth considering. Shore Patrol is an E-5 billet, and they want people with experience across different commands. It could be covered someday. Thanks!
i’m going MA after bootcamp and i can’t wait
me too !
Whar did you score on the asvab
me too this year after i graduate high school!
I think what people are looking for is not a literal “day in the life” where a camera follows you and records all that you do, but you saying what your day to day consists of.
Like you wake up, go to muster probably, then do whatever until your day or shift is over. What are the qualifications you need to get or should get first? What’s a normal day on a typical navy base consist of security wise? What kind of work or calls are being handled, etc.
Good stuff, Haeden. Been watching you since my son first considered joining a good 9 months ago. Appreciate your content.
My son just DOR'd at BUDS and is considering MA to get a bit of time (he realizes this may be 2+ years but he would only need months) to improve his fitness then "get a package together" (I hope I have that term right) and approved to get back to BUDS. He's got a high ASVAB for other rates but his bunkmate that also dropped that said MA offers a good chance at "converting out" pretty early due to many locations not being undermanned. I can kinda get that impression from the community health chart notes online. What have you seen or heard regarding converting out from MA to other rates (bonus if returning to NSW) early?
Thank you again and really enjoyed following your journey.
Lot of BUD/S drops end up as MAs, I've met probably a dozen of them. Yeah it's 2 years to go back, but they can deny the package to return. I'm not sure about going back early, I've only heard of the 2 year requirement.
@@HaedenBeck Appreciate the info!
Reserve MA here: it depends on where you go: I have been to Bahrain, UAE, Panama, Hawaii, Oman, Qatar, and Djibouti. I have also been with MESRON and did HPU in New Jersey.
Having done LE, AT/FP, and waterside you're right about getting quals. I also am civilian police and am a dog hander for my dept as well as a federal firearms instructor which got me the SAMI equivalent NEC.
I say for ppl that wanna do MA it is easier to progress and take those skills into the civilian world after getting certain quals.
Also I made MA1 in 8 years after deploying so much to the point where I knew most of the material on the exam.
That's fantastic MA1, you sound like a good role model. No better teacher than experience, study all we want it's not the same, you're right. Stay safe out there!
@@HaedenBeck I see you're in Bahrain. If you need to make that video about life in the Reserves as an MA, I will be passing through in March en route to deployment so that people can hear it first hand.
Stay safe put there shipmate.
@@miguelbermudez5426 I left in May. I'm on a ship now, shying from saying which for now.
Great video helpful for sure
you are lucky in the 1980s you had to have general service experience in the navy and be an E-5 to be one .
I am a former AO. I got out of the Navy in 2017. If you ever get out, a part of you will always want to be back in. 7 years later and I'm strongly considering coming back in as an MA (AO wasn't available to me according to the recruiter)
If you want to be an AO again you can just tell the recruiter to call you back when it's available. Sometimes they say it's not available because they want you to pick something else, so you can just say fine let me know when it opens.
MA is a good job but I try to be realistic about it and not try to fool anyone into thinking it's something it's not. And yeah, I hear you about getting out and wanting back in. Even on leave for a week, I felt like an alien at home that didn't belong there, total fish out of water. We're never the same after joining.
I did already sign a document that basically stated if AO becomes available before I sign all the necessary documents to be an MA, then I can have AO. But AO is kind of a tough job, in my opinion. MA and OS were my 2nd and 3rd picks, having already had prior military experience and being around many different rates (I was on carriers my whole enlistment). I knew I didn't want to be DC so when I saw that I qualified for that, I immediately turned it down haha
@@awkwardjones1673 Hehe whatever you prefer. If you get approved, welcome back! Best of luck.
I feel like I never left haha. I've been out for 7 years and I still walk, talk, and act like I'm still in. The military changes you...even when you eventually leave, a part of you will always be connected to the military. Those you serve with will be lifelong brothers and sisters.
Glad I found your channel cuz it's helping me to get more insight on what to expect as an MA. No matter your rate, however, it isn't always a glorious job. As an AO, I was always told I'd be blowing stuff up and working with the coolest weapons. That wasn't my case when I was in, however. My division had a lot of down time and didn't spend a lot of time at sea...which is where most of being an AO matters. And even then, you had to be on night check to build the ordnance. I was usually day check so I mostly did maintenance and organizal tasks; never felt like work.
At 30 now, I realize it's not too late to go back and pick a rate that actually works for once haha. Even if it is just checking ID cards at the gate or roving, it's better than what I was doing as an AO. Even the military as a whole is better than what I do for work now even though my current job pays much better than the military haha
@@awkwardjones1673 How far off is it to say AOs load up and unload aircraft with munitions. That's what AO is to me.
I feel 100% what you've said, I feel different and it's down to the bone. I was at a thrift store walking around not saying a word and a Vietnam veteran walked up to me and said you're military aren't you. Really nice guy. It takes one to know one too. Whatever changes there were a lot of them we probably can't even notice at first.
Yeah it's tough stepping down from a high civilian job down to starting all over in the military. Although prior service is a big deal.
Hi, I'm thinking of becoming an MA to eventually move to Special Operations in the Navy.
My question is, does MA have any physical training as part of the program? Like, do you guys have to run and do any physical stuff?
Not more than any other boot camp or A school experience. In my own experience, we PT'd in boot camp and after that it was just up to you to stay in shape. At my commands afterward, there was no mandatory PT besides the annual physical test everyone takes. At other commands that I haven't been to, it's possible to have command PT, though.
Solid video, Im not. A MA but all enlisted jobs are boring and I felt were a deadend.my job translated to the civilian world but it was still a deadend .I learned that pretty quickly. I went reserves and started doing college. I got my commission a couple years ago
You guys are lucky. You have Internet , when I was looking with the recruiter for a job we had to read from a big ass binder the job descriptions and what the job responsibilities were.there wasn't even videos to watch
Congratulations, sir. Good to hear you made the best out of your situation.
@@HaedenBeck hey you should make a video of the difference of policing for military law vs civilian law.. that way people aren't joining the military thinking they can jump into civilian policing
@@Astronomical1 It's a good idea, we'll see. There are a lot of MAs I've met hoping to use it as a stepping stone for other police agencies and stuff.
I just signed my contract for master at arms and swore in. Boot camp is on sept 10 any advice
That's a ways away. Take the time to set up a navy federal bank account, get in shape if you haven't already, and make any other preparations you see fit. Best of luck!
@@HaedenBeck I got a 10k bonus right after boot camp!!!
same here!
@@serj5902 if you are stateside, get civilian quals esp if you plan on going LE after the Navy. I got my taser qual on AD as well as became a first aid/TCCC instructor. I also go my NRA instructor qual by paying outta pocket.
Now I can take whatever orders are available b/c of my qualifications of being a shooting instructor which helps with getting evals and putting on rank faster.
happy you are back safely.
Thanks!
Very helpful videos, man!
Can I just ask that you go put your flag in the dryer for a cycle to unwrinkle it though?
Additionally, I have a nice plain Crye JPC 1.0 plate carrier in OD Green with Level IV ceramics. If I put my rank, branch, and name patches on there would the Navy allow me to wear that as a Master-At-Arms while on duty? How much gear leeway are you allowed in your position between issued and private purchase? Maybe be a silly question. Thanks man on the clear and to the point videos!
You're not allowed to wear too much of your own personal gear, especially during inspections where they're considered hits against the unit. The vest is a definite no, but for stuff like a pouch here or a different handcuff key there or a name patch, stuff like that, it should be alright. But we can't go adding all kinds of call of duty DLC stuff.
@@HaedenBeck Thanks for answering me! I’ll leave my DLC gear at home, hahaha.
I figured as much but I wanted to ask regardless as the different branches seem to have various takes on private-purchase gear. It really seems like it comes down to the branch, unit, and item itself. Your videos are well-made and informative. I talk to my Navy recruiter tomorrow 🫡
Thanks!
@@hornetnezt Thank you, there's more to come. Best of luck with your career.
Currently in QM A school at Great Lakes, I wanted to go in as a MA but was a point off on one of my line scores. However I do plan on cross rating into MA as soon as I can. Im a reservist by the way so I know life is different for reservist compared to active. Do you think cross rating from QM to MA is a good idea?
That question's answer can vary wildly based on what you want to do after the navy, what you want out of your career, and so on. I'd rather be an MA than a QM but both are fine jobs and serve their purpose.
What score do I need for MA?
Reserve MA here : you have way more opportunities as an MA than you do as a QM.
MAs have orders to Japan, Hawaii, San Diego, Romania, and UAE. I am glad I made MA my job .I have been fortunate thus far.
US Military is heaven special for some people i know who are civilians security guards they make 200$-400$ per month
That's ridiculous, a house cat can probably live on an income like that but not people!
What do they work 15 hours a week.
@@psychmanzooted 12 hours day for 6 days week=72 hours in week unfortunately the circumstances let them accept it
@@mohammad.Du93 that makes absolutely lo sense. Even without factoring overtime, that would be roughly 1100 every two weeks, and that’s at minimum wage. Sounds like your friend either had crazy gambling/drug problems or you’re being lied to.
@@psychmanzooted that's not US
looking for a job have no idea what to pick
Have you had any convos with Dog Handlers? What are their opinions on the job?
Yeah I've met a ton of em, they're pretty chill. If you don't get K9 at Lackland, in A school it's a lot harder to transfer over later on. Some people make fun of them because a few act like they're really special because they have a dog, I jokingly call them paw patrol sometimes, but 99% of them are cool and are just doing their job like anyone else. I'm not sure what THEIR opinions of their job is, I don't wanna talk FOR them but I remember one of them said ya know being K9 there's a lot more [crap] involved than I thought, and not just like paperwork to do but literal [crap] from the dogs that you have to clean up.
@@HaedenBeck the process at lackland is just an interview plus the additional training I'm assuming??
@@V4Vendetta716 I covered it in the A school video. Long story short, they asked who wants to be K9 and EVERYONE raised their hand, so they said alright go here at this time to start the process. It turned out that out of the 30 people who raised their hand only about 3-4 of them actually showed up to the event so they pretty much got selected by default to ENTER the training for K9. Now if 20 people showed up there they'd have to do a bunch of screenings and tests to see who is good enough to actually start, but with no competition they pretty much just walked in. Still, they had to pass the separate training and everything before leaving Lackland K9 qualified.
Do you have any insight/knowledge on what happens if you sign a contract for a Rating that requires a clearance(like MA) but, say during A school, your clearance gets denied? Do you get to pick another rating as you're forced to reclass or do they give you a random one or maybe even turn you into an undesignated/non-rate?
You should be good to go before you arrive to the A school. Like the background checks start when you sign the contract at MEPS and should finish during boot camp behind the scenes. If they find anything terrible like a heart attack you never told them about or massive debts or something they will pull you from training and send you home. Nobody was pulled from my A school or C school classes but people during boot camp DID disappear because of the background checks.
How many hours and days do you work a week, typically?
I don't mind 12 hour shifts as long as I get some days off to recover and study
If I work 60 hours and get weekends or 2 days off midweek, then I'll be happy since my main goal would be to study online with the Navy Community College to finish a degree since I plan on entering with college credit to be e2 at the start
It varies, but you can expect 12 hour shifts like all navy jobs and a decent amount of days off. Unless you're at sea on a ship, then every day is a work day.
You can get E-2 from passing the DEP test in boot camp, much easier to get it than the college or waiting 9 months for the promotion.
Sounds like being a submariner. Routine day in and day out cruising the high seas or being slammed by major stress & danger.
I'd take this over a sub any day. I saw enough gray walls in my office job LMAO
Can you be stationed in Europe with this rate? Where all have you been stationed?
I've been stationed in bahrain and on a ship. The ship is cool because you'll visit different countries. You can be stationed in Poland, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Romania. I might be leaving one out, but that's a good list for Europe.
Does MA deploy a lot? What they do at deployment?
You're sent to a command and then perform daily tasks at that command. Unless you're expeditionary, then you have like a base but deploy now and then. On a ship, you're attached to the ship and deploy with the ship of course. The role you play at each command can be completely different. Could be checking IDs, working with dogs, driving harbor boats, a lot of it can be boring some of it can be really cool. I'd recommend it, glad I'm an MA and not anything else.
Do MAs see combat? Similar to army’s MP?
If there are intruders on a base or ship, MAs and ISF will respond yeah
Ok but what about the MAs that actually get assigned to seal teams and swcc teams, how does that work
Far as I know, very few in number, but they exist and I met a few of them. It seems to be a temporary thing, the highlight of their career, and someone else rotates in and they go back to something more typical. If you're trying to be specwar, you can go that route and just go to BUD/S and try to be a SEAL or SWCC, but 90% of MAs are standing at gates, doing harbor security, or regular law enforcement.
@@HaedenBeck Thank you so much for the info, do you know of anyone like that that has talked about their experience online? I really like the idea of going K9 and doing everything I can to get assigned to a team like that. My plan is to try out for specwar but I don't want to spend a year getting ready I really just want to enlist rather soon, and I'm trying to pick a rate, so far MA, GM and Corpsman are the jobs i'm most interested in because of the possibility of an 'exciting' career as a non-specwar guy.
@@RyanEads-fb1vw Those ratings are cool but HM is very overmanned and is basically a doctor's aide or nurse, unless you go FMF (combat medic) GM is nice, my dad was a GM2, but I'm sure that's been overhyped by some, and MA of course people are told about seal teams and riverine squadrons and stuff and then people who join stand at a gate scanning IDs like me lol. I won't discourage any of them but the point of this and the video is to have low expectations so you aren't disappointed.
@@HaedenBeck I appreciate the reality check coming from someone who has actually been there. I want to ship in august and the closer it gets to that day the more confused I feel. Your videos have been helping me get a better idea of what to expect. Thank you for your time and your service.
@@RyanEads-fb1vw Hooyah, anytime
Hello Mr Beck,
I’m going in the Navy on the reserve side as an MA. Are there many opportunities on the reserve side of being a MA as they are on the active side?
Some people say you make rank faster in the reserves than active. I should really make a video about the reserves sometime.
Thank you 🙏 for responding. I’m a supporter of your channel and because of your videos I’ve gained a better understanding of my rating.
Do you have any additional info on MESF? I know it's in the Master at Arms field but not much more beyond that.
Yeah they're around, some of my classmates from A school went there and seem to be enjoying it. They have their own warfare device and play an important role, but their next command isn't necessarily gonna be expeditionary also, they can rotate around to other stuff too.
@@HaedenBeck Thank you for the reply. I'm enlisting soon and although I have a 73 ASVAB score, MA interests me the most so I'm planning that route to try to get into MESF/Expeditionary so I appreciate any and all info on it!
@@tacoboy8182 Definitely pass the second class swimmer test at Lackland/Fort Sam. There's several opportunities to pass it. It'll increase the likelihood that you get expeditionary orders, but it's not guaranteed. Once you pick your second command it may be listed as an option to just choose yourself but still, it's not guaranteed. There's still other cool stuff to do.
What rank are you? And is advancement good for MAs?
I went from E1 to E4 in 15 months so I'd say it was pretty good. But that was before they changed the turbocrow policies. What I mean is to get E4 it's a lot harder now than when I got it. Still, it's better than other ratings where it's a lot harder to distinguish yourself like HM.
@@HaedenBeck e4 is 9months TIR correct?
@@AWOLMAL It's 30 months TIS now, starting this year.
I'm interested in that job. What score in the asvab you have to get for master at arms?
Not very high, some people have an overall score of like 40 out of 99 and work with me. The score you need is word knowledge plus arithmetic reasoning adding up to a number, I don't remember but google knows.
What exactly do u do as a MA is there other transitions besides K9 or Harbor
Oh there's a bunch. K9, Harbor, Landside (guarding bases), being on ships, expeditionary, shore patrol, NCIS, a lot.
Any chance of avoiding being an MA on a ship? Or just luck based
Yeah I hear this a lot "I'm joining the navy, I hope I don't get put on a ship." I'd suggest joining the army's military police or the air force's security forces if you want to be military police but avoid being on a ship. Is it possible to be an MA for 20 years and never be on a ship? Yes it is, my chief did it and he's like 19 years in. But it's not guaranteed you'll avoid a ship.
Do you ever work with MA's from the reserves, what do they do? I am prior service (osvet) looking to join the navy reserve.
I've met plenty who have BEEN in the reserves but I don't think I've ever met anyone who is deployed WHILE in the reserves. Apparently there are some MAs in the reserves who serve as RDCs for boot camp. Typically it's hard for an MA to become an RDC because we're needed in the fleet and there are a lot of other ratings who need the career boost and are less undermanned to fill the RDC slots.
@@HaedenBeck What is RDC stand for. I was told that reservists basically have to volunteer for deployments.
@@fubuwarrior047 Recruit division commanders, basically navy drill sergeants
im almost a ma about 3 more weeks in training. you know anything about prp?
Hehe yeah it's not people's favorite command often times. You gotta do PT with marines and the watches are harder than say, where I am. The good news is you're in the US and you get your own little badge for being there.
Can u really station at one duty station for more than 5 years or not
That sounds too long. 3 years is the max most people do at this command, some extend to 2 years at other commands, but 5 is a lot.
I’m really trying to get in as a ma I leave for meps next month what kinda score do I have to get to become a ma?
Not a very high one, you don't need to be Albert Einstein to guard a gate. MA is one of the lowest scoring jobs, some of my coworkers got like 40, 50 on their test, others got high scores and still chose MA because it sounded cool. Just make sure you study for the math and reading/word knowledge sections of the test, those are the most important parts.
Is MA 4 year contract? Also what rates have 4 year contracts
Pretty much all enlisted contracts are 4 years active duty 4 years reserves.
its about to be ww3, its about to be that life you wanted xD
I want peace
Is the pay good?
Few videos about the topic but as an E-4 in Bahrain I got about $1,500 a check. Here where I am now it's down to $1,100 since it's not tax free here. So $2,000-$3,000 a month.
please can someone with a pact seaman become master at arms
Yes. But if you haven't joined yet, don't sign up as pact to be an MA, get an MA contract right then and there with the recruiter. Believe me.
come back to alpha section man!
Everyone who was there when I was there has got to be gone by now.
What score do I need?
Word Knowledge + Arithmetic Reasoning adding up to 98 on the ASVAB I believe
@@HaedenBeck thank you!
I’m trying to enlist as an ma right now
Best of luck!
@@HaedenBeckthank you!
ID checkers
wHy tHe HelL Do yOu tAlK wIt yO gOdAmN hAnDs sO fReAkInG mUcH!?!?!?!!?!?!?!
Sorry it's just how I talk 😭
Do I need to watch more of this guy, I’m looking up military videos and this dude is wearing a luxry north face jacket…. You still in the military bro?? It is pretty questionable that you are posting military videos while wearing a button down and A North Face.
Yeah i would trust my life with this fool..😂
There's a video about why I don't wear my uniforms in videos, it's because I don't want to use it as a prop for UA-cam. I think it would be disrespectful to the uniform and the Navy. Other people post videos in T-shirts or whatever, but I wear suits to be myself and to be different from the endless other military content creators. The suits are very cheap to be tailored here in the middle east and I designed them all myself on the computer and send it over to the tailors. I'm not on Normandy beach here or in Stalingrad, I'm a security guard on a base so yeah my appearance makes sense. Hope this cleared things up.