Anyone Master of Arms

[toby101]

First of all, I would like to say thanks for serving our country at this time.
Second of all, I would like to say sorry for posting in here, but I thought this would be appropriate question and need a serious answer.

A little history about myself. I am currently thinking of joining the Navy for Master of Arms, to further my law enforcement career and educational purposes. I will graduate with a AA/AS in May of this year, and would be leaving for training right away.

Now here is my question, has the Navy ever promised you something and they NEVER came through or have taken a LONG time into making them come true. Thanks a lot.

[pkagel]

Pretty much anyone ever in the military will answer yes to that question.

I did a couple tours TAD to the MAA's. I had a lot of fun doing it but as far as making it a career, naw, I like dry land too much.

[MAAK9]

I have been active duty Navy for 11 years now, spent the last 4 years as a Master at arms and for a year I am currently a K-9 Dog handler MA. I have really enjoyed the work as a Master at arms my previous rate was HM (Hospital Corpsman) I will tell you this, it has become greatly focused on Anti-Terrorism Force Protection vs. Law Enforcement for obvious reasons. If you get orders as a MA state side you will do more law enforcement duties then if you were overseas. The future I believe is MA's will be getting more involved with the Iraq/Afghanistan conflict, relieving much of the Army/ Marines who've taken a beating since the beginning. The down side for the MA rate is the advancement in rank.....in the last 2 years now advancement is tight, very competitive! so if you buckle down, get all your requirements completed and get the EP on your eval you have a chance. If you have any more questions I can help you out and Good Luck! :)

[RANII]

I have been active duty Navy for 11 years now, spent the last 4 years as a Master at arms and for a year I am currently a K-9 Dog handler MA. I have really enjoyed the work as a Master at arms my previous rate was HM (Hospital Corpsman) I will tell you this, it has become greatly focused on Anti-Terrorism Force Protection vs. Law Enforcement for obvious reasons. If you get orders as a MA state side you will do more law enforcement duties then if you were overseas. The future I believe is MA's will be getting more involved with the Iraq/Afghanistan conflict, relieving much of the Army/ Marines who've taken a beating since the beginning. The down side for the MA rate is the advancement in rank.....in the last 2 years now advancement is tight, very competitive! so if you buckle down, get all your requirements completed and get the EP on your eval you have a chance. If you have any more questions I can help you out and Good Luck! :)
Don't you have to be an E4 and above to be an MA?

[H.R. Cufnstuf]

Don't you have to be an E4 and above to be an MA?

Post 9/11 MA is open to new recruits in an effort to recruit for AT/FP billets.

The Navy is very straightforward, haven't seen any broken promises really, no serious ones at least. The contract you sign is very easy to understand. The part that details your job has four lines on it, so if they say you'll come in as an E-3/MA your contract will say:

- Master At Arms (MA) "A" School Guarantee
- Paygrade E-3
- $XXXX Bonus
-

or something similar per your specific guarantee. The one major misconception that I can tell you about is that you'll be a regular LEO in a patrol car. MA used to be like this and some recruiters will try to tell you that's how it is.

MA's are law enforcement specialists. It's a specialty, not a job description. So if MA skills are needed in patrol, corrections, physical security, force protection, or combat that is where you'll be going. My graduating class was 47 strong and had two people go to JTF Gitmo (detainee operations), four to Mobile Security (San Diego and Portsmouth, VA), and the rest went to CONUS precincts where they'll be standing gates and directing traffic until they work their way into patrol.

Also take note of the sea/shore rotation. JTF Gitmo and Mobile Security are examples of sea duty. There are over 12,000 MA's and only about 600 ship billets so your sea duty most likely will not be on a ship unless you have a critical NEC or are E-6+ . With that said, expect to spend three years in some type of combat/physical security duty followed by two years in patrol, rinse and repeat.

[pkagel]

Nice rotation. For Nukes it is more like 4 years at sea and then out or 6 years at sea and then 2 years at something nearly as bad.


Also take note of the sea/shore rotation. JTF Gitmo and Mobile Security are examples of sea duty. There are over 12,000 MA's and only about 600 ship billets so your sea duty most likely will not be on a ship unless you have a critical NEC or are E-6+ . With that said, expect to spend three years in some type of combat/physical security duty followed by two years in patrol, rinse and repeat.

[farrellsm77]

I was QM2 on a destroyer and the only thing our MAA did was make sure the ship was clean, administer **** tests and look after the restrictoids... I hope y'alls shore duty is better than sea duty.

[farrellsm77]

My rotation for a QM2 was 5 sea, 3 shore... That's why I ain't in anymore. :D

[kicket]

I was an abe and was waiting for e-4 before i could go MAA so I took a temp spot with them 7mos before I got out I decided to try to go Hospital Corpsman. I told the they had 7 months to give me an anwser before i reenlisted.well 1 day after my seperation day they called me...Too late I said I had 24hrs to out process and they missed the dead line.so I went to SFS with the USAF.

[stevesbro50]

I am in the process of joining the Navy reserves as a MA. Hopefully MA2

Can anyone give me some insight on this??

History: Prior service, 8 yrs as a LEO. Looking to get some training, get back into the military, and hopefully have some fun.

Too old to go active.

Any 1 out there in the reserves??

[elchorizo]

i just separated but i'm inactive now. however, from everything i hear the ma rate in the reserves is faring a lot better than in active duty. i can't tell you about your time while drilling but your two weeks should be good. i've met dozen of reservists, mostly in their 30's or 40's. it seems like their usually from nypd or boston area police and they usually end up getting put up in a hotel and riding shotgun in a unit.

[Irishluck31]

I am in the process of joining the Navy reserves as a MA. Hopefully MA2

Can anyone give me some insight on this??

History: Prior service, 8 yrs as a LEO. Looking to get some training, get back into the military, and hopefully have some fun.

Too old to go active.

Any 1 out there in the reserves??


13 year Active/ Army Reserve Military Police

Been watching the news. Nothing fun about this crap anymore. 3rd deployment, i use to be a cop, been so long since i have been in a Scout, i dont think ill remember how to turn the lights on.

your prior service, why go back, did your time. now is not the time to get back into it. 20,000 more deployed. most will be NG and reserve. If your LEO and want more training, why not change departments, go bigger or what ever. good luck with what ever you do, but if you think your too old to "Go Active" think again. if you go back to the dark side, i am sure you will be active anyway. ETS 20070203 stuck on stupid until its over.

[WoodyTCSO]

Wether it helps or not, i don't know, but i got off active duty in 2000, after spending the last 3 years of my enlistment as an MAA at Little Creek Amphib base in Va. Beach, so the info i have may be outdated. As an MAA then, i worked partol on the base and was an unit investigator for Assault Craft unit as well. It was a great job, to the extent that after i got off active and started the Law Enforcement academy, i kicked around the idea of dropping out and returning to active duty. If you want to use this as a way to make yourself marketable in the future as a civilian law enforcement officer, it's a good way to go. It worked for me. By way of comparison, after i got hired on at the sheriffs office where i work now, i joined the National guard as a MP. I had to go through the Army's combat MP school, and shortly after i was sent to Afghanistan for 11 months, home for 3 months, then Iraq for a year, then i got out after the birth of my second child. In my experience and opinion, the Navy MAA program was much more Law Enforcement oriented to gain experience on patrol duties. To be fair though, i'll admit that i did not work as a patrol officer in the Army MP's, i was sleeping in the mud and dodging AK47 rounds and RPG's so i can't truly speak from experiance. I can tell you that the Navy MAA program is top notch, and the experiance you gain in the program will assist you in the future. As far as the recruiter goes, i am probably one of the few that can say i was not lied to, or offered anything that i wasn't given. when i went in, you had to be a E-4 to be able to become a MAA, so i went in as a deck seamen, than got my E-4 as a Gunners Mate, and went from there. Recruiters are a luck of the draw thing, but as a wrod of advise, if they offer it, get it in writing in your contract. Hope all this helps cause i'm tired of doing my hunt a peck method of typing.