Why do all my buddies giggle when I say I want to join the Navy after graduation next Spring?

Hehehehehe

Part of it, possibly, is a certain stereotype about the sexuality of Navy personnel.

"How do you separate the men from the boys in the Navy?"
"Crowbar!"

Now, as to whether that merits giggles is a separate question.

Full disclosure: I was an Air Force kid, and even the Air Force was prepared to acknowledge that the Navy was the classiest of the uniformed services.

I never heard anyone in the Air Force say that and I was IN it (not an AF kid) for years.

I had an openly gay co-worker some years ago that grew up in San Diego. He claims to have hooked up with many Navy guys and quite a few Marines. He also used to tell this joke:

What's the difference between a straight Marine and a gay Marine?

About 12 beers!

Don't ask, don't tell.

Navy sounds very cool to me. But I would do some homework. There have been some recent news regarding suicide and desertions in the navy that are far higher than all other services right now and on the rise. Apparently things are pretty terrible on those ships. But I dont know maybe not all navy people are on ships?

Of course not all Navy people are on ships, one of my friends has been in for 19 years (enlisted) and has spent about one year total on a ship.

I spent the normal amount of time on navy ships compared to combat Marines but not as much time as many navy sailors on ships. The Viet Nam era and era a bit past Viet Nam era navy troop transport ships were far more austere than navy combat ships then and definitely more austere than navy combat ships today. A poster said he knew a guy ... . What does that mean? Did the poster see his friend's service record book? Don't join the navy unless you want to be on ships. Don't count on joining the navy and remaining in U.S. the entire time. Being on navy ships is not all bad. Army & air force personnel often get stuck at one location for a year. I wouldn't want to be overseas in one location for a year straight. Eg., I wouldn't want to be in South Korea on DMZ for a year straight.

If you’re referring to me “knowing a guy,” no he’s one of my best friends for 14 years and during that time he’s barely set foot on a ship. He had a 6-month and some shorter stints on one early in his career, but he’s a linguist and he’s exclusively been in Monterey, Hawaii, and Korea the past 15 years.

I'm glad you added your last sentence. Stationed at Korea, cannon fodder if north Korea feels ambitious. I would rather be on ship than stationed at DMZ, Korea.

Hello Sailor!

I lived in Seoul for 4 years, it’s one of the best cities in the world and no one is worried about “cannon fodder.” No one is stationed at the DMZ, he lived at Yongsan for a year but then got to move off base and had a sweet 3 BR place in a high rise building.

A man is not supposed to have such detailed knowledge of their same gender friends at your age. I wouldn't even try to say the 20 year resume of my male friends.

I’m sorry you don’t have friends.

My brother-in-law is a Navy flight officer. He spent some time overseas but a lot of time in Virginia. Now he is a drone instructor in the midwest but sometimes still has to do things away from home for a number of months at a time.

They are probably picturing you in those terrible white uniforms that make it impossible to be straight while wearing.

Look at the bright side. They will have student debt and you won't. You'll get to see the world. A long as you save your money and don't waste it on booze, hookers and flashy cars, you will emerge with a decent pile of cash and a useful skill set.

Coz you’re going to be bobbing in a boatload of seamen.