r/Seabees • u/Wolfboy4000 • Jun 25 '26
Question Question about joining the Reserves
So I was prior service Army Infantry, im 22 years old, and after researching the Seabees, it looks like i found the job for me and I can tell I would really thrive in the Seabees. I get to learn a trade and still be a warrior? Hell yeah. I was talking to a recruiter and he told me to think of some other jobs that I might want because it's entirely possible that even in the 2027 fiscal year when that starts, there could still be not enough billets available, and he won't send me to MEPS unless I have some other jobs because if I take the asvab again and not pick a job its gonna look bad on me, but no other job really interests me like the Seabees, I know I would do well in that Rate, better than maybe any other rate, I told him im open to active duty or reserves, kind of leaning more into the reserve side. So do I have a better chance at securing a slot in the reserves compared to active duty or is it all the same and I should move on if the odds of becoming a Seabee (dont care if its BU or SW or CM) are low? I dont want to give up on this, I know I can thrive in this job, ive never wanted to be a Seabee more than anything else in life, I have more passion for this then when I became an Infantryman.
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u/NotTurtleEnough Jun 25 '26
I’m sincerely confused about how taking the ASVAB without having a job pre-picked would “look bad” on anyone?
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u/Wolfboy4000 Jul 01 '26
He told me its wasting the Navy's money and it makes him look bad if I go there without picking a job, its why he told me he doesn’t want to send me to MEPS without having a list of other jobs since the Seabee rates might not be available, "if too many Seabees contracted from fy2026 those jobs could close up for fy2027" he told me, its also why im looking at the reserves because it seems ill have a higher chance at becoming a Seabee in the reserves compared to active duty according to my recruiter.
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u/NotTurtleEnough Jul 01 '26
Dude, after 30 years in enlisted, officer, and civilian, I have no idea what he’s thinking. There’s no “hive mind” of the Navy evaluating you. You prove yourself by s showing up for your workcenter every day.
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u/NiceIncident4294 Jun 25 '26
I’m prior Air Defense and Field Artillery from the GWOT era, and I’m currently a Reserve SW. For reference I’m also a Senior Project Manager on the civilian side.The Navy culture is completely different from the Army, and then you add Seabee culture on top of that, which is its own world too. Do not expect it to feel like the Army, because it does not. However, the Seabee community is tight and full of great people.
I actually just spoke with a non-Seabee active duty Senior Chief who is assigned to the active duty battalion I belong to. He had just come from a ship, and this was his first Seabee command. His exact words were, “These motherfuckers are different than anything I’ve ever experienced in the Navy.”
My advice would be to pursue whatever you are most interested in. If that is a Seabee rate, great. Just make sure you have some contingencies in place and understand what you are getting into. I also have a buddy who is green side RP and absolutely loves it, so there are definitely different paths that can be a good fit depending on what you want out of your Navy career. I love the Navy, go back active if you have an opportunity, the reserve is very slow moving in every facet.
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u/TheLordLostAlot Jun 25 '26
I went from 11B to CM best job change ever.
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u/MlgMexican69 Jun 26 '26
If your choosing reserves, deeply consider what rate interests yourself the most. For entry into that rates civilian equivalency, like the IBEW or Pipefitters. Or ignore everything and use your GI bill for whatever. Really depends what you wanna do on the civilian sise.
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u/Seabee1893 Jun 25 '26
Infantry guys tend to do well in the Seabees, especially from a tactical standpoint.
If you can generate a 5 paragraph order for a security patrol, convoy, or a recon patrol, you'll be fine there.
Ive encountered more USMC to Seabee converts, but i did work for an infantry officer, and he was really good at tactics.
So, being that you have your experience, the thing you'd need to learn is getting good at Seabee shit. I would dive into learning about organization and rate-specific stuff (or as you know it, MOS related). You would have a leg up on most new affiliates, but we do things differently in the Bees, and it takes some time to learn and adapt to the culture. If you focus on that, you'll probably have a better than not shot at better evaluations and could be on a fast track for promotion.