Each duty station in the Navy is much different from the next. From personal experience, being stationed on an aircraft carrier and a squadron, being stationed on an aircraft carrier significantly improves personal growth and the development of your naval career. A mix of great leadership, an emphasis on job related experience, and contagious morale boil together in perfect harmony to outshine squadron life. The average aircraft carrier has the capacity to house a small city at one time; therefore a common misconception is that a sailor may get lost in the sea of perfectly uniform faces. However, the leaders on this city at sea take you under their wings to make sure that you are staying on the right track on the job and also off the job. The mentorship received on a carrier is very personal and geared towards not only supplying you with the books you need to advance but to also point you in the right direction when you are having problems at home. The amount of resources and knowledge that they are so willing to freely give can never be priced. It gives you the security you need as a uniformed service member to know that someone is on your side. This is the steadfast for the roots of your naval career, this is something to keep in mind, because later down the road it maybe a deciding factor in your decision to sign on the dotted line for another enlistment. Each rate (Navy term that referrers to one's job title), is unique and vital to the function of a carrier at sea. A city at sea implies that the city can sustain itself; if you too came to this conclusion you would be right. The need for competent and knowledgeable workers greatly increases a sense of urgency to learn the job. This comes in handy later down the road, because to advance to the next rank, you have to excel at a competency exam, that tests overall knowledge of the job. So understandably from day one, those around you will start grooming you into your rate whether it