How often does a navy sailor deploy on average?

Answer 1

Approximately 6 months on deployment, 18 months in-port. This is a rough estimate (give or take a couple months), and by no means a guarantee while the country is at war. During your 18 months in-port, you will still spend a significant amount of time at sea, but typically only for a week or two at a time.

Answer 2

It depends on the ship type, the current global force requirements (the current need for Naval forces in a given area of the globe), any current crisis, etc. There are so many factors that go into ship deployments that there is no clear answer.

However, the Navy does try to maintain ships on a regular rotation when possible. The most obvious and predictable deployment schedules are for FBM Submarines, which have definitive rotation and deployment schedules. However, many things can also affect those schedules.

It's been tougher in recent years with the increase in the need for longer deployments, and that in turn leads to lower manpower levels as people get out because of those deployments. Things today are a lot easier for crew than they were in my time 20 years ago though - we didn't have email, DVD's, Video Games, video conferencing, etc. like they do today. As a Fast-Attack Submarine sailor, we were allowed 5 "familygrams" per deployment, essentially a 30 word message from a family member that wasn't private by any stretch of the imagination. Something like "Hi, I'm fine, kids are fine, dog died, I'm leaving you, divorce papers are in the mail, love you!" is about what was allowed. Nothing like what is available to service members today. It still amazes me.

When they can, the Navy tries to keep ship deployments to regular rotations so people don't get burned out, but it's important to remember that the Navy is usually the first military force to respond to any global crisis by its very nature of mobility and power. A Carrier Task Force can be within strike range of any given target on the planet within a very short amount of time, and it is that ability that can add a serious bargaining chip to the diplomatic table if necessary. "Tough Guys" aren't as tough when they've got that kind of firepower staring them in the face, and the sailors on those ships don't blink.

"Deployment" is a relative term as well. Ships and Submarines routinely put to sea for a myriad of reasons, from regular patrols to training, certification of systems, you name it. The term "Deployment" generally refers to anything over a month or 6 weeks, and that usually adds up to maybe 1 to 3 times a year for a given unit. Again, though, it depends on the mission and what the current National Security situation is. For example, in 1982 I was deployed with my boat to the Mediterranean as part of our normal schedule, when the massacres at Shattila and Sabra happened. Our boat, along with the rest of the fleet, was at the time in port at Naples. We weren't needed, but the rest of the fleet was immediately recalled and sent offshore of Beirut. I've never seen a city so full of people empty so fast before or since.

In general, there are several standing fleets around the globe that rotate ships on a routine basis, based on scheduling, force and security requirements at the time. As I said, while the Navy tries its best to keep ships and submarines on a fairly regular annual schedule, that doesn't always happen. So the real answer is there is no accurate figure for exactly how often ships are deployed, except to say they're deployed when needed to meet the needs of the Navy's global commitments and the strategic interests of the United States.