Seeing the World Through Military Service

Travel Opportunities in the Different Branches

There are many opportunities to see the world available through military service in the different branches of the United States armed forces. Each branch offers its own unique travel experiences depending on typical duty stations and mission requirements. In general, sailors in the Navy and Marines deployed aboard ships have some of the highest chances of visiting ports across multiple continents during a single enlistment period. The Navy utilizes ships to project American naval power around the globe. Sailors can expect to spend months at a time deployed onboard aircraft carriers, destroyers, cruisers and other vessels as they sail between regions. This provides ample opportunities to visit numerous foreign countries through scheduled ship port calls. Additionally, some Navy ratings such as Aviation Ordnanceman may find themselves temporarily stationed at air bases worldwide, further broadening overseas travel exposure. In contrast, airmen stationed with the Air Force have more varied travel prospects depending on their specific job and location. Some airmen may spend their entire careers stateside, while others such as pilots, aircrew and maintenance personnel routinely deploy to bases internationally. However, assignments abroad do not always equate to tourist-style travel between nations like what is typical for Navy sailors. Overall, the Air Force has a mix of stateside and worldwide opportunities for travel beyond U.S. borders.

Travel Experience from Army and Marine Duty Stations

The United States Army also houses diverse chances for international travel through its global units and installation locations. Large numbers of soldiers were once assigned to bases in Germany and South Korea due to Cold War-era commitments that have since drawn down. Today, approximately 30,000 troops still serve in Germany at any given time with periodic rotations to and from the U.S. Deployments to countries like Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa additionally provide Army soldiers chances to visit overseas regions for combat or support missions. Yet duty in another nation does not guarantee carefree tourism between other lands either. Marines face travel prospects much like their Army counterparts depending on the unit they join. Marines deployed aboard Navy ships acquire similar international port visit opportunities as their shipmates in the ocean service. Beyond that, Marine expeditionary units may commonly deploy to sea or foreign soil in places like the Pacific, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and Middle East for defined cycles before resetting stateside. Their forward-based existence ensures routine overseas rotations with scopes varying by billet and mission tempo. Overall, both the Army and Marine Corps can place members in some very traveled parts of the world through their operational postures.

Unparalled Sightseeing on Board Ships

Truly unparalleled chances to visit numerous foreign lands exist for those in Navy ratings serving aboard ships long-term. Sailors living onboard aircraft carriers, frigates, cruisers and other vessels experience unique aspects of the world through scheduled port calls made while deployed for months at a time. As the ships zig-zag between stations across the seas, frequent one- to five-day visits are made to foreign harbors, bays and bases for group shore leave, maintenance and diplomatic courtesy calls. These carefully orchestrated time-ashore periods afford sailors opportunities for casual tourism, cultural immersion and sightseeing often unavailable even to their servicemember counterparts stationed abroad for multi-year rotational tours. Everything from ancient European cities to tropical islands of the South Pacific become readily available destinations during such sea deployments. Sailors may accumulate international excursions spanning a half-dozen or more nations from a single six-month cruise. No other military role matches these types of extended at-sea travel circuits visiting ports-of-call worldwide.

Extraordinary Travels Aboard Submarines

Despite their reputation for solitary voyages beneath the waves, even some ratings in the submarine service gain truly exceptional overseas experiences. Volunteer crews manning America’s “boomers”, guided-missile and attack submarines embark on classified strategic missions often lasting several months at a time. Some of these extended submerged excursions may incorporate rare surfaced port visits to foreign nations for crew rest and resupply. While the specifics of such classified operations remain obscure, it is not unheard of for submarine sailors to spend weeks at a time on their own travels far from home ports while circling the globe discreetly below the surface. Although port calls are infrequent due to operational security, those that do occur afford crews chances to sample foreign cultures during brief surface intervals in exotic locales few military colleagues might ever see. Truly remarkable worldwide travel is hence possible even for submariners devoted to spending months underwater at a time.

Unmatched Traveling Companions

For those hoping to capitalize on military service to undergo unparalleled worldwide travel, joining the United States Navy provides unmatched opportunities. Sailors posted to ships can anticipate embarking on rolling circuit tours visiting major ports of call spanning diverse regions. Submarine volunteers also accept extraordinary risks to access rarely offered foreign destinations during extended submerged patrols. While other branches deliver overseas assignments and deployments too, none can compete with the non-stop traveling experiences available to those who ship out to sea as members of America’s global maritime force. For an adventure accompanied by international sightseeing, the Navy stands alone as the military’s premier ticket to circle the globe.