Viewpoints
Shipping out
By Calvin Edward
May 17, 2005
Tuesday
Yes, it is a good opportunity,
but with drawbacks. (1) You can not ship out through the Ketchikan
office by Sea-Link but one time. (2) You have to register through
Anchorage and Seattle in person, that's by paying your own way
round trip. (3) They do not want you to have a family to take
care of and you are limited on money with the wife and kids.
I shipped out twice with them, took off the last 3 months of
2004 and the first 5 months of 2005 to take care of my wife and
kids - especially my kids for the school year because we have
no baby-sitter.
Now I have to pay out of my
pocket to go to Seattle and Anchorage and register with both
and pay for a physical and drug test for with my medical. SIU
is suppose to pay all or partial for.
I would like to only ship out
only for 4 to 5 months a year and the rest of the year stay at
home and watch my kids grow up and be a father to them, but they
do not like that. They would like you to ship out all year long
and have no family life at all.
Calvin Edwards
Ketchikan, AK - USA
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