Just outta curiosity and fun, are there any cool things Naval Officers experience other branches don't?
We could have fun here, because
all the services have fun things unique to them. In the midst of the slog and going in harm's way, there are some superb and enjoyable experiences to be had in every service and professional branch.
Let's see... cool Navy things.
Swim call off Acapulco (park your ship, throw over some cargo nets, let down the aircraft elevator if that kind of ship, let folks have a lovely swim, with Marines posted in small boats for shark watch on the perimeter) Or with a gazillion feet of water underneath you? I imagine Coast Guard does swim call too.
Steel Beach picnics? BBQ out on deck in the middle of the ocean.
Fleet Week New York or San Francisco? Some kind of fun, though many hours getting prepped for it. Participating in a
multi-nation exercise, going into port after an intense exercise period at sea, and enjoying receptions on the other nations' ships? Ah, fond memories of the Japanese commemorative saki boxes and yakitori stations on the fantail of their ships, and the Aussies' great red wine on theirs.
And the port calls... well, there are some amazing places Navy ships (and no doubt Coast Guard) get to go. I know other services get to go to foreign places as well, but there sure is a lot of spectactular waterfront real estate in the world best seen from the deck of your arriving ship.
Here's a quote from a USNA alumni sponsor "child," a Surface Warfare Officer on a minesweeper: "I’m in Jeju, South Korea, right now opening the port for future Navy visits. Gotta love being on an MCM; we get to go all kinds of neat places first. Because the crew and logistics are so small, the fleet commanders send us in first to survey and do a trial run on the port. This one has been on the Navy’s list for quite some time, and it’s a great resort area... the whole port visit has been a great time."