Depends on what exactly one might have been up to. These days, if you drop in as an Ensign and have any interest in a truly viable and productive career (especially as it pertains to Naval Intel), the last thing you want to have happen is to get assigned to a carrier. The assignment to an "oiler" or "trawler" is the one everyone wants. Only one or two entry officers per ship which affords the opportunity to not only learn an immense amount in personal and rapid fashion, but it's also a very good environment in which to establish contacts and references provided one can prove himself competent. This is in stark contrast to the dreaded carrier assignment in which the Ensigns spend most of their time lined up on the rail puffing smokes because they are bored. Of course I'm generalizing a bit, but for anyone who aspires to more than pushing some payroll paperwork in Norfolk or San Diego, a first assignment on an "oiler" or "trawler" in some remote sector is a godsend compared to some of the alternatives. Of course, that's how it is now and I have no clue how things might have worked 15 years ago, but in the present context that's how it works.