Going into the Air Force

[progress1vebmx]

I took my physical and everything yesterday - even swore in. I am not officially in the Air Force. I am doing a DEP, so I am not sure what my job is yet. I put down fire fighter, a few military intelligence jobs, SERE, and hopefully I'll be trying out for pararescue/combat control. Hope to use some of the money I get from the AF on my car =).

 

[WFO]

Well...don't join the military to try and get rich...

Anyways,good on ya...the military is everything you make it,if you decide that no matter where you are or what you're doing you're gonna have fun,then it'll be great.You'll meet people that have decided that "this sucks" and no matter what they'll be whining and bitching.Don't let them bring you down,stay positive and really make the most out of every experience...

Later,Sean

SGT,USMC,'92-'96

 

[blackbird]

wing wiper

go to college while youre in, the military will pay for almost everything!!! good luck bro!!

 

[Shane]

Originally posted by WFO
You'll meet people that have decided that "this sucks" and no matter what they'll be whining and bitching

Don't do it! It sucks!

I'll give you the same advice that I give all my friends that talk about joining the military. Get a full time job. Bust your ass there, and take all the overtime they will give you. Go to college at the same time, again full time.

What will that give you? Well, an 80 hour work week. Some money in the bank, but not a whole lot. You'll get by and have some money to do what you want. You'll also get an education and you will have earned it yourself.

Basically, exactly the same as if you joined the USAF, but if you get tired of it you can quit.

Just my two cents. If you're dead set on it, good luck. Personally if I could do it again, I would go USAF. Highest quality of life (and the chicks! oahoahoah) of all the services.

1236 Days left in the USN......

 

[jays87gn]

Whatever you do don't join without having your job chose DO NOT GO IN OPEN GENERAL you will get stuck with a crappy job like SP OR SERVICES IE: BITCH JOB chow hall or handing out towels in the gym just make sure you pick a job you like and make sure its guaranteed . just my 2 cents

 

[progress1vebmx]

Yeah, I work a full time job now with computers. I get paid 9.50$ an hour, pretty good for being 18 I guess. Gives me a lot of money left over to do what I want (car...some activities..etc).

I meant that I am NOW officially in the Air Force - I am just waiting on the jobs that will become available.

 

[odell4o8]

USAF

good for you i enlisted in 1960 to 1964, i was a aircraft mechanic, never left the states, i had a good time. i got to fly as a crew member, got discharged at maxwell AFB montgomery ala, 6/11/ 64 dam im old, good luck, oc

 

[blackbird]

DONT LISTEN TO THE BUBBLE HEAD!!!!

 

[efi-street]

Best of luck to you. I spent 10 years in the AF in intel. If you decide to go that route, pm me and I can give you some pointers that your recruiter won't/can't tell you.

 

[Army MP]

Congrats, the military is a great choice for your future. Of course it's all what you make of it. Definately take college courses, the sooner the better. The guy above is very right about making sure you get the job you want, don't let them pick a freaking job for you or you'll be slinging burgers or some ****! Let them know it is your life and your choice as to what kind of field you want.
I actually tried to join the Air Force when I came in but, get this, they said they couldn't take me due to the amount of tickets I had in the past! I was kinda wild in my younger days, well come to think about it I still am . So I said screw you and went next door to the Army recruiter and well, the rest is history! Where else can you get paid to travel the world to see exotic places and then blow them the hell up?!

 

[jastrckl]

The other advice is all good, particularly about a guaranteed job. Even a guaranteed job is not -really- a sure thing, but you're far less likely to be screwed. One more very important piece of advice. PICK THE SHORTEST ENLISTMENT POSSIBLE. You don't know if you'll hate it or love it, so you want to be able to decide that as soon as you can, and get OUT if you really want to. Do NOT be tempted by the bigger bonus (if there is one for those career fiels) for longer terms. You can get that bonus back when you reenlist if you liked the first term. PM me or hit me up on yahoo (jastrckl) if you wanna BS about it.

-Josh
4 yrs USAF enlisted tech controller
(network/systems administration)

 

[Vendor Defendor]

if you go into fire fighting and pararescue, you can go into fire rescue after you are out. good job, sometimes I wonder why I didn't go into the service, since I owe this country so much.

 

[Lee_Burough]

I have news for you....

If you "Swore in", they own you.

Its honorable service. You'll do just fine. The sky is the limit. You can go as far in the military as your capabilities will take you.

Best Regards,

LeeBurough, USAF Retired

 

[turbov6joe]

I did 8 years as a special operations SP and loved every minute of it! I was also in the DEP, but had a guaranteed AFSC. The way I understood it was, if your in a guaranteed AFSC, and for whatever reason don't make it, they give you the option to either cross train or get out...best way to go IMO! I loved the AF and would only be 4 years to retirement if Clinton had not have cut us back so much....I got caught by the RIF. Currently I'm in the process of going into the ANG, but am crossing over into the commissioned ranks this go around...better $$$ and retirement. Go to school as much as you can, keep your nose clean and your pecker out of all the base whores and you'll be just fine. You will NEVER have or meet the kinds of friends you'll foster in the AF, there is just somehting about those people I can't explain but you'll soon enough figure out yourself....good luck!

 

[Scott Atk]

If you're serious about pararesuce / combat control, I am surprised that you cant get those gauranteed, they are notorious for being short handed. I remember when I was in basic they brought us all in for a combat control briefing trying to get people to commit then. Keep in mind that there is an approx. 80% wash-out rate for those career fields. Let me know if you need advice or clarification on anything (MSgt. 15 years)

 

[granitestategn]

USAF=good choice

Not to bad mouth the other branches, but I think the AF is the easiest to take. I was in for a little over 4 years as enlisted, right out of high school. Went in as a weapons mechanic. Worked on F-4E's and B-52's. It was a guaranteed job, I was just a fool to take it. That was my primary AFSC so even if I cross trained out, as soon as you made Tech Sgt. they sucked you back. The job wasn't bad but I wasn't looking forward to 20 years of that. I was very good at what I did and progressed through the ranks as fast as possible. I got lucky and the OIC of our shop took an interest in my career and my buddies career. We both applied for AFROTC scholarships as enlisted guys on his recommendation. We both tested well. 1200's on the SAT's. I got a full boat scholarship to a tough engineering school. My buddy got squat. Turns out he got an article 15 for a bottle rocket war in Germany between the SP barracks and the MMS barracks. That was the only thing different about our careers and test scores on the application. One black mark on his record screwed him. I bet it didn't seem like a big deal at the time. Do the best you can at whatever they give you. Look for your breaks. Don't turn down opportunities because you're worried about being a s*ck a**. Good luck with it!

 

[Lee_Burough]

Air Force is changing

I was speaking with an instructor at the Air Force Academy this morning. We discussed how tomorrow's Air Force is going to be deployed at least half the time, for 6-9 months at a time.

Tomorrow's Air Force will be sleeping in tents like the other services, the days of nice air conditioned facilities while deployed will soon be history

The mission of the Military seems to be changing as the world changes: From feeding starving people in Somalia, stopping genocide in Bosnia, guarding the DMZ in Korea as well as looking for terrorists.

granitestategn has it right. Heed his advice. When you have a list of specialties to choose from, do some research about what the high sounding words really mean. Ask how oftern you'll be deployed.

Leeburough, Lt Col, USAF, BSC, Retired

 

[jamericaniSS]

Here is my advice for you since im only 23 and in air force rotc in college right now. If your going to go in, go in as an officer. Since your already sworn in, it is best that you choose a job that will be the easiest to transfer in the civilian world, just in case you hate the military you will leave with job training, experience, education, and the fact that you were in the military, employers love that. Being an officer in the military, they force you to pursue a higher degree, you cannot move up in ranks without one which is good.

See how you like the military, if you do like it get out anyways at the end of you enlistment. Make sure as soon as you get in start school at the community college. After you get out attend a university for two years combined with two years of rotc as a poc and college credit, you will have satisfied the requirements for being an officer, a college degree and rotc. Next thing you know boom your back in the airforce as an officers in two years. Thats the fast track, and you will be 24 max, unless u want to be a super senior in college

P.S. Whatever you do, when you get in, just be cool, there are going to people that are going to push you to the max, SUCK IT UP, and press on

laterSS

 

[Lee_Burough]

Good advice jamericaniSS....But, there is a better, faster way to get a degree and a commission while still on active duty: The Bootstrap program.

In this program, you get to your first duty station and start night school. When you get enough college credit, apply for the bootstrap program. In this program, you go to school full time, with full pay and allowances, and finish your degree and get a commission. All this time counts toward your retirement.

I know several people personally who have done it. I know several people who started as an E-1 and ended up thirty years later as an O-6. Limited only by your performance and potential.

After you get your undergraduate degree, apply to the Air Force Institute of Technology for training in a dicipline/skill the Air Force needs. Get selected (a hard thing to do, you need something like 1300 on the GRE and perfect performance reports) and go to graduate school full time with full pay and allowances (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, anywhere you can get accepted, they pay tuition and books too).

Best Regards,

leeb

 

[jamericaniSS]

Second the bootstrap program

laterSS