[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Considering USAF, thoughts? (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 5/17/2008 1:44:37 PM EDT
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After a bit of discussion with my wife about this... we're starting to seriously consider my joining the USAF as an option. I'm too old to enlist except as an officer... which would mean 2.5 to 3 years of hitting the books hard to get my degree. I only have a bit over 3.5 years to enlist before the cutoff date. A quick synopsis of our situation: We live in a very cheap part of the country, in a not-so-large city (less than 200k) and have all the "benefits" that come with that. Among those are the fact that my non-college-grad-self can do good (for the area) and make a decent living. I've had 12 years maintaining computer systems & networks, as well as about 10 years (at the same time... I'm not THAT old!) working with television, graphic/web design, photography, etc. type work. I am fairly decent at what I do, and can teach myself just about anything technical (quickly), as I have in the past. My wifes and my dreams are a bit bigger than this area... and I'm a bit concerned that moving off to the "big city" type areas, where things are actually done well by default (we consider ourselves an oddity, in that we try to excel at whatever we do... definitely not the norm around here) concerned that we will no longer be above average, but just average with (at least on my part) no school qualifications to facilitate entering in to the "real" workforce at anything but an entry level position. That having been said, it would appear that I've come down to the wire, and that if I ::DO:: decide to join the USAF, I probably would need to start school this fall, so I'm really crunched on time, if we go that rout. I'm waiting on a callback from a recruiter... so I'm sure a lot of my questions will be answered there... what I'm curious about finding out from the hive mind is any advice/suggestions on whether this is a reasonable/good idea. I know the recruiter will think it's a GREAT idea, no matter what the situation/facts are. Our plan is to hit school hard (for bachelors), try to make ends meet... in about a year we would like to have our first child, making it even harder to make ends meet. I plan on trying to get student loans, and I ::think:: part of those might be paid for as a bonus when joining the USAF. After school, we would hope to get stationed overseas, or somewhere northwest US. We expect to be able to finish repaying student loans, and save up a bit of money while living on base if possible. I would consider staying in past 4 years, provided I felt like I was actually accomplishing something/making a difference... otherwise I plan on finishing up after 4 years and using the bill to continue on and get my master's (while working). So what are the pros & cons of this grand scheme of ours? Will it be worth our while to add in the USAF... or should we just try to hit school hard and find a job sooner (which IMO would make it more difficult to pay off loans)? I'm sure I left out a ton of relevant information... but I feel like I've already written enough that some (most?) people will just skim over it or move on to the next thread.  So sorry for the long post.
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Steak... if it's done right... I could live off of it. Lobster... eh.. it's edible, but I don't go out of my way for it. Are you asking whether we're willing to (or have already) cut out the "optionals"? If so, we already have... we spend less than $300 month on food, and put every penny extra we can afford into paying off our home (no other debt). |
AF here. I think it's a very worthwhile way to serve your country, and to also take care of your family. If having a kiddo soon will make life harder, you may want to consider waiting at least until you commission. Via Tricare, your kid will be free. The health care and lifestyle benefits of AF life are tough to beat. Best of luck. Send an IM anytime if you'd like more info. |
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You may think that you're too old to enlist but EVERYTHING is waiverable. The last time I checked the USAF was screaming for network guys; they get them trained up and then a few years later the network guys leave the USAF in search of the big IT bucks. If you have network certifications that would help you get into the USAF immediately. I don't know if there are any enlistment bonuses for the Network Administrator career field. As far as schooling goes the USAF is a great place to get a degree, very education friendly. You'll earn about a year of credit toward an AA by the time you finish up your tech school; spend a little time studying and you can go through quite a few FREE DANTES and CLEP tests and earn some free college credit. The USAF also has a couple of commissioning programs and tuition assistance available to help you achieve your education goals; I've linked some below. Good luck. SOAR AECP ASCP BOOTSTRAP |
AF officer here. Skopsko--everything you said is true for enlisted, but it sounds like the OP wants to go the officer route, and he's up against an age barrier. I don't think he has enough timeline left to enlist, then go bootstrap. The AF doesn't have a lot of active-duty network admin anymore; it's almost ALL contractor. Officers don't do that kind of work anyway. AF comm officers lead the personnel that do that work; right out of tech school they are available to do any kind of comm (radio, LAN, satellite, you name it). No guarantees you'll get comm in the first place; needs of the AF come first. I know a guy who had a criminal justice degree; several years as a reserve police officer; three years as a law enforcement Explorer Scout--and got commissioned as a personnelist. You may want to relook your timeline. If you're serious about becoming an officer, you have until age 35 to get commissioned (waiverable, but to get it you probably need to have a pretty rare skill set, like fluent in Farsi or something like that). Don't know how much college you have already, but that might determine your commissioning source. All officers must have a bachelor's degree, minimum. You can go ROTC and get your officer training and degree at the same time, or you can finish your degree and go to Officer Training School (OTS). Both are good commissioning routes, just depends on what you want to do. Either way, I know guys who have had young children and gone to school at the same time....but it was very, very tough. Somehow, you're going to have to pay for school, take classes (and if your GPA goes too low, you're kicked out of ROTC), and care for a wife and new child. You'll have to evaluate whether that's something you can do. If you do OTS, your wife cannot accompany you there; you will be unavailable for the entire 12 weeks. After you graduate, the USAF will teach you everything you need to know about your job. The tech schools are very effective. Hope this helps. If you have any specific questions, let me know. |
AF Enlisted Net Admin here (3C071). Limaxray is right. Every year we lose more and more positions. Most functions are being centralized at NOSC level, leaving only a handfull at the base level. For the most part, if you're not at a NOSC, you're either deployed, or waiting to deploy. I've got a year left on my contract, and i'm leaning towards getting while the getting is good. I know my job isn't going to be around for much longer. |
That is an important skill for when we invade Iran. I bet my balls that there won't be any AF officers on the ground in Iran interacting with the Persians though. |
What he is implying here is that the USAF eats alot of steak and lobster. He's not joking. I've had the pleasure in eating in quite a few USAF DFAC's in my day, and they KICK ASS, and they bus your table. WTF. Over.?? |
Great point--totally irrelevant to the conversation. Also, the AF is developing an AF version of FAOs, so having an AF officer speak Farsi isn't the pipe dream you think it is. Also, ever hear of CCT or AF special ops? They like to speak the local language, usually. Any other useless tangents you want to go on? |
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Do you want to join the military? Edit - I am not trying to harass, or stir you to another branch. It seems your goal is to get in. Why? Just benefits? If so, the postal service has offices everywhere. You could be a support employee in DHS/FBI/ETC.... But for some reason, this post is predicated on the aim of being military. Why is that? |
Thanks for the info on healthcare... right now my wife has decent coverage, including for an unexpected baby if we had one now. But we'd definitely take advantage of it for kid # 2 (and more?!?)I guess I'm a little unclear on the "making ends meet" part. Technically, I should have said making ends meet while still actually having time for my family... I feel that I could do an entire (typical) 4 year course in 2-2.5 years without working much, or do it in 3-3.5 and still work part time. We actually have our own business we own, and I contract out for a lot of work.
True... but my wife is freaking out about being 30 and not having a kid (she still has 1.5 years before the big three-oh), so I don't think I could convince her to wait much longer. I think it would be a huge undertaking, but I feel confident we could make it work. But it would be WORK. We both understand that, and both agree that we would like to do the "work" up front in our lives so that we can take it a bit easier later in life. |
Thanks Skopsko and limaxray. It is true, I just had my 31st birthday, and according to the USAF website, you can only enlist before your 28th birthday, or be commissioned as an officer by your 35th. This gives me about 3 years and 10 months to graduate and be comissioned. I was, however, unaware that you could get waivers. So I am 99% sure I am out for anything but being an officer. I will however follow up on those links you provided and see if any of them will help. Thank you. limaxray... this is the kind of thing I'd be a bit concerned about (what actual job I would get in the AF). While I am thinking that 90% of what I would rely on outside the USAF would be the degree, it would be nice to have something at least SOMEWHAT related or relative to my career path. But if push came to shove, I wouldn't give up the idea just because I wouldn't get to do what I want while on duty. As for kids/school part you bring up... our plans are to try to get student loans (which hopefully won't be interest bearing until after I graduate), continue to live in our home, and I would only work in the evening/weekend. Wife would probably only work part time. We do have both sets of would-be grandparents who live close and are absolutely chomping at the bit for grandkids... so I think they will help out a bit when we get busy. Ideally, we'd not have to sell our home (we have about 50K in equity), can stick with the remaining 9.5 years of the mortgage w/o refinancing, student loans cover the school cost until we're out and then get busy on knocking the loans out afterward. That is ideally... in reality I know it will be tough. I am grateful to have such a wonderful wife who not only agrees with me but pushes me to do things I would not do on my own. She actually wants me to get my degree, problems and tough times be damned. |
Well I wasn't going to go there... In other circumstances, I would be considering the other branches as well. I won't get into all my reasoning, but suffice it to say, with the way our lives are right now, I feel that this is the best (only?) option militarily that even is a possibility of being in our best interest. Plus, I'm an old guy... I don't play sports and run 5-15 miles a day like I used to in my teenage years. I've transitioned from the physical arena to the mental arena in my life, and I think the AF just might suit me better. No offense intended to any other branches. |
Score! You just made up my mind! (j/k) |
While I am not gung-ho, nothing can stop me, rabidly trying to get into the military... I have always had an interest in the military. I oftentimes find myself not really agreeing with what the military is ordered to do, but that does not detract from the military in any way, only those who make those decisions. So yes, I do have an interest in the military... while at the same time I would not feel unfulfilled if I did not make that happen in my lifetime. I'm sure there are plenty of other ways I could go about getting benefits. I am not considering anything but the USAF at the moment. My only other option is my usual "sheer do-it-yourself" method/attitude. |
Helped you with that a little. You guys are part of the Navy. 
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HEY! I'm 42; what does that make me, ancient!?! As for any job guarantees....I just had an interesting conversation with the assignments guys for my career field a couple of weeks ago that might be relevant. Essentially, the assignments guys really do look at your dreamsheet (your prioritized list of jobs and locations you want to have). For the most part, they will fill them in the order you put them, UNLESS you put as any of your choices a career field that is critically undermanned or must-fill positions (like mine, 13S space & missile officer). Even if that's your fifth choice, it's now your #1 choice. For the technical jobs like comm, they do tend to look at your degree, but since the tech schools are all designed to give you everything you need anyway, that's not so critical. My original degree was in computer science, so they made me a missileer. I know a guy in the same job who had, essentially, a degree in sailing from the University of Hawaii. One of the Lts working for me now has a degree in "hospitality services" (hotel management). All were employed by the USAF in operating an intercontinental ballistic missile system. That's the round peg in the round hole.  Sounds like you've got a good plan in place and a supportive wife. That last is going to come in especially handy when you're on your third deployment in two years, or working on your sixth straight month of six to seven day work weeks. Ugly truth time: your wife needs to know EXACTLY what you and she are getting into, because she's going to be just as busy and involved as you are. She will be a single parent more than not, and even when you're home, you may be busy enough that "home' is just a place where you keep your spare clothes. Your wife's support and active participation in your education, career and in your unit once you go active duty is critical to creating a good, solid team on the home front to take care of all the crazy stuff that happens to military families. |
I... er... uhhh...  I don't consider 40's or even most 50's aged people old... but let's face the facts: MOST people are more prone to be more athletic/active in their younger years. I am one of those people. I used to play soccer and literally run miles a day, lift weights daily, etc. Then I turned 16, and found out about paychecks... Since then, I have always worked my butt off, and I found that working with my mind was more productive and paid better.So no offense intented to people 31, 42 or 53, heh... but you gotta admit, I have a point!
This is the type of advice and information I was hoping to get... the REAL stuff no recruiter will tell you. I appreciate your bringing up stuff like this. Would you mind expounding on what to expect while in the service? I'd be especially interested in these types of details (PM ok if you'd rather not post all that here). I imagine it will entail more than a standard 40 hour work week... but I haven't heard from my few friends who are former service members anything quite this drastic. They have told me that moving around was a pain (but we like to travel & see other places... hopefully this will be a benefit for us). However, they were not serving in a time of war... so I imagine things might be completely different. |
No sir, I can't say that I have... Frankly I must admit I know next to nothing about the USCG. I know so little about them, that I still can't comprehend how/why one of my friend's husband is a coast guard living in the middle of the ConUS... literally one of the farthest places from the coast you can be! |
Get the knife ready. It's pretty clear you don't know all that the USAF is doing these days. There are a LOT of airmen with boots on the ground doing some things that don't immediately come to mind when you think of the USAF. As for the commissioning route... I'm an AF officer, but I'm on the flight side of the world. What has been said already holds true-- tough to get into the comm world these days as most of the work is being contracted out, and what isn't is not done by officers anyway, at least not on a technical level. Your main job would be leadership and management, not actual technical work. 2Lt pay isn't horrible, but you won't exactly be rolling in it either. For a man your age, it will most likely be a lot lower than what you're accustomed to. Also, all your peers will be 22 year old pricks like me fresh out of college who don't know thing one about how the world works beyond the fact that it revolves around them. I've only met a few Lt's over the age of 30, and all were many years prior enlisted. Adjusting to the military life, especially the Lt life will be very difficult at 34. It can be done, but there are easier roads to travel. |
| If you enlist try to get a personelist job (not bashing), if you plan to hit the books hard for college, as those guys usualy only work weekdays and usually have a set schedule. But however since I am a flight engineer I will tell you that I believe it is the best job in the world but a buisy working one and always studying about airplanes (not just at work). The AF is great but be prepared to not get promoted in a quick damn fashion. Promotion in the AF after you make E-4 will depend on how much you study a promotion guide book and how high you can score on it. Your yearly performance reports give you points but it really doesnt mean anything if you work 24 hours a day and 7 days a week (that will not get you promoted), but the AF does have some good places to be stationed at right now. Also what job you get also will depnd on the promotion rate also as some get more promtions each year. Any questions just IM me and I will answer them if I can. What ever you do do not let the recruiter sign you up as open genneral (DO NOT LET THEM TALK YOU INTO THIS) |
Let me tell you, one of the happiest days in the Air Force was when I turned 40. The PT test got MUCH easier! 
Bottom line, you work till the job gets done. Period. Mission accomplishment is the #1 priority. And, don't let the recruiter or even your commander fool you. I've had commanders say "Your family comes first," but when they run the recall roster and put you on six-ring alert, your family situations have ZERO bearing on how you answer the bugle calls. Right now I put in five to six 10-12 hour days. I'm also in a leadership position, so it goes with the territory. As an Lt, your primary focus is to A) ensure mission accomplishment by leading the people and managing the resources under your control, and B) becoming technically proficient at your job. If that leadership role means you do an 80-hour workweek, well, there's your answer. Duties and work hours vary with the job. My first job was as a deputy missile combat crew commander. I worked about 19 days a month, the rest was my time. Four years later I was a training/evaluation flight commander getting ready for an inspection; I had two full days off my last three months in that job, I completed a master's thesis in the process, and got a single day off after the birth of my second child. Thirteen years later, Pentagon assignment--in every day at seven, out every night at seven, five days a week. I've had weeks where I was home every day at 4:30, and got to the gym three times during duty hours; I've also had months where I had one day off, ate lunch at my desk and gained 5 pounds because my only heavy lifting was putting another ream of paper in the copier. Spouses--unsung heroes of the military. They wind up single-parenting while we go off to war, wondering every day if we're coming back. The spouse's network is just as important as the active-duty part of the unit. I've got other blue-suited people to vent and bond with; the spouses need that support network too, so they can share trials, tribulations, tactics, techniques and procedures to get by. When they don't do that, they tend to take it out on the active-duty member, which makes the Airman less effective, since now he's worried about the home front instead of the work front. Expectations of a junior officer: - Be loyal, both up and down. I fully support my commander's decisions in front of the Airmen. I voice my concerns in private, but after that, his position is my party line. I also am an advocate for my Lts to my boss--sometimes I'm their only voice. One of the very first things I say to subordinates when I take over a new job is "I'm not here for me. I work for you. My job is to give you everything you need to accomplish the mission. Tell me what that is." - Be technically proficient. You can't lead your troops if you don't know your job, and theirs, inside and out. - Be yourself. Your troops will catch fakeness and phonyness in milliseconds; don't even try. You will make mistakes; don't try to hide them, but just learn & grow from them. That's a brief start. Any other questions? Happy to answer them! |
 N_T, I didn't realize you are in my unit! We get 3-4 new 2Lts a month. Usually it takes about six months of playing whack-a-mole on their heads before the beatings take and they are humble enough to deal with. I actually prefer working with the older 2Lts. They tend to "get" the world better than the fresh out of college ones, and since they're butterbars as well, they can guide the new kids better, gentler and easier than I can. |
I've gotten my fair share of whackings, that's for sure. Took me a full two years to kinda sorta get it (but still not really there yet methinks). I give up the golden shield in two weeks, so hopefully I can continue along without getting my peepee slapped too hard on a regular basis. |
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They were handing out pink slips to comm officers when I left Active Duty. Comm troops were mostly being relegated to working on tactical equipment.... Most of the fixed comm stuff is being contracted out....as Limaxray pointed out... Do yourself a favor and check your Air National Guard and Air Reserve Recruiters....I think they may let you enlist at an older age....the Guard and Reserve are different worlds than the active side. You may be better off enlisting if you can....have the .gov pick up at least part of the tab for your college. I actually got a bonus for coming in the Guard part time...no bonus for staying active....not the reason I got out....but it kind of amazed me that the pickings were better at my local Guard unit. |
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The Air Force isn't that bad. You generally have better base support than the other services. The facilities and programs are usually nicer. Education is pretty much 100% free now. PT is easy and unless you get a job doing Combat Control, Pararescue, or one of the other tactical jobs that are hard to get anyway. For the bad part there are a ton of regulations. There is a regulation for everything. I am sure CE has a technical order for installing a toilet. There are technical orders and Air Force Instructions that conflict with other technical orders and Air Force Instructions. The AF makes an AFI and the individual MAJCOMS make their own version of a supplement to the AFI so when you change duty stations there is a chance you will need to relearn your job if you get a different MAJCOM. Unless you are headed to a bare base, are Security Forces, or are an officer who can carry an M9 there is a 90%+ chance you will get no weapon experience unless you count your CATM qualifying once every 18 or 30 months. We don't even get weapons when deployed many times. I would say it is not bad and you get treated very well, but it is probably not as fun as the Army or Marines would be. It can be very "Office Space" like, if that makes sense. You'll probably end up doing some TPS reports for someone that out ranks you. |
I figured I'd be an oldie if I did this... fortunately I can usually get along with people pretty well, even when they annoy me. I figured pay wouldn't be the greatest, but assumed that with housing allowances, medical, possible tuition help, etc that it wouldn't be that bad. What is your experience with what you actually end up DOING most of the time? I assume paperwork and bossing enlisted around (and being bossed around by everyone else!?) |
I'll keep the recruiter stuff in mind (I have heard MANY a time to be wary of recruiters!). But I don't think I'll be able to enlist, sounds like it is either officer or bust... that's what I get for procrastinating. |
Well, my experience is a bit different from the "average" lt. experience since I'm a pilot. For "working" lt's, generally if you're "bossing" someone around, you're doing it wrong. You will receive taskings from your bosses, and you will tell your NCOs. Your NCOs will use their airmen to achieve those taskings. You supervise and ensure that your boss's goals are being met. You shouldn't be bossing airmen around, because then you're undercutting your NCOs. Overall, an Lt is an entry level manager. You will have a lot of power, and a lot of responsibility, BUT you will also have a LOT of supervision until you show you can fart without shitting your pants. |
Wow, thanks. That is quite a bit different than any other experiences I have had related to me. One of my closest friends growing up was stationed on/in Elmendorf (sp?) AFB in Anchorage... I even visited him for a month. He seemed to have got the easy job (electronics/radar type stuff)... well, perhaps I am assuming easy, I guess I should say not-crazy-hours. Once again, I bet the lack of war at the time, plus his being enlisted made things a lot different than they are now. So what you're implying is... I shoulda done all this before I got married and am about ready to have kids, eh? Well, that gives me a lot more to think about. I don't mind doing what it takes... but I would have to seriously consider whether or not it would be worthwhile to potentially put my family thru all that. I'm sure I'll have some more questions after I speak to the recruiter this week. Thanks for your input. |
Thanks, I'm trying to dig around on the air reserve webpage... doesn't seem to have as much info as the USAF website... but I could consider that, if I would be able to enlist now and then be commissioned later. |
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You could always talk to an officer recruiter about your options (did not read the entire thread, so I apologize if it has been mentioned). I've spoken to one a little bit about going where my schooling will help the most. Sadly, I'm not fluent in Farsi (much to my father's disappointment), but I could learn what little I don't know in a fairly short time and USAF knows this, heh. However, I thought 27 was the cutoff--is it easy to get an age waiver? I'm 25.5 right now and will not graduate until I am a couple of weeks short of 27. |
You KNOW I'm going to be in the super ninja air-deltaseal team... that's what the recruiter says!  But seriously... I enjoy playing with guns, but I am not considering military service for the gun aspect. So I can live without that... I assume I probably already have more experience and training than I would get even if I was one of the 10% carrying a weapon for the USAF. I'll still find time to have fun (if ammo ever comes back down) with guns. The regulations sound like typical big business & govt fun stuff. I can't say I look forward to it, but I had better get used to it if I plan on not being self-employed the rest of my life. ::sigh:: Hopefully I wouldn't end up as the USAF's Milton. I could set the air force on fire... I could report this base to the board of congressional oversight and have it condemned... I could put strychnine in the |
I wasn't really serious about the bossing part, just a figure of speech. Managerial... that's downright boring, but probably a good thing whether one continues on in the AF or goes "public". As much as I'd probably find it dull, hopefully it would be useful in the future. I'll be the first to admit, I'm not the best manager... I tend to know how to do things, or can figure them out fairly easily... so I get frustrated trying to "manage" everyone and get them to do what needs to be done. I swear, it usually takes five times as long as it would for me to just do it myself! I think I have a bad taste because I've had the "pleasure" of heading up many volunteer departments and groups. Good grief, I can't stand that. That's why I like contracting myself out, and when I need help, I hire someone who knows what they're doing on commission. I'm sure I'm a bit resentful of managerial duties because I've never had a good experience in that situation... Having a group of people who KNOW what they're supposed to do and have actually been trained to do it probably is about 180 degrees from what I would consider management (from my prior experiences). So I won't knock it till I try it (for real). |
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Steenkybastage: I'm an Army Vet, was the Recruiting Officer for our deployed Combat Engineer company, the son of a retired Army chief warrant officer, son-in-law of an Air Force retired senior NCO, and the father of a Navy corpsman. As such I have a natural distrust of military recruiters... If you are keen on trying to go Air Force as an officer, I have some insights for you. - To get a commission you will need a bachelor of science degree. - The best way to get a commision is to go Advanced ROTC for 2 years (junior and senior years). If you meet all the academic and medical requirements, and are clearable, you WILL get a commission as a 2nd LT in the USAF. If you go AFROTC you will NOT have to mess around with recruiters (who are likely to scr** you). - Something to consider is to join the National Guard. If your state has an ANG unit, try to join that. MANY STATES GIVE YOU FREE TUITION TO THEIR STATE UNIVERSITY IF YOU ARE ACTIVE IN THEIR NG PROGRAM. So check. If this is an option in your state, you can join the Guard, serve as a weekend warrior, apply to your State university for full-time, and when the semester starts, quit your day job and attend school full time. If you max out your weekends and summers, the Guard pay will often go a long way to paying your rent. If your wife is working, then the Guard pay and her pay will probably keep your family afloat while you finish up your Bachelor's. In the meantime, you also do Air Force ROTC if you can (or any ROTC program e.g. Army if AFROTC is unavailable) - By the way, at the time of your commisioning, you can probably transfer from Army to Air Force. I have known many Guardsmen who have also transferred from NG to ANG and vice versa, so if your state has a join-the-Guard-and-go-to-college-free deal, take it. - Use your time in the NG or ANG to get prior-service time, and a free ride (if possible) to your state university. Many state universities offer an ROTC program of some kind. Again, inter service transfers at commissioning are possible. The MISSION is to get a degree, get prior service time, get your commission, and STAY AWAY from the recruiters. Now, as to the Air Force for Officers: - The best work goes to PILOTS. If you are able to get qualified as a military aviator somehow, no matter which service, get those wings. All other officers in the USAF are second class citizens. - If you are not a PILOT then at least try to get an officer aircrew position. Like a NAVIGATOR or ELECTRONIC WARFARE OFFICER. Those aircrew wings are almost as important as the pilot wings. - Any other officer position - is still an officer position, and better than life as enlisted airman. But it isn't the same as being a pilot or officer aircrew. - Promotions in the Air Force usually go faster than the Navy, and slower than the Army. This is true for both officer and enlisted. It was true 26 years ago, and it appears to still be true. - Officers get to be involved in technical design. If you are an engineer of some kind, those guys get the best technical jobs (pilot, aircrew, or non-aviator) which give you good experience for the "real world". So if you can get a technical degree, do so. GO FOR THE BS, not the BA if you can. The Air Force is a very technology oriented service, much more so than the Army or Navy. - Beware the RIF (Reduction in Force). This is like getting laid off in the civilian world. I know an AF Lieutenant that got RIF'd just a couple of years ago. I think I have seen more Air Force RIFs than in the Army or Navy, except after the end of the Vietnam War, when the Army RIF'd lots of officers (mainly infantry and Army aviation). The Air Force seems to have more creature comforts for both their officers and airmen than the other services, in terms of quarters and facilities. The fighter mafia gets the best assignments. These are the guys that talk with their hands. If you don;t know what I mean now, you will later on. These guys "live" at Wright Pat and deploy out worldwide. But they always seem to go back to Wright Pat. The missile mafia is not far behind in terms of good assignments. The "special program" get pretty good treatment too. Having said that, if you like the "ground tactical" stuff, the Air Force Security Police is a pretty tough bunch. They get very neat stuff including weapons, sensors, armored cars etc. that the Army and Marines would kill to get. They need officers to, and often the guys without technical degrees get studk there. Many USAF officers consider an assignment like that as "banishment" but I can see how some guys on this board would like it. Of course, being an ex combat engineer and an ex spook, if I were 30 years younger I could personally deal with a career in the USAF as a security officer. Hope this helps somehow. Good luck. 
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Yup, I'm waiting on a callback from the recruiter at some point this upcoming week. I'll see what options I have available, and what they think is the best course of action. I'm mainly wanting people's opinions and experiences here... I am quite the skeptic, especially when it comes to sales people (recruiters), so gathering "end user's" input is very beneficial to me.
You have to enlist before you turn 28 (or perhaps older if you get a waiver), but you can join as an officer as long as you are commissioned before your 35th birthday (once again... waivers could change that?). It sounds like you have plenty of time. 
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I think everyone here knew what he meant. 
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Completely understand your concerns on the effect of military life on your family. I won't sugarcoat it; it can be hard. It can also be very rewarding. Philisophically, you need to understand what you're thinking about doing. As an officer, you are going to take the following oath: I, (Full Name) having been appointed a (Rank) in the United States Air Force, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter, SO HELP ME GOD. You will swear to "to protect and defend the Constitution." All other allegiances, except to God, take second place. You will be given the responsibility, along with 1.2 million other Americans in uniform, to keep this great nation safe and secure in a hostile world. To fulfill that mission, you will be given the authority to put people's lives at risk, and given power to tell people where they will sleep at night, upon pain of jail time or even death if they disobey your orders. Powerful, scary stuff? You betcha. To do it well, it will require your dedication and determination to do the job right, every time, and to ensure the Airmen under you do the same. 90 out of a 100 of them just need a little direction and the resources to do the job right, and they will simply amaze and humble you with their ability to do six impossible things before breakfast. 9 of the other 10 require guidance, mentorship and sometimes a swift boot in the butt to turn them around and make them your best contributors to the mission. The last guy is going to give you fits, and some great stories to tell over a beer before you kick him out of the service for something stupid. There is nothing so rewarding as leading Airmen (or Soldiers, or Marines, or Sailors) in the defense of the United States. Yes, there's a lot of paperwork (it's a .gov agency, after all!); yes, there are things that will make you grind your teeth FLAT in frustration; yes, you will sacrifice time and effort that you would rather spend with your family. But..... When it's all said and done, I can tell my kids & grandkids that some of the most satisfying moments of my life occurred during my service to the United States. What better example of responsibility, service before self, and answering a higher calling can you provide your kids than the daily ritual of putting on a uniform and assuming the role of defender of the nation? And, it doesn't matter if you're a zipper-suited sun god, flying Mach 8 upside down with your hair on fire, or a personnelist, or a logistician. We ALL say the same oath, writing that blank check to the country to the amount of "any sacrifice, up to and including my life." There is no shame in deciding the sacrifices of military service aren't worth the rewards. But if you do raise your right hand, understand, up front, that to do it right, you need to give it your all. |
A whole lotta "thankyou's" for that family.
Tell me about it... I am naturally distrustful of ANYONE, but sales people just usually need an extra dose of skepticism (even tho I have known and do know many honest up front sales people... it doesn't seem to be the norm).
I had never thought about the NG/ANG... in looking online it would appear that this may work out (ANG). Thank you for the info, I will consider this as an option if we decide to go the mil route.
Unless other branches have different regulations, It seems you have to be under 28 to be a pilot for the USAF... Of course I'd LOVE to do that, but I don't see it as an option, unless someone has a suggestion for a workaround.
That is something I have a concern about. If I was in the middle of serving and "laid off", what would that entail? Obviously we'd be out on our own... but is it a "here's your last paycheck, don't let the door hit you on the way out" kind of thing, or is it a "you have 6 months left, and your benefits stick around for a while (GI Bill, insurance, etc)" situation?
Thanks for your input on the subject... you've given me a lot to think about. I may strongly consider the ANG route as it looks like it would be good for my location and situation. One thing... I don't suppose you can transfer in the middle of your ANG stint into the USAF, can you? I see they offer 3 and 6 year commitments, but is there a way to "re-up" in the middle with another branch? I assume not... but it'd be worth checking into. |