I'm gettin ready to enlist for the Air Force, and I haven't quite made up my mind in what I want to do. I've heavily thought about security police, or something in that field, but I don't know yet. Any suggestions?? What did you go into and did you like it?? Thanks.

That's exactly what I [i]should have done[/i] when I was 18 or 19!
I'd considered the Air Force, then allowed myself to be pussywhipped into not going...
Get into the Security and you've got a lot of open doors ahead of you later.

Good Luck.
[b][blue][i]NOTHING can stop the U.S. AIR FORCE!!![/i][/blue][/b]

Have you tested yet...?

Go for something marketable out here in the world. From what I hear about the new military, it's pretty chickenshit. PC shit everywhere you turn. I was in 79-83 and it hadn't turned sour yet.I went in as a Metals Processing Specialist 427x4. It has since been consolodated into machinist and I think sheetmetal too.  It was welding aircraft and missles back in the day. TIG, SMAW, and oxy-acetelyne welding and heat treating of airfraft alloys.

What ever you do, don't let your recruiter push you around. Get what you want and get it in writing! It is YOUR LIFE. Don't let some lyingass recruiter blow smoke up your ass just to make his quota.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. If you go into the Air Farce you aint got to hump no pack like some fox hole digging grunt. Meaning no disrespect to the grunts! It's just that if I had my choice I wouldn't tote no 80# of gear and rifle! Hats off to the foot soldiers!

Well see, I'm supposed to graduate early from HS this year. I'm 17, and I've already talked to several recruiters about goin in early next january. I've talked to some people about the SP, and some liked it, and some didn't. The ones who didn't like it said that most of the time they were sent into bars to break up a fight and then they get their butts kicked instead. I really think I want to do it though, b/c I'd like to go into law enforcement afterwards and hopefully become a police sniper.

Congrads on enlisting!!  I've been in the AF and ANG a total of almost 12 years and I've loved every minute of it.  Well, except for brief moments at basic, OTS, and nav school.  So, you don't know what you want to do?  Here are some questions you may want to ask yourself - do you want to learn a skill you can market in the civilian world?  Do you want to do something cool where you get to play with cool toys?  Are you planning on going to college?  Are you planning on trying to become an officer?  Being an SP sounds cool, but they are more like security guards than AF infantry like they were a number of years ago (no disrespect to any SP out there!).  As a SP you get to play with cool toys and you have some skills you can use as a civilian.  If I had it to do all over again I would have gone into computers or the medical field - great enlistment/re-enlistment bonuses (my neighbor is enlisted network admin and just got over $50K to re-enlist), marketable skills, and a job schedule that makes it easy to go to college while in the AF.  When I was enlisted I did aircraft weapons (AFSC 2W1X1).  It was a lot of fun, but also a lot of hard work.  Doing any sort of maintenance work on active duty makes it difficult to go to college at the same time.  If you really want the easy way out go services or admin - super easy work with max time to pursue whatever else you want.  Now, don't forget about Combat Controller, Pararescue, Combat Weather, or Tactical Air Control Party (TAC-P).  These are the high speed - low drag jobs in the AF.  Lots of neat toys to play with, and lots of great training.  Not much time for anything else, but a lot of job satisfaction.  Feel free to e-mail me if you have any other questions.  Oh, and if your recruiter says something, but it's not in writing (read the small print!!) don't believe it.

Explosives, nopey

I've got a soft spot in my heart for para-jumpers!!

In-Flight Missile Repair with your backup/wash out MOS as Post-Launch On-Vehicle Target Designator

Just kidding.  Go for the highest 'brains' thing you're ASVAB will allow you to get.  Unless you plan on doing your 20, don't waste your time with SP or something maintenance oriented, it won't mean squat in the private sector without a degree and some real 'high tech' experience.

(psst... join the army [;)])

Your first priority should be to shoot down one of those alien spacecraft, it will make you famous and we will get to see those little green alien corpses.

WRT USAF: If you ain't a pilot, you ain't shit...

Loadmaster on any Aircraft. For one you will see more places than with any other job (I was one and did 48 countrys and 6 continents in four yrs.) They will bullshit you into thinking as a Loadie you can;t get a job. This is because it costs about a mill to train you. I got out and haven't had any problems finding a job. As a matter of fact I just got hired at a new place with a 30% increase in pay. The reason jobs for loadies are easy

1. You are responsable for a bazillion dollar aircraft if you can do that you won't smack up the company car (in theory)

2. They will train you in so many fields it will make your head spin.

If you want to go security don't go MP go combat controller. (those are the AF SF guys) They jump in and secure airfields behind enemy lines but do base security in the off times.


E-mail if you got any questions.

Here is my advice about the Air Force.  First, my qualifications...I am a retired Regular Air Force officer and I was an enlisted man for almost ten years before getting commissioned.  I worked as a manpower technician while enlisted and worked with just about every career field and AFSC while doing manpower-type work.  My advice depends upon whether you want to do four years and get some job skills and then get out or if you want to stay for an entire career.
If you just want to stay for four years and get some job skills, pick whatever interests you and then bail after four.  Look at the civilian job opportunities for what you pick. If, however, you want to stay for a long career, than I recommend that you STAY AWAY from anything directly related to aircraft maintenance or civil engineering.  Pick electronics maintenance (non-aircraft!) or computers or something along those lines.  You will be worked to death in aircraft maintenance and your assignments (chances to travel) will be limited to your aircraft system's locations.  You will also have little time to take off-duty college courses and better yourself in the aircraft fields. Others may disagree with my advice.  That's fine.  You did ask....just my 2 cents worth.  In any event, good luck!

Have you taken your Armed Services Vocational Aptitude test? If you have, look at fields concerning your top 2 or 3 scores and maybe you can decide where to go on from there. It's not necessarily what you want to commit yourself to, but what you are most likely to excel at.

Alex

If you like to walk around bombers on a flight line in North Dakota or spend weeks at a time guarding a missile, by all means become an SP. It's not as fun as one might want you to think. I went in as a weather observer then went to 7 level school to become a forecaster. I now work for the National Weather service doing less and getting paid more. What ever you decide, GET IT IN WRITING!!!!!! Don't sign on for something to get in with the promise that you can cross train later. With some jobs, because of the manning levels, you can't train out. Saw that all too often.

It's funny.  Whenever some guy declares he's joining the Air Force on gun boards and asks for MOS advice, it seems like they are always looking at the security police.

One of my teachers who taught aviation and science said radar repair guys makes lots of moolah and travel all over the world.

Being an SP means humping BUFFS on hot tarmac in the summer and freezing your ass of in the winter.  I was an AMMO troop (2W0X1) for 20 years and loved it.  It was a great job when we didn't have whiny ass loaders (2W1X0) screwing up our munitions or blaming us for their mistakes...LOL.  In all seriousness, try to do something you like and think about the future.  You won't be in the military forever and it helps to have a marketable skill when you get out.  Other good (lucrative) choices may be:

Communications/Computer specialist
Air Traffic control
Radiology
Physical Therapy
Crypto
Paralegal

Don't let them give you the old "we don't have an opening in that field" line. Tell them you'll wait for an opening.  Don't go in "open" mechanical or electrical.  You'll end up being miserable fixing compressors and power untis as an AGE troop or end up a weapons puke (horror of horrors).  Hopefully you'll score high enough on the ASVAB that you can ask for and get any career field you want.  Be willing to wait for what you want (you shouldn't have to wait long from what I hear) and get it in writing!

Centurion has great advice that I will piggyback on.  The prima donna fighter pilots run the Air Force.  As such, the aircraft come first.  Anything to do with aircraft maintenance or repair will mean routine 10-12 hour days normally.  You won't have time for your family (if you have one) and you won't have time for off duty education if that is what you are interested in.  Your thanks for busting your butt to keep that airplane flying will sometimes only consist of seeing some prima donna PILOT get into it and fly off to have some fun in it and bring it back broke so YOU can fix it again.  If some recruiter even mentions or sugggests that the job of "aircraft crew chief" is a really cool one that you might be interested in, run away fast screaming.  

Like WX said, don't sign anything with the promise of a transfer later.  After they spend the $$ training you, it ain't gonna happen.

If your goal is to be a civilian LEO, than get a job as a civilian LEO.  you don't need Uncle Sam for that.  

The best advice anyone can give you is to pick your highest goal, then strive toward it using any means possible.  If you never quit, then you will succeed.

If your goal is to serve in the military, that is outstanding. But do it for a stronger reason than just using them to jump-start your career.
Otherwise you will be disappointed.
You don't use them, they use you.

You should be aware that your constitutional rights vanish when you enlist.
You then fall under the power of the Uniform code of military justice.  Which basically means you are totally at the mercy of your commanding officers, and NCO's

You will fit well in the military if you:

1. Like taking orders (some folks need it)
2. Like giving orders        " "

I hope this does not sound negative, I just want you to go into this with eyes wide open. None of this is meant to talk you out of it, as I have utmost respect for our vets.

Personally, I'm glad I did it.  I believe that this country would be a better place if everybody man was obligated for some service.


Good luck, your most precious commodity is time, don't waste it.  (God, that makes me sound like an old timer)

Screw the LEO crap. Theres no money and no future in it. Go for aircraft maintenance. Preferbably on civilian type aircraft(KC-10, KC-135, etc...). You will be almost guaranteed a well paying job whith an excellent company when you get out. There is a shortage of mechanics right now and employers are giving out huge incentives to get on with them. Think about your future.

Like alot of people already have said, take the ASVAB first, you may or may not have many choices depending on your score.  Listen to BillofRights - the military is [i]not[/i] for everyone....

I've already made my mind up as to going into the air force. And after the Air Force, I've already made up my mind as what I'd like to do, not saying I'll be doin it in 10-20 years, but I'd like to do it. That can't be changed by anyone but me. I've already decided I want nothing to do with the aircraft maintenance and the pilot or anything like that, b/c a while back, I had my sights set on bein a fighter pilot but my eyesight has gone bezerk since then. The only way that can be fixed is by the corrective laser surgery, and the people I've talked to in the AF say that not many people can get by with the correction in those fields. I have to do something land or sea-based, and don't want to work on planes, if that helps. I'm tryin to see what careers are open with those closed. I take the ASVAB hopefully in the next few weeks, so maybe that'll help. Anyways, thanks for all the feedback.

How about areo-engine tech? Aim high! Are they still using that saying?

And a future if/when you get out. Lotsa aero engine jobs and good do$h too!

Micro-wave communications repair technician.  You won't see much glory, but you'll have a good job when you get out.

If you want glory and a little adventure though,  The USMC recruiter is probably just a couple of doors down.

:-)

Shameless plug.

What the hell.

+Stealth

As a former airborne grunt, let me say:
The hooah stuff is cool but plays hell on your body.  No doubt you will learn more about team work, attention to detail and self dicipline doing the hooah stuff.

If hooah is the way you want to go in the AF, the Para Rescue or Combat Controller.

Medical field is one of the best places to be.  Para Rescue will give you A LOT  of medical training that will be marketable once you get out.  If you want to do medical but not hurl your body out of perfectly good airplanes, then a plain ole medic is good too.

SP is good also.  If you get to do road rotations.  If you get stuck in the security side for your tour, you get glorified security guard training, although your guarding a whole heck of a lot more than a grocery store or construction dump!

I do not resent my time with the 82nd ABN but if I had to do it all over again, I would go AF: Para Rescue first, SP second and general medic third.

Like it's already been advised, have a plan when you go in.  Don't let them blow smoke up your fourth point of contact.  If ain't in writing then it's all lies.  Go in with at least three fields you want, that way you have some room to manuever and if you can't get what you want, tell 'em no thanks you'll go down the hall to the Marines or Army.  

I GUARANTEE YOU TELL THEM THAT AND GET UP TO LEAVE - YOU WILL GET WHAT YOU WANT.  

Recruitment is at all time low - getting raw recruits is for keeps and it's their bread and butter, be prepared to play hard ball.  Also, check into enlistment bonuses.  See what's available and get what you can.

As stated before if you want more advise or to talk, email me.  Be good and good luck, it's your career, ain't nothing in concrete till you raise that hand and say "I do."


Pakrat
former - 11B1P Airborne Infantryman - USA
now - 91B   Medical Specialist (medic) TXARNG

I leave in a little less than 3 weeks for Lackland. It was difficult for me to choose my MOS. It took me a couple of months to make my mind up, but decided on going in the Intel field(AFSC 1N031). Before I could even enlist with this as my MOS I had to be interviewed by my future bosses (a LTC & Capt). Nonetheless I was nervous. Nice people. To me it's all about the people, if I came out of that interview and felt like those people are total assholes, then I probably would have backed out. I just followed my gut instinct and I took the job. I had an extra incentive with an $8,000 bonus.
Won't be long till i'm gone.


Moses when I get out of BMT, i'll let you know what it's like.

reconxl chose the best enlisted AF MOS.
Para rescue is sexy, and all, but if you don't get it, you could be in for some serious boredom...

If your score is high enough, go for Intelligence.  GET IT IN WRITING!  SP just means security guard.  Marketable skills that you learn in the military are fleeting, at best.  Especially the technical skills.  Leadership is the most valuable skill you will develope, IF you apply yourself.  The Intell MOS is challenging and not based on soon to be or already outdated technology.
Ah hell, join the Marines.  Infantry.

The only disadvantage is that my Tech School is six long months in San Angelo, Tx aka the middle of nowhere.

rec hit the nail on the head-he had to interview with his future BOSSES and they were COOL and ther were PEOPLE.  The AF, unlike most military jobs is the most "business like" branch there is.  Hell. we even got into first name greetings rather than Captain Kirk or sgt slaguter

I used to catch hops, while heading home on leave.  I remember on AFB where the schedule was all screwed up, every plane was late and no info was to be had.
The AF guys (of various ranks) behind the counter each had on a completely different uniform.  Black Tshirts, tan Tshirts patches, no patches, velcro, no velcro, stripes on sleeve, no stripes... you get the picture.
I asked the highest ranking of them, "Don't you guys have a 'uniform of the day'?"
They look at me like I was speaking Swahili.
"When would they tell us what uniform it would be?", one of them scoffed.
"At formation, or just SOP?"
More Swahili to them.
Another empty C5 came and went, unannounced.

A little military discipline sometimes helps the planes run on time, that's all[:)].

As a 18 year USAF member and Combat Controller, I can say that some of these replies are great, and some hold little merit. The replies telling you to get your USAF job in writing are absolutely CORRECT. If it's not in writing, it does not exist, period. You'll end up driving a bus around the flightline. The "elite" and fun (I believe) jobs in the USAF are Combat Control, Pararescue, Combat Weather, Tactical Control Party (TACP) and Survival Instructor. Those jobs permit an autonomy that you will not find in the regular Air Force. I have been put in many foreign lands (sometimes by myself) by: high altitude parachuting/SCUBA/driving/walking in order to accomplish a mission. Everyone else in the USAF goes in by the hundreds. It takes a certain level of maturity and confidence. This maturity and confidence comes by tagging on many other missions with qualified CCT/PJ sergeants who will mentor and instruct you in the finer points of our art. I'm not here to tell you that being a Security Policeman is not important or exciting at times. Every job in the US military is important (I mean that), we all must find our niche. There are currently two ex-SP's on my team. They both cross-trained OUT of SP because they wanted a challenge. There are NO women permitted in CCT/PJ (women on the board don't blame me) due to Federal Laws dealing with ground combat. What am I saying? There are women in SP, there are women fighter pilots.....there are over 10,000 pilots in the USAF today. How elite is that? Look at these numbers:

USAF Pilots Fixed/Rotary Wing= 10,147 troops
  Army Special Forces=         9,056 troops
  Navy SEALs=                  2,124 troops
  USAF Combat Control=           325 troops

Also, CCT do NOT perform security details as mentioned in an earlier post, we perform security for our team, period. This is with an M-4 (with reflex site or ACOG), M-9, and maybe a M-249. We also use M-14's for "EOD/standoff. Security will be provided by Rangers or SF.
 
The choice is yours to make. If you want to get some LE experience under yopur belt before doing the civilian LE thing, then SP might be right for you. Be thankful that the internet is able to provide you with ready answers to your questions. Back when I came in the USAF (when I drove a dinosaur to work) there was no internet. No one to go to ask these questions. Only the recruiter knew, and we (on this board) are all telling you to get your job in writing!

All of the above is just my .02 cents worth, I hope I've helped.

SCREW THE LEO CRAP!!!!!!!!!!

There I said it.  I'm not anti-police or anything it's just there is way to many of them and it doesn't pay.  When a law suit comes along cops are expendable to their superiors.  I know several that where put on the sacrificial alters of Political Correctness.  The wanting to be Mr. Special Forces Bad Man stuff wears off as you get older.  I never went into service OK, but I worked two jobs and went to college(B.S in Computer Science and Business).  I'm 28 and make well over double what even college educated cops make.

Think of it this way.  The more money you make the more toys you can afford.  If you still want to, see if you can join the Sheriff's Reserve later on.

...and remember, everything your recruiter says is a lie.

I have met a few recruiters and I have to say my AFR recruiter isn't much of a liar, thats not to say that he hasn't "bent" a few truths with me. Overall I think he's a good guy.

Pilot if you have perfect vision; aircraft maintenance if you don't.  If you want to fly commercially, letting Uncle Sam carry the tab for your first 3K hours of flight time is a major advantage.  AMEs make good coin too.

Major,

I agree, I have seen some pretty shoddy stuff too.  We had a choice of either black or standard brown t-shirts.  And standard caps or baseball caps with unit emblem on them.  It was kinda odd-and I was in the reserves-where you would expect things to be a mess.  I remember playing Army for 5 years (reserve) (11B/54B) and we never augmented other units on different bases-we just sat in a damn foxhole for 2 weeks.  In the AF we went to a AF base and joined units in operating their respective workcenters.  We actually go some decent training for a change.  You may have seen reserve troops helping out the Active members.  Hell, we went to Hickam for 2 weeks to augment, and did not even know that the AF changed their arm stripes to change the little star blue-instead of the old green star.  We got some funny looks.  But everybody knew we were Reserves and did not know all the high speed stuff that happens in Regular AF.  

Anyone who made A's and B's in sixth grade should be able to score high on that test. I have heard stories of college students coming and scoring in the teens!! I heard a story of a high school senior who was at the local high school and was taking all advanced placement classes and was going to graduate early. She walked in and scored a 12 on the asvab! It's just basic math and reading.


BTW, anyone care to post their score?

Not trying to besmirch any particular service's recruiters.
They ALL lie.  Hence the "get it in writing" advice.

When I was in HS, I spoke to an Army Recruiter.
I told him that I had heard that the Army had beaches in Italy and a Ski Area in Germany.  I asked him if I could be a lifeguard in the summer, and a ski patrol-man in the winter.
He said, "absolutley". [:)]

If you haven't taken your ASVAB yet, get one of the Barron's test prep books. They make them for the ASVAB just like for the SAT. The higher your score, obviously the broader your options for AFSC.

I went to two Air Force schools when I was in the Marines: the cable splicing school and the digital switching school at Sheppard AFB in Wichita Falls, TX. Let me tell you, if you want a job skill that [b]DIRECTLY[/b] translates to the civilian world, the telecom schools are great. They will teach you all about the latest stuff in outside plant cable, including fusion fiber optic splicing, at the cable splicing school. At the switching school, you'll learn the digital switch that almost all of the big Bell companies and IOCs use, the one made by the company I work for: the Nortel SL-100. You would have to pay around $75-100K for the training you get in 4 months at the switching school.

Of course, things have slowed down a touch in the telecom world right now, but if you go in, you'll be there at least 4 years, plenty of time for the recovery of the industry.

Whatever you decide on: [b]GET IT IN WRITING![/b]

Jarhead out.

reconxl, What exactly does a combat controller do? I've heard a god-awful lot about it, but I have no idea as to what it is. I'd like to find somewhere where I can jump in with the PJ's, but I don't want to make friggin runways.

I no nothing about being a combat controller. Thats not my career field. I'm in Intel(AFSC 1N031). See above posts. Are you going active or reserves?

what should you go for?  go for the NAVY !

Be a high altitude gunny mate specialist

[img]http://wsphotofews.excite.com/034/Th/sI/b3/z069548.jpg[/img]

I'm going into the Air Force, too, if they hire me.  

I've got to pass the AFOQT test and it is like the SAT or ACT on steriods.   Then off to OTS, which scares the hell out of me.  Thank God it only lasts 3 months.  Then to flight school at Vance AFB (hopefully) for one year.  

I don't know if they'll take me or not, though.  My grades in college were good.  I'm confident that I can do well on my test.  But my job history sucks and they look at that when they evaluate who they'll accept.

I spent 11 yrs in the AF.  The first 4 as a SP. If you decide to go in as an SP, it is important to know that there are two types. LE and security.  If you want to be a LEO later in life then make sure you get into the right one. I was in security and spent most of my time guarding planes.  I don't think that's what you want.  Security was 811x0, I don't remember what LE was. LE's also have a sub-field called Dog Handler.  If you like dogs, that might be something to think about.  Instead of being an SP, you might think about becoming a Red Hat, I don't know the offical name, but that's what we called the range guys. They taught weapons training, worked on our M60's, 203's and m16's. They also ran the shooting ranges. Don't confuse them with the armours, who were just SP's who spent all their time checking weapons in and out of the armoury.  

Larry

I'm goin active, I checked today and found out that I do graduate in January instead of June, and I'm hoping to enlist in the middle of September of this year. I was reading some about the Combat Controller, and they jump in with the PJ's and set up air traffic and stuff like that. They also "guard" the PJ's from any threat. The only difference is that the Combat Controller doesn't always go in with the PJ's, but they go in before missions so that a air traffic network can be setup. I'm liking what the Combat Controller does to be honest. If I was to do SP, I would do Law Enforcement, and probably would do dog-handling just b/c I like what they do.