Considering Enlisting in the Air Force

Hey guys I know a lot of you are in the Air Force on this board so before I go talk to a recruiter I wanted to get some insight on the Air Force. Right now I am in college pursing a degree in nursing with the plans to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist as my ultimate goal. Now that I am 25 I really regret not enlisting when I was right out of high school but feel like I am a little too old to enlist now. I know being in the military will open a lot of doors for me in the future and it comes with a lot of benefits. One thing I am scared of like many people enlisting is getting deployed. Also having my schooling paid for and getting to travel sounds great to me. I just wanted to see how fellow members experiences with the Air Force were before I go talk to a recruiter. Any information will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

a lot of people enlist after the age of 18. they have waivers for people up to the age of 36 to enlist. if youre heart is on joining the military, i wouldnt let your age deter you from fufilling your dream. air force is a sound choice, especially if youre going officer .

 

I joined at 22 after college. You have until your 36, but that is a really long way off. Plus being AF medical is sorta like being in the military. They even let you wear a uniform.

 

Here's the deal. I did not realize until now - my late 40s - that the way it works in the armed services is that you work hard and smart, you do your twenty years and you're done. Pension, Tricare (which is fantastic), and a boatload of other bennies. RETIRED. If you went in now, you'd be 45 when you were done. Play it smart, go into procurement and walk out into a six-figure job with a large defense contractor. Your current field of college study will enable you to also walk into a second and lucrative career.

It's not megamillions but it's secure, and what better realistic alternatives do you have nowadays? God, wish I'd done it when I was 18. Or 25. Or 30, hell. You would get to retire. I have a great job and it pays really well, but there is no way, no chance that I'm going to be able to retire until at least 70. Maybe not ever. You'll be retired. I will be scratching lottery tickets.

Oh yeah: Air Force. They call it the "gentleman's club" of the services. It's kinda true. I work in the industry, been to a bunch of bases. And my dad was an AF pilot, so I've lived on some bases as well. Air Force is the best by miles. If you have the college or can wow them on the tests, go for officer. Everything is much better when you're an officer.

 

Another option that is often overlooked is the Air National Guard. An RN would get you in as an officer and there would be plenty of opportunity to travel or start a civilian career. There are programs that would allow you to do some tours and have your school paid off. Recruiters usually tell one side of the story so read everything you can. On that note there are recruiters for enlisted and officer, each one would rather you signup with them regardless of which is better for you.

PM me with some questions and I will see if I can get you in touch with some med folks at Carswell JRB in Dallas.

 

With your education, it sounds like commissioning would be your more suitable for you than enlisting. Like satcom said, whatever recruiter you go to will help himself before he helps you.

 

Go for it man. I joined when i was 20 and did a 6 year enlistment. Had a great time and met a lot of good friends. You will also get to travel the world and experience different cultures.....for free! Im 33 now and could kick my own ass for not staying in until retirement.

 

Two best decisions of my life: Enlisting in the Air Force right out of HS (18yo) and marrying my wife a year later.

Did 26 yrs active duty and work civil service for the Air Force now.

 

I'm obviously not AF, but wanted to chime in since your talking career in the med field. Some really good insight here. You are very lucky to be able to tap into this resource. As previously mentioned....the AF is the country club of the services (no offense meant) it's a lot easier on you. Go the officer route in order to maximize on your career. The medical career path is a very, very good one. And as far as worrying about deployments....seriously....lol. Every deployment I ever went on (in the armpits of the world) the very small contingent of AF folks were in A/C tents and had washing machines. I talk about deployments to Somalia, and sand boxes, etc and my Air Force friends talk about deployments to Italy and Spain! (extreme example)hahaha.
But seriously, If you really are interested in really maximizing your career...you should honestly consider the USHUS program. They will train you to be a Dr for free (everything is provided...even a pad) and you just sign up for the return years to a service (AF in your case). I trained plenty of 40+ year olds down at Quantico in combat tactics (who were former Colonels) just because they got tired of doing whatever and wanted to become doctors. You still have an age advantage and it's military and it's FREE to you (as long as you get accepted)!!! Regardless...the military is a huge factor in who many of us are today....talk about character building....and I think we have a lot of great people because of it no matter what service.