Joining the Air Force

With the right career field you could do what you love and be hardcore badass. Look into Pararescue, SERE, Combat Control. If you wanted to be in ATC but more "hardcore", Combat Control might be what you're looking for.

 

Yeah, I believe the recruiter said based on college and scouts, I'd definitely be an E-3, "possibly" E-4. I'm counting on E-3 though... sounds like I need to make a trip to the recruiting office.

Again, I just don't want to miss out on my girlfriend's graduation

 

I've never heard of anyone getting E-4 that fast. A friend of mine, who was a SGT in the Army, joined the Marines after when his contract ended. He came out as a LCPL a.k.a. E-3. He is now a Marine SGT.

After when you hit the fleet, you can go on the E-4 select board.

 

Hey same here. Though this job is quite diverse. I've done something different at every base. Worked on 2 different types of phone systems, E&I (installing all the fixed comm stuff), and now I'm in a network shop for an Intel unit. You can basically do a different job within the 2E2X1 (3D1X2 after the merger) at every base you go to.

 

You can get E-2 for over 20 semester hours and E-3 for over 45 semester hours. Cant get any more rank out of basic for college. Even a four year degree would come in E-3 unless you went officer. Even then the AF is looking for engineering, math and science degrees. For instance a political science degree is not as desireable as a civil or electrical engineering degree. Do what you want but if you keep making reasons to put it off you will never join.

 

Guard and Reserve now get SrA with 67 credit hours upon completion of basic. I talked to a guy with 7 months TIS that was a SrA and I asked how that worked. He told me the college thing, surprised the hell out of me. It's new though, just this year. I got A1C with 45 credit hours though.

 

+100 Air Guard - Greatest.secret.ever. so many perks, lets you have a civilian job while doing your part..or you can guard bum (what I do) and live very well. Its all about what you want.

 

lol silly jar head.

 

whatever you do dont sign up for 6 years. do the 4 year contract. since you will get E-3 from the eagle scout thing theres no reason to sign for 6. recruiters will always try and talk you into things you dont necessarily want to do. If the job you want is not open, then wait untill it is, I waited for 8 months to get something remotely decent. air trafic controller is a decent job, however I have heard the suicide rate of that job in the civillian world is pretty high (idk how true that is). any mechanic jobs on the flightline will get you very long days...12-16 hours... just try and land a job that can carry over to the civillian world.
I was an AMMO troop (munitions specialist) and it doesnt really have a civillian job market. but I got lucky and got a job on base in my home town with base supply.

 

congrats man. i delayed going into the military too for awhile. tried working but i just felt like there was something more out there i should be doing right now. 23 is better late than never i guess but i still wish i had gotten after it as soon as i graduated back in 08.

i know i'm not air force and i have no experience yet but if your getting a degree you should go in as an officer. maybe the af guys can chime in on it some more but thats my 2 cents. good luck boss


and you've already said you put off joining cause of past gf's and stuff... so learn from that and dont let it happen again now. do you right now and dont worry about anything else

 

Well I've been talking with the Air National Guard and my local unit has the following jobs available...

2A3X1 (5) Avionics Systems E70 16 weeks 2 days, Sheppard AFB, TX
*2W0X1 (1) Munitions Systems M60 or G57 8 weeks 4 days, Sheppard AFB, TX
*2W1X1 (5) Aircraft Armament Systems M60 or E45 16 weeks 2 days, Sheppard AFB, TX
3E8X1 (1) Explosive Ordnance Disposal M60 and G64 20 weeks Eglin AFB, Fl

Any input on which ones might be good and the ones to stay away from? I'm going to be making my decision soon, so any information would help!

 

dont know about the reserves but for atc you should be able to get any field with a runway. eglin, or tibbet i think is the other base in fl.

tech school runs about 6months, you would go to biloxi ms. bmt is now 8 1/2 weeks. so it is up to you.

i am active duty and after a year at it still get my butt kicked at times in position. i doubt you could keep your ratings and cto current with one weekend a month.

both those bases are trainer bases and have fighters, we are talking 10-25 aircraft in the pattern and three runways. so if you want reserves crew chief. you could get assigned to a "bird" and then you would fix them. nice thing about it is that you go with them when they deploy. including airshows

 

Go Guard. I was in active duty and went into the guard after and I am glad I did. I now have a full time technician job with them. Reserves is also good, but the guard was the direction i went because of location and because of the AFSC they had for me. I used to be a Crew Chief, there is nothing like watching your bird leave after that 16 hr day. Now I am ground radio maintenance for a TACP unit. I miss my bird, but I like this job too. And no offense to any officers, but I think that every officer should have to enlist for the first 4 years because a good number if them are clueless to the enlisted portion. The maintenance officer should know how the maintenance is done so his decisions are best for everyone.

There is a lot of info here on all services, if you have any questions we probably have an answer. Just do your research. if you want radio, 3D1x1.

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/airforceenlistedjobs/a/3d1x1.htm
This is what I have become since the merger.
Good luck man.

 

Good info...Last sentence is key though. Whatever route you take; READ YOUR CONTRACT, if they promise you E-3 or E-4 (most likely E-3) after basic, make sure it is written on paper, in the contract otherwise it isn't so. You'll soon learn that if it isn't written, it didn't happen. Oh and good luck, I am excited for you. Basic will suck while you go through it but will be fun to laugh about later.

 

Going in as an officer is definitely a good idea, best part for me was that I didn't have to go through BMT