Want to join Air Force

[dim_drvr]

Ok guys...I signed up to go and do my MEPS for the Army around this same time last year and I let my family talk me out of it...I know I'm a pussy for that...but my dad was gonna sell my truck cuz of it!

I have decided to go with the Air Force! I have a friend who is in the AF and said he loves it...everyone I have talked to that is a friend says they love it!

Then we have my dad...who was in the Navy reserves during Nam...said he hated it! Of course he had no choice...it was either that or the real navy and going to Nam...He tells me I am only throwing my life away! I see things differently! Most military people I know have nicer things my parents do!

The deal is...I still live at home and am 22 years of age...I wanna start my own life and its hard to do when you have very little money and still live at home! I am tired of my parents running my life! They tell me to go to school but its hard to when you have no money and the parents dont want the student loans!

Basically I wanna join the military...I've always wanted to! My grandfather was a retired Lt. Colonel in the Army! My dad was in the Navy...I wanna be in the Air Force!

Would joining the military be throwing my life away?

[04600rr]

first off....do what you want to do not what your parents want you to do.....second what do you want to do in the military?

[Joker Relentless]

Your dad sounds like he hated being a military brat and was dead set against joining and was then made to regardless. Tell him to get a ****ing life and to let you live yours. Do what you want to do man...if you want to join up to any branch, then do it. If he can't be proud of you for that, then tell him to shove it.

Wait...I just had to edit this because I looked at your age. Why are you so worried about what your dad wants when you are 22? I'm assuming you still live at home and your parents help you with money since you said he was going to sell your truck.

[dim_drvr]

Quote: Originally Posted by Joker Relentless

Your dad sounds like he hated being a military brat and was dead set against joining and was then made to regardless. Tell him to get a ****ing life and to let you live yours. Do what you want to do man...if you want to join up to any branch, then do it. If he can't be proud of you for that, then tell him to shove it.

Wait...I just had to edit this because I looked at your age. Why are you so worried about what your dad wants when you are 22? I'm assuming you still live at home and your parents help you with money since you said he was going to sell your truck.

I want to do the army/air force! I wanna be a foot soldier or mechanic of some sorts!

I do live at home with my parents...but things have changed alot since the last time I tried to join up! Since then I have a truck in my name(dad cant sell it), I pay for my own phone, insurance on the truck, truck payment...I even pay them rent(not much only $150)...All I do is pretty much sleep at my parents house during the week...on the weekends I'm not even home!

There arent any jobs around here that are worth having...even if you have a college degree you have to go out of town to get a "decent" job! Unlike my dad I've always wanted to do the military...I have several friends in the military...marines, air force, navy and army! Every single one of them love it and say they wouldnt do anything else! And I am pretty much just like my friends...only I came from a difference financial background then they did! That would be the only difference!

I'm just trying to figure out how joining any branch of the military would be throwing my life away!

[Joker Relentless]

It wouldn't be as long as you make sure of it. You get out of the military as much as you put into it. Do what you feel you must with your life and don't let your dad tell you otherwise just because he has a bad taste in his mouth because of his own military experiences.

[greenblazer02]

currently i am in the navy as a submarine mechanic. its a pretty solid job and i make pretty good money. im married and have 2 kids but i still have enough money left over to buy new toys or do cool stuff to them. got my 2 door blazer, my sv1000s, and my wifes tahoe. so it pays just fine. ill tell you this thou. life is gonna suck for you for at least the first 2 to 3 years. thats just the way it is. but you cant go wrong doin your part for your country. regardless of what branch it might be in. i say park your truck some where that your old man cant get it. and join whatever branch you want to. if you cant stand behind our troops. go stand infront of em

[Semper]

first think about how long your gonna enlist, then figure out what exactly you want to do. i mean you gotta realize your life is gonna be tied for a few years atleast. so saying foot soldier or a mechanic or something doesnt really work IMO

i was gonna join up but the army wanted to bone me and wouldnt give me MP as my MOS because I didnt have a liscense ( even though I was still in hs, would have it before i even finished hs) they wanted me to go infantry and FOR ME when i went to meps etc etc. was gonna sign a contract I was told I cant read it and it needed to be signed right now. so for me that was it i was done best choice i made.

MY brother 2 years younger than me signed up ( told him not too) went to iraq, although there is a ton of things he does like about the army overall he cant wait to get out. too make things worse the recruiter bsed him, told him he needed to sign up for an extra year to get all the goodies etc. turns out he would have gotten them if he signed up for 3 years instead of 4, so instead of being out of the army and home this december hes got another year and prolly another bs deployment to afghanistan...

sorry for the rant but really think about what your getting yourself into and I didnt want my post to be all bad. My brother has great friends he made in the army and when he gets out hes going to basically any state school he chooses through GI Bill etc. so hes gonna do the college thing.


again make sure your 100% ready and really think not what your gonna do for the service but what the service will do for you. IE training in a field that useful/ GI bill but being 22 you might be too old im not sure you would have too look into it. ( my bro is going to college so thats a moot point, but otherwise i dont know how well bradley gunner/dismount infantry skills will help him in the real world)

[dim_drvr]

Quote: Originally Posted by Semper

first think about how long your gonna enlist, then figure out what exactly you want to do. i mean you gotta realize your life is gonna be tied for a few years atleast. so saying foot soldier or a mechanic or something doesnt really work IMO

i was gonna join up but the army wanted to bone me and wouldnt give me MP as my MOS because I didnt have a liscense ( even though I was still in hs, would have it before i even finished hs) they wanted me to go infantry and FOR ME when i went to meps etc etc. was gonna sign a contract I was told I cant read it and it needed to be signed right now. so for me that was it i was done best choice i made.

MY brother 2 years younger than me signed up ( told him not too) went to iraq, although there is a ton of things he does like about the army overall he cant wait to get out. too make things worse the recruiter bsed him, told him he needed to sign up for an extra year to get all the goodies etc. turns out he would have gotten them if he signed up for 3 years instead of 4, so instead of being out of the army and home this december hes got another year and prolly another bs deployment to afghanistan...

sorry for the rant but really think about what your getting yourself into and I didnt want my post to be all bad. My brother has great friends he made in the army and when he gets out hes going to basically any state school he chooses through GI Bill etc. so hes gonna do the college thing.


again make sure your 100% ready and really think not what your gonna do for the service but what the service will do for you. IE training in a field that useful/ GI bill but being 22 you might be too old im not sure you would have too look into it. ( my bro is going to college so thats a moot point, but otherwise i dont know how well bradley gunner/dismount infantry skills will help him in the real world)

This answer and the answer you guys have told me is what I wanna hear! I mean I am not going to go out and sign up for a branch tomorrow! I wanted to study the branches! See what I am getting myself into for each branch!

The army is already outta the question! I have heard bad things about the army bsing people...but I guess that would be every branch if everyone listened to the recruiters! Luckily I have you guys to talk to and ask questions about what the recruiters are telling me!

I was thinking air force! have heard really good things about the air force! i am not man enough for the marines(I have a cousin in there and he said he thought they were gonna kill him..lol...and he was a football star around here...very fit)! I'm not sure about the navy cause I am not too fond of water! but I can deal with it! I am thinking the air force is the one I am most interested in at the moment! But I wanna see the world or at least another part of the world..I dont want to be stationed stateside...I have a friend in the navy who is stationed in tokyo and he doesnt wanna leave there!

[556mm]

best advice i can give you is all recruiters no matter what branch they are in are like used car salesmen. they tell you what you want to hear so they can get their quota for the month. good luck.

[91blks10]

I say if you wanna serve your country, more power to you. I myself have been in the air force for 12yrs now and love it. Granted it is full of bs like every other job but very fulfilling. I have been stationed at 4 different places now and have seen many countries. I have only deployed once in my career but am sure to deploy now that I PCSed to my new base. I am a kc-135 crew chief here at McConnell AFB in Wichita Ks. which has its ups and downs in itself. If you have any questions feel free to ask and I'll shed some like as much as I can for you.

[jrinehart7]

I'm in the Air Force and about to deploy back to Iraq for the 3rd time in 4yrs (6month tours)
Military sucks balls man... unless you enjoy being on a leash and not being able to think for yourself I'd get a real job if I were you. Although it kinda sounds like it wouldn't be much diff from being at home with your dad. (no disrespect meant)
i wouldn't say it would be "throwing your life away", it would just be putting your life on hold... Because once you've signed it's not your life anymore, it belongs to the man.

Be sure you know what you're getting into before you raise your right hand.
Good luck

[sixfeathers]

Join the AF and were granny blues.
Join the Navy and wear pussy whities.
Join the Army and wear ugly Greeen.
Join the Marines and where what ever the **** you want.

[dim_drvr]

Quote: Originally Posted by sixfeathers

Join the AF and were granny blues.
Join the Navy and wear pussy whities.
Join the Army and wear ugly Greeen.
Join the Marines and where what ever the **** you want.

I take it you are a marine! haha I am just gonna talk to people and ask around! I mean taking orders is not a problem for me! I have grown up around a military man...even though my dad said it didnt affect him...it did cuz its how he raised me and its how his dad raised him!

I know it would be putting my life on hold...but its a great opportunity from what I have heard from friends of mine!

[dim_drvr]

Quote: Originally Posted by jrinehart7

I'm in the Air Force and about to deploy back to Iraq for the 3rd time in 4yrs (6month tours)
Military sucks balls man... unless you enjoy being on a leash and not being able to think for yourself I'd get a real job if I were you. Although it kinda sounds like it wouldn't be much diff from being at home with your dad. (no disrespect meant)
i wouldn't say it would be "throwing your life away", it would just be putting your life on hold... Because once you've signed it's not your life anymore, it belongs to the man.

Be sure you know what you're getting into before you raise your right hand.
Good luck

No disrespect taken man...you should hear me talk about my dad to my buddies...I love my dad, but he tries to live the life he wishes he woulda had through me!

I have a real job and it blows....I work for the city that I live in repairing the street signs and crosswalks and getting fat....that is where P90X comes in!

[Semper]

Quote: Originally Posted by jrinehart7

I'm in the Air Force and about to deploy back to Iraq for the 3rd time in 4yrs (6month tours)
Military sucks balls man... unless you enjoy being on a leash and not being able to think for yourself I'd get a real job if I were you. Although it kinda sounds like it wouldn't be much diff from being at home with your dad. (no disrespect meant)
i wouldn't say it would be "throwing your life away", it would just be putting your life on hold... Because once you've signed it's not your life anymore, it belongs to the man.

Be sure you know what you're getting into before you raise your right hand.
Good luck

exactly...

and another thing you could start your contract overseas but theres nothing that says thats where you stay, i mean hell a year later you could go be stationed in KS or some place.

but atleast staying at home you can work save your cash and get your own spot. or at the very least just save cash so you can see the world the way you want


lets us know what you decide bro.

[Joker Relentless]

Quote: Originally Posted by jrinehart7

I'm in the Air Force and about to deploy back to Iraq for the 3rd time in 4yrs (6month tours)
Military sucks balls man... unless you enjoy being on a leash and not being able to think for yourself I'd get a real job if I were you. Although it kinda sounds like it wouldn't be much diff from being at home with your dad. (no disrespect meant)
i wouldn't say it would be "throwing your life away", it would just be putting your life on hold... Because once you've signed it's not your life anymore, it belongs to the man.

Be sure you know what you're getting into before you raise your right hand.
Good luck

Whine whine whine...bitch bitch bitch.

Quote: Originally Posted by Semper

exactly...

and another thing you could start your contract overseas but theres nothing that says thats where you stay, i mean hell a year later you could go be stationed in KS or some place.

but atleast staying at home you can work save your cash and get your own spot. or at the very least just save cash so you can see the world the way you want


lets us know what you decide bro.

How are you going to give advice about anything he should do while in like starting contracts overseas and then going to KS a year later? You've never been in.

[Semper]

Quote: Originally Posted by Joker Relentless

How are you going to give advice about anything he should do while in like starting contracts overseas and then going to KS a year later? You've never been in.

because there was 36 guys on my brothers floor less than a year later, a few finished the contract, but the rest are gone theres only 6 people on his floor the rest got shipped to bases state side.

and also I never said it will happen 100% but I DID say that there is nothing written anywhere that says it can't happen.

kkthnx bye

[dim_drvr]

I am just gonna go and talk to some recruiters ovr the next couple of weeks and get back on here and ask you guys about what they tell me!

I want to find a good job here so I can move out and get student loans so I can go to school! But I also wanna join the military!

[Joker Relentless]

Quote: Originally Posted by Semper

because there was 36 guys on my brothers floor less than a year later, a few finished the contract, but the rest are gone theres only 6 people on his floor the rest got shipped to bases state side.

and also I never said it will happen 100% but I DID say that there is nothing written anywhere that says it can't happen.

kkthnx bye

So, what you are saying is that you are trying to give advice about stuff that you have no first hand knowledge because your brother is the one in the military, not you?

[Joker Relentless]

Quote: Originally Posted by dim_drvr

I am just gonna go and talk to some recruiters ovr the next couple of weeks and get back on here and ask you guys about what they tell me!

Good idea man.

[S-10MASTER]

Quote: Originally Posted by Joker Relentless

Whine whine whine...bitch bitch bitch.

****ing Air Force guys. lol

[atothep]

Quote: Originally Posted by lowcherrydime

best advice i can give you is all recruiters no matter what branch they are in are like used car salesmen. they tell you what you want to hear so they can get their quota for the month. good luck.

first off, im an army recruiter and i have no quota! we have a mission and that is to get people to join. just like every thing in the military, we have a mission that is job dependent. mp + patrol, protect and serve the military community, traffic stops......... and so on = an mp's mission.

second off, yes you are right, there are some real s*** bags out there that will try anything to get someone to enlist.......... but my self have only been doing this a short time and have found ways to "recruit" with 100% honestly.

for all, ask multiple recruiters, get on the phone and call a recruiting office in the next state over (they wont know you live in california usless you tell them) do what your doing now........... use the internet. i tell every one i talk to to get on youtube and do some reserch, that way you dont just here the armys over glorified side you can here about some of this stuff first hand from real soldiers. and ya there is allways goarmy.com as well. do your resesch first.
as far as the used car saleman go's............ i know personaly i wont just go buy the first thing on the lot without looking at my opptions and doing a little reserch.

[Semper]

ato sup bro im in ventu right now, 805 local whats good

[Joker Relentless]

Quote: Originally Posted by S-10MASTER

****ing Air Force guys. lol

I KNOW!

[TopSecret]

i just enlisted in the ARMY and will be goin to Ft Benning GA in 12 days. i had an awesome recruiter, he was very up front and gave me facts not BS.

i joined because of my son, jobs are getting harder to find and insurance is even harder.

[atothep]

Quote: Originally Posted by Semper

ato sup bro im in ventu right now, 805 local whats good

Chillin man, you? you stationed here or what?

[atothep]

Quote: Originally Posted by TopSecret

i just enlisted in the ARMY and will be goin to Ft Benning GA in 12 days. i had an awesome recruiter, he was very up front and gave me facts not BS.

i joined because of my son, jobs are getting harder to find and insurance is even harder.

thats good to here man, congrats. see we're not all bad! lol good luck in bt.

[lee-mill]

my recruiter was pretty upfront to. he didnt put any pressure on me either, hell i have to call him for info on when the poolee meets are. lol

[gchemist]

The military experience is what youa make of it. Choose your MOS wisely. Go to school during and after your service. I enjoyed my time.

[travisn]

Quote: Originally Posted by dim_drvr

They tell me to go to school but its hard to when you have no money and the parents dont want the student loans!

Since when do parents take out loans for their kids?

sure there are parent signature loans, but its still the students loan (only if you dont default, LOL)

but there are many options out there to finance yourself through college. I am doing it now.

[Tom Waite]

Only advice I can offer because I am not enlisted yet, is research ALOT. There are a ton of jobs in the military that no recruiter told me about. You really can be what ever you want to be. Check different branches. See who does what you want the best.


And don't pick military over school man. Join the guard or reserves for money for school, get a degree, then make your decision. You may want to be a footman now, but 5 or 6 years from now? I was in your shoes a few months back.

Parents didn't want any part of it. I was tired of being broke and living at home. I was going to sign on with the air force for a public affairs job. Instead, I am going army national guard as a medic(68w) for the adrenaline junkie in me, and going to school for Digital Media. The 68W MOS gives me a job when I get home(emt), I get some coin in my pocket from training and bonuses(although those might deplete quite a bit).


Good luck to you either way, and as I said, I haven't enlisted yet so I can't offer advice as far as being in, BUT can tell you to research your ass off to get the most benefits from it.

[hh60cheese01]

Quote:

first off, im an army recruiter and i have no quota!

That's 100% economy based. Prior to 2008, all branches had quotas. Now with kids literally throwing themselves at the military because they are tired of eating shoe leather for dinner, the military gets to pick and choose. I remember when the Army was waving felonies to meet quotas. Recruiting now is nothing like it was before.

[atothep]

Quote: Originally Posted by hh60cheese01

That's 100% economy based. Prior to 2008, all branches had quotas. Now with kids literally throwing themselves at the military because they are tired of eating shoe leather for dinner, the military gets to pick and choose. I remember when the Army was waving felonies to meet quotas. Recruiting now is nothing like it was before.

ok sweet maybe so, but don't think this kid is trying to go back in time and join the army pre 2008. bottom line recruiters have a mission and that is to put people in the military. are people more appt to join these days then before, who knows. there has never been a qouta and never will be, but reguardless of what the economy looks like we will always have a mission. dude thats like saying militay police dont have a job to do because crime is down by 50% or sominthing like that. they will still have to go out and patroll the streets. write tickets for the people that still break the law. generation will always have more to do with the highs and lows of people joining than the economy every will.

[hh60cheese01]

Quote:

there has never been a qouta and never will be

My father was a recruiter for 10 years. I assure you, there were quotas.

My point is the military now has the upper hand in recruiting. And you are right, the economy has no bearing on when Iran will get of hand, North Korea will blow its roof off or Afghanistan will once again descend into the terrorist sanctuary it already is.

Original Poster - If you join the United States Air Force, put in writing that you want a job...any job...that starts with 1A. This AFSC prefix stands for an enlisted aviator. Unless you are deathly scared of flying, this will be the best decision you will ever make.

[Petro]

Who gives a s*** what the recruiter tells you it not him that makes you join...You are the one that makes the decision to join and the recruiter doesn't choose your job YOU do!!!!! When you are at MEPS you sit down with a Carrer Counselor and they give you a list based on your test scores and you decide to join or not to join at the time...You are NOT obligated to sign anything...So to everyone that bashes their Recruiter you are pussies...If you want to be a "Soldier" be 11B Infantryman....If you want to join the Army and have skills for when you get out then be something that corresponds to the civilian world....Air Force would be good for that...

[hh60cheese01]

Quote:

Air Force would be good for that

Most branches have similar civilian occupations...although the Air Force may have a more similar corporate atmosphere ....

[atothep]

Quote: Originally Posted by Petro

So to everyone that bashes their Recruiter you are pussies...

Well Said!!!!!

[Joker Relentless]

Quote: Originally Posted by atothep

there has never been a qouta and never will be

Yes there has been, but not in the way that you guys are thinking about and arguing back and forth. If you research it you won't find a definitive answer as to if any one branch of the military has ever had a quota and there is a very good reason for that. Any one branch has never OFFICIALLY had a quota. The quotas are based on location and preference of the Chain-Of-Command. If the station commanders attend meetings with their supervisors and that supervisor says that they need X% more the upcoming quarter than the previous quarter, then the station commanders go back and impose quotas on the recruiters at their station. Now, that's just a lower lever example. That same method of trickle down leadership can start as high as it needs to and then filter down to the recruiter level. I say "as high as it needs to" because its only going to go so high before officers in charge are going to stop caring about the actual amount that is coming in and instead focus on the big picture of over all force readiness. Does that make sense to you guys?

[hh60cheese01]

Quote:

but not in the way that you guys are thinking about and arguing back and forth.

However it flows, there were numbers. My Dad used to get pretty stressed out back in the late 90s because the economy was so good and there were more jobs than there were people to fill them which made the military a tough sell. It is the exact opposite now. For my area, the goal back in the late 90's was usually 10 a month. It doesnt sound hard, but it was at times. Now, with retention rates extremely high because the economy took a shit, and everyone trying to get in the military for a solid paycheck, current recruiting goals more than likely are extremely low or zero.

Input = Output plus the change in storage

If noone gets out, noone comes in.

[atothep]

Joker Relentless, sounds like you have the right idea, and hh60cheese01 you have it sort of right too. people are still getting out of the military these days so we still need to keep our #'s some what the same.............. and yes the economy has definitely seen better days so yes recruiting is a lot different that it was back in the 90's. comparing recruiting to then is now is like saying how much better or worse an 1991 s10 is compared to a 2001 s10......... they both have there pros and cons. i am a freek'n recruiter right now, so i live it every day. some months we have to put in more people than the next and some months are harder than the next. its all based on the big military picture. the more people that get out and the more active the military is throughout the world.............. the more people we have to put in. i've said it before and i'll say it again, every one that is in the military regardless of the branch has a mission no matter what. mine is the help people join the army, others are to kick down doors and jump out of airplanes. get it............. thats the whole point i was trying to portray.

[hh60cheese01]

Quote:

people are still getting out of the military these days

Damn right! I am one of them. The only thing G Dub did for me was sign the Post 9/11 GI Bill into law....that thing is MONEY!

Quote:

others are to kick down doors and jump out of airplanes

These are my kind of people

[atothep]

Quote: Originally Posted by hh60cheese01

Damn right! I am one of them. The only thing G Dub did for me was sign the Post 9/11 GI Bill into law....that thing is MONEY!



These are my kind of people

ya again one of my jobs is to tell people all about that thing. i've got a couple buddies using it as well, they love it and are doing really well!

[Joker Relentless]

Quote: Originally Posted by hh60cheese01

For my area, the goal back in the late 90's was usually 10 a month.

Yeah, when I came in back in, in 02, my recruiter only had to do 1 a month.

Quote: Originally Posted by atothep

people are still getting out of the military these days so we still need to keep our #'s some what the same

That doesn't apply to every branch. They are down sizing the Navy so they are taking in less than they are kicking out right now.

[MarkIIISdImE]

Join now, the heat is over in San Antionio!! lol glad i am outta that place.

[justintime_3]

Look into the guard also. Just make sure to do plenty of research. I am in the Air guard and absolutely love it. I also got a fulltime job at the base making 50+ a year to play in a machine shop.

[Mykdiver]

Air Force advancement is very slow, I have worked with them a lot and they do not advance like the rest of the military. The fastest advancement in the military is the Army, but then you have to go get shot at.
If you want an education and good advancement oportunities then check out the Navy. I have been in the Navy for almost 19 years now and I have loved it. I retire in just over a year and will miss it a lot.

[sdime98]

Quote: Originally Posted by MarkIIISdImE

Join now, the heat is over in San Antionio!! lol glad i am outta that place.

Lackland? one of my best friends is in his 2nd week of basic over there now. hell, i heard they were expecting snow there this morning.

[atothep]

advancement????? in the navy........ hahaha go get a copy of this months navy times. that was the funniest thing i've read in a while. talking about how the navy is one of the slowest branches to advance in! one of my close friends is in the navy, been in for 2 1/2 years, just got to pin on e-4 not get the pay grade or even get paided as an e-4 but at least he gets to wear it???

[Joker Relentless]

Quote: Originally Posted by atothep

advancement????? in the navy........ hahaha go get a copy of this months navy times. that was the funniest thing i've read in a while. talking about how the navy is one of the slowest branches to advance in! one of my close friends is in the navy, been in for 2 1/2 years, just got to pin on e-4 not get the pay grade or even get paided as an e-4 but at least he gets to wear it???

What's your point? That's the way it works in the Navy, it's called a "frocking." You assume the duties and responsibilities of the next higher paygrade and do not get paid for a period of time. The length of that period of time is based on how well you score on the advancement test you have to take, because unlike the other branches we have to take tests based on our specific Rate.

[atothep]

Quote: Originally Posted by Joker Relentless

What's your point? That's the way it works in the Navy, it's called a "frocking." You assume the duties and responsibilities of the next higher paygrade and do not get paid for a period of time. The length of that period of time is based on how well you score on the advancement test you have to take, because unlike the other branches we have to take tests based on our specific Rate.

point? don't really have one i guess. i just thought it was funny that the post above mine was talking about advancement in the navy and i just got done reading this months navy times. your in the navy i take it? did you read it. as i said one of my buddies is in the navy and he really doesn't understand the whole "frocking" thing either so i guess my last statement in reference to the whole "wear the rank, wait for the grade and wait to get paid for it was more or less a question......... hence the questions marks at the end of it. i've never heard of that and in the army you don't get pinned or paid until you make the rank. thanks for explaining it though!