Thinking of joining Air Force, experience?

[ViviTheMage]

Would 27 be too old?

If I joined now even, what benefits can I get with 90~ credits completed?

 

[shortylickens]

I dont know about 27, but 33 is the oldest you can get in any service, and even then your programs will be heavily restricted.

 

[Nintendesert]

I dont know about 27, but 33 is the oldest you can get in any service, and even then your programs will be heavily restricted.

http://www.goarmy.com/jag/about/requirements.html



Army raised theirs to 42 a few years ago. As far as I know they didn't lower it again.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Would 27 be too old?

If I joined now even, what benefits can I get with 90~ credits completed?

Credits do not count.

You either have the degree and can be an officer.
No degree, enlisted only.

After 90 days, you are legible for VA programs as long as you do not have a bad conduct or less than honorable discharge

 

[ViviTheMage]

Good to know, consensus seems to be it would be a bad idea to join, given I have a good job, and whatnot.

 

[Nintendesert]

Good to know, consensus seems to be it would be a bad idea to join, given I have a good job, and whatnot.

You need to come to terms with that on your own. If you are ok living with the regret (as already expressed by posters in this thread) and only walking up and thanking someone for their service as opposed to sharing a beer with another vet then there you go.

It's something only you can admit to yourself one way or another.

 

[ViviTheMage]

Roger.

 

[Nebor]

Not if yur in the real Navy on a ship.
If you serve in the joke Navy then being an officer is low stress.

Well yeah, if you work with the maniacs known as SWOs, then yes, life is stressful and loud. Obviously I've only worked with the tan-booted Navy, who seem to love the lifestyle. They get all the cool duty stations that the sailing Navy does, but without having to do sea duty.

 

[ViviTheMage]

So is it common for people with decent careers decide to just up and join the AF or military even?

 

[Nebor]

So is it common for people with decent careers decide to just up and join the AF or military even?

I left a 6 figure job as an IT group manager at a major corporation. I met district attorneys, cops, web designers, etc. in OCS. You'll see less and less of that now that the patriotic fervor has died down and people see Afghanistan for the black hole that it is.

 

[Sephire]

One question I had, if I do good on the ASVAB, does it open up a lot of doors, or does it narrow down what I can do? Like if I do good on mathmatical and mecahnical, could I be placed in a mechanic job for some reason? Or does that just 'open up' more options that I can go into?

I got a 94 AFQT. No problem choosing any job I like. By the way Air National Guard minimum age is now 40 years old. Its not too late to get those benefits

 

[Craig234]

Good to know, consensus seems to be it would be a bad idea to join, given I have a good job, and whatnot.

And the whole 'don't let anyone have the power to tell you to kill people you may or may not think is justified'.

 

[Nebor]

And the whole 'don't let anyone have the power to tell you to kill people you may or may not think is justified'.

Everyone has a duty to disobey unlawful orders (ie killing them the innocent.) Most homicides by US forces are in self defense. And most of the straight up killings aren't done by members of the military.

 

[Baked]

I thought you got hired by Google. Or did you get fired already.

 

[BoomerD]

As prior military, I wished I had gone into the Air Force (instead of the Army) learned a marketable skill (besides killing people) and then got out and used that experience to get a Government job.

If I was a youngster, I'd do 20 in the military, retire and then work 20 at a Government job and retire again.

Wait...you mean we weren't supposed to bring that skill home? It's made quite a bit of side-money for me over the years...

I can't speak personally about serving in the Chair Force, but my dad and step-dad were both USAF lifers. (dad enlisted for the Korean War, served 26 years...step dad was in WWII, served 28 years)
I grew up in several US locations plus several months at Kadena, Okinawa. (my mom hated it there, so we came back to the states.)

They're generally the branch least likely to see combat. (except for pilots/aircrew)

(well, least likely...excluding the USCG, but they can and do get called into combat theaters too)

 

[OutHouse]

Credits do not count.

You either have the degree and can be an officer.
No degree, enlisted only.

After 90 days, you are legible for VA programs as long as you do not have a bad conduct or less than honorable discharge

they do for enlisted. i got out in 1997 and having a 4 year degree was getting to be a unwritten requirement to get promoted to the senior NCO ranks.

Certain categories of personnel can enlist in the United States Air Force, and receive advanced paygrade status.

For the Rank of E-2:

has completed 2 or more years of college ROTC and has a letter of recommendation from the professor of aerospace science (PAS) from the college attended
was awarded a Boy Scouts of America Eagle Scout Award or Girl Scouts of the USA Gold Award and presents the Boy Scouts of America Eagle Scout certificate or the Girl Scouts of the USA Gold Award Certificate
was credited with over 90 days active duty service and last separated in pay grade E-2 or higher
is a former service academy cadet with over 90 days as a cadet corps member
has satisfactorily completed 20 semester hours or 30 quarter hours of college credit from a school listed in the applicable accredited institutions of post secondary education

For the Rank of E-3:

was credited with more than 12 months of active duty service and last separated in pay grade E-3 or higher
was awarded the Billy Mitchell, Amelia Earhart, or Carl Spaatz Award, or letter from CAP/AF/TTHE, Maxwell AFB AL, certifying successful completion of award requirements
presents a high school JROTC completion certificate or statement on official letterhead from a JROTC unit commander stating satisfactory completion (must be at least a 3-year JROTC program). Must be classified as a Tier 1 educational category and present the certificate or statement before EAD date
has satisfactorily completed 45 semester hours or 67 quarter hours of college credit from a school listed in the applicable accredited institutions of post secondary education
is an ARC member who qualifies and enlists for 6 years.

 

[OutHouse]

Would 27 be too old?

If I joined now even, what benefits can I get with 90~ credits completed?

the only benefit you will get is getting E3 after BMT.

the longer you wait the harder it is physically. I got out at 27 years old after serving 10 years and running 3 times a week was getting really fucking old and harder. you will be considered old and will be given lots of shit for it. Plus at your age yo will be the target of the DI's. from being a flight or squad leader or getting your ass chewed out bacause you didnt use your maturity to correct something. remember 95% of the guys you enlist with will be just out of high school and are babies. you will probably be older than your DI's and they will remind you of that on a daily basis.

 

[JEDI]

the only benefit you will get is getting E3 after BMT.

the longer you wait the harder it is physically. I got out at 27 years old after serving 10 years and running 3 times a week was getting really fucking old and harder. you will be considered old and will be given lots of shit for it. Plus at your age yo will be the target of the DI's. from being a flight or squad leader or getting your ass chewed out bacause you didnt use your maturity to correct something. remember 95% of the guys you enlist with will be just out of high school and are babies. you will probably be older than your DI's and they will remind you of that on a daily basis.

wait.. air force guys run??

i thought PT test was only once a year?

 

[Nebor]

the only benefit you will get is getting E3 after BMT.

the longer you wait the harder it is physically. I got out at 27 years old after serving 10 years and running 3 times a week was getting really fucking old and harder. you will be considered old and will be given lots of shit for it. Plus at your age yo will be the target of the DI's. from being a flight or squad leader or getting your ass chewed out bacause you didnt use your maturity to correct something. remember 95% of the guys you enlist with will be just out of high school and are babies. you will probably be older than your DI's and they will remind you of that on a daily basis.

I run erryday son! On and off duty! We've got an Air Force LTC stationed at our Army base that consisently comes in the top 5 of any 5k or 10k races. He's a short little guy too.

 

[ViviTheMage]

I thought you got hired by Google. Or did you get fired already.

fired, already? haha .. no.

I updated the thread a while back, I got through all the interviews and panel stuff, flew out, etc and they said I wasn't a good fit.

 

[Imp]

You need to come to terms with that on your own. If you are ok living with the regret (as already expressed by posters in this thread) and only walking up and thanking someone for their service as opposed to sharing a beer with another vet then there you go.

It's something only you can admit to yourself one way or another.

That's a terrible reason to join... I wanted to enlist (despite having a degree) cause I wanted to "serve" and be among the 1% of the population that's served (Canada, so even less than US). Once I stopped blocking out the fact that you're really just serving politicians and the corporations nowadays that get them elected and give them kick-backs, I gave up on the whole nobility and honour thing.

Don't get me wrong. You ARE serving your country. Those corporations and politicians represent your country. Whether it's "noble" and the "freedom" thing they make it up to be is up to you - different people, different values.

My other reasons for joining were to shoot shit, go places, play with expensive toys, and to say "I served". Risking getting maimed and screwing up my mind just wasn't worth it to me in the end. I can do all of the above if I'm rich, which may be harder, but lower risk.

 

[EagleKeeper]

wait.. air force guys run??

i thought PT test was only once a year?

I cranked out 100 miles during OCS. Last three were on a bum knee.

Voluntarily took the 10 mile run with the troops when they were scheduled.

Sometimes exercise can be fun

 

[Dominato3r]

Yea I was going to try joining the AF here as a pilot but the scene is just too damn competitive. Anything would've been great, as log as it was fixed wing. Even canned getting my PPL hours. I might pick up after college or something., but it looks like a civilian desk job for me

 

[EagleKeeper]

Yea I was going to try joining the AF here as a pilot but the scene is just too damn competitive. Anything would've been great, as log as it was fixed wing. Even canned getting my PPL hours. I might pick up after college or something., but it looks like a civilian desk job for me

I was darn lucky getting a slot that was not rated, but allowed me to fly in the fighter for testing purposes. At the time only about 1 of 10 officers were getting flying slots. Those flying slots had a rough assignment ratio that was about 6 Academy, 3 ROTC and 1 OCS per 10 rated flying slots. Missle officers were somehow considered rated

 

[Craig234]

That's a terrible reason to join... I wanted to enlist (despite having a degree) cause I wanted to "serve" and be among the 1% of the population that's served (Canada, so even less than US). Once I stopped blocking out the fact that you're really just serving politicians and the corporations nowadays that get them elected and give them kick-backs, I gave up on the whole nobility and honour thing.

Don't get me wrong. You ARE serving your country. Those corporations and politicians represent your country. Whether it's "noble" and the "freedom" thing they make it up to be is up to you - different people, different values.

My other reasons for joining were to shoot shit, go places, play with expensive toys, and to say "I served". Risking getting maimed and screwing up my mind just wasn't worth it to me in the end. I can do all of the above if I'm rich, which may be harder, but lower risk.

I like some of what you say, but some is not correct. I'm all for 'defending US corporations' if they're actually under attack - say, remember Hitler - but when you are merely 'the muscle' defending the rich owners of the corporations exploiting poor people somewhere, that's another matter. You should read Smedly Butler for some history on it. For example:

"War is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small 'inside' group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes."

I would like to hear more moral values from you about the harm military action does, instead of 'wanting to shoot shit'.

In some other thread at some other time. THIS thread is about something else entirely. Let's keep it that way please.
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