Thinking about joining the air force

[BigCrate]

I have been thinking about joining the airforce for a awhile now..
I don't want totalk to my folks about this right now they have to much crap on their minds right now... I have been going from job to job since I grad. from highschool. And it has sucked I'm tired of going from job to job.. And I may not be able to go to the schools
I want to go to now.. My folks can't help me and I don't have the money. I know its a big decision but it might but cool to do for a couple years... but it has its draw backs too. I couldn't be a pilot I would have to be a maint. man and servicing the A/C.. Damn I hate these crossroads I could to...  Give me yall's opinion on this.

Cw

[Saurdaukar]

Joining the military is a wonderful decision - especially in your case.  I joined the Marine Corps (going through an OCS program) and it was the best decision I ever made.

Mazz/Mike

[Gunthr]

Go for it! I'm trying to persuade a daughter to join the army.

Everybody can't fly those birds, but its pretty cool to be around them! It will be an experience that will be with you for life, and pay for your college too. It also looks very good on a resume.

[Nath[BDP]]

Why can't you be a pilot?

[Raubvogel]

I was in the same boat about 13 years ago. Grew up po' went thru a few jobs, decided to join the Army. Was probably the best decision I ever made. If you really want to fly, you should consider the Army. It's the only service that will still train you as a pilot with only a HS Diploma. Warrant Officers make decent dough too. Or, you could be an enlisted crew chief and fly just about everyday. I started as an Aeroscout Observer, basically I spotted for cav units and marked bad guys on maps. I was also the co-pilot as an enlisted man. (officially we were only to fly in emergencies ) Later I became a Huey crew chief, and that was an awesome job too. Working on helicopters and flying air assault missions was the toejam. Now I fly a desk, but I'm still wringing every last drop out of the Army. I'm working on the last class towards my degree right now, and plan on going for a Master's after that. We aint rich, but I've come along way from scraping 47 cents outta my ashtray to get enough gas to get to work back in 1989

Think it through and make sure it's what you want...but I'd recommend it to someone in your position. The educational benefits are awesome, and if you decide it's for you, you can retire after 20 and take it a bit easier. My advice: explore every service before you decide. And make sure you get all those recruiters to buy you lunch..they get reimbursed for it

[Mighty1]

Well after High School I couldn't choose between barain surgery or being an astronaut so I went into the USAF.

I ended up being Fuels specialist (gas station attendant) stationed at Seymour Johnson AFB in Goldsboro NC.

I learned a lot there. I learned how to control my anger AND how to say "Check your oil?" with a smile.

Serious now. The USAF DID help me find what I wanted to do with my life AND what I didn't want .

My advice...if you have no plans for higher education then the USAF is a safe way (no one shoots at your ass)to figure out what you want to do.

[Dago]

My son is in the Army, a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne.  He enjoys it.  

dago

[Durr]

I have never regretted joining the Air Force, I love every minute of it.  I would recommend it to anybody.

[BigCrate]

I want to get more schooling! But if I joined up I would really want to be a pilot.. But only having a HSD to show for my schooling there is little chance of that.. But I was going to go to school to work on A/C.. Hell I don't know! Tell me more about this army flying with only a HSD.
and tell me about basic training how much of a pain in the bellybutton is it? And thnx fer yall input on this.. (i'm kinda leining towards enlisting but in what branch I don't know yet also I need to see if I'm up to this challange)

Cw

[Elfenwolf]

Big Crate, You didn't say how old you are and just how long you've been going from job to job. My advice is to not make any decisions more serious other than what brand of beer to drink until you are at LEAST 25.
If you're 19-20 years old and just chilling at home then I say take full advantage of it and party while you can. Don't worry, life will make you grow up, so why rush it?
The worst choice I ever made was to join the service. All these non-coms yelled at me all the time, then they shipped my sorry bellybutton off to Viet Nam where everybody either shot at you or gave you the clap. I should have to fled to Canada with so many others of my generation, but I can't stand Canadians with all that "G'Day" and "Shrimp On The Barbie" crap.
I have to admit the dope was good in Southeast Asia and I got to experience every sexual position known to man, including several that involved a water buffalo, but all things considered if I had it to do over again I would have bought myself a Saturday Night Special and robbed liquor stores and carjacked people as I criscrossed the country.
I say stay at home as long as you can, party like it's 1999 and try not to think about anything but getting laid until you're at least 25.
Elfenwolf the Sensible

[Dinger]

Here's my $.02:
No, I never served in any of the armed forces.
My father, however, enlisted in the army, and thanks to the GI Bill, he got an education, after which he rose to the highest levels in his academic field.
I'm currently working on my crappy little PhD (well, two of them -- blame the Italians).  One of the things I do to earn money is teach undergraduates at this here Big Ten university.  On my class list, the GI Bill guys have little marks by them (their aid is dependent on passing performance).  I can speak for myself, and all the other instructors here in saying that we really like teaching the GI Bill folks; politics don't enter into it.  We get a bunch of rich kids from Chicago who are here to spend their parents' money on beer. Then there are a few folks in the class who know why the hell they're here, what they've done to get here, and who are dedicated to getting the most out of their college experience.

If you want to go to school, there's no shame in "taking the long route".  You'll be the better for it, even if you hate every day.
Now, if you want to fly -- damn that would be nice, wouldn't it?

[the_hegemon]

If you join the Army as a Warrant Officer, flying is the only thing you'll ever do.  You won't hold a command position, or a staff job, you just fly.  And you don't need anything more than an HSD.  I don't know much more than that.  Go find a recruiter and talk to him, and then try and find someone who is not a recruiter and enlisted and talk to them.  Reality will be somewhere in between.

And as long as you are not pathetically out of shape (can you walk farther then the distance from the computer to the fridge?), you should do just fine in basic.  I'd say go for it.

[BigCrate]

If I enlisted it would be to fly and to get more schooling.. So I won't be sitting on my bellybutton all time thinking about all the stuff I could be doing (like now).. And if the only thing I did was to fly
that would be great I don't care nothing a command or staff job.
Flying would be just fine .. I used to could run a 100m dash in 11.44 sec. but that was something like 4 or 5 years ago. hehehe I gained 20 pounds since then. (was 145lbs now I'm about 170lbs) I just wanted to know if basic was a pain in the ass.
I havn't done any kind of training in awhile.

Cw

[Russian]

.02$
1) Make sure you ask many questions when signing up! Once you sign you can't go back  
2) Sign up for 4 years, don't look at bonus.  That bonus will not make any diffrence if you hate your job  and stuck their for extra 2 years.
3) Try to run 2 miles in 18 minutes,( and not die ) do 50 push-ups and sit-ups. If you can do that easily you can have fun in basic. If not make sure you can do at least 75-85% or it will be very hard in basic.
3) Expect great presure and yelling about 5 weeks, learning under pressure, ets (since you live home you should be ready, )
4) When you sign up DO NOT ENTER as GENERAL (job selection). You will end up with some crappy job for next 4 years.
5) Study for ASVAB, higher score=better job
6) Do not do anything stupid in basic, air force is just seeing how well you work under pressure, it will get better once first 2-3 weeks pass by.
7) Do NOT sleep when its not sleeping time
8) Don't laff, your trainer will say a lot of funny stuff.
9) Once in basic reporting statment "Sir, trainee reports us ordered". Remember it, It will help you
10) Do not take anything personal!!!

There are many small tips, other people can fill you in. If you have any questions I will be happy to help you.

[Tumor]

Originally posted by BigCrate
If I enlisted it would be to fly and to get more schooling.. So I won't be sitting on my bellybutton all time thinking about all the stuff I could be doing (like now).. And if the only thing I did was to fly
that would be great I don't care nothing a command or staff job.
Flying would be just fine .. I used to could run a 100m dash in 11.44 sec. but that was something like 4 or 5 years ago. hehehe I gained 20 pounds since then. (was 145lbs now I'm about 170lbs) I just wanted to know if basic was a pain in the ass.
I havn't done any kind of training in awhile.

Cw

  Be advised.  Joining the Army is one thing.  Becoming a pilot is another.  The competition for that sort of thing is fierce, it's not an automatic garuntee'd type of thing.  Not to mention the Flight Physical thing.

  I'm coming up on 4yrs to go before I retire from the USAF.  The wiser decision 16yrs ago would have  had me busting my bellybutton and working my way through college.  Don't get me wrong, I've loved every minute in the USAF, both as Security Forces and 6 years now in Intel (Intel has very good paying post retirement opportunities btw).  IF you can stay in school...do it.  If you want to enlist, do that, but finish school as soon as you can as the education opportunities are mind bogeling in the DoD (I've earned 80+ credit hours in military schools alone).  Talk to a recruiter about ROTC too.  There is a way if you have the credit hours, to join active duty and be discharged into a ROTC program a year later.  Do this though...dude I'm serious.  IF you join either service (and good god  especially if you end up in Korea) DO NOT FREEKIN GET MARRIED LOLOL!!  I've seen a thousand guys trade thier dreams at way too young an age over a woman.  Also, be patient.  You have time and plenty of it.

(not busting on Korea guys, but you take a toejamload of single guys, the majority of which have never been away from home save basic training, send them to Korea for a year and bing bang boom 1/2 are hitched in less than 6mo...those chicks have a WAY about'em ya can't resist hehe)