Anyone in the Air Force? I'm really interested in joining

I hate it here.

>>34793569
Care to elaborate anon?

1/2

I did 4 years as Security Forces active, still doing ANG for benefits. Don't do SF. It's dumb as shit, you're largely stuck with retards who think they're awesome cause they're "cops", and you're stuck dealing with dipshits at the gate or pissy dependas throwing fits on base housing. ANG SF is better than active because most people have professional jobs so we're not consumed by the I GOTTA BADGE mentality.

If you REALLY wanna run around in body armor with a gun as a job, get a TACP/CCT or even PJ slot.

If i had to do it again, I'd follow a good friend and do AFROTC to commission, get an Intel slot, finish my commitment, and use the sec clearances i got to get a really well paying private sector gig. Intel officers with high clearances are really highly sought after by consulting and policy groups. My buddy did 4 years as Intel, and used his clearance to basically walk on to a 130k a year consulting job.

Current state: morale is shit. Politics are shit. Admin are losing their shit over the trans awareness and diversity crap. You'll get fucked over for "unprofessional" behavior like sharing personal opinion by officers that got their tenure under Obama. They're hemmoraging good NCOs, leaving only the burned out or dead weight behind. Prepare to carry the extra share for lazy airmen who are women and/or minorities, they are (for now) damn near untouchable. Our last go around to Afghanistan, we got word 4 months in advance, with a month to go 7 of 8 women in my squadron were "accidently" pregnant, leaving us effectively down most of a squad. Prepare to see women and minorities shit all over AFIs, and lower and higher ranks, because they know any criticism they can scream "racism" or "sexism". I've seen it more times than I can count.

Tl;Dr, get an enlisted job as TACP/CCT/PJ, or use USAF to pay for college and commission in to a career field that will get you a swanky private sector job.

2/2

Speaking unironically, I'd go Coast Guard. I know lots of people, entry and prior service, enlisted and commissioned, who are in the CG. They love their jobs. Not one dreads going to work. They get taught a lot of civilian applicable skills, rub shoulders with a lot of federal agencies and private industries, servicemen aren't treated like shit, and their "deployments" are shit like drug interdiction cruises in the fucking Gulf and Caribbean.

Lots of people get blinded by the IMMA SERVE MT COUNTRY meme, and they almost to a T get burned out, chewed up, and spat out as bitter men who honestly wasted 4+ years of their lives.

All my senior NCOs have told me the modern US military is not a good system to be part of, not since it fell victim to politicization and social engineering.

But do what you will my man, it's your life.

>>34794002
Thanks alot man, really appreciate the detailed input

>>34793422
I'm a maintainer and I second pretty much everything that >>34793978
said.

>>34794002
>>34793978
also security forces, this dude is pretty spot on. there are some cool jobs besides spec ops like sensor operator, special missions avaiation, i guess enlisted can fly drones now but your a still not a real pilot or officer so why bother?
its not a bad route if you just go for school or need a job, go finance and fuck up my pay and travel vouchers, personal and just be fuckin closed all the time. all the comm guys are nerds but decent people. medical is basically civilians. id say stay away from the flightline, its about the same level as shit sf goes through but you smell like jp8 and grease all day.

>>34793422

>Tried out for PJ. Failed.
>Got reclassed into TMO
>Did six months in Passenger Travel/Household Goods before I got sent to the warehouse because I have terrible "customer service"
>Basically working as Fedex for the rest of my time.
>Hated it. Hated life.
>Was planning to go career. Got out at the end of my six year contract.

If you're going to go for some of the cool jobs then make damn sure you pass. Otherwise you get thrown into whatever they have an opening for.

What SF anon said earlier is true.

If you're going to go into the Air Force then at least do yourself a favor and pick a job that you can easily transfer to civ life when you're done. Also knock out as much college as you can for free. Find time to do it.

>>34793978
>>34794002
7 years in as an aircraft maintainer. Security forces and Maintenance are the USAF's private hells. 12-16 hour days, no set schedule, if you have a family you will literally be at work more than with them. Weekends? what the fuck are those? I have no idea.

To put it into perspective, I was actually happier in afghanistan than being at my base.

>>34795437
>To put it into perspective, I was actually happier in afghanistan than being at my base.

My best times were my stints at Al Asad and then Bagram. Lots of range time and working out, got to do cool shit with cool people, and didn't have to deal with the 500 pound E-6's wife at the gate screaming DO YOU KNOW WHO MY HUSBAND IS.

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>>34794940
Everything in this thread is spot on I went EOD failed (my own fault no ill will against the air force there) and I was very lucky to be reclassed into a communications job. Which I absolutely hate, training is shit, equipment is way out of date, a1c's know the job better than the nco's , we are well behind the commercial industries and are trying desperately to catch up. I joined to (I'm not even joking) because I love America and I didn't want a desk job. I wanted to do military shit. None of that happened and whenever I try to do something right or perform a job better I get kicked in the teeth by lazy or incompetent people above me.

Sorry for the incoherent ramblings of anger. I just really want to love there military but they make it impossible.

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>>34793422
>Want's to join military
>Considering airforce
Does not compute

At least you'll get to live on some of the nicest bases in the DoD while not all of them are nice but at least a good number of them are. Yokota Air Base was a nice one in Japan at least.

>>34796253
Maybe he is good at something?

>>34796301
Nothing of a military bent.

Best Air Force thread I have ever seen here.
>went open General into AF, don't do this.
>was called out in Basic Training since recruiter was an idiot, was in delayed entry a year with no assigned job
>was shown cool jobs, and chose nuclear weapons
> worked nukes and ballistic missiles four years
>then cross trained into satellite and wideband Comms. Now this is called cyber transport.
>nukes got me within three classes of AA degree and I tested out of 2
>Comms got me BS degree
>assigned to ASOS unit, TACPs everywhere
>end up calling air strikes as support troop
>transition several units to cyber and intel missions
>retire with six figure salary in civilian sector
>have Army, Navy, and Marines work for me
>some are cool, but one Navy was satcom that can't even spell satellite
>Marine is most educated with Masters in adult education, but spews memes about shotguns not needing to be aimed
>people think he speaks truth as he was a Marine
>I have to set him straight, but since AF, people think I know nothing
>don't care since I am the boss, make final decisions and more money
>have about 100 more guns than Marine
>Go Air Force, get education, and as others said do not go Security Forces
>Security Forces is where you should end up if you fail everything else.

Unlike what has been said before, I would recommend doing something that can't be done in the civilian sector. Many jobs like intel, sensor operator, drone pilot and nuclear weapons do not come easily in the civilian side. Make the first and possibly only enlistment fun and exciting. You only live once, so give it full effort.

>>34796593
>was called out in Basic Training since recruiter was an idiot
What does this mean? Also, do you know anything about jobs in the ANG? I'm strongly considering intel but I'm worried that without active duty experience in that role, I would be useless both in the military and on the civilian side. How common is it for people to do a year of active duty in the ANG and then go back to their home units? Should I just do a regular enlistment at 25? Otherwise sounds like you had an awesome career

>In AF ROTC
>Sequestration hits right before FT slots are supposed to drop
>Commander decides to only send STEM majors to FT
>Shit there's only like 4 STEM majors and we have 8 slots
>Quick, insert random minority/female cadets into slots regardless of performance
>Tells rest of detachment that from now on only STEM majors will be allowed to progress through Field Training and get a commission
>"I'm not kicking anyone out, but let's be honest, why would any of you stay when you know you'll never get that butterbar?"
>Okay fuck you too Col.
>Det CC was an OTS grad that bragged about how he doesn't even remember how to put his blues on and wears a flight suit around the det even though he's been out of his flying status for 6 years.
>Leave ROTC, finish degree with sweet-ass goatee and edgy civilian clothes
>One Year Later
>GUYS! GUYS! WE CUT TOO MANY PEOPLE! WE NEED 4,000 AIRMEN NOW NOW NOW
>Here we go.
>Sit in DEP with Open Mech
>Recruiter calls one day saying one of his EOD guys chickened out, offers me to just slide into his slot.
>Dumbass SF SSgt didn't show me some mandatory videos
>Show up to Lackland, promptly informed I'm fraudulently enlisted
>"But holy fuck do we need people, so come into this room and pick a new job."
>End up slotted into AMMO
>Now sitting at Tyndall working with training missiles.
>Just put in for EQUALS overseas program to try and get Aviano or Misawa (Not confident I'll get it but whatever.)
>Leadership is hounding me to hurry up and get my 5-level so I can submit an OTS packet and become an LT since there's a massive fucking officer shortage.

Take that Colonel, you fat balding twat.

>>34797220
Sounds like you got pretty thoroughly fucked over. Once you're in ROTC are you committed to joining the AF, or was it your choice to enlist after leaving ROTC?

>>34797395

It was my choice. After you leave ROTC you're a full civilian again.

>>34797611
So you got completely fucked out of a commission due to petty politics, then enlisted and got fucked again and now you're getting another chance to commission? That takes some serious faith in the military, man. I wouldn't have looked back after ROTC, but then I'm still a civilian

>>34797645

I was raised an Air Force brat and it's always been a large part of who I am. My dad always told me growing up "Don't be part of the problem, be part of the solution."

I figure instead of letting the petty politics get to me, I should instead focus on embedding myself deep within, gather a loyal army of followers, and be the change I want to see in the Air Force. We already know everyone is sick and tired of the diversity and the political correctness; all we need is more people at every level of the chain working Hydra-style to have it stamped out.

In a way I guess I want to be an Inquisitor, except instead of purging heretics I'm pink-slipping obese black women and insubordinate gay men.

>>34797697
Good for you man. That requires a lot of dedication, especially trying to change a historically immovable bureaucracy from the inside. I'm in the enlistment process right now and hearing about all the politics is the only thing that has put me on the fence about following through with joining, but you're right. After reading your post I'm going to commit to this and try to be part of the solution

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>>34797749

That's the spirit, anon. Cut off one head, and two more shall grow in it's place...

If you ever see a maintainer with a Hydra patch on his backpack, hit me up and let us plot the downfall of military diversity together.

>>34797955
Will do anon. Hopefully by that time the diversity crowd is about to topple under its own weight and all we'll have to do is give it the final push

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As someone who graduated high school with his AA , is one year into a "real" college and may have to leave for financial reasons, and if I do leave I'll probably have to military.
I don't know where I was going
What should I do?
I was thinking coast Guard or air force if that situation does arise
Which is better at the moment and what kinda duties are expected ?

My college has no rotc.

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>>34796593
I'm this anon
>>34796219
Holy poop are you future me? Do I get cool guns? I want cool guns.
and I have the same job
What squadron were you when you did the tacp shit?
I'm on my way to an acs squadron is it going to blow?
>>34797697
I want to help you in this goal

Pic related

OP here.
Maybe AF isn't the best option. I want more of a support role without seeing combat, don't really care about being a gun toting soldier. Everywhere I go I hear horror stories from secfo.

Tbh I'm scared of the water so Coast Guard is a no go.

>>34799385
OP im one of the sf guys from earlier. what everybody has said so far is true but understand all of us are pretty 'disgruntled for one reason or another. youll get the sarc classes and diversity shit in every branch these days, and youll work with some shitty people in every job, military or civilian.
what types of jobs are you looking at? anything medical AF isnt a bad option and you wont deal with a lot of the shit weve bitched about. services you end up working at lodging, chow, or the gym. all the same benefits and youll never carry a gun stateside.

>>34799503
I'd like logistics, I enjoy working with supplies so I figured I'd be around something I like, medical wouldn't be bad either. Something in those fields.

>>34799643
i dont know too much about logistics, its a lot of matching serial numbers and counting up inventory. at least thats what it is for the lower (e5 and below) ranks, not sure about the higher ones. could you elaborate a bit on working with supplies?
medical is pretty cool, the chicks are all hot and the guys are chill. Deployed medical is where its at though, youll pretty much never carry a gun and depending on your officer youll get to do stuff you never would be allowed to stateside.

>>34799725
I guess just normal supply stuff, checking inventory, seeing what we need, what we have, organizing stuff, warehouse type stuff. I don't mind doing that at all.

I'm certainly in AFROTC with the devotion of becoming a CRO. I joined AFROTC with the intentions of wanting to fly after switching from Army ROTC but now I just want to become a CRO

I haven't even put down any other AFSC's because I fear if shit starts sucking I'll think I have a back up, my ROTC department doesn't really know what to do with me because I'm the rare few who's wants to go TACP/CCT/CRO and refuse to put down anything else

>>34799752
if thats your thing yeah logistics sounds right up your alley. if you do pull the trigger i hope you enjoy it. like that other guy said its tough sometimes but try to leave a positive impact on the forve.

>>34799804
Thanks a bunch man

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>>34793422
Recent USAF Enlist here, I'm going in as Munitions in September, did I fugg up?

>>34793978
Life in the AF sounds scary.

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>enlisted commoners talking about how shitty their lives in the military are
>mfw

>>34799820
no problem friend. best of luck.

>>34799943
get enough crew rest fag?

>>34800017
>8 hours "crew rest"
>JO's actually up most of the night planning the flight

Eh, but what would you know?

>>34800060
im not hating man, pilots live a pretty gucci life until they start flying a desk.

what do you fly? it better not be drones.

Army enlisted nurse here. I recommend going medical in any of thr branches, with the caveat being that you pick a job that gives you a certification or license that directly or almost directly translates into a civilian career.

I enlisted, and they put me through army version of nursing school. I got my license now and work in a joint army/navy hospital.

In the end, it all depends on where you go and who's waiting for you there. Our hospital is half civilian and has to conform to many civilian standards. That means its a pretty normal place, and my coworkers are all pretty cool guys, whether they're army, navy, or civ.

>>34800154
Do you need any prior medical school for being in medical for any branch?

>>34800154
What do the MD's think about being in the service? I'll be in med school soon and I'm on the fence about doing a USAF residency

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>>34799836

Nah, you'll have fun.

>>34793422
Its shit. Its all shit and I'm in one of the "easy life" careers apparently

I want to be a pilot
How do I do this
?

>>34800832

You need a college degree to be an officer, which is required to be a pilot.

How does one get into USAF pararescue?