weezerfan5487

I'm in the Air Force and my job is cake. I've been in 5 years now and for how young I am I think I make pretty good money(45K). I didn't join for the money. More the experiences, benifits, and the chance to better myself.

I'm deployed for my second time in one year to Afghanistan for another 6 month tour. I volunteered both times and don't regret my decisions for a minute. Yea, it sucks donkey dick out here, but I'm living in a nice room(with five other guys), have a shower and bathroom in my building, and I work in an a/c building doing a easy job working on pilot gear.

IMO, if you can, go Air Force. It's the easiest branch and they make sure everyone has the best living condtions and the best out of the branches. Not ******* on the others but I've seen how they lived.

r808

iTrader: (7)

Yeah no ****. I remember a port call many years ago on deployment (you 6 month deployment sailors are ****) during an 8 month excursion. We stopped at Diego Garcia for vacation. You Air Force ******* called that deployment (all 3 months of it and tax free combat zone to boot). What a deal!

Seriously though, another one of the greatest motivating points for me in getting out was the loneliness. I could never understand how a man could leave his wife to go out to sea. In the ultimate contradiction, I have somebody now. There is a huge difference, IMHO, in being lonely and in missing somebody.

weezerfan5487

Yep, some of our deployments are cake! I'm still single but it's funny how once I'm gone I'm the envy of a lot of women.

kotomile

iTrader: (24)

Me too, in a roundabout way.

AF/Navy are more about the quality of life, Army/USMC more about advancing in rank at the expense of quality of living. IMHO, of course.

If I had this to do over again, I might have tried to go into the Navy or AF. Seems you could do 20 there and not lose your mind.

weezerfan5487

Yea, just depends on your job. Most guys stay in for the 20 and then some. That's what I'm planning on doing. I might be a low rank still but that's quite fine with me really. I'm happy with what I do and where I live.

Tony the Tiger

iTrader: (4)

I did 4 in navy and ran for the door because no one wanted to work it was all about looking good and sucking up.I on the other hand enjoy working hard for a honest pay but when the guy the same rank as u does nothing and makes what u make it gets old. Military isn't for everyone it takes a toll on u mentally and physically. But u do come out a different person be it a good or bad thing. More power to those guys who make a career out of it.

r808

iTrader: (7)

So I walked into an Air Force recruiter's office the other day.

**** me there were like 4 other dudes in that tiny office!
Lazy looking, kinda guessing.


If you want to be in the military go after that ****.
******s.
Anyways, only special forces are open this year so **** that.

r808

iTrader: (7)

If something in life intrigues you. . . Go after it. Pin it down and win. You are #1 and you will win. You are faster and smarter than everybody else so bring it now! No Taffingbody else can compete right now. . ,.

weezerfan5487

lol, They wont make it. Air Force doesn't toerate laziness or slackers. Their trying to kick lots out so they wouldn't make it past Basic.

Joseph B

I thought qualification and selection could only be applied for after reaching the rank of corporal? SF requires a combination of physical fitness, military education, and civilian education that a typical enlistee wouldn't possess at the time of enlistment.

Joseph B

Fixed

fmowry

iTrader: (8)

You'll find that everywhere. I'm fed for 20 years now. Same ****. If I was female and worked on the 8th floor instead of the 9th where I am now, I'd be making 30K more for running the software I write and support.

We programmers always joke that our software should simply pop up a big button on the user's screen that says "Do my job".

I've got friends in private industry who deal with the same ****. It's not what you know, it's who you blow.

My dad was 20 year Army. He's a triple dipper now after retiring Army, retiring NSA, and pulling SS. Not a bad payday for a dude who spent a week in college.

samnavy

iTrader: (7)

When the economy is good, recruiting standards are relaxed and we get fat. When the economy sucks, waivers go away and we start booting people for whatever... it's called "force shaping".

Right now is a tough time to join. The "average" guy with a high-school diploma who has never fucked up too bad can get in, but have limited choices for M.O./designator.

Promotion rates in the Navy are at record lows. A lot of rates are in the low single-digits. There are some rates at 100%, but are very few people. Guys who work on the flight deck promoted at a rate of like 8%.

If you're going to join, you need to make a very calculated decision about what you want to do. Being a jet engine mechanic sounds cool, until you've been in for 10 years and are still an E-4 because nobody is getting out and everybody is as good as you are... it's happening right now in some Navy rates.

Joseph B

I was just reading up and you don't enlist for the 18 job series, but you can get the opportunity to try out for special forces specified in your enlistment contract. If you don't make it through SFAS or any of the training, you're classified as an 11B, infantryman. Things have changed a little bit in the last couple of years.