Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Common Interests Anyone in the Air Force?

Next school year I'm going to be a Junior in High School. Lately I have been wondering what the hell I'm going to do with my life. Cliffsnotes on me: I make average grades, not the best at anything really nor the worst. A friend of mine who is graduating this year is going and he was really excited about it. I never really thought about joining any military service but when he told me about it I got interested and checked out the website and found some good info. Is anyone on here in the Air Force? What type of job do you do, and how long are you in for? Even if you aren't and have some info or whatever hit me up.


Greatly appreciated, Eric

my dad was (is) in the air force. i would go to college first, then do the air force though.
basically, my dad was a flight surgeon, and he served in desert storm. he made it to lt. colonel, but stopped a few years ago, and is on inactive reserve (i think). i'm not sure how long he was in the air force though. it was after he got out of medical school.

i think he had a very good experience though. but go to college before you go into the air force. that way you have something to fall back on if you end up realizing that the airforce isnt your thing.

i Used to be
Can't really say to much about my job
Worked on the B-2A Stealth Bomber. Electronic Warfare.. thats about all i can say.

Great Time.....

Hey there, my dad is retired Air Force and my husband is currently active duty Air Force.

My dad was in for 27 years, enlisted, but he did get Masters in History while in the Air Force through the Air Force Community College. His jobs were clerk, command post, and instructor for command post. He loved all his jobs, but working in the command post it's hard to get promoted.

My husband was Munitions Maintanance.....loading bombs on B-52s, and then he crossed over into Civil Engineering. He's basically an outdoor plumber. They put in sewer lines, fire hydrants, take care of water towers, and the water supply. He really liked his jobs but you can't do bomb loading in the civilian world. LOL, so he switched to something he could do if he ever got out.

Everyone in my family.......at least 15 in all....love their service in the Air Force. We have flight chiefs for helicopters, construction workers, plumbers, command post, everything. I can't remember what all they do, but they love it.

Depending on your money situation, if you were are well off, you should go straight to college and then become an officer. If you are money tight, enlist, but go to college while you are in, let the military pay for it. Then go to Officer Candidate School. At least you won't be a dumb "butter bar", you will have military experience.

Good Luck.

If you are good with your hands or technically minded you could get a technician type job in the AF (or any of the services). Many of the senior techs I work with (I work for Intel) are ex military. I went to college myself (came close to enlisting in the military but never did) and these guys knowledge and experience is head and shoulders above mine. Most of them did 4 to 6 years service. They make a very nice salary.

Good luck.

go to college first so you go in as an officer and have my oppurtunities to be promoted

Hey THeDant:
I was in the AF, I served over in Washington D.C at Bolling AFB. I was AF Presidential Honor Guard. I worked at the Pentegon, Arlington National, The White House and many other really great places. I had a job unlike all the other people that will prob post in here. I was alongside the cream of the crop. In the AF there are jobs for everyone, any job you can think of in the real world Its in the AF....
The AF took a young spoiled punk and turned me into a responsible, married, father of 2, sucessfull business man, I got out due to hurting my back while on duty unfortunatly.
but I can honestly say that going in was the best decission I have ever made. I left for basic training in Texas 2 days after graduation and within 6 weeks I was turned into a different person. I joined to be a Para-Rescueman, which is the AF Special Forces, sort of like the Seals, the Rangers the Green Berrets, or the Force Recon. ParaRescue is hard, on every seal them there was always a para rescueman, its great and dangerous work. I was hand picked to goto the AF Presidential Unit, so I choose to take a different route and did that. You prob will too. As far as the thing on college about going and not going, I believe that it is great to go and then come in as an officer, into the AF cause you will have the rank and get paid more than just a regular enlisted airman, however most people can not afford to go so they choose the AF or another service first then get college while they are in and in the AF you will have way more time to do that then any other service, I choose the AF cause my old man was an Army Col. HE wanted me to be a ranger like he was but he also commanded the Old Guard, the Presidential Honor Guard for the Army. I first got turned onto the idea of the AF cause, I was in a service recruiting center and talking to all the hard assed services, and was set on going into one of those, when I walked by the AF recruiters door and he yelled out hey, you ever though of going ot college, that got me, I started to got to college through the AF on my Montgomrey GI bill... You pay into it your first year $1200.00 and they pay for the rest of your school till you get your Grad degree, can't beet that. So thats why I choose to go into the AF, Basic training was a breeze, not that physical, more mental, training alot of pay attention to detail, cause you dont and you work on the F22 you dont tighten a bolt down it comes off it hits the turbine jacks something up plane crashs, the AF looses 100 Million bucks...see what I am saying..hahah It was great too cause if we did a joint services thing, with the other branchs of service they would all be having to sleep in tents on the ground and we would be in builiting..base hotels.. The AF isn't really the service like the Marines or Army, It is basiclly you and me in a uniform. MY wife is in the AF still , she has a normal 7:30-4:30 workday with all her weekends off, its great.. If you ever want to talk more PM me and Ill drop you my phone number, It was the best chioce I ever made.

I've been in a little over 6 1/2 years. My job is Satellite Systems Operator for now or was. I'm serving in the Persian Gulf right now and upon returning to the States I'll be moving to Andrews AFB in DC to work Presidential Support/Special Air Missions. I'll be traveling the world and working with Generals, Senators, Secretaries of whatever, Foreign Dignitaries and even the President.

I haven't had a bad assignment yet. My last assignment I worked in Cheyenne Mountain (NORAD) and worked directly with everything man made that has ever been in space to include the Shuttles and INternational Space Station. There are other things I've worked with that I cannot speak off but if you are into the "spook" lifestyle then there are jobs out there for you.

Been in just over 13 years now. I work in AMMO (Munitions Systems Specialist) Basically we take care of all of the explosive stuff the Air Force uses. Not the greatest job but the brotherhood and family type attitude in my job is strong and pretty cool. I've been stationed in Germany, Utah, New Mexico, Okinawa Japan and currently Korea with a ton of trips to the middle east and other little spots here and there.

I would say if you can't afford college or aren't sure what you want to do with your life yet go for it. The benefits are great, quality of living in the AF is much better than the other services, and you will have the opportunity to travel. If you're married, the benefits are pretty good for your family and if overseas the DoD (Dept of Defense) run schools are some of the best you'll find anywhere.

I've had many years of great experiences in the AF but if you are going to join make sure you know the negative sides as well. There will be deployments, sometimes as much as 6 months out of a year depending on your job. If you stay in any length of time you will most likely get assigned to Korea (1 year tour) and you won't be able to take your family unless you pocket all the expenses. The travel is great but can wear on you at times when you have to leave friends and loved ones behind all the time...it gets very tough sometimes when you have to everything you care about back in the states while you go over to the desert or Korea. Also, if you have certain jobs (especially jobs working on the fighters) you can expect to work a lot of extra hours.

If you can handle the constant moving and often long hours of work it is a great experience...one that I can't say I regret one bit. If you do decide to join up make sure you have a guaranteed job before you go. SOmetimes they will try to put you in a guaranteed career field like "mechanics" and then you pick from job listed in that later...don't fall for that. Either get a guaranteed job (preferably something you like) or don't do it. If you have an idea of what you'd like to do or some particular area of work you enjoy post it and maybe we can all shoot some job descriptions/types your way that might interest you if you do decide to join up.

All the pay and benefits and travel aside there's one main thing that has been the deciding factor in me staying in as long as I have: pride. Pride in wearing the uniform I wear everyday. The pride you feel when a civilian comes up to you and says "thank you for defending our country" it's a feeling you just can't get from any job out there; except maybe fire dept and police.

Go for it. Military in general is a damn good experience. My wife is a Marine and I'll be leaving soon for boot camp for the Corps. Of course, I'd recommend the Corps, but do what you find you like the most or will give you the best opportunity.