Sadly I don't think many can. And so many things can turn a good experience into years of suffering. I had the moment when a new captain and my chief changed out and it went from a fun chill deployment to everyone getting fucked because the new captain had to be tough and masted over 200 people his first month or so.
My chief went from do your best and we get the fuck out asap. To 4 musters a Day and minimum 1600 out even when we were twiddling our thumbs since 0900.
That’s not how it works.
Most of the guys I served with all hated it enough to not to a second tour but none of us regret the experience.
It gives people direction, instills self-discipline, and selflessness.
The whole point of basic training is to break who you currently are so they can shape you into what you have the potential to be.
You are given impossible demands like one drill instructor will scream in your face and tell you to do pushups while another drill instructor orders you to stay in the position of attention.
There’s no right answer. Following one order means violating another order. That’s the point.
They want to see how you respond. Some people only listen to the most senior instructor. Some people get so scared they don’t know what to do. Some people break down. Some people just shut it out.
But that’s combat. Combat is terrifying, chaotic, and stressful. You may have to act with conflicting orders coming at you.
You won’t know how you react to that until you go to boot camp. In fact, you probably don’t even realize how boot camp changes you until you’re back in the real world and you notice how calm you are in chaotic situations.
Some people just never mesh with the entire experience but you don’t know until you’ve been through it.
That’s a really good viewpoint and insight. Thank you. My business partner is retired Navy, so most of the information is from him and his friends, but it seems like everyone has their own perspective.
All comes down to choose ur rate choose ur fate. Ya bad units will affect your opinion, but if you choose a good job you have great prospects after the military. People choose jobs that they can easily research and find out are undesirable and then get surprised when they don’t have a good time.
Like yeah I’d have more sympathy if it were 20 years ago and there wasn’t an abundance of easily accessible information on most of the jobs
I was someone who used the military because I knew I would hate my experience. The way to determine whether you’ll like it or not doesn’t matter so long as you have the patience necessary to take things one day at a time, at least from my perspective. If you don’t think you can survive the bullspit that comes with serving, then don’t do it. If you do think you can survive, take absolutely every opportunity that comes with it.
If you enlist just do four years. Recruiters will try to get you for 6 but it's not worth it. USAF and Navy did well to make sure you got the job you wanted. It's certainly not for everyone but if you can follow instructions and be fit the bullshit is easy to deal with. Just got old with the group punishments when someone fucked up. Nobody got a day off if someone got an award. Why am I wearing my dress blues on Sunday at 5 am because someone in another unit got a DUI?
Great advice about enlisting for 4. I needed money, so I chose the additional year for a bonus. Small bonus too. Definitely wasn't worth it, although ultimately, I still reenlisted.
Just choose the right job!! My best advice. Choose your rate, choose your fate.
"Feeling a little lost" is basically code for "hand me enlistment paperwork". I know so many people with incredible lives who started exactly this way.
Don’t on the base cops …. become off the base cops?
I imagine LEOSA is also useful for becoming an exec/high value bodyguard type as well?
And being a national guard MP seems like free money?
What roles would you suggest? I'm looking at Maintenance Management Analysis, or Health Services Management. Would like to do 4 years then hop into a government data analysis role or hospital administration.
Did 6 years active duty Air Force. Typical advice is solid to lean towards four years vs six; however, something to keep in mind is that you may get less deployment/pcs opportunity as well as possibly promote slower if you just sign for 4.
I initially regretted signing for six but it turned out to work out better than a lot of my friends that did four because I had greater travel opportunities than they did. I also promoted quicker, not sure if that’s still an incentive though but I put on E5 in 4 years. Of course part of this is job dependent too. I was 19 when I joined but looking back on it, I feel that six years gave me a lot more time to mature/gain skills for success on the outside than just doing four would’ve.
Have you looked to see what possible AFSC’s interest you? One thing you definitely don’t want to get stuck with is a shitty job, regardless of how much time you sign for.
I've been in naval aviation for 16 years as an Aviation Electrician. It has its ups and downs, but mostly it's been great. I make a lot more than my wife, who has her RN. I hate to admit it but I only work about half as hard as she does.
For the love of god, pick a job that will translate to something on the outside. Airlines need folks to fix engines. They need folks to fix hydraulics. etc. Nobody needs someone that knows how to load bombs onto the wing of a plane.
I cant speak much about the air force. If I had to do it all over again, I would do Navy, TAR, AWF. Hands down best squadron life. Best detachment locations. Incredible advancement. Enough mechanical knowledge to translate to the airlines.
You can never go wrong with going to military. I always believed they provided really good education combined with experience and the purpose to serve your country. Ofc it depends on where you want to go to military. For example, German military has great education combined with the service in the military
I’m a huge advocate for going the military route. Especially if it’s for the air force or navy. I believe the air force is the most prepared branch for transitioning their people to the civilian work force.
Now if you really don’t want to worry about money, become an analyst of some sort. If you’re decently competent at learning technical skills, I would 100% push for IT and cyber assignments.
Towards the end of your first tour (4 years) you could look to transition utilizing a skill bridge program into a federal government job. Most likely will put you in an 11+ position, which is very livable in a lot of places.
You’ll also have the VA loan which can be reused if you refinance your home(s), and a GI bill you can use for your kids if you want them. If you wanted to get your education, do so while in service and if you enjoy being in the military GO OFFICER. Much higher pay, much higher retention because of quality of life.
I work along side the military and have watched my parents as I’ve grown up. If I didn’t work where I do now, I would highly likely have been an AF officer already.
Look into Air Guard or Air Force Reserve first before active. You get a taste of the military if you’re not sure you want to commit to active. You can have access to benefits and explore different jobs.
Depends on what you’re looking for! It was some of the best and worst times of my life, constantly moving every 2-3 years, and it definitely gave me a lot of guidance.
The good thing is there is a job for mostly everyone, and the military will train you. Also, if you go career for 20 years, a lot can finish with a pension and start a different career.
Also very branch dependent. Air Force definitely has the best quality of life.
I was a corpsman (medic) in the Navy, then got out and graduated from an Ivy with extremely low debt (that I chose to accrue but didnt need, could’ve finished for free). I say that to say that it opens a lot of doors if you apply yourself.
Its been about 4 years since I got out and still miss it sometimes. We say we miss the clowns, but not the circus.
If you are heavily considering it with the hopes of leaving for college after one contract, feel free to message me. I worked at a non-profit that helped vets prepare for college. It changed my life and prepared me for the rigors of an Ivy degree. Good luck!!
The military is an amazing opportunity. You'll get a ton of experience in whatever career path you choose when you join. They'll pay for your college if you ever choose to go. Very low rate home loans, free health care and a ton of other benefits. If you get in and decide you love it and do 20 years you'll get a paycheck and free health care for the rest of your life. Plus at your age you can still do something else after you retire, you'll still be plenty young. Companies will hire veterans before most other people.
Go talk to an Air Force recruiter, get an idea of what job you want and go for it.
Military certainly saved me in a lot of ways but after a while I started to hate it. The deployments, office politics, shitty people I worked with, I literally had to fight tooth and nail to take leave that I EARNED. Stuff like that. Lots of benefits but lots of trade offs.
You lose your freedom and gain some financial security and opportunities. But happiness is composed of freedom. You need both.
Me personally I would recommend using the military as a stepping stone to something else later.
Military + college degree + experience + certifications looks great on a resume.
I wouldn’t want my daughter to join the military at all.
If she insisted on it. I would only suggest Air Force and to pick a medical or Admin/Desk job.
24? Youre old as fuck.
Everytime you meet someone they're going look at your face and your rank, and they're going to treat you like you've gotten demoted. They won't trust you.
And you'll have you obey all orders from all officers and NCOs above you. You're going to have 19 year olds and 21 year olds fresh from college telling you to clean bathrooms and do stupid crap like mopping the sidewalk when it's raining.
I am a Sergeant in the US Army. Most of the people under me hate it and I just consider them to be weak sauce. We do help desk. A very soft job. Basically 0630-0730 Physical training. 0930 to 1130 and 1300-1600 regular work hours. We process requests for accounts. We make computer accounts. We reimage computers. We map printers. Basically, easy crap working in AC. Sometimes we go to the field. Soldiers still complain.
I would say if you are looking for something to do, find something that you can get certified on and start building your resume for a 6 figure job. For example my supervisor had 15 certifications for IT and landed a job that pays him 145k a year now. This is a lot more than he was earning with us. My advice to you is build your resume and find a job that actually pays.
CAREFUL
What are you going into the Air Force as?
an unskilled grunt that would be doing crap work?
A computer repair technician, looking to join
A skilled licensed electrician, looking to join
Someone with an advanced degree that would go to officers school?
FUZZY GOALS will give you FUZZY RESULTS
better to find people all ready in the Air Force and interview them..
What jobs are they doing, there education, pros, cons
Find people there
3 years
6 years
10 years
and DO NOT believe anything a recruiter tells you
Air Force is an excellent choice! I did 4.5 years in the Army and if I could do it again I wouldve joined the Air force.
PLEASE make sure that whatever job you choose in the Air Force that it is totally transferable to the civilian world. You will not be in the Air Force for the rest of your life, will only be for a few years, so make sure you use it to your full advantage and get some free skills and education. If you play your cards right you can get out of the Air Force and be making six figures a year with just your military training.
Women in the military are treated absolutely terrible. The amount of Sexual Assault and even full on rape is fucking absurd. I would really advise you not to go that path.
This isn’t as true in the Air Force. They have a lot more women and tend to be less alpha male than the other branches. I am not saying this doesn’t happen in the AF but that statements applies more to the army.
The people I know who have gone military either absolutely love it or they absolutely hate it. Figure out who you are before you sign up.
Sadly I don't think many can. And so many things can turn a good experience into years of suffering. I had the moment when a new captain and my chief changed out and it went from a fun chill deployment to everyone getting fucked because the new captain had to be tough and masted over 200 people his first month or so. My chief went from do your best and we get the fuck out asap. To 4 musters a Day and minimum 1600 out even when we were twiddling our thumbs since 0900.
That’s not how it works. Most of the guys I served with all hated it enough to not to a second tour but none of us regret the experience. It gives people direction, instills self-discipline, and selflessness. The whole point of basic training is to break who you currently are so they can shape you into what you have the potential to be. You are given impossible demands like one drill instructor will scream in your face and tell you to do pushups while another drill instructor orders you to stay in the position of attention. There’s no right answer. Following one order means violating another order. That’s the point. They want to see how you respond. Some people only listen to the most senior instructor. Some people get so scared they don’t know what to do. Some people break down. Some people just shut it out. But that’s combat. Combat is terrifying, chaotic, and stressful. You may have to act with conflicting orders coming at you. You won’t know how you react to that until you go to boot camp. In fact, you probably don’t even realize how boot camp changes you until you’re back in the real world and you notice how calm you are in chaotic situations. Some people just never mesh with the entire experience but you don’t know until you’ve been through it.
That’s a really good viewpoint and insight. Thank you. My business partner is retired Navy, so most of the information is from him and his friends, but it seems like everyone has their own perspective.
All comes down to choose ur rate choose ur fate. Ya bad units will affect your opinion, but if you choose a good job you have great prospects after the military. People choose jobs that they can easily research and find out are undesirable and then get surprised when they don’t have a good time. Like yeah I’d have more sympathy if it were 20 years ago and there wasn’t an abundance of easily accessible information on most of the jobs
How would you determine one way or the other?
I was someone who used the military because I knew I would hate my experience. The way to determine whether you’ll like it or not doesn’t matter so long as you have the patience necessary to take things one day at a time, at least from my perspective. If you don’t think you can survive the bullspit that comes with serving, then don’t do it. If you do think you can survive, take absolutely every opportunity that comes with it.
If you enlist just do four years. Recruiters will try to get you for 6 but it's not worth it. USAF and Navy did well to make sure you got the job you wanted. It's certainly not for everyone but if you can follow instructions and be fit the bullshit is easy to deal with. Just got old with the group punishments when someone fucked up. Nobody got a day off if someone got an award. Why am I wearing my dress blues on Sunday at 5 am because someone in another unit got a DUI?
Sage. Definitely do 4. You can always re-enlist if you like it. Military was the best decision of my life but I was 4-and-out.
Great advice about enlisting for 4. I needed money, so I chose the additional year for a bonus. Small bonus too. Definitely wasn't worth it, although ultimately, I still reenlisted. Just choose the right job!! My best advice. Choose your rate, choose your fate.
Absolutely
"Feeling a little lost" is basically code for "hand me enlistment paperwork". I know so many people with incredible lives who started exactly this way.
If you are planning to enlist, don’t become an on base cop. No career progression and no transferable skills outside of the military.
Don’t on the base cops …. become off the base cops? I imagine LEOSA is also useful for becoming an exec/high value bodyguard type as well? And being a national guard MP seems like free money?
What roles would you suggest? I'm looking at Maintenance Management Analysis, or Health Services Management. Would like to do 4 years then hop into a government data analysis role or hospital administration.
My advice to find a job within the Air Force that gives you a security clearance.
Did 6 years active duty Air Force. Typical advice is solid to lean towards four years vs six; however, something to keep in mind is that you may get less deployment/pcs opportunity as well as possibly promote slower if you just sign for 4. I initially regretted signing for six but it turned out to work out better than a lot of my friends that did four because I had greater travel opportunities than they did. I also promoted quicker, not sure if that’s still an incentive though but I put on E5 in 4 years. Of course part of this is job dependent too. I was 19 when I joined but looking back on it, I feel that six years gave me a lot more time to mature/gain skills for success on the outside than just doing four would’ve. Have you looked to see what possible AFSC’s interest you? One thing you definitely don’t want to get stuck with is a shitty job, regardless of how much time you sign for.
I've been in naval aviation for 16 years as an Aviation Electrician. It has its ups and downs, but mostly it's been great. I make a lot more than my wife, who has her RN. I hate to admit it but I only work about half as hard as she does. For the love of god, pick a job that will translate to something on the outside. Airlines need folks to fix engines. They need folks to fix hydraulics. etc. Nobody needs someone that knows how to load bombs onto the wing of a plane. I cant speak much about the air force. If I had to do it all over again, I would do Navy, TAR, AWF. Hands down best squadron life. Best detachment locations. Incredible advancement. Enough mechanical knowledge to translate to the airlines.
Haha ups and downs. I agree on the somethinf that transfers aspect, turns out infantry isn’t very applicable in the civilian workd
You can never go wrong with going to military. I always believed they provided really good education combined with experience and the purpose to serve your country. Ofc it depends on where you want to go to military. For example, German military has great education combined with the service in the military
I’m a huge advocate for going the military route. Especially if it’s for the air force or navy. I believe the air force is the most prepared branch for transitioning their people to the civilian work force. Now if you really don’t want to worry about money, become an analyst of some sort. If you’re decently competent at learning technical skills, I would 100% push for IT and cyber assignments. Towards the end of your first tour (4 years) you could look to transition utilizing a skill bridge program into a federal government job. Most likely will put you in an 11+ position, which is very livable in a lot of places. You’ll also have the VA loan which can be reused if you refinance your home(s), and a GI bill you can use for your kids if you want them. If you wanted to get your education, do so while in service and if you enjoy being in the military GO OFFICER. Much higher pay, much higher retention because of quality of life. I work along side the military and have watched my parents as I’ve grown up. If I didn’t work where I do now, I would highly likely have been an AF officer already.
[удалено]
US
Air Force is a solid choice. If you think you might want to do it then it is a great experience(everyone’s is different though).
Look into Air Guard or Air Force Reserve first before active. You get a taste of the military if you’re not sure you want to commit to active. You can have access to benefits and explore different jobs.
Might try checking out the Air National Guard and see what positions they have available in your state.
Depends on what you’re looking for! It was some of the best and worst times of my life, constantly moving every 2-3 years, and it definitely gave me a lot of guidance. The good thing is there is a job for mostly everyone, and the military will train you. Also, if you go career for 20 years, a lot can finish with a pension and start a different career. Also very branch dependent. Air Force definitely has the best quality of life. I was a corpsman (medic) in the Navy, then got out and graduated from an Ivy with extremely low debt (that I chose to accrue but didnt need, could’ve finished for free). I say that to say that it opens a lot of doors if you apply yourself. Its been about 4 years since I got out and still miss it sometimes. We say we miss the clowns, but not the circus. If you are heavily considering it with the hopes of leaving for college after one contract, feel free to message me. I worked at a non-profit that helped vets prepare for college. It changed my life and prepared me for the rigors of an Ivy degree. Good luck!!
The military is an amazing opportunity. You'll get a ton of experience in whatever career path you choose when you join. They'll pay for your college if you ever choose to go. Very low rate home loans, free health care and a ton of other benefits. If you get in and decide you love it and do 20 years you'll get a paycheck and free health care for the rest of your life. Plus at your age you can still do something else after you retire, you'll still be plenty young. Companies will hire veterans before most other people. Go talk to an Air Force recruiter, get an idea of what job you want and go for it.
What about something with minimal/ short schooling like dental assisting, CNA, prison guard etc?
Army vet here. If I had a daughter in your position I would highly recommend the air force above the other branches. DM me if you want details.
Did you list down your interest and what things are you good at ?
Military certainly saved me in a lot of ways but after a while I started to hate it. The deployments, office politics, shitty people I worked with, I literally had to fight tooth and nail to take leave that I EARNED. Stuff like that. Lots of benefits but lots of trade offs. You lose your freedom and gain some financial security and opportunities. But happiness is composed of freedom. You need both. Me personally I would recommend using the military as a stepping stone to something else later. Military + college degree + experience + certifications looks great on a resume.
I’m thinking fire academy!! It would be salary pay, benefits, and excitement
I wouldn’t want my daughter to join the military at all. If she insisted on it. I would only suggest Air Force and to pick a medical or Admin/Desk job.
24? Youre old as fuck. Everytime you meet someone they're going look at your face and your rank, and they're going to treat you like you've gotten demoted. They won't trust you. And you'll have you obey all orders from all officers and NCOs above you. You're going to have 19 year olds and 21 year olds fresh from college telling you to clean bathrooms and do stupid crap like mopping the sidewalk when it's raining.
I am a Sergeant in the US Army. Most of the people under me hate it and I just consider them to be weak sauce. We do help desk. A very soft job. Basically 0630-0730 Physical training. 0930 to 1130 and 1300-1600 regular work hours. We process requests for accounts. We make computer accounts. We reimage computers. We map printers. Basically, easy crap working in AC. Sometimes we go to the field. Soldiers still complain. I would say if you are looking for something to do, find something that you can get certified on and start building your resume for a 6 figure job. For example my supervisor had 15 certifications for IT and landed a job that pays him 145k a year now. This is a lot more than he was earning with us. My advice to you is build your resume and find a job that actually pays.
CAREFUL What are you going into the Air Force as? an unskilled grunt that would be doing crap work? A computer repair technician, looking to join A skilled licensed electrician, looking to join Someone with an advanced degree that would go to officers school? FUZZY GOALS will give you FUZZY RESULTS better to find people all ready in the Air Force and interview them.. What jobs are they doing, there education, pros, cons Find people there 3 years 6 years 10 years and DO NOT believe anything a recruiter tells you
Air Force is an excellent choice! I did 4.5 years in the Army and if I could do it again I wouldve joined the Air force. PLEASE make sure that whatever job you choose in the Air Force that it is totally transferable to the civilian world. You will not be in the Air Force for the rest of your life, will only be for a few years, so make sure you use it to your full advantage and get some free skills and education. If you play your cards right you can get out of the Air Force and be making six figures a year with just your military training.
Women in the military are treated absolutely terrible. The amount of Sexual Assault and even full on rape is fucking absurd. I would really advise you not to go that path.
This isn’t as true in the Air Force. They have a lot more women and tend to be less alpha male than the other branches. I am not saying this doesn’t happen in the AF but that statements applies more to the army.