| I hope someone more informed answers your question, but my take on things is that time in the AF will help you only if you actually do development work while in the AF. I don't know how available those jobs are within the AF. I do know that they contract out aircraft design. You should have no problem breaking into the defense sector with an engineering degree from the schools you mentioned fresh out of school, without the USAF experience. Make it plain on your resume that you want to do aircraft development.
Look at it this way: four years after your BS you can either have 4 years of development experience at a defense contractor, or 4 years of something, perhaps not development, in the USAF. At that point, if the USAF experience is in program management or some other non-developmental activity, defense contractors may view your experience as non-applicable and therefore you as less desirable.
I don't mean to discourage the USAF years, by the way. Do that if you want, but make sure you tell them what you hope to do upon your discharge. |