Louis XIII

Hi All,

I'm seriously thinking about joining the Air Force after undergrad.

Main reasons:

I can blow stuff up
Free medical/dental/eye
Travel the world on the guberment's dime
Work Experience
Wear a cute uniform
$$$$$$
Student Loan cancellation program/ money for a grad degree
Kill time/ I'm bored (going to grad school for Public Policy doesn't really excite me at the moment)

Has anyone ever gone this route? How was your experience? Is it a good idea or should I just hustle and try to find a job as a civilian?

Thanks!

Dawgie

Sounds like crappy reasons to me.

Louis XIII

LOL!

Well, thanks for your input. I can imagine my faculty mentor saying the exact same thing.

I guess my main motivation is money.

Why go to policy school, have a starting salary of 40k, and struggle to pay for essentials (health care, student loans, housing-especially in CA) plus try and save. I know wages in public sector are low, but I gotta live.

ThePhilosopher

Understand that you will be coming a soldier, and you may be called on to actually fight and will have the risk of serious injury or death. Being in the military is serious: not some TV show.

srose9173

Philosopher is wrong. You wouldn't be a soldier, lol. You would be an airman (or woman idk your gender)

The reasons you give are good, and why most people join. Im not sure for the air force, but I know if you join the Army you will get a boost in rank, starting above others because you have college under your belt. The pay isn't great, but the benefits are. You get housing which is similar to a dorm or small apartment. You get food, or a food allowence. Health/dental/etc.

Except a couple things....you won't necessarly be "blowing **** up", it depends on what your job is. There are several hundered different jobs.

You might not necessarly do much traveling unless you plan to stay in for the long run. In the 4 years I was in my traveling was to a few states, korea, Iraq, and Kuwait. Although I did get to vist airports in Germany and Italy, lol.

ThePhilosopher

^ I'm sorry, but you are incorrect. Airmen are soldiers, and often fight on the ground (especially in this war). If you don't believe me, please look up the casualty reports from Iraq/Afghanistan and you will see that "airmen" have died on the ground there. I understand that the AF isn't the primary ground force, and that they are not suffering the same casualty rates as other branches, but they are there nonetheless. Of course, like any branch of the military, your risk depends on your actual occupation within the AF.

Batllo

What makes you so sure if the AF wants someone with your attitude? Ever see the movie Private Benjamin?

raimius

If you are in it for the money, you're looking in the wrong place.

Your primary motivation should be because you want to be in the Air Force.
You must want to serve in the military. Killing time, free dental, and debt forgiveness are all great things, but I can 99% guarantee you they will not make your life happy.

Are the benefits good? YES! However, benefits alone will not make this field rewording. Do you really think deploying to Afghanistan and running convoys while trying to dodge explosives is worth free dental? I sure as heck don't!

I'm not saying don't join. I am STRONGLY suggesting that you think very seriously about why you want to join.

rcoll90

Philosopher- we are not soldiers and pride ourselves on that fact. we are, in fact, airmen. not sailors. not marines. not soldiers. we have a unique mission very different from that of the army. marines fight and die on the ground also, but try to convince them that they are soldiers. you might want to bring back up.

to the OP, if you do join the AF, and have a useful degree, you will commission as an officer and make good money. you likely will not live in a dorm unless you're overseas. the uniform is not cute at all. more like a blue grey sorta cammo thing, and our dress blues remind me of something a door to door salesman would wear in the 70's. and you will get to travel. maybe not to the places you want to see, but you will get out there. even if you get to fly, you likely won't blow anything up. most of our pilots fly cargo planes, not fighters and bombers. but it is fun, and it's great to be a part of.

Louis XIII

Thanks everyone for the replies. I'll be back later tonight with a more detailed response.

Call me naive (LOL!) but from my understanding, the Airforce has the least amount of deaths and casualties from the Afghan/Iraq war. A simple google search shows that most that died or were injured was because their plane crashed. Not so much from combat.

I know that doesn't mean it couldn't happen-but in the current war, the likelihood is low. If we were fighting a different kind of war, then these figures would be higher.

srose9173

No, Philosopher, I have been either in or associated with the military for nearly 10 years now. The term "soldiers" is for ARMY personel only.

ThePhilosopher

I apologize for using the term "soldier" then, but the idea of my statement remains true.

raimius

The majority of combat casualties for the AF are on the ground. Air Force personnel are doing convoys, construction, and other ground duties, as well as flying/supporting flyers.

Fortunately, Al Quaeda lacks a strong air defense system.