So how did your S/D make THE decision?

AFDAD2010
Thu, 08 Mar 2007 10:35:31 +0000

I couldn’t agree more about Momofhopeful’s note. It’s all about what your son is looking for afterwords. Life in the military branches is VERY different. Start by talking to the career officers in each branch. My son became enamored with the AF becasue of what he saw the graduates doing – both pilots and those that chose other careers. He began to see himself as an AF officer and this was much more important than the particular classes offerred, or majors or the way the academies looked (although he did find West Point depressing and the beauty of the mountains inspiring in Colorado). He got the sense that that the way the AF took care of their own people was unique and their willingness to support higher education later on a big plus (e.g. to be a major you generally need an advanced degree). When he saw some non-pilot career paths that were exciting, it sealed the deal because he knows that you can never fully count on being PQ’s, even though he currently is. Flight probability was important and the stats can be misleading here. I believe that based purely on the number of slots reserved for USAFA grads, the probability of flying is slightly higher than at USNA but this is hotly debated and you will have to look at the numbers for yourself. Good luck to you and your son!