venomhp

iTrader: (13)

Hey guys Im currently in the Coast Guard and my brother is looking at joining the Air Force. His recruiter is making the accelerated advancement package (6 year) sound great but I know in my service the 6 year enlistment is a load of BS. How does it compare to the regular 4 year contract and how do you pick your job since you enlist right at MEPS apparently? He is looking at Para Rescue and Combat Control and what are your thoughts on these? If he goes in as a combat control guy is there any chance that he could get screwed and sent to a different job title? What are your thoughts and let me know how the advancement system works. Sorry for all of the questions but thanks in advance for the help-Mike

jester177

the advancement depends on the job i know 6 year fuel enlistees get two stripes upon completion of tech school with an effictive date the day of basic graduation. you have to try out for para rescue and combat control if i remember correctly its not a gurantee. you pick your job in meps or go open (pretty much gurantee sfs or services) and once in basic you go over everything again. they say you cannot change the meps contract or job but i did. i came in 6 years at meps and had it changed to 4 in basic.

eroc022

iTrader: (7)

no the 4 yr contract you will actually make your rank up to E-4 faster, hard to believe but its true.....if he goes in for any of the jobs listed and ends up washing out he will get a job he does not want, thats what happened to me thanks to stress fractures in my foot......now i drive vehicles for the air force and deploy for 9 months at a time.....not to mention constantly getting screwed over, tell him to do the 4 year enlistment, he wont regret it, but upon completion of pararescue he would have to re-enlist for 2 years as its a 2 year tech school, and to get your minimum 4 yr service they make a manditory 6 yr minimum....if that makes sense, as far as how the advancement system works, its complete bullshit, the hardest worker or the least hardest worker will have the same oppurtunitiy to advance at the same time, and will get it unless the least hard working one really has a file against him, after E-4 status alot of the advancement is placed on testing, which again everyone almost always passes cause the AF will give you plenty of time to study the material....i hope this helps

StoleIt

iTrader: (3)

If he is looking at PJ or CCT he better be in OUTSTANDING shape.

I mean max the PFT (100/100) and then be able to swim 1.5 miles and then max the PFT again...and then throw in some pull ups.

venomhp

iTrader: (13)

well we talked to the recruiter, he will come in as an E3 but theres only a 3k bonus for a 4 year, and 18k for 6 year enlistment, he is in pretty good shape but not excellent. How do billets get chosen? also what are some insider views?

ImpalaSSpeed96

iTrader: (10)

All I can say is wash this down the drain...

You won't/can't promote faster as a 4 year enlistee than a 6 year, so no clue where he got that from. Unless you come in w/ your degree and sign the paperwork for it, which many don't. 4 year, you're a E1 until 6 months, then you put on E2. At 18 months you put on E3. At 36 months you will put on E4. There is a below the zone for E4 but he can figure that out at the time. Lots of BS and politics and who can write the best.

6 year comes out of tech school as an E3. You will put on E4 at 30 months.

Yes E5 and above is based on testing but also TIS, TIG and your performance reports. Average time for E5 is 72 months.

Pretty good shape, i do not suggest PR or CCT. It is hell training. I trained and passed the PR test. Read and studied more about it and said F that, not up for all that BS training... Its tough and he better be prepared for hell and to be gone a lot if he does either. Bonuses are substantial though if he reenlists. I'm talking 90k for 6 years... Still not worth it IMO though, but then again, I'm to much of a ***** to do the things those guys do.

You pick 5 jobs at MEPS and are usually awarded one of them. The AF is the AF though and there really aren't to many bad jobs out there...

StoleIt

iTrader: (3)

Don't want to be the bearer of bad news then...but your buddy isn't going to make it.

I know people who have had easy 100's on their PT's but failed out due to swimming. Their PT test is conducted differently also, with no breaks between the exercises. Just back to back to back to back.

2002TAWS6Pontiac

x3 If he can't swim like a fish he won't pass. NO matter how fast a runner or how strong you are. He will be visiting the "Wizard" as soon as they start drown proofing...

sparky1397r

your test info isn't exactly correct, you do have time between but the PAST test minimums are just minimums considered safe to enter training. you should be far exceeding all standards.

http://www.specialtactics.com/ubbthr...nload&Number=4

a good basis would be:

1.5 run should be in the 9's or faster

you'll want to be able to do 80+ pu/su/flutters

15+ dead hang pullups

swim 1500 fin with ease

only then will you have a chance, but you will really want to be comfortable in the water and you will want your running/cal endurance to be way up there.

jasonk

iTrader: (29)

Yeah Scrub the PJ or Combat Controller, if you hedge your bets on making those two you will be a cop or cook as the saying goes. And 4 or 6 year ranks no faster than each other, relative to the deal you get in writing. The rate of promotion depends on lots of factors, sure a six year will put on after tech school graduation, but if you have some college or JROTC those can help out too.

Job wise with the air force, i dont care who you are, you cannot go wrong with aircrew, people are treated right, you get to actually see more than just your home station and the desert, and the jobs are fun for the most part. Keep a positive attitude and life stays pretty gravy. HOWEVER for the naysayers there are exceptions to the rule, nothing is perfect

sparky1397r

if he is willing to train up a bit but doesn't want to deal with the swimming/water cons TACP is a great job as well. jperran can fill you in on that AFSC.

babydeuce

iTrader: (24)

Sorry, but you are wrong...it is 10 months from E-2 to E-3, which is 16 months total service, then 20 months to E-4 for your "36" months...all assuming you come in as E-1.

Jack

StoleIt

iTrader: (3)

Gotcha. Also heard you need to have someone from the community administer the test. I had a buddy from ROTC that went for it and we had an O-3 CRO come to admin the test.

sparky1397r

if you are within 100 miles of an STS, otherwise your supervisor.

ImpalaSSpeed96

iTrader: (10)

Sorry I was off by "2" months. I came in as a 6 year'r, and that was a little while ago. What I was going for was the fact that you won't promote faster as a 4 year enlistee which was stated earlier. I personally would have went for that one if I was you...

Von Curry

like the rest of these guys said if he isnt in godlike shape he wont make it...and that bonus he signed for gets washed away once he fails out of it...and he will end up in a career field he probably will hate...Security Forces (Im SF and ive seen ALOT of washouts in the career and some are still bitter...and these guys are ripped)

sparky1397r

i promoted MUCH faster than the 4 year enlistees that i went through basic with(i'm stationed with one of them). not sure why that guy thinks otherwise

sparky1397r

it isn't god like shape that's needed, its an absolute refusal to quit and the ability to relax under extreme duress(water con).

ImpalaSSpeed96

iTrader: (10)

Exactly....

babydeuce

iTrader: (24)

I was not trying to give you a hard time, just getting correct info out there...It been a while for me too, I hit 16 years in 2 months.....

Jack