Manoso

have you thought about flight engineer? This is what Im currently doing and its fun

KurtRardin

iTrader: (11)

I did 6 years in the Marine Reserve as a combat engineer, fought in Iraq in '05, got out last August as a Sergeant... with a bachelors degree, and shot for a great career in the civilian world. Well... I'm working retail... and it sucks. I cannot stand my job. I am really thinking about applying for the OTS board in January. My wife sees the positive benefits of the Military now, and I would do anything to get into the AF. The Marine Corps was great! It made the best and worst times of my life. But its a hard life for a family. My first taste of the military was pulling triggers and blowing houses up with C4. I want something much different now, like a career in logistics. I really enjoy making things run smooth and efficient.

If I were you, I'd stay in. A pension will come in handy one day

I just hope and pray that I'll get selected to cross over to the blue. If that falls through on my first attempt, then should I go in as an enlisted man? Is it easier or harder to pick up a slot in OTS while enlisted. In the corps, if you expressed any interest at all they sent to you OCS, lol.

Jobs are hard to come by out here, unless you can really impress someone, or know someone. Add up your BAS, BAH, and all other pays and think about how hard it would be to find something like that in this climate...

99WS7

iTrader: (13)

you wanted a little more info on firefighter right....best thing I can tell you is go by the station there and talk to some of the guys, they will tell you straight up how it is and what the job intels. Overall its not a bad gig.

Like the others are saying, doing a special duty is a good way of doing something new. I plan to put in for instructor at our tech school or maybe even a PME instructor to teach ALS in two years or so, maybe less.

The opportunity's are out there...

LuckySpencer007

iTrader: (2)

PLenty of opportunities out there, but it sounds like you need to do some thinking. You said you wanted to have a job with a more military type aspect to it, but then you don't want to see anyone bloody or after an accident.

Wikipedia some jobs lol. Diesel mechanics are still makin bank in the civilian world btw...

BigT2002

iTrader: (2)

Dude go Postal if your not married. There are a shitton of bases out there and most aren't even actual bases. I know there is a Sydney, AU one that pops up from time to time too.

I'd tell you Command Post, but you would probably stab yourself in the eye

allbaugh_04

iTrader: (6)

I think I'd love being a courier, but i think staff is the minimum rank for that. As for the bloody part, i literally don't think I could handle seeing scattered brains and such, like video i've seen of a helicopter accident.

Yes, I've heard of these, they sound like they could be a great opportunity, I know a guy that left my squadron and he is in Germany for a few years. He doesn't wear a uniform and gets a clothing allowance, sounds BA...

frisky2101

iTrader: (8)

LOL wow the oh so familar story, should i stay or should i go......


like these guys say, with the economy the way it is probably not the best idea to get out now, unless you for sure got something lined up and not just going to scholl full time. GI bill is great and helps but isn't gonna pay the bills, still gonna need atleast a part time...

Seen it a ton of times, guys/girls get out thinking... Oh I'm gonna go to school or i'll get a job here or there... Less then a year later they are kicking them selves for not staying in. they forget about that nice insurance the military has and all the stuff they werent used to paying for and now they have to. Even some that go into the guard regret it and try coming back active and they are like "sorry you had your chance". It is possible but most of the time it dont work out.

I am a prior maint troop as well (B-1 crew chief) got NCORP in 06 with 99WS7. I got into the imformation management afsc. It was ok for awhile but to slow pace for me. voluteered to go back to maint, leaving in Aug.

Cross training is an option but depending on your exact AFSC will depend on if they let you or not. most maint folks are not getting allowed to cross train now due to low manning, but special duties are different and there are tons of them out there.

Have you tried getting orders? Seems like they been giving them away like crazy lately. Unless you are aicraft specific get online and see where there are openings and updated your dream sheet..

lots of things to consider before you do get out if that's your choice.

allbaugh_04

iTrader: (6)

Yes, there are some openings for that, but I've never seen a flight engineer that wasn't a MSGT. What exactly does the job entail for a SRA?



No I haven't tried getting orders. I could, but honestly I don't enjoy what I do. Why not find a job that I enjoy and do it better because I love it. That's what I really want. I get to serve and i love what I do. This is supposed to be a career, most people have a career and do what they love. I have no idea what that feeling is like.


Has anyone here done imagery analysis (1N1X1 - IMAGERY ANALYSIS) or be a loadmaster. Loadmaster sounds very interesting to me.

frisky2101

iTrader: (8)

true true you got to like what you do first.... I will tell you things are not always greener on the other side jsut depends on what you are looking for...

I tried to get 1N1X1 but no openings really sounds interesting.... loadmasters yeah I know tons of them and most love the job, depends on where you get stationed at though.

sparky1397r

a former co-worker of mine just finished imagery analysis school, he is now stationed and says he loves it.

KurtRardin

iTrader: (11)

They pretty much told me that the only way I could get into the Air Force right now is to either commission, or become a PJ or a FAC. The AF isnt taking any Marine Combat Engineers at the moment. Special forces is pretty much the exact opposite of what I am looking to do, lol. But, it sounds like they're looking for boddies to go into SF... fwiw, lol. IF its anything like the Marine corps and Force Recon, then they're probably always looking for capable boddies.

JUICED96Z

iTrader: (2)

Here is some info from someone in the civilian world in aviation, my father has been in for almost 30 years (AF active 5 years, Guard the rest) and my mother works in the midical field.


With the econonmey nobody really is getting a job... even the jobs hurting the nursing are not hiring because the hospitals are on hiring freezes.

If you re-up as a crew chief there is a program were the AF will help you get your A&P... I know quite a bit about it because my father was on the board. On the civilian side the job stability is gone and nobody expects to see it come back any time soon or ever. Now if you like working as a contract mechanic and don't mid traveling and living in hotels then there are a lot of jobs paying $30-50 an hour state side if you have a few years under your belt...... if you still have a clearance when you apply then that will get you an edge and those jobs pay well... my best advise is to keep your clearance current on the outside if you stay in aviation. I was burned out on it for a while but you get used to it........ I like working on aircraft more then cars now....

Like others have said the best thing to do is to go to the different shops and ask them the in's and outs and how they like it.

My father went instructor right out of tech school (was asked to do it because he allready had time on aircraft and his liscence) and he really liked it and had a lot of fun, even got to coach the AF volleyball team.

On the GUARD thing it depends on the base and the officers...... there is one commander in IN that is pretty much hated and people leave the unit because of this person (not even the base commander). There are a few forums out there with a lot of GUARD guys on them like the big F-16 one and you should be able to get a lot of good answers from them. Really all you have to do is call up a recuiter for the base (online search) and ask to go on a tour of the base and talk to some people... the ANG site even has the jop openings for each base....


Here is the tricky thing though, in the GUARD promotions tend to slow way down but this varies based on what job you do. My father went in as a Ssgt into the guard in the very late 80's and got Tech on the late 90's...... went special duty after an OIF deployment and got Msgt out of it in like 02. His base lost his jets and he had to go to another base and is now QA (really likes it) and Smsgt looks really good in a year or two under deserving airmen........... chances are slim for CMsgt before he turns 60 (like 53 now).

If it was me I would stay in and get as much rank as you can, if you decide to go GUARD at least to get your 20 in and you can walk in as a MSgt then you will avoid some of the bottle necking to get into MSgt. From what I have seen it is better to start out in the GUARD or stay active as long as you can just because the promotion rates slow down. This is something to ask the people in the shops though.... ask them how bad the promotions bottle neck or if it is not that bad........ I know some shops are so bad that most promotions are under the deserving airmen thing but that seems to be mostly ARMY GUARD.

If you live far enough from the base the millitary will pay for your hotel for drill weekends and there are guys that drive 4 hours one way to get to the base because htey like the unit so much. There are also guys that are full time GUARD (there full time job) and from what I have heard everyone want's it that does not have a high paying job. It is like active but very laied back....

Before you decide to do something else talk to the guys that have been turning wrenches for 10+ years in the AF......... I know things get better once you are in for a while...... when my father was still doing it he was pretty much the supervisor and really liked it and had the respect of all the pilots. Thats the nice thing about the GUARD, everyone knows everyone for the most part and for the most part you work with the same guys and same pilots for a very long time and everyone is pretty much buddies and respects each other.

On the ATC thing I am hearing they lost a lot of money with the new contract (Union) and I bet you will take a pay cut going into it as a civilian from the AF unless they get a better contract in a few years.......

Now if you went into say weather you could be a weatherman in the civilan world or be an aircraft dispatcher for an airline and those pay good. Dispatch is were you watch flights on radar and advise the pilots on weather and tell them how much fuel to put on board ect ect. I work next to a few of them and it looks pretty cool. Doing weather for a news station would pay more or at least be more stable though I think.

Hope all that helps, sorry for writing a book.

Daddy

iTrader: (2)

Flight Engineer FTMFW!

I've been flying for about a year. Best job EVAR! I'm only a SSgt.

You get to fly all over and not really any hard work. Just have to know alot. Just study and life's great!

allbaugh_04

iTrader: (6)

I have a problem remembering things. A flight engineer...well it looks like they have to really know there stuff and A LOT of it. Am I right? Fuel loads, temps, oil temps, hydro pressure right? etc. overall weights and loads...

The only way I can remember things is by repeating everything about 5 times. It's tough..everyone learns differently, it makes life difficult sometimes.

So idk if Flight Engineer is for me. I do better at jobs where I work just work harder and think less. (have to remember less actually)

I keep hearing about how great of a job that would be, just seems like i might fit better somewhere else.

sparky1397r

it really seems like you have a great excuse to not do any job.

allbaugh_04

iTrader: (6)

Yea, there are plenty of guys like you in the military. Big swinging dick right.

It's not an excuse to that job, it's a reason why that job doesn't fit for me.

I can do any job in the air force, i've shown that already to my superiors. So nows my chance to make a difference and do a job i am good at, enjoy, and do the best to my ability. This is my chance to retrain, a chance the military has given me per AFI, i am elgible and it's my turn to get to decide what I wanna do now.

I got the job done for nearly 4 years now with no problems, no issues, so how can you be a smartass like you are being?

Thanks to all those who helped, i think i'll stop responding now that i have a guy like this trying to tell me I am worthless.

DCsLS1

i just got out of the navy end of june i start my new job 24$ an hour in a week dont listen to the people who say you cant get a job with this economy blah blah blah i know at least 5 other people who have gotten out around the same time as i have and are doing GREAT!! 24 an hour works out to almost 50k a year before taxes no bad at all comming from e-4 pay...

DCsLS1

by the way i was an aircraft mechanic as well but navy (FTW) JK

1993 z28 f1

iTrader: (6)

Hey:

I just retired after 25 years, A really good job if you are willing to go the extra bit it takes, as well a good job on the outside if you like it is combat weatherman, you have to get airborne qualified, (pass army jump school) and get through meteoroligcal school. Then you will have alot of joint assignments open up to you, as well as special duty assigments. Your personell flight should be able to help you out on the qualifications you will need to have, and you might want to get on this as some jobs take applicants a year out.

Also don't be stuck to just the Air Force, other branches take prior mil folks as well and offer some outstanding advancement opportunities. Its possible in the Army and the Navy in the right MOS, NEC, to advance much faster than you can in the Air Force. Not many 8-10 year E-7s in the USAF but some in the other Branches (except the Corps, USMC, is slower to promote sometimes than the USAF, The Marines is more of a brotherhood than any other Military branch). Warrant officer is an excellent rank not offered in the USAF, but very obtainable in the Army, and a very good job in the USMC/Navy
but has E rank requirements which you do not have (E-7, time in grade)

As mentioned in other posts contact your career counselor and supervisor
hopefully they can add to what advice has been given here in this thread.

Good luck on whatever you choose, but get on it as soon as you can to keep the most options open to you.

Dub

When In Doubt Do Without

allbaugh_04

iTrader: (6)

Very nice post, thank you. I gotta figure out who my career counselor is I guess.