BADFNZ

iTrader: (19)

If I was enlisted, I'd be a Load or Boom fo sho.

stereotypicalv8guy

iTrader: (1)

I'm 1W0X1 - Weather. The tech school is one of the longer ones at 8 months and you have to go to a hub after that (sucks) but overall not a bad career field. It seems to be one of those career fields that attracts a smarter crowd so you'll definitely have to study when it comes time to test for that next stripe but even so we have one of the higher promotion rates in the Air Force.

If I could do it all over again though I'd probably go with a finance job. Monday through Friday and an 8 hour work day--sign me up. I like my job but it does suck never getting those family days or holidays when it seems like most of the other career fields do. The important thing is to pick something that interests you though.

02SSofdeath

I am a 2a571 and I got paid 150 a month for being a flying crew chief

jmargo

iTrader: (10)

As a 1A171 Flight Engineer I pull $350 a month on Flight Pay. Granted I have been flying for 14 years. Baby Booms and Loads start at $150 and go up from there. The money is in PerDiem and Tax related benefits.

gerard76

I do know what I am talking about. I said some are low demand jobs. I realize there are SWAT positions and various other government positions. How often do you train for EOD situations in the civilian sector compared to how many times you do the actual job? As and aircraft mechanic you actually DO your job on a daily basis and there are MANY cities with MANY airports and that creates a demand! Also many vietnam era mechanics are retiring which also drives up the demand. I was merely suggesting an AFSC for the young man based on probability of having a career field outside of the military. To each their own though. Also, don't get me wrong there is a need for every job in the military (well almost) and I am glad some one is usually there to fill it!

Tyler_PinkertonZ28

iTrader: (1)

I Recently booked loadmaster and I can't wait. I ship for basic on Feb 28. Everyone I have talked to says to go for an aircrew position if you can get it.

AlamoTA

iTrader: (10)

Thought you were already gone. Good Luck!

I'm not EOD but would have to agree that this is a skill that is in high demand outside the military.

I was an enlisted mechanic and saw many buddies jump to the airlines in the late 80's and then saw most of them get laid off. It's a good job once you get some seniority, but be ready for the lay-offs. I was an electrician who was assigned as a Crew Chief without being in that specific career field and also had the opportunity for an A&P.

bene

iTrader: (16)

My job in the AF falls in to "combat support". I'm a C.E. troop and I deal with water treatment, waste water treatment, natural gas, liquid fuels, and fire suppression system, 3E471.

I like my job why? Because as you can see my job doesn't deal mainly on ONE thing. When I retire from my mil career, I can virtually pick any of those things that I got trained on either for a water treatment plant operator or wastewater treatment plant operator, a plumber, a pipe fitter or a fire system/natural gas/backflow technician.

Medical group have some great opportunities also, there are always sick people out there.

If you like mechanical things, aside from fixing planes there is LRS. They do deal with from Fuel tanks to fixing GOVs like HMMVs.

AF doesn't only deal with just planes...

Tyler_PinkertonZ28

iTrader: (1)

Not quite yet, but counting down the days. I'm ready to get it over with. Haha

Bradon12

stay away from the 2w1x1. it sucks

carnine

iTrader: (6)

I used to be a 2mo and you can only be based in the northren tier ie wyo, north d, Montana. If you are single and want to see and do things don't do it.

Every cop I know hates SF. I'd say boom or load would be what i would do if I had a chance to do it all over again.

Contracting can be a cake job and pays a crazy nice re-enlistment bonus. You can get out most times and re-hired to work in the same office but make more pay and not be an "airmen".

I'm in the Intel world and its not bad. There is a huge push for intel right now. They are increasing the ISR budget 30% while almost everyone else is cut. The females aren't bad here either.

A cake job that has great hours and lots of perks is anything in the med field. Medical you get holidays off. Lots of women and you work a 9-5 type job. I

've worked almost every holiday since i've been in and I work 12 hour days now with no brokes some days. As a 2m0 I would work 16 hour days some times no breaks, ohh and outside in the ******* frigid wyoming winter. Do your research just saying. Please don't sign up to a Cop.

Pipelayaz

iTrader: (2)

I'm a 2F071 (Fuels) troop. We do everything from pump JP-8 onto aircraft, store fuel, clean fuel, do lab work, maintain our own refueling trucks (which I like) and then we also have cryo which deals with liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen. There's a lot that goes into it and doesn't really get a lot of recognition. It's easy and I love it and the deployments are abundant which I like. I'm up to 4 deployments now. The shops are big and you get to meet a lot of different people, its kinda like a big family and everyone looks out for one another.

Currently I'm a Training Instructor at Lackland, on a 4 year and 3 month controlled tour.

J8127

typical.

1C2
1C4
1T2
3E8

bene

iTrader: (16)

Yeah, we all know AF doesn't see combat at all, right. I mean PJs, Combat control, Security Forces and those planes/ helicopters are just for show.

Hell, my supervisor E-6/TSgt is deploying with the Marines this summer to a FOB (can't tell you the approximate place OPSEC) Afghanistan. I volunteered to go but they wanted a grade of E6.

sparky1397r

Security Clearance and technical expertise opens many doors with federal jobs. UXO work is in high demand in and outside the US. GS/Contract work on literally every base, Police Dept Bomb Squads are almost always hiring.

Mathematically speaking we have much better chances of getting hired due to our very small numbers vs the demand for our qualifications. Aircraft MX folks are literally a dime a dozen.

I'm not trying to push EOD on the OP, just wanted to clear up a bit of mis-information.

usafws6

iTrader: (10)

im 2a5x1 also, stay away from it. although i love my job compared to ALS!!!!! my advice would be CE or OPS like others have said already. Im really liking the AF right now they decided it was cool if i put on Ssgt before my 4 year mark. lol.

HoLLo

iTrader: (17)

I'm in 1C7x1, Airfield Management. It's a cake job. We inspect the entire airfield, file flight plans, monitor air traffic in and out of the base. Half desk job, half outside job. It's a great job but I've been on night shift for a long time where you work alone and nothing whatsoever is going on. I'm bored as hell, but I watch a lot of TV and surf tech a lot

wyome

Did 8 yrs as ground radar repair...believe it is a 2D field now. I loved it, got to learn electronics, work with cool test and repair equipment, and still got to do some decent wrenching on equipment. Then I got cross trained...rather than the AF pick me a job based on ASVAB scores I got a hold of the enlisted classification guide and looked up all the jobs and read up about em.

Ops had some cool stuff...maint well I did that already...medical/legal/contracting didnt seem interesting to me...

I ended up picking electronic intel (1N2X1)..found a field that fit my interest, got to deploy, never did the same job twice and did 14 yrs of that stuff!

Pick a job based on what you like, if you don't like it cross-train. Never pick a job just based on bonus pay...if $ is the only reason you are there you might not be happy when the $ is gone.

And oh yeah...contracting...damn good money on the outside, but I'll stick with intel on the outside for now

some guy who retired last december

Rob M

iTrader: (1)

Tough question.

First things first, do you have a family? (wife, kids etc?) Reason I ask is because the AFSC's are all split into "bands". What used to be AEFs or "buckets". A,B,C and D . My career field is 2T370 (2T351) Vehicle Maintenance. We are unfortunately in D band. 6 months deployed, 1 year home station. That 1 year or "1 year" home station does NOT include ANY extra predeployment training etc. So if you going on a 6 (or longer) deployemnt and theres 5 wks training before hand your time away from the wifey, gf, car whatever is really more like 7+ months. Also keeping in mind that just cause you hit that 180 day mark or however long DOES NOT mean you leave that next day! lol trust me!

Anyways now with ROE's outta the way, theres alot of good AFSCs to get into that'll only open more doors outside of the military. My AFSC, Vehicle maintenance (VM) like alot of jobs is a thankless kinda job. I describe it to others like, "VM; We Un-**** that which has been fucked" People REALLY don't give a **** about their organizations vehicles/trucks/equipment. Not gunna single anyone out, just kinda accross the board...If you like playing with your car and hot rods as a hobby STAY AWAY! It'll only burn you out and drive you away (no pun intended). If you ABSOLUTELY LOVE turning wrenches, trouble shooting schematics, getting dirty, putting coveralls, working on Ford/Navistar International 6.0 turbo diesels and HATE even the remote thought of a desk job and the likes of check us out.

If I could do it all over again, I think I would have gone into Metals Tech. Very cool! They have a bad *** shop at Charleston, all kinds of CRAZY stuff and CNC machines etc. Its a VERY good career to be in for the post-military life.

Just my $.02


USAF VMX: We take it in the ***, so YOU don't have to!

Greenfire

iTrader: (2)

I'm a 3S0-Personnel so I have the typical day job but I am thinking I'm going to retrain if I re-enlist next year. Best decision I ever made going into the AF my only issue is being Mil to Mil and assignments = you get screwed.

Other then that...great oppertunity.