Air Force officers?
01-05-2007, 06:52 PM
#23
I'm an LT right now at Randolph AFB. The pay as an officer is immensely better than enlisted. But as far as promotions, it depends on your field. If you go rated and fly, you have a very, very low chance of being involuntarily cut. If you go acquisitions/comm/personnel...meh, you're taking your chances. I believe they've only cut from the 2001-2003 year groups so far, though.
As far as retiring, you're going to need to make Major to have a realistic chance of doing 20 if you commission out of college. I wouldn't say its more difficult to get promoted. Up to Captain its automatic. Major is the first rank that meets the boards, and with all these cuts the USAF is making, I'm expecting future Major boards to have a 90% promotion rate or higher (with any luck!).
If you go Air Force, I highly recommend you fly if you can. Every other aspect just supports the guy in the air. The lifestyle of a flyer is COMPLETELY different, and its a whole helluva lot of fun!
As far as retiring, you're going to need to make Major to have a realistic chance of doing 20 if you commission out of college. I wouldn't say its more difficult to get promoted. Up to Captain its automatic. Major is the first rank that meets the boards, and with all these cuts the USAF is making, I'm expecting future Major boards to have a 90% promotion rate or higher (with any luck!).
If you go Air Force, I highly recommend you fly if you can. Every other aspect just supports the guy in the air. The lifestyle of a flyer is COMPLETELY different, and its a whole helluva lot of fun!
01-07-2007, 05:49 PM
#24
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Originally Posted by RyanJ
I went and talked to a guy today. VERY hard to get into non-technical jobs right now with my degree and GPA. There is a chance to go into rated jobs (flight jobs) and that's what I wanted anyway so I'm gonna test/board on 7/1/07. I'm really looking at Air Battle Mgmt. Anyone know anyone in ABM?
01-08-2007, 07:27 AM
#25
Originally Posted by RyanJ
I went and talked to a guy today. VERY hard to get into non-technical jobs right now with my degree and GPA. There is a chance to go into rated jobs (flight jobs) and that's what I wanted anyway so I'm gonna test/board on 7/1/07. I'm really looking at Air Battle Mgmt. Anyone know anyone in ABM?
By "talked to a guy", do you mean talked to a recruiter? You can go into whatever field you want provided you qualify. He may have just been trying to steer you into a certain field. Go for whatever you want to do.
ABM = sitting in the back of a 707 for 12 to 24 hour missions. First to deploy, last to come home. Deployment rates are slowing down now that things are stable, but at the beginning of a conflict, don't expect to be home.
01-11-2007, 05:37 PM
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I'm enlisted (1C5), but my career field is the enlisted-equivalent for 13Bs on a ground assignment.
You'll be deploying regularly when you're on ground assignments. They'll throw you in an Air Control Squadron, where you essentially manage the airspaces in deployed locations. There are three major ACSs that deploy regularly in CONUS - Mountain Home AFB, ID, Hill AFB,UT, and Eglin AFB, FL. If you stay stateside and become a 13B starting on the ground, you're highly likely to end up in one of those three.
The job is a love-it-or-hate-it thing, but the general impression I get is that the 13Bs can't wait to get back on AWACS (Tinker AFB, IIRC). They do get paid a bonus, but many officers I speak to say that it isn't worth the job.
You'll be deploying regularly when you're on ground assignments. They'll throw you in an Air Control Squadron, where you essentially manage the airspaces in deployed locations. There are three major ACSs that deploy regularly in CONUS - Mountain Home AFB, ID, Hill AFB,UT, and Eglin AFB, FL. If you stay stateside and become a 13B starting on the ground, you're highly likely to end up in one of those three.
The job is a love-it-or-hate-it thing, but the general impression I get is that the 13Bs can't wait to get back on AWACS (Tinker AFB, IIRC). They do get paid a bonus, but many officers I speak to say that it isn't worth the job.
