?'s about joing the Military

BigSweezey

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So do all of yall in the air force have like normal civilian jobs? How is the camaraderie, and social environment? What job would you recommend to someone who wanted to travel the world?

Not all the jobs in the AF transfer directly to the civilian world. That's with any service tho. Like intel jobs...unless you get a contract job your not gonna be doing what you did in the military. The camaraderie in any military branch is gonna be unlike anything in the civilian world they all are good doesn't matter the service. I'd say the marines in general have the best camaraderie. I'd also think this has to do with what job you choose. Any job in any branch that spends alot of time in the field are gonna have a better camaraderie, at least with the people you spend 99% of the time. The social environment, again it's not gonna be like anything you get in the civilian world. There is always something going on outside work(on base mostly military), and BBQ's, and other things going on at work.
I think the navy guys probably see more of the world, when on the boat they stop in a few places. With any branch you'll get to travel tho...just might take you longer to see more...but you'll be there for longer.
In general military lifestyle is something I wish everyone to try. Even if you only do 4 years. There is nothing like being a part of the greatest fighting force the world has even known.
 

BigSweezey

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Oh, and what do you guys mean when you say "they give out security clearences?"

Depending on your job, you might need a clearance to do certain stuff. More or less if the info/equipment you learn/work with can hurt the US in anyway...you get a clearance. It's the most in depth background check you'll ever get. I'm starting to think every job requires at least some kinda clearance.
 

THE_STIG

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So do all of yall in the air force have like normal civilian jobs? How is the camaraderie, and social environment? What job would you recommend to someone who wanted to travel the world?

Well I work on fighters and most airliners don't have missiles on them. However it is great training for a job with a defense contractor (Lockheed, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, SAE, etc.) When I get done I would love to work for Lockheed.

As for the camaraderie, we are a small base so everyone knows everyone and we are like one big family.

For a job that travels alot, I would say Security Forces, those guys deploy alot. I'm a crew chief so I only go where the planes go and our planes don't leave very much.
 

FX4 SAPPER

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Do what you want to do. You want civilian skills, go AF/Navy. You want to be a killer/get experience go Army or Marines. But dont sell yourself short, you can always re-up and reclass if you dont like your job. Id do the Army/Marines, get that experience then reclass to an applicable civilian qualified job then ets or stay in.
 

BigSweezey

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I don't know anything specific, but basically your gonna have to kick ass at everything.

Best thing IMO to do is go take your ASVAB, get your scores and then start searching for jobs. Not saying your going to, but say you score a 10, it isn't gonna matter cause your screwed. haha
 

CO_SVT

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Yea, don't worry too much about what you want to do until you take the ASVAB. Once you get your score then you can look at the available jobs according to your score.

I'm in the AF and love it, bee in for 4 1/2 years. Also don't listen to people who say you don't get to deploy. It all depends on your job and your command, I can deploy every year if I really wanted to.
 
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Tedisky

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I've been in the Army for 15 yrs. I think all the branches have there ups & downs. All the branches have jobs that carry over to the civilian sector. I would wait till October to join, I don't think any of the branches are offering any enlistment perks. But, after the start of the fiscal year they will start offering more. Really take your time and shop all the branches.
 

R1der

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anyone happen to know the requirements to pilot helicopters?

As far as the Army go's you need at least a 110 GT score and least a 93 on the AFAST and 60's in all 3 pt events and your only 26 so you're the prime age...by the way that is to be a warrant officer not a comissioned officer
 

yosemiddysam

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You must have a College Degree to become a flight Officer with us. Now if you go enlisted then go Warrant Officer then you dont have to have a degree but it helps, but you wont be flying anything. I work on the F/A-18 D as an Airframes and Hydraulic Mechanic. In the last 14 years I have been to; Australia (my favorite), Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Iwo Jima, Hawaii, Spain, Italy, Malaysia, Korea, Bahrain, UAE, Iraq, And I am sure I am leaving some out...... We travel alot, almost too much sometimes. Even in the Marines there is a chance you get to spend some sea time! I know it is not much but I have 1 year 6 months and 18 days sea time. my last ten years have been with land based squadrons though. I had enough of that boat crap. Like I said earlier....make up your mind what you want to do and find out who is willing to make sure you get what you want. I joined the Marines to be a Diesel Mechanic........ I got lied to and got sent open contract. I got lucky to get the MOS that I recieved. Thank God for a good ASVAB score!!!!!
 

lobra97

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Navy....nuff said/
just find the one that will be best for you and your family if you have one. if not just go with the one that you see fits your lifestyle. they are all different in thier own ways. if you like spending long periods at sea with men join the Navy we'll welcome you...lol jk also if your worried about getting into shape just start slow. run, exercise or swim you will indeed need it for which ever branch you go to. theres and awesome device called a powerlung link provided:
PowerLung Sport | Fitness Equipment | Fitness

it will help you develop stamina in your lungs again and if you smoked that long, you will need it so you dont die on your initial run. my buddy used it and he was a nig time smoker but wanted to change his health lifestyle. so i know it does work, lil expernsive but how much money do we waste on our cars? good luck brother.....
 

Ryan

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join the air force brother.

take it from a marine that joined KINDA late (21) and im 24 now. you will be older then your peers and putting up with kiddie BS, specially dealing with shit heads with seniority that joined right after high school with no REAL world experience.

i got a buddy that joined when he was 29, (hes 33 now) and if he went in like his highschool friend he would have been an E7 (Gunnery Sergeant). BUT he got screwed too and got out as an E4 instead of getting E5 sucky part is he had to do a 3rd deployment.

yea man the air force is the SMARTEST/BEST choice IMO, for somebody like you ( 26 years old, has a REAL profession)
Agree and Disagree.
It doesn't matter when you join or your rank, you deal with BS.
All Services have their plus and minus, it depends on what your end goal is and what you want out of it.
I don't see what your end goal is in the first post (sorry stopped reading after a few).
What you have to understand about the Marine Corps is what its function is in the grand scheme of the military. You also have to understand the mindset and history which you won't until you get through boot camp at a minimum. The Marines doesn't have the number of technology fields or openings that the Air Force and Navy have. Sure we have them, but not the sheer number since its the smallest service.

The other unique thing about the Marine Corps is that not everyone can do it, period. The other thing is that almost everyone I've met in my life that was in the service always say they were going to join the Marine Corps, but....

Joining the Air Force has a much better overall lifestyle, and probably more technology fields.

IMO, the bottom line is YOU need to understand what YOU want out of the Military and what kind of lifestyle you think you can deal with. I thought I was going to make a career out of the military. I quickly learned once I got in the fleet that I couldn't put up with it for 20 years and used it as a stepping stone to give me a usable skill set that I could use as a civilian and get benefits for college
 

Ryan

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As far as the Army go's you need at least a 110 GT score and least a 93 on the AFAST and 60's in all 3 pt events and your only 26 so you're the prime age...by the way that is to be a warrant officer not a comissioned officer

You don't just magically become a WO, I believe you have to be a SNCO to be considered for it.
 

Co-brat

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well thank you everyone your advice has been helpful and I guess I will just have to go take that ASVAB and speak to some recruiters.

I can go take the ASVAB test and not commit to anything right? They wont hassle me if I agree to go and do it? Also this test applies to all branches of the military? I think the last time I looked into joining, which was like eight years ago, they wanted to send me up to seattle for like a day and a half or a day and overnight stay or something. Does this sound accurate? Should I study or brush up on anything in particular before I go? I am absolutely horrible at math! I completely forgot how to do long division even, talk about pathetic LOL!
 

ryans01

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I am air force and am deploying a lot. going on my 3rd deployment next month. I'm not SF either. (2a6x2) I work on diesel engine generators. also I will hit my 3 year mark Sept 19. as i have for my first and second year mark. but I volunteer ever year to deploy. There are people in my shop that haven't gone at all and have been there longer than I have.

Yea, don't worry too much about what you want to do until you take the ASVAB. Once you get your score then you can look at the available jobs according to your score.

I'm in the AF and love it, bee in for 4 1/2 years. Also don't listen to people who say you don't get to deploy. It all depends on your job and your command, I can deploy every year if I really wanted to.
 

BigSweezey

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The ASVAB is the same for all the branches. I took my ASVAB at MEPS, along with my physical. Which they might try and get you to do, but @ 220 I'm pretty sure that's over the limit for all the branches. So even if they give you the physical, your not gonna pass, so you can't really sign up. And even if they try and get you too, just say no. I'd talk to the AF recruiter...for the most part they are a bit less pushy cause they don't have to be. Personally unless you know your in perfect health, I'd take the physical just to make sure your good to go, if you can. If you pass, then just don't select a job, and don't sign up. Physical is good for so long and the ASVAB is good for 2yrs I think.

There are study guides out there for the test. IMO it's really basic stuff. One section I remember was simple math, and the whole idea is to complete as many as you can in the given time. Hardest part was probably to compound problems where you need to know your order of operations(Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally). The mechanical section was stuff like a drawing of a few gears and they say if gear "A" is turning this way which way does gear "C" turn and stuff like that.
 

BDF8

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I got an 89 on the test. They sent me to meps 2 weeks later. Then they put me in a hotel. I spent 11 hours in processing. I got the exact job I wanted. Aviation technician.
 

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