joining the USAF REserve or active duty

Bigguy851

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alright check this out i am 23 and a full time student and worker, i also play baseball. i am wondering what all of you people in here think i should do. join the reserves or active duty. i have a gf who always says oh dont join. my concern is i want the school money and the training and what not. can anyone give me there opinion. thanks
 
brk_nemesis

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Do what you want man, and dont hold back, or you'll just regret it later. Just be sure to be smart about it and get all your ducks in a row before hand and dont rush into it blind sighted. Don't be like a friend of mine who jumped up one day and realized he wanted to be SF and a recruiter told him he would start SF immedaitly after boot, and a bunch of other b.s. He was dumb, signed the papers, without even consulting anyone on how to obtain his goal( although i will say he doesnt have the will to survive boot much less SF). Point is,.... just do your research, talk to people who have been in, served their time, and then decide.
 
mindgame

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Do what you want man, and dont hold back, or you'll just regret it later. Just be sure to be smart about it and get all your ducks in a row before hand and dont rush into it blind sighted. Don't be like a friend of mine who jumped up one day and realized he wanted to be SF and a recruiter told him he would start SF immedaitly after boot, and a bunch of other b.s. He was dumb, signed the papers, without even consulting anyone on how to obtain his goal( although i will say he doesnt have the will to survive boot much less SF). Point is,.... just do your research, talk to people who have been in, served their time, and then decide.
he signed up to be special forces or security forces?

OP: PM me if you have any questions. Iam active duty in USAF and like rugger said it depends on what job you want to go for. That is what it comes down too. If you dont get the job you want then the military is going to be hell.
 

wrkn4bigrmusles

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man them Air Force chicks are hot

thats all i cana contribute to this thread.
 
mindgame

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lol and yes they are..or at least most of them. Then you have to think after you meet an air force chick is hopefully half the base hasnt hade her yet.
 

wrkn4bigrmusles

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lol and yes they are..or at least most of them. Then you have to think after you meet an air force chick is hopefully half the base hasnt hade her yet.
thats not much differant then these army broads i stare at all day on this camp.
 
DynaGlide

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I'd say active is the way to go if you want to do stuff. I was an SP, not by choice, but it was my own fault. My suggestion is to go in with a guaranteed job. Don't let the recruiter tel yout hat you'll get the job you want if you go in Open General, or whatever. Get it in writing that you have a guaranteed AFSC.

Also, like someone else has already said, women come and go. Don't let a current girlfriend decide what you are going to do with your life. You might feel like you're too far behind the ball because you didn't go in directly after high school, but that couldn't be further from the truth. People who go in a few years later are lightyears further along in maturity, and that equates to better grades in Tech-School, which is very important. Having an Honor Grad decoration is a pretty big deal when you look back. Shoot for it.

Yes, there is a higher ratio of girls:guys in the AF, but they're not all good looking. I was one of the lucky ones. I met my current girlfriend in Germany. We lived across the hall from each other in the barracks. It worked out real nice ;). She's definitely one of the very few truly hot ones to be in the military. We've been together for 8+ years now... I guess I should put a ring on her finger.

What kind of job are you looking for? Something cool? Something technical? Something Secret Squirrel?
 
Bigguy851

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job type

Well I really want to go into something that relates to computers. I am currently attending devry university for information security. I have about 2 years left. The reason I am thinkin usaf is because it is probably the safest and I also need the school money. Well plus the training. I also play baseball. I want to still be able to play I am pretty good. I have had a few scouts lookin but none lately. The reason I say reserve is because they will pay for school and I can get a good job in the civilian world after BMT and tech school. Give me ur opinions
 
DynaGlide

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Well I really want to go into something that relates to computers. I am currently attending devry university for information security. I have about 2 years left. The reason I am thinkin usaf is because it is probably the safest and I also need the school money. Well plus the training. I also play baseball. I want to still be able to play I am pretty good. I have had a few scouts lookin but none lately. The reason I say reserve is because they will pay for school and I can get a good job in the civilian world after BMT and tech school. Give me ur opinions
I don't know of any reserve Intel guys... but that doesn't mean they don't exist. If you want to continue playing ball, in minor league or whatever, you'd certainly be better off going guard or reserve. If you were active duty, they'd make it hard for you to participate in any extra cirricular activities of that magnitude.

When you say "they will pay for school" are you talking tuition assistance, or GI Bill? Both are kind of a pain in the ass because you have to come up with the money up front, and they reimburse you, as long as you pass your class to their satisfaction. Even then, you have to jump through hoops to get the money. It's a good deal if you have your ducks in a row, and stay focused.
 

wrkn4bigrmusles

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I'm sure they air force would allow you ample free time to play baseball. hell i know people who drive 30 minutes one way to workout at the air force base gym.
 

wrkn4bigrmusles

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When you say "they will pay for school" are you talking tuition assistance, or GI Bill? Both are kind of a pain in the ass because you have to come up with the money up front, and they reimburse you, as long as you pass your class to their satisfaction. Even then, you have to jump through hoops to get the money. It's a good deal if you have your ducks in a row, and stay focused.
wow thats back asswards... atleast the army pays upfront, and if you fail you pay. plus our tuition assistance is all online based.
 
DynaGlide

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I'm sure they air force would allow you ample free time to play baseball. hell i know people who drive 30 minutes one way to workout at the air force base gym.
I played for the base hockey team at Eielson AFB, Alaska. It was like pulling teeth to get time off for games and tournaments... and I was representing the base! Of course, I was an SP, and we were pooped on by our own leadership when it came to anything extra-cirricular. It's probably different in other squadrons.

And for the record, I liked the fitness facility at Fort Wainwright tons more than the one at Eielson, but it was 26 miles away, as opposed to two blocks.
 
DynaGlide

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wow thats back asswards... atleast the army pays upfront, and if you fail you pay. plus our tuition assistance is all online based.
It could be different now... I don't know. Last time I used tuition assistance was 1999. However, I'm drawing on my last semester for the GI Bill, and I have to pay up-front and get reimbursed throughout the semester.
 
DynaGlide

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As I read my posts again, I think I come off as kind of discouraging you. Please don't take it that way. I hated the AF when I was in, but know that it's probably the most important (best) decision I've made in my 30 years on Earth.

If I hadn't gone in, I'd probably be a felon like all of my friends who'd stayed home, and I'd never have even started school, let alone get an engineering degree from Michigan. The Air Force straightened me out, and got me focused on making my life better.
 
Rugger

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I am pretty sure with reserves ( or maybe it's guard) you sign up for a specific job. AD, not so much.
 
brk_nemesis

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he signed up to be special forces or security forces?

OP: PM me if you have any questions. Iam active duty in USAF and like rugger said it depends on what job you want to go for. That is what it comes down too. If you dont get the job you want then the military is going to be hell.

special forces. I know the requirements have changed over the years as i was goin in @ 18, but due many reasons of which i wont go into, im waiting til after I finish my degree from uga(2 more yrs). From what I know you got boot, ait, airborne, and then to sf courses like spoc and sfas and so on, over years worth of training combined, depending on mos the lengh can vary. There one guy on here, forgive me as I cant remember his name who took the sfas, so he can chime in on what I dont know from his personal experience. My friend knows nothin of the military, and from what i heard he was told immediately after boot he'd be in SF, period. Last i checked you gotta be "hand selected" or volunteer for airbourne, pass the screenings thereafter, do the courses, etc,etc,etc, and then you still could drop out at any point. I dont know if the recruiter completely outright lied to him just to get sum more meat for the socalled "grinder" or just took advantage of a hyped-up kid who knew nothing about SF or the requirements, but last thing I would have done is sign someone up without knowing that that person knows what they will be getting into, esp with SF training.
 
CopyCat

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Active Navy here. Just remember that if you join active duty that you do need to deal with a lot of bullsh*t, but everyone needs to deal with bullsh*t. No matter what job or even if you are your own boss. Everyone is accountable to someone, even if it is yourself. As far as school versus military then school is remember that if you join that you voluntarily joined and are locked into a contract getting out early under good terms is very very hard and does not happen often. If are not ready to commit like that and the job/career you want pays that good, then just do lots of research and find all the grants then loans you can. I have a friend who got her bachelors without every paying a dime. Also, student loans are at such a low interest, you don't have to pay them back as long as you are still going to school, and even afterwards as long as you are sending them some money they won't come after you. If it's what you want then go balls to the wall and all will be good man. As for the military I personally have not regretted my 8.5 years in.
 
CopyCat

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Here is some info on how tuition assistance and the GI Bill generally work within the military. This may be more specific to the Navy, but I believe relatively same across the board.

TA: You apply via your respective education office. Active duty are approved for I believe 16 semester credits or up to a certain amount in dollars. I have always maxed out the credits not the monetary amount. If that is not enough you can tap into GI Bill while on active duty to supplement, but with a paycheck, grants etc. you shouldn't need to do that unless you are going for an advanced degree and you don't have to pay in advance as long as you complete your request by the right deadlines (not that hard).

GI Bill: Congress just approved a new GI Bill which is now really nice.
If you served active duty on or after 9/11 2001 it looks something like this:
Based on your length of active duty service, you are entitled to a percentage of the following:
- Cost of tuition and fees, not to exceed the most expensive in-state undergraduate tuition at a public institution of higher education (paid to school);
- Monthly housing allowance* equal to the basic allowance for housing payable to a military E-5 with dependents, in the same zip code as your school (paid to you);
- Yearly books and supplies stipend of up to $1000 per year (paid to you); and
- A one-time payment of $500 paid to certain individuals relocating from highly rural areas.

*You get the housing allowance if you are going to school full time. To give you an example of what that might be I'm an E-5 with dependents with the Los Angeles zip code and make $1,996 as my housing allowance.

There's lots more. Here is a link for official info on the GI Bill.

- (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs)

What ever you choose just go balls out and don't half ass anything! Good luck.
 
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mindgame

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the new GI bill is freaking awsome...i like want to get out of the military jusy bekuz of it. also if you dont use your GI and you served 10 years, you can pass it to your spouse. Also if you retired and never used any of your Gi bill you can pass it to your kids.
 
CopyCat

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I am pretty sure with reserves ( or maybe it's guard) you sign up for a specific job. AD, not so much.
You can sign up with a specific job guaranteed in both active or reserve/guard, but somethings like special forces are things that you have to pass certain screenings and such and can not be guaranteed. Also, many jobs are also available based on how high of an ASVAB score you get. Score low and they won't let you choose to be in some intel field etc.
 
CopyCat

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the new GI bill is freaking awsome...i like want to get out of the military jusy bekuz of it. also if you dont use your GI and you served 10 years, you can pass it to your spouse. Also if you retired and never used any of your Gi bill you can pass it to your kids.

That's right I forgot that part. There are also tons of hidden things as well. If you are a combat vet and Texas or Illinois is your home of record your school is free and if your a combat vet and California is your home of record then your kids can attend school. Not to mention preferential treatment for vets and even special job fairs for vets only.

http://www.hirevetsfirst.gov/

And if you have a security clearance forget about it.
 
DynaGlide

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A freaking housing allowance now?! Man! I have been going to school full-time (12-14 credits), and working full-time for almost five years now, so that I could pay my mortgage. The GIBill has paid me almost enough to cover my tuition. It freaking figures that once I use up my benefits that they'd change it to actually pay for you to go to school.

When the GIBill was started, back in the day, it was originally designed to pay for a vet to go to school, rent, food, and books. Even with the kicker I paid for before I got out, my GI Bill benefits only come close to paying tuition at Michigan.

Sounds like a good deal nowadays. The biggest thing I would recommend to someone considering the military is that you need to know that you are getting a guaranteed job. I hated my job when I was in because I went where they needed me.
 
CopyCat

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yeah don't let the bullshit you into jobs. get a list of ratings and pick one. As long as your asvab scores are good enough you can get cool job. Let the recruiter tell you one thing then ask someone who is in to translate. Recruiters have quotas and they can loose their job if the don't make it. They also know which ratings need to be filled the fastest and which ones are hard to fill. Recruiters will direct you like a tetris piece to fit you where he wants you to be in his puzzle...Fuks your puzzle. It's not an impossible gauntlet, just a little tricky.
 
mindgame

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tru with that one^^^ Just make sure you know what you want then look at which service has the type of job you want and then talk to the recruiters
 
Rugger

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Maybe he could work for Air Force Cyber Command.....Hap Arnold is rolling in his grave over the new ACC :icon_lol:
 
DynaGlide

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Cyber Command? D'oh! Sounds pretty gay... not that there's anything wrong with that.
 
mindgame

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Air Force really need som UAV pilots right now. All you do is use a controller like the air plane controllers you use for an PC.
 
Rugger

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UAV pilots for the AF are required to go through UPT IIRC.
 
AFJON

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I'd say active is the way to go if you want to do stuff. I was an SP, not by choice, but it was my own fault. My suggestion is to go in with a guaranteed job. Don't let the recruiter tel yout hat you'll get the job you want if you go in Open General, or whatever. Get it in writing that you have a guaranteed AFSC.

Also, like someone else has already said, women come and go. Don't let a current girlfriend decide what you are going to do with your life. You might feel like you're too far behind the ball because you didn't go in directly after high school, but that couldn't be further from the truth. People who go in a few years later are lightyears further along in maturity, and that equates to better grades in Tech-School, which is very important. Having an Honor Grad decoration is a pretty big deal when you look back. Shoot for it.

Yes, there is a higher ratio of girls:guys in the AF, but they're not all good looking. I was one of the lucky ones. I met my current girlfriend in Germany. We lived across the hall from each other in the barracks. It worked out real nice ;). She's definitely one of the very few truly hot ones to be in the military. We've been together for 8+ years now... I guess I should put a ring on her finger.

What kind of job are you looking for? Something cool? Something technical? Something Secret Squirrel?
Are you serious?? Unless you work in the hospital that statement is in no way true. Its not at all hard to get a girl in the AF but seriously, there are wayyy more guys than girls in the AF. And a good portion of them are ugly, chunky or borderline. Girls in the AF are just like girls anywhere else.

To the OP, do what you really want to do man. If you want to join the military for yourself, go for it. Like others have said though, DO NOT go in blindly. Get the job you want or wait for the job you want.

I enlisted for the education benefits and do I think it was worth it, no but I don't regret it. I've had some of the best times of my life in the AF (overseas) but I've also had some of the shittiest times of my life in the AF.
 
CopyCat

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A freaking housing allowance now?! Man! I have been going to school full-time (12-14 credits), and working full-time for almost five years now, so that I could pay my mortgage. The GIBill has paid me almost enough to cover my tuition. It freaking figures that once I use up my benefits that they'd change it to actually pay for you to go to school.

When the GIBill was started, back in the day, it was originally designed to pay for a vet to go to school, rent, food, and books. Even with the kicker I paid for before I got out, my GI Bill benefits only come close to paying tuition at Michigan.

Sounds like a good deal nowadays. The biggest thing I would recommend to someone considering the military is that you need to know that you are getting a guaranteed job. I hated my job when I was in because I went where they needed me.

The original GI Bill after WWII was really good and did all that. In fact it was one of the best boost to the economy in the history of the US. All the people got out of the military, went to school (which before would have been impossible for them), then became a part of a higher educated and higher paid socioeconomic class. They made lots more money so they spent lots more money. The new GI Bill sort of touches back to what it was. However, I don't believe the boost to the economy part will be reproduced. That's one of those things that just worked out and not purposely either.
 
CopyCat

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I'm married so I don't mess around. That being said, before I got married I learned to stay away from girls in the military. They may seem normal on the surface, but if you look hard enough you'll find something wrong. If they were normal they would be in college doing college things so on and so on and not in the military. (to dyna I'm sure your girl is an exception since there is always an exception), but military girls are inherently F'n crazy. Oh, and the AF broads I've been with were the craziest by far.

Oh and if it's technical fields your looking for AF and Navy prob best choices. Not Army/USMC. It's like white collar vs. blue collar.
 
AFJON

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I'm married so I don't mess around. That being said, before I got married I learned to stay away from girls in the military. They may seem normal on the surface, but if you look hard enough you'll find something wrong. If they were normal they would be in college doing college things so on and so on and not in the military. (to dyna I'm sure your girl is an exception since there is always an exception), but military girls are inherently F'n crazy. Oh, and the AF broads I've been with were the craziest by far.

Oh and if it's technical fields your looking for AF and Navy prob best choices. Not Army/USMC. It's like white collar vs. blue collar.

X2...If I had to go back, I might have joined the Navy instead of the AF. I have many friends in the Navy and the places they get to go to is Crazzzy!! Yeah you have to be on a ship but you also get to visit countless countries that 99.999% of the population (maybe even the military population) will never be fortunate enough to see. Plus those ships are like mini-cities in themselves...
 
CopyCat

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8.5 years in and I've never been on a ship. Been all over asia, parts of europe and to the big sand box they like to call Iraq a few times, but never a ship. I'm what you might call a dirt sailor. Spent my whole time with the marines. Last official word I heard was last year the only approx. 17% of the AF are deployable. Not that they can't for any reason, but their job doesn't. Also if you think about it so many are stationed over seas (or in bumfu*k kansasAlaska)
 
DynaGlide

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Yes, there is a higher ratio of girls:guys in the AF
Are you serious?? Unless you work in the hospital that statement is in no way true.
Perhaps I didn't say what I meant. I meant to say that there is a higher ratio of female:male in the AF than in any other service (except for Navy, I think).

When I was in Alaska, the ratio of men:women was 9:1. The ratio of ummarried men:unmarried women... 36:1!

You outnumber women regardless of your branch of service. If you want poontang, join the Peacecorps. If you want to serve your country, join the service.
 
DynaGlide

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... They may seem normal on the surface, but if you look hard enough you'll find something wrong. If they were normal they would be in college doing college things so on and so on and not in the military. (to dyna I'm sure your girl is an exception since there is always an exception)...
No. She's crazy :aargh: She's no exception in that sense!
 
crawlinmatt

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As I read my posts again, I think I come off as kind of discouraging you. Please don't take it that way. I hated the AF when I was in, but know that it's probably the most important (best) decision I've made in my 30 years on Earth.

If I hadn't gone in, I'd probably be a felon like all of my friends who'd stayed home, and I'd never have even started school, let alone get an engineering degree from Michigan. The Air Force straightened me out, and got me focused on making my life better.
VERY WELL SAID ! mad props DynaGlide. look dude your gonna get out what you put in to the military weither sham forces in the AF or a grunt in the Army. Go with a positive attitued and do some research. have a plan a and b and you will be straight.
 

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