Considering joining the military and looking for advice

[just jk]

i enjoyed my 21 years.....as i said in another similar thread - the military will get out of you what they want - its on you to get out of it what YOU want

 

[TundraWookiee]

Just decided to post an update on things. I've been talking to recruiters and leaning toward air force now. It turns out that despite being able to exceed the physical requirements of even special forces that I need to lose about 20 pounds before I can sign. So now I just need to watch my diet a little closer and kick up the cardio a little more I guess to try to burn this off and get things moving.

Sent from my HTC Vivid using Tapatalk

 

[Mr. Bojangles]

I wish I could have chimed in sooner. I did five years in the Corps (00-05) and wouldn't trade those years for the world. I'm obviously biased towards the Marines but there are some benefits to going AF; better housing, better food, and a lot more options for places to be stationed.
The Marines aren't for everone, only those who want to be the best of the best.



Sorry, I couldn't resist a little inter-serice ribbing.

 

[majormadmax]

The Marines aren't for everone, only those who want to be the best of the best.

Sorry, I couldn't resist a little inter-serice ribbing.

Well, at least if you had joined the Air Force, you would have learned how to spell!
Score one for the boys in blue!

 

[Joseph Bell]

Just get in there and do the damn deal, sign your name and take the ride. Good luck!

 

[Strelok]

If you want the least chance of deploying overseas...
Want to keep your Uniform clean, not do a lot of any
physical labor, like to shuffle paper and sit behind a desk...
Keep hours like a civilian and have the least experience of being
in a dangerous or hazardous situation...the U.S. Air Force is for you.

( Is it really necessary to edit someone's opinion who doesn't agree with you? )

Nothing I said was negative. I clearly stated "least" chance of deploying overseas
and seeing hazardous/dangerous duty. This does nothing to detract some Air Force
Members killed which is only a small fraction of comparable Army or Marines in the
same places. I served in the U.S. Military and had Friends in all branches. My Father
was a Pilot in the U.S. Air Force so I have a good idea what I am talking about. If my
opinion upsets you then be a Man and live with it rather than being a Child and attacking me.

 

[majormadmax]

If you want the least chance of deploying overseas...
Want to keep your Uniform clean, not do a lot of any
physical labor, like to shuffle paper and sit behind a desk...
Keep hours like a civilian and have the least experience of being
in a dangerous or hazardous situation...the U.S. Air Force is for you.

Really? I'll share that with all the families of US Air Force servicemembers we have lost in Afghanistan and Iraq, including the eight killed by one of our Afghan "allies" at the Kabul airport.

Quit making such jackass comments.

 

[Clockwork]

The Marines aren't for everone, only those who want to be the best of the best.



Sorry, I couldn't resist a little inter-serice ribbing.

Or for those with low ASVAB scores.

 

[Clockwork]

If you want the least chance of deploying overseas...
Want to keep your Uniform clean, not do a lot of any
physical labor, like to shuffle paper and sit behind a desk...
Keep hours like a civilian and have the least experience of being
in a dangerous or hazardous situation...the U.S. Air Force is for you.

Exactly what in the **** do you base this dumbass shit on?

 

[TheDan]

some benefits to going AF; better housing, better food, and a lot more options for places to be stationed.

Yep, plus the AF actually has women

 

[TundraWookiee]

Man, some people say some stupid shit sometimes... Its one thing to joke around and say that your branch is better like Bojangles but its another to just trash or downplay a branch's service like that Strelok. While I'm not actually an Airman, I have had several members of my family that were Air Force and died serving in combat zones like Afghanistan. Whether you were joking or not, its in pretty poor taste in my opinion.

 

[Mr. Bojangles]

Yep, plus the AF actually has women

I'll second that. I spent a few months at Little Rock AFB for some training and every Marine there (about 10 of us) was chasing the AF chicks.

 

[Dcav]

Say what you will about other branches, we all depend on one another in theatre. Choose a branch your interested in and a career field that has potential after your military years. My .02

 

[majormadmax]

Yep, plus the AF actually has women

Actually, she's an Australian porn star; but that's still the standard of women we get in the USAF...

 

[shooterfpga]

Actually, she's an Australian porn star; but that's still the standard of women we get in the USAF...

this is true.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using FD10

 

[Soldiernurse]

Who is this Strelok? A disenchanted AF veteran? What was your AF MOS? Were you a prior 2001 servicemember?

 

[Strelok]

Really? I'll share that with all the families of US Air Force servicemembers we have lost in Afghanistan and Iraq, including the eight killed by one of our Afghan "allies" at the Kabul airport.

Quit making such jackass comments.

So if I say you have the least chance of being killed in a Car Accident if you are wearing a Seat Belt or being killed in a Motorcycle Accident while wearing a Helmet...are you also going to get angry and offer to share that with all the Families who lost a loved one while wearing a Seat Belt or wearing a Helmet?

Using your own definition of a "Jackass" comment, yours is the one that fits the bill. Do you know the Families personally? What would you hope to gain or achieve by sharing Information that is fact that would not be appreciated and unwanted? How would your offer be of any benefit to anyone but yourself? Sure it looks cute on a Forum such as this but seriously think about what your words mean. If you disagree with my words then please consult this Info:

American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and Statistics - February 26, 2010 ( Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress ) Table 1 Persian Gulf War ( Desert Storm & Desert Shield ) Deaths in order of most to least: Army-Marines-Navy-Air Force ( From this point on listed as A-M-N-AF ) Table 2 - Worldwide U.S. Active Duty Military Deaths - Persian Gulf 1990-1991: A-M-N-AF. Table 9 - Persian Gulf War: Casualty Summary as of January 29, 2010 - Total In-Theater Deaths: A-M-N-AF. Table 10 - Global War on Terror October 7, 2001 to February 6, 2010 - Total Deaths: A-M-N-AF. Table 13 - Operation Iraqi Freedom March 19, 2003 to February 6, 2010: Deaths: Army-Marines-Navy-Air Force. http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL32492.pdf

This shows the least chance of being in a dangerous/hazardous situation ( Death ) as being in the Air Force as previously stated. Least chance of being deployed ( as in Overseas ) please consult: Deployment Rates Iraq & Afghanistan - September 11, 2001 to Ocotber 31, 2004. Look at total number of Personnel and the rates. Marine Corp 56.2%, Army 55.9%, Navy 47.2%, Air Force 39.8%. While these figures are not current I believe they stand true even to today since the very nature of the differences in the Armed Services would lend to them staying the same with the Air Force numbers even being more decreased than the others. ( More Air Force Pilots piloting their UAVs in Afghanistan sitting behind a Desk/Console while back in the United States )
Deployment Rates for Iraq and Afghanistan

As to my other statements of keeping your Uniform clean, less physical work, more paper shuffling and sitting behind a Desk...all of this is just common sense, no-brainer stuff I shouldn't have to explain. The Army/Marine Corps by nature is about deploying Men. Your average Soldier having to carry a 50+ pound Pack, assorted Gear and Rifle is going to be more physically demanding than your average Air Force Soldier who is the 20-60 to 1 Logistic based Personnel to Pilot ratio. The Air Force is about deploying Planes not personnel. Flying is inherently dangerous. It takes a lot of Air Force personnel on the ground keeping track of records, flight time, maintenance, training, and many other assorted records to keep Pilots and Planes safe in the air. While all the Armed Services have similar functions, no one exceeds the Air Force for having personnel in safe zones far from the front line out of harm's way. It's just the nature of the Air Force. It makes no sense to have Air Fields and Airplanes in areas where they could be damaged/attacked/compromised. Planes as you well know are extremely expensive. When you're in the air there's not a lot of room for error. However statistically as we have seen in the past 20 years going back to the Persian Gulf and currently to Iraq & Afghanistan, it is more dangerous to be in the Army/Marines driving a Humvee/Truck/Tank where we've had more deaths. The Navy is the opposite of the Air Force where it tries to cram as many personnel as possible inside what it deploys: Ships. It's all about "Power Projection" as I'm sure you've heard the term. With a Ship being an object 1,000 to 10,000 times larger and heavier than a Plane, the work involved for maintenance, upkeep, operation and deployment is again more physically demanding than your average Air Force personnel deals with. As in all the previous examples and illustrations given it goes without saying that the same goes for physically demanding as keeping your Uniform clean.

Since you have most of your Air Force personnel back in the United States as compared to the Army or Marines who make up the bulk of our Troops in Iraq or Afghanistan then it is only common sense who gets to go home at the end of the work day. Navy personnel at sea do not have a 9-5 schedule. There is no going home each night. There is no such thing as a Saturday or Sunday where you are off all weekend like the other Services. Even when not deployed overseas, most Navy Ships perform local operations where they deploy out at sea near their Home Port for several days, week or months at a time. It's just the nature of the Air Force and what it does that keeps the majority of it's personnel safe, at home, in logistic-based work that's not as physically demanding or prone to get one dirty as the other Armed Services. It's not wrong. It's not anything to be ashamed of. It's just the differences in the Armed Services. And please keep in mind I'm talking about overall, most common actions by personnel. There will always be exceptions to the rule as the Air Force mechanic or the ones who have to reload the ammunition on the different Aircraft. These people are only a small fraction of the total number of personnel just like the Army File Clerk at Fort Hood or Navy personnel who has a job that they don't deploy. I'm talking about the big picture here. In all my wording.

Oh...and thank you for your 25 years of Service.

 

[Strelok]

Exactly what in the **** do you base this dumbass shit on?

Please see my above post that explains all I have said. If Facts and common-sense Information is considered "dumbass shit" to you...well I can see why you chose the Avatar you did to represent yourself.

 

[Strelok]

Who is this Strelok? A disenchanted AF veteran? What was your AF MOS? Were you a prior 2001 servicemember?

If I say Rap Music has the least amount of talent, musical skills, original music
composure and benefit to society....does that make me a disenchanted Rapper?

 

[majormadmax]

Wow, lots of great information; but it's still a jackass comment and you know it!