Army, Navy, Marine, AF etc. can you answer me some questions?

[pharow]

Go air force! No other way to go. Its just better, i have friends tht came from other branches, and they all say the same thing. Tht the af is way better! Either officer or enlisted.

[Kershaw]

Thank you everyone for your input. So what is OCS like, how long does it take, and why would I want to do that rather than just enlisting? You'll have to forgive me... I'm admittedly ignorant when it comes to this stuff.

Marine OCS sucked. it was the best thing i've ever done and the worst. it was 10 weeks. the PT was brutal. after i came out i was in the best shape i had ever been in my life, but i also couldnt run for about 2 months afterward due to shin splints and plantar fasciitis. it got really bad by week 6, but i ignored the pain and pushed on. i started counting down the weeks. the academics were really easy, if you did them right now. but inside OCS you really have to concentrate if you want to memorize the knowledge and do well on all the tests. in general, expect to be stinky, sweaty, pissed off, frustrated, getting yelled at, yelling at someone else, hoping you're doing the right thing, and pushing yourself to your absolute limit.

[M-technik-3]

If you go in, you'll be an officer. Cake job with great pay.

Not true he could enlist, there is nothing stopping him from being an enlisted member in the services.

You have to be selected to be a pilot for AF. Cant be color blind. Cant have glasses or something along those lines, unless you get it fixed (Lasik), also a 4 year degree. There's more to it I'm just noting the jist of it.

As a current flyer you are not allowed to go and get Lasik or RK at your whim. If you do you loose your 1042 which is your class II flying physical. If you interview with USAFR you might get selected for a flying spot but we like to hire people who have their privates or were former pilots for another branch or usaf.

We do hire off street for pilots though. I have 23 years total and 19 of them are AD, I plan on retiring in three to five.

[decay]

i may reconsider the military in a few years though. but it would be with the AF. I know i can do it, but the Marines are just too intense for me.

i tried to go to the corps originally, but i was 28 when i joined up, and that was the cut-off, so they bounced me over the army recruiter.

if i had known how things really worked... would have gone straight to the AF guy. i didn't know they had aerial gunners, or combat controllers, or pararescue... and it kills me because i could have done well at those jobs, and my time in the army has been boring other than dodging mortars and RPGs, and unchallenging all the way around.

i'm 4 years into a 6-year contract, and the army is not gonna get a day out of me past july 12, 2012. after that, i may talk to an AF recruiter. i haven't decided either.

[TwoJ's]

Thank you everyone for your input. So what is OCS like, how long does it take, and why would I want to do that rather than just enlisting? You'll have to forgive me... I'm admittedly ignorant when it comes to this stuff.

[Kershaw]

i graduated OCS last summer with the Marines. im not accepting my commission. i may reconsider the military in a few years though. but it would be with the AF. I know i can do it, but the Marines are just too intense for me.

and dk hit all the points.

[RwMystery]

I'm an E-3 in the Air Force and I'll tell you that if you're going to join, join the AF. From what I've seen, we have it much better off than the other branches. If you're looking to make a career out of the military then I'd definitely go officer. If you're looking to do a quick 4 and get out then enlisted is what you want to do. You'll have all the same benefits either way. If you enlisted you'd come in as an E-3; AF doesn't give out E-4. My job is RF transmissions systems so it's pretty technical and I've had a really good experience in the military so far. If I stay in longer than my 4 year commitment I'm definitely going to be an officer. By the way, you get much more respect as an officer if you're prior enlisted.

+1 on the prior enlistment.. a lot of the people who go straight in as officer are usually dicks and don't know the ropes. Note: I said a lot, not all.

[delfin]

I'm an E-3 in the Air Force and I'll tell you that if you're going to join, join the AF. From what I've seen, we have it much better off than the other branches. If you're looking to make a career out of the military then I'd definitely go officer. If you're looking to do a quick 4 and get out then enlisted is what you want to do. You'll have all the same benefits either way. If you enlisted you'd come in as an E-3; AF doesn't give out E-4. My job is RF transmissions systems so it's pretty technical and I've had a really good experience in the military so far. If I stay in longer than my 4 year commitment I'm definitely going to be an officer. By the way, you get much more respect as an officer if you're prior enlisted.

[Ral]

go through OCS- my former roommate went to OCS with a pilot contract already in hand. No idea how you go about getting that though- I went through a different commissioning source.

PM myself, FreedS4 (air force pilot training with us Navy scrubs) and I think there's one or two more who are Navigators in the AF.

Also, if you're cut out for it, check out Marine air. They have some cool toys and do some cool stuff.

[hoveringuy]

Any of you AF guys are to chime in? I'm curious about what is required to have to ability to become a pilot either in the AF or Navy.

I had a girlfriend who was a Theater major that got selected for Navy pilot training. She was dumb as a box of rocks (but had great tits).

Only reason she didn't get her wings is that is that... she couldn't fly for shit.

There's plenty of people with normal academic backgrounds in Navy and Air Force jets. Go to a recruiter and tell them you want to fly. Worst that can happen is you get offered OCS and you say "no".

[RwMystery]

Subscribed.

I'd really like to get into federal law enforcement in the later years and I'm seriously considering military as my next move after college. I took an ASVAB a while ago at our local marines recruiter station but I can't remember what I got.

You dont need to be a marine to get into federal law enforcement. Any military background is accepted. I know a bunch of people who were AF cops and Army cops who became SS (not KGB ;) ).

[RwMystery]

You have to be selected to be a pilot for AF. Cant be color blind. Cant have glasses or something along those lines, unless you get it fixed (Lasik), also a 4 year degree. There's more to it I'm just noting the jist of it.

[87e30]

Any of you AF guys are to chime in? I'm curious about what is required to have to ability to become a pilot either in the AF or Navy.

My friends are doing ROTC right now, going into their third year. Both looking to become pilots, one navy and one air force.

They are currently flying and building up flight hours and taking some lessons.

Both also say it's not promised that they will become pilots, they look at grades and how you stack up against everyone else.

I'm fairly certain that if you wanted to be a pilot you're going to be behind a few years. Not sure, though.

[CreamE30]

Subscribed.

I'd really like to get into federal law enforcement in the later years and I'm seriously considering military as my next move after college. I took an ASVAB a while ago at our local marines recruiter station but I can't remember what I got.

[TwoJ's]

Any of you AF guys are to chime in? I'm curious about what is required to have to ability to become a pilot either in the AF or Navy.