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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.