Someone I know recently was dismissed from UW Madison and wants to join the Air Force. For the military people or those who know about the military, what are the pros and cons of the Air force?. He's a smart kid btw. Would the national guard be a better option?. Can he take college credits while in the AF? Do AF soldiers fight in Iraq? Are the skills learned in the AF any valuable?. How much travel will there be?. etc etc.
military are crazy people, try to stop him if you can, make him go to college, become an engineer or something, but by all means, I dont want yet another teenager sent to Afghanistan or Iraq to prove nothing, and then be killed.
What do you know about the Air Force? did you serve?. Also, i'm not looking for emotional reactionary leftist "the military is evil" responses. I want to know the pros and cons of AF military life (he wants to do 2 years and then go back to school, or do it after he graduates).
Suppose helicopter pilot becomes your trade in the AF: you can leave the air force and fly professionally for a living. Hmm ?
Yup, good plan. Always think about the resale value of military experience in civilian life. A friend's brother was in the army, and was in a parachute display team. While in the army, he also learned to fly, and when de-mobbed, started a business teaching people to parachute jump. Being a pilot is a good option. Despite what infantry regiments tell folks about never leaving a man behind etc etc, there's alot more interest in returning a pilot, and the rather expensive hardware he's riding. So if you do see active service, you'll have a lot of support, and a lot of firepower.
Of course, chances are that if he joins the Air Force, he won't get anywhere near a jet or a helicopter. Beyond that, I know nothing of the Air Force. If it's anything like the Army, though, I'd ask him to spend a lot of time investigating it and interviewing current members of the Air Force first (and have as little to do with recruiters as possible). Some things for him to remember about any branch of the military, I would think. He will have almost NO control over his life (beyond what to sleep in at night, if he gets to sleep regularly). His life will probably be controlled by someone just like him (in that both he and his controller are constantly wondering how they could have been so stupid to sign up for this shit in the first place). Recruiters tend to promise heaven and deliver hell. From 5:00 AM to easily 5:00 PM (if not much, much later), he will have someone telling him exactly how to live his life. What to wear, how to wear it, how not to wear it. What to eat, how to eat it and how long he has to eat it. How to walk. How to talk. How to do a proper push-up and sit-up. How long he has to complete that 2 mile run. He will probably wake-up tired most of the time. He will go to bed tired. He may or may not sleep well at night, regardless of how tired he is. He will become aware of just how stupid humans can actually be. He may find a few people he can relate to and yet be too tired to really care. He will most likely keep track of exactly how many days are left until his committment is up. He will learn that getting the flu or some other such illness is frowned upon, highly, even if it was the flu shot that got him sick in the first place. He will travel to exotic places and possibly get his ass shot off while there. He will meet many hot women and come to realize they are a particular breed of hot woman. The breed that likes shiny things. All in all, if he's good at brown-nosing or back-stabbing, I'd tell him to join. If not, tell him to stay the hell away.
From experience, those in the air force get a better life than those in the army and navy. The standard of living is higher and they can get away with alot more. For example, when I was younger and went on a visit to an RAF base in Germany, they had cleaners that came around and cleaned their room! To be honest, if you're in the air force, you don't really get stationed in any warzones. At the worst you usually get put in a cplace where they send sorties fron i.e. Ramstein, Germany. To become a pilot, you need an education. They don't just let any tom, dick and harry fly millions of dollars worth of equipment. Most things you only really need a basic level of education to do as they teach you everything you need to know. If you think your friend is up for this, support what he wants and help him out as best you can. If you think he's using this as a 'get out of jail free' card, suggest alternatives.
He can't be that smart if he's looking to enter an organisation whose purpose is to engage in state-sponsored murder. But Air Force pilot may not be so bad...I hear that once you're over unfriendly skies, your life expectancy plummets as fast as your F22 does. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Jaybee.
being in army is a profession like any other, I don't see why most of you are so touchy about it. and AirForce is one of the most prestige places to be (in army). of course that also means a lot of learning and a very serious attitude to the things you study
Depends on what he's thinking about doing in the Air Force. Many military organisations offer civilian recognised qualifications and many specialists are highly sought after in the civilian world. So if you get enough qualifications in a certain field, you are laughing when you enter civvie life. You're more likely to be shipped there if you're in the army to be honest. At best, a small group is based around the airports and airbases to help maintain incoming aircraft but I believe most of what actually lands in Iraq is under control of the army. As I said, it depends on what he wants to do. Obviously a weapons technician for aircraft won't open as many doors as say an air traffic controller. But there are other militaries around the world that offer service to former serving personell. I recall the Canadian military at one point offering jobs to former UK serving men and women. Not sure if they still do that though. With the air force you could be posted anywhere but mainly it's in friendly nations. Almost every job in the military has the opportunity for travel.
No no, let the genepool cleanse itself naturally - if he's bloodthirsty enough to enlist, he should die - but if he's having second thoughts, he'll probably not bother. That's the one area where with the volunteer military is fairer than civilian life - the people who most deserve to get killed are invariably the ones who actually do. Jaybee.
I've been in the military all my life. Well my dad, but you know. A military brat, I mean. I can tell you anything you'd like. AF soldiers can be sent to Iraq. Pretty much anybody can be sent there. Even my dad and he works with computers in the hospital. I guess the skill are valuable...you begin to have a lot of pride for your nation while serving it. A lot of travel! My dad is sent away all the time. Not always to bad places though. My dad was jsut sent to Washington DC. and is going to California. He's been in the middle east a few times as well. We have to move every two-four years as well. Yes, you can be in college while your in the AF. In fact they pay for it. Anything else you'd like to know?
Thanks for the responses. He's thought about becoming a AF Pilot. It requires an engineering degree from what I hear. I'll try and convince to get back into UW (which he is doing now), get his engineering degree and then join the AF to become Pilot. Does anyone know anything about the Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT)?. What other things are required, besides an engineering degree, before starting the UPT to become a fighter pilot?
I am not completely aware of the whole training process over there in the US but I think this link might help. It all looks like gibberish to me but to someone who knows, it might be what they're after. http://www.baseops.net/archive/archiveupt.html There wasn't much else I could find on the subject. It might be worth finding a military forum and asking around there. If you ask nicely, the people on there will only be too happy to help.
Unless you are shot down, it's better than being in the infantry. Jaybee, you can feel superior all you want until the day they come to save your ass.
if he wants to join the american military under bushes dictatorship, then why not the airforce, that means that $20milion blood dollars go down with him when he gets killed
Ah good stuff. I'll e-mail him this whole convo and links and tell him to ignore the stupid leftists.
It's not a 'feeling', but a state of being. I AM superior to those grunts, as is nearly everyone on this website. The military are below paedophiles - who scar the lives of one or two kids, the military slaughters wholesale. And unlike so many marines, we civilians generally don't end up alcoholic wrecks, or drape ourselves in a national flag, place a two-bore in our mouths listening to, "We had joy, we had fun", thinking of the kids we bombed, before pulling the trigger and stopping their screams. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Jaybee.
