AF enlisted or officer?

BG,

Check with your school and school district. Sometimes they have programs for hs students to get into while still doing hs but the school pays for it. I know some that got IT certs prior to their graduation.

You can always work on a college degree while you are enlisted (at the Air Force expense).

Definitely don't get in debt because of school.


Bitterguy said:
If we had the money it sounds great haha. In all seriousness though I will consider it. I'm going to be talking to my cousin as well, today I learned that he went into the navy for IT and I figured i could get some questions answered trough him

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goaliedad said:
One last thing to consider...

If your parents are happy to have you work on a 2-year technical degree (many community colleges have programs that will get you various technology certifications), it would go a long way in allowing you to get your MOS of choice as an enlisted as well as start you off as an E-3. The few extra bucks will go a long way when you are starting out. And the education may be a little more to your liking.
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jbsail said:
BG,

Check with your school and school district. Sometimes they have programs for hs students to get into while still doing hs but the school pays for it. I know some that got IT certs prior to their graduation.

You can always work on a college degree while you are enlisted (at the Air Force expense).

Definitely don't get in debt because of school.
Click to expand...

My school does offer a vo-tech program, but seeing that I'm w junior its to late

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Another thought, seems like it would fit your desires to a 'T'

You could go for Warrant Officer;
In either Information Services, Network Management, Electronic Warfare... etc

(http://www.usarec.army.mil/hq/warrant/WOgeninfo_mos.shtml)

http://www.usarec.army.mil/hq/warrant/prerequ/WO255A.shtml

http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/arwarrant/bl251a.htm

You would do 4+ yrs as enlisted, make E-5, then apply for WO

It's just a thought, I had a Uncle that was an WO - he said it was best of all worlds.
WO's are technical expert's, well paid, respected, the perks of being an officer, but still able to play with stuff and get dirty when you want to:cool: (Might be a career path to keep the family happy too)

You would need to pick your enlisted MOS to match up with your desired WO MOS

http://www.usarec.army.mil/hq/warrant/WOgeninfo_enlmos.shtml
 
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gojack said:
Another thought, seems like it would fit your desires to a 'T'

You could go for Warrant Officer;
In either Information Services, Network Management, Electronic Warfare... etc

(http://www.usarec.army.mil/hq/warrant/WOgeninfo_mos.shtml)

http://www.usarec.army.mil/hq/warrant/prerequ/WO255A.shtml

http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/arwarrant/bl251a.htm

You would do 4+ yrs as enlisted, make E-5, then apply for WO

It's just a thought, I had a Uncle that was an WO - he said it was best of all worlds.
WO's are technical expert's, well paid, respected, the perks of being an officer, but still able to play with stuff and get dirty when you want to:cool: (Might be a career path to keep the family happy too)

You would need to pick your enlisted MOS to match up with your desired WO MOS

http://www.usarec.army.mil/hq/warrant/WOgeninfo_enlmos.shtml
Click to expand...

gojack is the man for research on this forum... :thumb:

I agree that this might be the best compromise. Check it out and see if AF has anything close before signing those papers.
 
kinnem said:
Some day the synapsis stop firing as quickly and it becomes difficult. Not impossible but difficult. And eventually you tire of it and RE-tire. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
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And you find yourself saying to those young whipper-snappers, "I've forgotten more about IT than you ever know". :yllol:
 
goaliedad said:
gojack is the man for research on this forum... :thumb:

I agree that this might be the best compromise. Check it out and see if AF has anything close before signing those papers.
Click to expand...

:redface:OOPS, forgot he's looking at Air Force, one too many ciders I guess:redface:
 
goaliedad said:
And you find yourself saying to those young whipper-snappers, "I've forgotten more about IT than you ever know". :yllol:
Click to expand...

I was always amazed by how little the whippersnappers really knew historically. Punch card? What's that?!?!? More importantly, the lack of experience(s). The things you had seen before and would be problems with whatever they were developing. You had to explain it to them very, very s-l-o-w-l-y. Nevertheless they were whizbangs at writing code.
 
The AF doesn't have a WO program like their sister services.

I would also remind him that going the enlisted route with the long term goal of getting OCS can be risky. OCS is not a guarantee, it is a board.

If they have enough in that yr group via ROTC or AFA, they will cancel the board. They did this a few yrs ago.

If their AFSC is considered critical manning, the AF can say that they will not allow them to even apply.

Nobody is psychic and can see 4,6, 8 yrs in advance when they want to go to the OCS board.

I would go the CC route, and try to do AFROTC at the same time. I know many kids that are doing the CC route now because of debt reasons. In our state if you carry a B avg, you are automatically accepted into any 4 yr IS college. Our CCs have payment plans. Basically, you put 40% down to register, and pay 20% every month for 3 months. They do not charge interest. A yr at our CCs carrying 16-18 credits is @4k. or just over 100 bucks a week while in school. A part time job will cover that cost.

Many AFROTC dets also give out det. only scholarships every yr. to cadets in college. I know a cadet that in the end took out about 7500 in loans, which is about 75 bucks a month owed back. As an O1, they have already paid that debt back, not talking the career starter loan, but just from their pay. They were able to do it because they got an IS det. only scholarship, and from their PT job they applied for a scholarship too. They went to the CC for 2 yrs, and that also lowered the cost.

You can get TA as an enlisted member, but it only covers 75%, (no books) courses are typically 9 weeks, so you can be paying the same amount as CC over a yr., but now you are working a FT job, and hoping that you can get Commander's support for OCS, and get selected. You also will extend the amount of commitment time owed everytime you take TA. It runs concurrent with any other commitment. Think about it.

Let's assume you want to get out at the 4 yr marker, but the last time you took TA it was at the 2 1/2 yr. marker. You are in now until 5 1/2 yrs. They give you orders at the 4 yr marker for a 3 yr assignment. You are now in until the 7 yr. marker. It typically does happen that way if you don't plan the TA right.

Sometimes it is best to look outside the box.
 
If you are set on going enlisted or WO, I would take the time to really investigate the life style in each branch. They are different in many ways. It will be a 24/7/365 life for you for several yrs. Going ROTC you have that 1 yr opt out if it just isn't a match for you, you don't have that in AD military.

Recruiters jobs are not to recruit officers, but enlisted. Talk to them, but remember their job is to sell you on their branch.

OBTW research also for the officer side too, because if you plan to do enlisted, get your degree using TA, you need to understand how that may impact your career path after OCS.
 
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