Serious,
I am sure prior to signing on for the AFA, you went through a pro/con list. Pull that back out. See if they are still your issues, or if you need to make a new list.
I have to say one part of your post made me giggle.
serious said:
It would allow me to see the opportunities out there and the positives/negatives of that path without having to give up the academy
Have you looked into the job market out there for new grads? It ain't pretty! There are kids graduating from top notch schools and not getting jobs.
Yes, it is great to be in college, have a schedule where you only go to class T-TH, and can have 4 days off, but that only lasts for when you are in college. Sooner or later the real world will knock at your door.
Right now, our DS is a rising Sr in AFROTC, this past spring his friends have come to him asking if it is too late to join ROTC because they are seeing the writing on the wall for jobs. These were the same people he became friends with as freshman and joked about the fact that he was only going to make a small sum compared to them when they graduate, but while he was getting up at 5 to do PT they had the luxury to sleep in. They are now running scared, even those with parents that footed the bill, they know how bad the economy is currently an expected to be through 2013.
What is their plan now...ride it out until 2014 by getting a Masters. What will that mean for you? It will mean the employer has a choice hire you with an undergrad or them with a grad. See where I am going with this?
If you don't, than look at why the AF is doing RIFs, SERBS and lowering promotion rates so they can kick them out faster. That is on top of canceling OCS boards, and AFROTC IS scholarships. They have enough manpower to meet their needs, and people are joining/staying because the economy is in the tanks.
Again, the grass might be green, but it might not be grass at all.
Your worst of worst problems is your yr group not only for the civilian employment aspect, but from the military.
If it really is an issue of the other opportunities out there, unless it is something so insanely unique, those career opportunities are also in the military. Honestly, I can think of only 1 opportunity out there that can't be found in the military...FASHION DESIGN
Of course every female in the military wishes they would have that career code so they can finally get the fit right for women
Otherwise, name a career field and I can bet there is a career there.
Finance...there
Teaching ... there
Medical...there
Law...there
Homeland...there
Govt...there
Intel...there
Weather...there
IT...there
Engineering...there
Now maybe not to your aspirations, but let's be real, do you think if you came straight out of school and went to Raytheon, Lockheed, Booze Allen, L3 you would not be the pogey boy/girl for these companies too? You will not start as project manager for any of them.
Instead, you do your 4 yrs AD, you get that security clearance, you get that operational experience and management experience; you will probably slide in above them because your resume is better.
I am not trying to sway you at all, I am trying to illustrate that the flip side of the coin is not necessarily the side that wins.
OBTW,
I know you meant no offense with the
without having to give up the academy
BUT you have to expect some will find it offensive because you are saying you want to cover your arse JIC. AFROTC cadets that got the TWE don't have the option. They leave AFROTC and they are for all sakes gone, heck if they want to change their major for EE to Business they could lose their scholarship, most will, and thus, for 4 yrs they suck it in and bear it to keep the scholarship. There is no stepping out for a yr. and jumping back in. On top of that they are now fighting for SFT, where it is @ a 50-50 chance of selection. No SFT, no commissioning. Their AF dreams can end next spring, plus they may have the burden of now trying to figure out how to pay for college without a scholarship. For them it doesn't end there, come jr. yr. they have to fight for a UPT slot. Granted the % have been good, put the fact is if you want UPT out of the AFA you get UPT, you want UPT out of ROTC it is not guaranteed, it is a board and about 3 mos waiting and worrying....was my PFA high enough, was my AFOQT good enough, my TBAS strong enough, my gpa, commander's rec, etc. etc.
Like I said, I know you didn't mean it, but you said you wanted to see the flip side of the coin. There is one of your flipsides that AFROTC cadets endure.