After the Academy

I'm not entirely sure if this is the right place to be asking this, if somebody had an answer or could direct me to somewhere I could find the answer it would be much appreciated.
I am hoping to major in aerospace engineering and work in research after I graduate. I was wondering if anybody knew how likely I would be able to get that job and also how deployments worked as an engineer. Do researchers/engineers get deployed in the same way that pilots do? If so what do they do on their deployments, seeing as it would be rather difficult to work on a design while in the Iraq or Afghanistan?

Thank you for any information.
Chazkr5

Chazkr5 said:

I'm not entirely sure if this is the right place to be asking this, if somebody had an answer or could direct me to somewhere I could find the answer it would be much appreciated.
I am hoping to major in aerospace engineering and work in research after I graduate. I was wondering if anybody knew how likely I would be able to get that job and also how deployments worked as an engineer. Do researchers/engineers get deployed in the same way that pilots do? If so what do they do on their deployments, seeing as it would be rather difficult to work on a design while in the Iraq or Afghanistan?

Thank you for any information.
Chazkr5

Click to expand...

IF you are VERY high up in your studies, then the AF will designate you a "blue chip" graduate. They'll call you a "Distinguished Graduate" which is the USAFA version of Summa Cum Laude. The personnel system will flag your records with a "Send to Graduate School on the AF's dime" tag.

It might happen immediately after graduation or it might happen after your first assignment, but then you're off to Grad School for the Masters Degree.

Now...if you want to be in an engineering/research position, you'll make that VERY clear for 4 years and the AF will, again if you're the right person, assign you there. Say hello to Wright Patterson AFB, Eglin AFB, perhaps Edwards AFB, and a few other locales.

My wife worked at WPAFB as an engineer in the F-16 Program Office for 3 years after college before she went to UPT.

So can you do this? YES! Will you deploy in a pure research/engineering position? Depends. And I can't say yes or no as it would depend upon what you're doing. But NOT like a pilot would, that I do know. I know a young Captain that's a Civil Engineer and he has deployed 3 times in the past 6 years. He's now finishing grad school and then will be overseas for a tour in Turkey and then is going to USAFA to teach. That's a not uncommon career path.

I know this isn't much of an answer but its a tough one to answer without a lot more information and you won't have that for 2-4 more years.

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83