Future AF Officer Career?

TitoRocket

5-Year Member
Joined
May 3, 2012
Messages
38
Hello Everyone!

As I learn more about the various Officer jobs and careers available in the USAF, I want to try and get a general idea of where I want to end up, so that I can kind of guide myself towards this endpoint by the time I would receive my commissioning (hopefully via USAFA, but if not, then through ROTC).

I was wondering if someone could sort of name the job, or at least a job similar to the vague idea of one I had in my mind.

I know it's probably not the best idea to get my inspiration from fiction, but I've always loved the Command Information Centers seen in many movies, realistic or sci-fi. I was wondering what Officer jobs would work in this environment. I think it would have to be some kind of commanding field of work, but I don't know exactly what the job name and description would be.

It'd be sweet to work on an E-3 AWACS... Doing some secretive ops like surveillance or intel gathering on one of these. Maybe even directing fighter/bomber groups...

This sort of 'dream job' is shared in my interest only by the chance to pilot a heavy, preferably on missions all around the world, doing important things...
 
I looked up the ABM job a bit, and it was pretty different from what I expected (I kinda got enticed by the Air Force website's description)... Which is fine really, because it can still be an option.

Is there anyone on this forum who has experience with being or knowing an ABM closely? I saw on another post that many were kind of annoyed with the non-importance of a lot of their work, but loved their job when the action came down the line.

It seems to me though, that the more I find out about certain jobs, the more appealing being a pilot seems to be.
 
Have you also looked at ALO, not as AFA Liaison Officer, but Air Liaison Officer.

http://www.airforce.com/careers/detail/air-liaison-officer/

Probably the most famous closest example of what an ALO does was http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-03-15-prince-airstrikes_N.htm

TitoRocket said:
I saw on another post that many were kind of annoyed with the non-importance of a lot of their work, but loved their job when the action came down the line.

It seems to me though, that the more I find out about certain jobs, the more appealing being a pilot seems to be

Don't fool yourself, the average experienced pilot does not fly 5 days a week, 20 days a month. They all have "duty" jobs when they are not flying, such as FCC, Weapons, Scheduling, etc. A good week maybe 2-3 sorties, the rest of the time you are at a desk.

ABM is a unique world, and one thing about that field to think about is the amount of deployment that will be in your life. Every yr., the AF comes out and announces the most deployed units (days on TDY), and every yr ABM and Tankers top the list.

If you don't want to fly a desk as a flier ABM would be a wise option.
 
Thanks for the info Pima! ALOs seem great, I'll definitely consider it.

It feels like my interests and what appeals to me shifts every day. Whatever job I am assigned, I think I'll find some aspect of it that I'll like. And even the duty jobs assigned to pilots would be workable, even interesting maybe (Is FCC family child care? I really wouldn't mind that, kids are great).

So many different paths to choose....
 
My bad regarding FCC, I was in AFROTC mindset. FCC in AFROTC = Flight Cadet Commander. AFAD it is FC = Flight Commander.

Family Support and Resources are not AD members per se. They are under the umbrella of Non Appropriated Funds (NAF), but MS (Mission Support) overseas them.

You just need to understand that fliers once operational have desk assignments.

ALO's are unique in the AF especially if they are Jump ALO's.
 
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