Navy and Air force Careers Comparison

[CB2515]

Hi everyone!

I have applied for the class of '25 for both USNA and USAFA in hopes of getting into either one in order to pursue a military career. I've taken quarantine to really look into all the career opportunities available to me after the academy in both branches. I think both academies will provide me with equally amazing opportunities so it now just comes down to careers! So far I've compiled a list of careers that have interested me but need help in deciding whether going Air force or Navy if that situation arose for me. Just reading the career descriptions on each website really doesn't give a full picture so I'm wondering if members who have either served in one of these positions or someone who can give me clear comparison

Here is the list so far...
- (Navy) Naval Flight Officer
- (Navy) Pilot [Yes I know they land on carriers but what else makes them different from AF pilots in terms of deployment or travel?]
- (Navy) Intelligence Officer
- (Navy) Seal Officer?
-(Air Force) Combat Systems Officer
-(Air Force) Air Battle Manager
-(Air Force) Pilot
-(Air Force) Special Tactics Officer
-(Air Force) TACP?
-( Air Force) Intelligence Officer

While on paper it seems I'm more interested in Air Force since I've chosen more careers but maybe I missed a couple in Navy. I want to serve but would really enjoy a job that employs a lot of traveling. I really don't want job where I am always stuck to a chair and I think all of these careers incorporate some form of travel. Any help would greatly being appreciated in comparing careers from different branches or maybe another job that I may be interested in that I didn't list. Thanks!

 

[wernerbro]

Navy Intelligence Officer is a restricted line community, so although it is technically feasible as a career path, it is incredibly unlikely, at least coming from USNA. If you're interested in the SEAL community, EOD would also probably be worth looking at. Additionally, you could look into various Marine MOSes as well, as that is an option at USNA.

If you've already done a deep dive into the USNA website, I recommend looking at other resources available online. Here is the link to Officer Community Managers, which has a ton of information on each community:

MyNavyHR

I can't speak for Air Force, but this should give you a starting point for the Navy side of things.

 

[usna1985]

Navy Pilot and NFO will include a lot of travel . . . where you end up going depends on the type of aircraft you fly and the squadron and/or carrier to which you're assigned (some platforms are land based). As noted, it's very hard to go intel right out of USNA. You could do cyber. I'm not super familiar with that career path but think they are initially assigned to carriers. You can also select SWO/Intel where (I think) you do a SWO tour and then are guaranteed intel after that. It's very competitive but an option.

My dad was a career USAF intel officer. Grant you, it was many, many years ago. Some of his duty stations: Omaha for 11 straight years!; Mountain Home, Idaho; San Antonio; Travis (CA); Montgomery, AL; Denver; Washington DC, and Vietnam. He got one really great deal -- Germany for 4 years. While the above may not sound glamorous, he absolutely loved every minute of his AF career.

 

[CB2515]

Navy Pilot and NFO will include a lot of travel . . . where you end up going depends on the type of aircraft you fly and the squadron and/or carrier to which you're assigned (some platforms are land based). As noted, it's very hard to go intel right out of USNA. You could do cyber. I'm not super familiar with that career path but think they are initially assigned to carriers. You can also select SWO/Intel where (I think) you do a SWO tour and then are guaranteed intel after that. It's very competitive but an option.

My dad was a career USAF intel officer. Grant you, it was many, many years ago. Some of his duty stations: Omaha for 11 straight years!; Mountain Home, Idaho; San Antonio; Travis (CA); Montgomery, AL; Denver; Washington DC, and Vietnam. He got one really great deal -- Germany for 4 years. While the above may not sound glamorous, he absolutely loved every minute of his AF career.

That's the thing I'm little bit iffy about is if carrier life is right for me. Sounds like the Navy Pilots get a lot more flight time but at the expense of being on a carrier while it seems Air Force enjoys higher quality bases at the expense of pilots having quite a bit of secondary duties in the office and less flight time. Although they have TDY's to make up for it at least from what I've heard. I'm sorta leaning into the pilot career but still want to consider intel. Thanks for the response!

 

[CB2515]

Navy Intelligence Officer is a restricted line community, so although it is technically feasible as a career path, it is incredibly unlikely, at least coming from USNA. If you're interested in the SEAL community, EOD would also probably be worth looking at. Additionally, you could look into various Marine MOSes as well, as that is an option at USNA.

If you've already done a deep dive into the USNA website, I recommend looking at other resources available online. Here is the link to Officer Community Managers, which has a ton of information on each community:

MyNavyHR

I can't speak for Air Force, but this should give you a starting point for the Navy side of things.

Thank you! Iv'e been meaning to find service obligations for many of these careers since they aren't posted on the Navy's career website!

 

[raimius]

That's the thing I'm little bit iffy about is if carrier life is right for me. Sounds like the Navy Pilots get a lot more flight time but at the expense of being on a carrier while it seems Air Force enjoys higher quality bases at the expense of pilots having quite a bit of secondary duties in the office and less flight time. Although they have TDY's to make up for it at least from what I've heard. I'm sorta leaning into the pilot career but still want to consider intel. Thanks for the response!

How much flight time you get varies tremendously with what aircraft you fly. Fighter and bomber pilots tend to get relatively few hours (fighters because their sorties are short, and bombers due to maintenance and cost per hour to fly). Transport pilots get a lot more hours and travel more. The styles of flying are quite different, and you should consider that if you want to be a pilot or CSO.

 

[OldRetSWO]

That's the thing I'm little bit iffy about is if carrier life is right for me. Sounds like the Navy Pilots get a lot more flight time but at the expense of being on a carrier while it seems Air Force enjoys higher quality bases at the expense of pilots having quite a bit of secondary duties in the office and less flight time. Although they have TDY's to make up for it at least from what I've heard. I'm sorta leaning into the pilot career but still want to consider intel. Thanks for the response!

P8, EP3, C130 and some other Naval Aircraft do not deploy aboard ship but like many other part of the Navy, deploy regularly to a variety of places.

 

[Pima]

Air Force enjoys higher quality bases at the expense of pilots having quite a bit of secondary duties in the office and less flight time

ROFLMAO.

Higher quality bases, maybe, when you talk about housing, but how do you feel about being landlocked? Somebody has to fly those planes out of Cannon NM. Somebody has to be the FAIP at Del Rio, Sheppard, or Vance. How do you feel about Fairbanks or Minot or Mountain Home? How about Pope? Little Rock? Edward? Dyess? Heck, how about Lakenheath aka Little America?
My hubby served 21+ yrs ADAF (F15E WSO). We always walked in with a tour is what you make of it. We loved every tour. Yet, the quality of the base ranked very low on his dream sheet selection list.
~ This is a guy that jumped out of perfectly good airplanes with the 82nd so he could avoid taking a 111 assignment to Cannon. He got the 15E to Elmendorf.
~ Our DS is a 130J pilot. Del Rio, Dyess and now Little Rock. Not hotspots in the world for most people. I actually like Abilene and Little Rock. However, OMG I would die if I had to live as a FAIP wife at Del Rio aka He!! Rio. The BX is probably the size of our local WAWA. There is no Target, no Walmart. OMG NO Alamogordo at least has a Walmart!

Fighter and bomber pilots tend to get relatively few hours (fighters because their sorties are short, and bombers due to maintenance and cost per hour to fly). Transport pilots get a lot more hours and travel more. The styles of flying are quite different, and you should consider that if you want to be a pilot or CSO

Spot on.

 

[CB2515]

How much flight time you get varies tremendously with what aircraft you fly. Fighter and bomber pilots tend to get relatively few hours (fighters because their sorties are short, and bombers due to maintenance and cost per hour to fly). Transport pilots get a lot more hours and travel more. The styles of flying are quite different, and you should consider that if you want to be a pilot or CSO.

Yeah that's what I heard which is why flying transport is going to be on my list. Well if I wind up at USAFA I'll probably figure out quickly whether I like flying or not.

 

[flieger83]

Yeah that's what I heard which is why flying transport is going to be on my list. Well if I wind up at USAFA I'll probably figure out quickly whether I like flying or not.

I've had the great good fortune in the AF to fly trainers, fighters, and tankers. I will tell you that with the current ops tempo, transports are busy! Local training sorties are few and packed with pilots (from what I'm told from my last base) but trips are up and duration of the trips is up. In the tanker world...about how you describe until you deploy. Once "downrange" plan on flying your rear off! NKAWTG, remember that. In the fighter community...short sorties at home and not a ton of them. However, again, go downrange and you'll rack up hours quickly. In the SUPT training environment...flying a couple of times a day is common.

It just depends upon the airframe, your base of assignment, deployment schedules, etc.

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83