So I'm 75% sure I will join the Air Force after this school year

[Lincoln]

Any of yall join in your mid-late twenties? how was that?

If you were close to your parents, what was it like being away from them for so long? Were you away for all 4 or just during basic?

I heard stuff about how you could sign up for one job and then be forced into another, like combat shit. Is that really possible? Do you know going in if you'll be deployed overseas?

What's it like after doing your 4? Do they try and get you to stay? Did you want to stay? What were jobs like? Cause from what I see, you can come back and just be stuck in the same situation as when you went in. I know people that went in and did four and came back looking for jobs at pizza places and shit. Are they just dummies who didn't plan ahead like yall?

what branch are you asking about? I can only speak about the army, but they cant force you into any job thats not in your contract unless: one you fail out of AIT, or two they get rid of your job(but they give a list of things you can do based on needs of the army)

I wasn't asking about any specific branch. These are questions I would like to hear answers for from people in any part of the military

 

[Stiff]

Are only the people who wanted to end up in combat in combat? Like is it possible to join the military just for all the va benefits when you get out and then somehow find yourself in the desert somewhere in the world getting shot at?

 

[JusDre313]

Are only the people who wanted to end up in combat in combat? Like is it possible to join the military just for all the va benefits when you get out and then somehow find yourself in the desert somewhere in the world getting shot at?

at the bolded... yep shit happened to me.. wasnt getting shot at, but definitely didnt have a choice in the manner

I was AF deployed with a small unit at a Army base in Iraq... the AF cops didnt have enough people so we got volunTOLD by my E-7 to help.. now my job in the air force was air transportation.. nigga i loaded planes.. now i got a M16 and told i was a cop now, no training or anything....smh.. talk about a nigga being pissed!

i got LUCKY though.. only ended up doing escort duty... basically you have a bunch of Iraqi civilians that work on the base.. but they cant roam a military installation all willy nilly.. they need to be escorted .. so yeah i got stuck doing that shit.. luckily it was just for a few weeks.

shit still sucked..it was a team of 3 of us (we would have anywhere from 5-8 iraqis) and we had to go every morning to the front of the base (which was miles and miles away from were we actually stayed at on base) grab our iraqis and bring em alll the waaay back to where they worked.. oh what did my iraqis work on?? a fucking fence. its august in Iraq rocking a vest, helmet, and full gear.. watching Iraqis work on a fence for 12 hours a day... shit fucking sucked ...but guess i cant really complain as we all know cats who had worse shit happen to them in Iraq/Afghanistan

 

[The_Jackal]

Are only the people who wanted to end up in combat in combat? Like is it possible to join the military just for all the va benefits when you get out and then somehow find yourself in the desert somewhere in the world getting shot at?

To emphasize what @JusDre313 said I'd despite what the media tells you the war on terror is still on. My unit actually might be deploying to Afghan next year. Understand regardless of what branch you are you could find yourself deployed down range. It's a risk that you have to decide if it's worth taking for the benefits. In my opinion it is.

 

[StoneColdMikey]

So my major is criminal justice and I want to be security forces while in the airforce . That means I will get deployed to afghan / iraq?

 

[JusDre313]

Mikey.. you know security forces was one of the worst jobs in the AF right? i know you've said before you wanted to be a cop.. but shit when i was in most cats who were security forces were fucks ups who washed out of previous career fields.. met alot of SF... had a few that worked in my shop my last couple years in.. never met one cat that liked it... not trying to shit on your dream, but i would look into something else.

but to answer your question (totally not trying to be a dick) ...bruh.. your trying to be military police.. hell yeah you deploying. but the real question and maybe @The_Jackal or anybody else thats CURRENTLY ACTIVE DUTY can answer this for ya. how often are cats deploying now... i got out in 2010, so i would like to think that deployments have decreased since then... and im realizing as i type this i dont see my former AF folks on FB talk about deployments as often as in the years past but i dunno..deployments are part of the game...

yo i just googled worst jobs in the air force.. first ones that popped up were crew chief, security forces and 2t2 (the career field i was in smh)

 

[StoneColdMikey]

Yikes

 

[JusDre313]

yeah man not at all what it they make it to be.. just saw this on some site. the question was "Is Security Forces really that bad of a job?"

Long hours, no one really respects cops, you're going to be hated all around base, long and frequent deployments, gate guard, remote locations, etc....those are just some of the reasons I've heard from SF's

gate guard.. bruh were you sit in a box and check the ID's of everyone coming on the base and cs the quoted post. no one likes cops and not only are you protecting the base, your also policing people who wear the same uniform as you, nobody respects them..

i'll tell you what i told my lil bro who was trying to join..when it comes to jobs in the air force avoid the following.. ANY job that works on the flight line (exception airplane mechanic, cuz you can make a grip doing this on the outside), reason the flight line dont close. so you can/will be working any shift, holidays etc etc.. when most shit is closed on base.. the flight line is always open! no cops. pretty much nothing that had a 24/7 operations. get into finance, IT, medical, dental, contracting something were you'll work a 9-5 and bullshit will be at a minimum. also.. i wanna say i @damobb2deep was SF, coulda swore i saw him post this before.. so you can always ask that weirdo too

 

[CottonCitySlim]

So my major is criminal justice and I want to be security forces while in the airforce . That means I will get deployed to afghan / iraq?

you want to be an MP?

 

[StoneColdMikey]

@CottonCitySlim what's mp

 

[CottonCitySlim]

Military Police

 

[okaay]

O, U deploying as often as we can get yo ass back ready again!

 

[StoneColdMikey]

Military Police

Yes I figured thatll look great for me because I want to work for a fed agency like homeland , secret service / FBI efc

 

[StoneColdMikey]

Shoild I just join the navy?

 

[R0mp]

Shoild I just join the navy?

I'm around the same age as you but have had a few hiccups along the way, so when this bachelor's degree is finally completed I'll try to become a commissioned officer in the Army, 11a(infantry officer).

When you go in as a officer your pay is a bit better than if you enlisted. There are plenty of careers in the Air Force and Navy, including STEM based careers, that should translate into making a good living back in civilian life when you get out. Plus the benefits.

 

[CottonCitySlim]

Military Police

Yes I figured thatll look great for me because I want to work for a fed agency like homeland , secret service / FBI efc

No it's fine, MP isnt a bad job CONUS (Stateside) it's like real police , but for the military

 

[JusDre313]

Shoild I just join the navy?

i would suggest looking in the AF reserves/national guards. You dont seem like you trying to jump head first into the shit. join up do basic/tech school then you back at the crib doing your 1 weekend a month. 2 weeks a year. Your a part time civilian and still getting bread for school

 

[caddo man]

Shoild I just join the navy?

The reserves may be your best bet or even trying the ROTC. You have a criminal justices background but you can go Legal too.

 

[StoneColdMikey]

Nah TBH I just want to travel

 

[StoneColdMikey]

As well as the things I explained in OP