Which Armed Forces should I join?

[Stormhammer]

This is a serious thread. I know a lot of feedback about the Navy has been it's currently broke. Lots of turning away, but there's a situation I'm in that I don't have much choice in the matter. It's a complicated matter.

As for what I'm interested in - I'm a speed demon, and have been seriously considering becoming an aviator ( hence the OTS question ) I've always been into aviation, especially when I was younger ( I was obsessed, in that I could prattle you off specs of various fighter planes due to all the books and such I had on them ) - I know the Army doesn't require OTS to fly a helicopter. Also fond of tech wizardry. Or being sneaky ( ala sub, or even a SEAL has been at the very back of my mind too )

[TheGodfather]

If speed and aviation is your thing, Air Force no question.

It also, fwiw, has one of the easier boot camps.

But you can climb the ladder and fly all sorts of different planes/jets working with the Air Force.

[Kevykev]

Puddle Jumpers?

[black_e92]

This pussy aint gonna do shit.

Justin stop talkin out your ass son. You aint gon join boy.

[BKgen®]

marines.

[black_e92]

marines.

Justin in the marines.

Lol.

[MachNU]

Not just the navy. Hope you arent planning on joining for an enlistment bonus. Obama cut all bonus funding for all branches till 2010. Plus most of the ship out dates for branches is 5 months. There also becoming very strict on the requirements to get in, sense alot of people joined when the economy went south. Also for aviation in the AF i believe you have to be insanely fit, and be a officer! but the AF side getting in is all i really know!

[dohc4.6sc]

army all the way bro, im in and i love it i ship to hawaii on aug 15th. and as far as the aviation part goes, the army and airforce are becoming one again within the next two years and the army has alot of the same aviation mos's.

[One_Bad_SHO]

You speak as if the choices you mentioned were all within grasp. You should be more realistic. Do you know the drop out rate for candidates to be a Navy SEAL? You can't fly anything in the military unless you are an officer (thus meaning you will need a Bachelors degree). The only exception is with the Army where you can apply to be a Warrant Officer in Army Aviation. Even that is a tough task. The prerequisites are plentiful and the process is excruciating. (I am under the impression that you do not have a degree)

It really depends on what you are looking for long term. Every branch has something to offer that fits in with speed/aviation.

[dohc4.6sc]

You speak as if the choices you mentioned were all within grasp. You should be more realistic. Do you know the drop out rate for candidates to be a Navy SEAL? You can't fly anything in the military unless you are an officer (thus meaning you will need a Bachelors degree). The only exception is with the Army where you can apply to be a Warrant Officer in Army Aviation. Even that is a tough task. The prerequisites are plentiful and the process is excruciating. (I am under the impression that you do not have a degree)

It really depends on what you are looking for long term. Every branch has something to offer that fits in with speed/aviation.

Actually you dont have to have a Bachelors degree, as long as you make a 112 gt score on your ASVAB you can go to OCS.

[Stormhammer]

You speak as if the choices you mentioned were all within grasp. You should be more realistic. Do you know the drop out rate for candidates to be a Navy SEAL? You can't fly anything in the military unless you are an officer (thus meaning you will need a Bachelors degree). The only exception is with the Army where you can apply to be a Warrant Officer in Army Aviation. Even that is a tough task. The prerequisites are plentiful and the process is excruciating. (I am under the impression that you do not have a degree)

It really depends on what you are looking for long term. Every branch has something to offer that fits in with speed/aviation.

I know all of this already. You think I'm one of the dumb asses that decides that hey, I want to do this, and enlists? Fuck no, I did my fucking research. Even talked to an ex-SEAL, an ex-nuclear submariner ( retired ) who's son just went BACK into the SEALS, along with other various Air Force, Navy, Army, and Marine officers and enlisted men ( a close friend flies F/A-18s out of China Lake in CA )

[Stormhammer]

Actually you dont have to have a Bachelors degree, as long as you make a 112 gt score on your ASVAB you can go to OCS.

this I did not know.

[dohc4.6sc]

this I did not know.

yea man and all it takes to get a 112 gt score is like a a score of 52.

EDIT: my fault its 110 not 112 http://usmilitary.about.com/od/armytrng/a/ocs_2.htm

[redrumracer]

first do you have a 4 year degree?

[Stormhammer]

first do you have a 4 year degree?

nope, planning on finishing it up during my enlistment.

[Revmaynard]

My buddy is in training to become a nuclear-submariner right now. He likes it but says the schooling for it is so mundane.

[Slow Motion]

After reading your thread I am diagnosing you with Flyitis. You have a need for speed and also you desire control. Guess what? You can't have both at the same time...lol. I am subscribing a dose of Air Force. Take 3 mile jogs in the morning, aviation in the afternoon, and find a girl to :idb: and at night. Do this for about 8 years and remember to stay true to self.



Slow | Motion

[ShooterMcGavin]

airforce, if you'd like to fly expensive jets and sleep in hotels.

[Stormhammer]

After reading your thread I am diagnosing you with Flyitis. You have a need for speed and also you desire control. Guess what? You can't have both at the same time...lol. I am subscribing a dose of Air Force. Take 3 mile jogs in the morning, aviation in the afternoon, and find a girl to and at night. Do this for about 8 years and remember to stay true to self.



Slow | Motion

Ask Red_Phoenix, ever since I was a toddler I was obsessed with fighter planes. Zooom whoosh!

[pressley311]

Im going into the navy just wating to leave for basic. If you want aviation Air Force or Navy since the navy does actually have more aircrafts then the air force some how lol. But for the best quality living Navy or Air force all the way. But yea its a long wait and the jobs are getting harder to come by so score high on the asvab and you will be good. And it will prob be a while before u ship out like i joined in the first week of march and dont leave till january 4th

[BanginJimmy]

Something I mentioned in another thread when comparing benefits.

What do you have to base that on? The ONLY place that i will agree to this is that the AF have nicer barracks. After that, it is all the same. If anything, the AF has to put up with more childish BS than any other service. That was 1 of the things I miss most about the Corps. You were given the most rope of any service, but if you abused the freedom they were the most likely to string you up by it.

A couple of my experiences.

1. NAS Pensacola for A School. Navy and AF had to stay in uniform 24/7 for the first month they were there, then they were allowed to wear civilian clothes and go off base. We Marines were off abse the day we got there.

2. Afghanistan, Army and AF were required to carry their weapons with no rounds and no magazines. They called it a safety hazard. Marines (my unit) were required to carry loaded at all times except while in the chow hall or the gym.

3. Okinawa, AF had to get a signed pass to leave base for the first month they were on station. Marines could leave anytime they wanted after the first week of indoc classes. E-1 to E-4 were not allowed to stay out past midnight though without signed permission.

and

Leave it to the Chair Force to bring up the intelligence thing. Personally I think you are smarter to want to be around people that know how to defend themselves with small arms if they end up in a combat situation.


Every other service has to use a bonus to get enough people to enlist, while the Marines are overbooked for bootcamp without any. So yes, it depends on if you want someone next to you that joined for school and a bonus, or someone that chose to earn their spot as member of the best fighting force in the world. You decide.

The bonus thing no longer applies obviously as all services are overbooked due to the economy.

1 final thing, Marine Dress Blues will get you laid more than a fucking lambo if you have the slightest bit of game.

[tony]

So much bad info, Obama cut Enlistment Bonuses for 2010? I guess the $15k-$20k bonuses for 2T2X1 in the Air Force coming up is just a figment of my imagination.. Its been increasingly common to see BS stated after someone mentions Obama.. but I'll leave that alone.. no offense to you Mach, I just know we have bonuses lined up for FY10.

As for the aviation in the Air Force. I'll give you the straight and narrow of it because I'm familiar with the process, the selections and the drops. Hardly ANYONE is getting fighters in the Air Force right now, T-38's (the track for fighters) is dropping heavies because the fighter slots are not there like they used to, you can thank UAV's for that.

That is assuming you get selected for Pilot, which is very competitive. Most Pilot applicants are being selected as CSO's (Combat System Officers) or Navigator as they're traditionally called. CSO isn't a bad route to go, you can still end up on a B-1 or in the back of an F-15E. (CSO's in F-15E's do a little bit of flying which makes a natural progression into the cockpit if they choose) Again that is if you are selected, I am putting my package together for OTS right now (Intel) and to be competitive your AFOQT scores better be over 50, 3-5 strong letters of recommendation and a history of awards & volunteer work.. they're big on the volunteering.

Obviously I am an advocate for the Air Force so I am biased. In the Marines my understanding is you're a Marine first Pilot 2nd. Army is the same thing unless you are a Warrant Officer, but most likely you'll end up Rotary wing in the Army. Navy I know nothing about, and the Coast Guard isn't a totally bad route either.

Your best chance to Commission would be through ROTC or the Academy if you qualify. OTS is wayyyy way competitive. I'll post up any info or help you may need should you decide to go Air Force, its not impossible and there are ways to better your chances.. start with a PPL.

[One_Bad_SHO]

I know all of this already. You think I'm one of the dumb asses that decides that hey, I want to do this, and enlists? Fuck no, I did my fucking research. Even talked to an ex-SEAL, an ex-nuclear submariner ( retired ) who's son just went BACK into the SEALS, along with other various Air Force, Navy, Army, and Marine officers and enlisted men ( a close friend flies F/A-18s out of China Lake in CA )

Relax. My post was not intended to be disrespectful in any way. You asked for advice, I gave it.

[tony]

I did just think about something though, the Air National Guard. Many ANG units have fighters if that is what you want, if you get selected by a Unit with fighters you WILL fly fighters. They tend to hire from within rather than applicants from outside of the unit so you would have to enlist before applying, but well worth it if you have the time and less competitive.

[One_Bad_SHO]

I did just think about something though, the Air National Guard. Many ANG units have fighters if that is what you want, if you get selected by a Unit with fighters you WILL fly fighters. They tend to hire from within rather than applicants from outside of the unit so you would have to enlist before applying, but well worth it if you have the time and less competitive.

Is a degree still needed for the ANG?

[tony]

Is a degree still needed for the ANG?

Its really dependent on the Unit, some of them are fickle about their requirements. I've been back and forth with the 116th and they want you to have you degree completeted, others would allow you to apply within 1 year of your degree but you must finish before OTS. The other benefit of ANG is that their OTS is 6 weeks and not 12.

[BanginJimmy]

In the Marines my understanding is you're a Marine first Pilot 2nd.

You are correct. It is not unusual for a pilot to have spent a few years as a platoon commander before the are accepted to flight school. Either way though, you MUST go through all the same schooling as a regular Marine officer before you go to flight school.

Army is the same thing unless you are a Warrant Officer, but most likely you'll end up Rotary wing in the Army.

Army is all rotary wing. You can be a WO or a commissioned officer to be a pilot, but for a WO it is very difficult. Especially right now with so many college grads coming out of school and finding no employment.

Navy I know nothing about,

Navy requirements exactly mirror Marine except most of them are contracted into flight school.


For all services, if you fail out of flight school your future becomes needs of the service. Most failures wont end up infantry because of their clearances and their intelligence, but that is a possibility.

and the Coast Guard isn't a totally bad route either.

Not at all. They are really doing a lot of fun stuff right now with Anti-terrorism and drugs.

[tony]

Army is all rotary wing. You can be a WO or a commissioned officer to be a pilot, but for a WO it is very difficult. Especially right now with so many college grads coming out of school and finding no employment.

Army does have fixed wing, they're just not as well known. C-12's C-23's and C-27's are in the Army fleet. If I didn't have a family life as an Army aviator would be a no brainer. Age is my issue in the Air Force as a pilot, Army will accept aviators up to 33 y/o

[BanginJimmy]

Army does have fixed wing, they're just not as well known. C-12's C-23's and C-27's are in the Army fleet. If I didn't have a family life as an Army aviator would be a no brainer. Age is my issue in the Air Force as a pilot, Army will accept aviators up to 33 y/o

I never knew that.

[tony]

I never knew that.

Army says they want to lessen their dependency on the USAF which is why FW may become more common in the Army but typically active duty Army pilots must do a RW tour before they can go FW. Reserve is a different story, you can go straight to fixed wing in the Reserves.

[shadnox]

Currently I'm enlisting in the Army, but I do want to point out some things.

The air force will pay you for "substandard living" if your stationed on any other branch's base.

The AF's goal is to gain air superiority. The army is to gain ground control. Marines are kind of general in the point that they are badasses and can do everything. The navy controls the sea, and they push land as support.

Something else to consider, rotary wing aircraft can be in a lot of cases, very fast. You will probably never meet a soldier who doesn't appreciate a gun ship in the heat of battle.

[TheGrillMan]

do you like milk?

do you liek nice sleeping quarters?




airforce

[_Christian_]

Actually you dont have to have a Bachelors degree, as long as you make a 112 gt score on your ASVAB you can go to OCS.

yea man and all it takes to get a 112 gt score is like a a score of 52.

EDIT: my fault its 110 not 112 http://usmilitary.about.com/od/armytrng/a/ocs_2.htm

Eligibility:
Have at least 90 semester hours of college study towards a degree and be able to complete your bachelors within one year.

...You have to be well on your way to getting your Bachelors.

[Stormhammer]

, you can thank UAV's for that.

I have to become a pilot to fly a UAV - that's my goal right there - the robotics.

[Stormhammer]

your AFOQT scores better be over 50, 3-5 strong letters of recommendation and a history of awards & volunteer work.. they're big on the volunteering.

I missed this part

I did the small AFOQT at the recruiter's office - scored a 67 - took me a moment to remember how to do long division

Letters, hmm

Awards and volunteer work? Well, I Was in the boy scouts for 7 years, I almost made Eagle, but I failed the Board of Review because I couldn't recall various knots. Something I'm not willing to live down. At all. I pulled off a 2 month service project in a matter of 10 days. During those 7 years I logged countless hours of volunteer work.

Right now the hardest part for me is that I'm still a non-US citizen - all the recruiters told me I needed a GC, but I found proof that I don't - basically just needed an I-94, bona fide proof of residence, and a history of basing the US as your home.

I had a discussion with baby_j and he recommended me this route - enlist on as aircrew, finish my college, and go to becoming a commisioned officer - ideally I want to be in the UAV program, one way or another.

[Stormhammer]

Something else to consider, rotary wing aircraft can be in a lot of cases, very fast. You will probably never meet a soldier who doesn't appreciate a gun ship in the heat of battle.

I did consider rotary aircraft as well - I still need to get info from the ARMY on their UAV stuff.

[tony]

I missed this part

I did the small AFOQT at the recruiter's office - scored a 67 - took me a moment to remember how to do long division

Letters, hmm

Awards and volunteer work? Well, I Was in the boy scouts for 7 years, I almost made Eagle, but I failed the Board of Review because I couldn't recall various knots. Something I'm not willing to live down. At all. I pulled off a 2 month service project in a matter of 10 days. During those 7 years I logged countless hours of volunteer work.

Right now the hardest part for me is that I'm still a non-US citizen - all the recruiters told me I needed a GC, but I found proof that I don't - basically just needed an I-94, bona fide proof of residence, and a history of basing the US as your home.

I had a discussion with baby_j and he recommended me this route - enlist on as aircrew, finish my college, and go to becoming a commisioned officer - ideally I want to be in the UAV program, one way or another.

UAV is probably the easiest to get because the majority of those applying for pilot want to be in the cockpit, they tend to get a little dissappointed when they get UAV's. That is the direction I am trying to go in on the Intel side actually, I think that the program is the future of the Air Force.

The Rated (Pilot, Nav, ABM) board is less competitive than Non-Rated (Everything else) so it sounds like you're off to a good start. If you're really interested just do whatever you can to put yourself in a position to be successful. Check out Baseops.net and Airforceots.com, both are a wealth of knowledge on the process. Also Wantscheck.org I believe it is.. or .com, whichever.

[ap1tuner]

i can say that that im army and love all of it... but i have friends in marines, navy, and coast guard.... not air force. we have concluded that navy has better living and easier physical standards but you need to be smarter. me n my marine buddy think that our training is fairly similar in difficulty. coast guard actually has some BADASS jobs that i never realized and wish i knew about. I've stayed on an air force base before and it wasnt bad except the food sucked and the room had an old ass t.v. and no hot water... and u.s. army..... Yes My Retarded Ass Signed Up... jk. i love the army. if you didnt seem so dedicated to flight, id try to recruit you to be a combat medic. we always need em but we have a HIGH failure rate. my graduating class had a 70% failure rate. so if you decide you want a challenge and can handle blood... PM me ; )
we're waiting for you!

[Stormhammer]

yeah I'd be an asshole of a medic - and honestly, medical field was never my thing, I was always more into either zoom, mr. roboto, or blowing shit up. The bigger the boom, the better in my book

[nintendobratkat]

Im going into the navy just wating to leave for basic. If you want aviation Air Force or Navy since the navy does actually have more aircrafts then the air force some how lol. But for the best quality living Navy or Air force all the way. But yea its a long wait and the jobs are getting harder to come by so score high on the asvab and you will be good. And it will prob be a while before u ship out like i joined in the first week of march and dont leave till january 4th

Hehe yeah the wait sucks. I joined the Navy in Feb and don't leave til Sept 14th. = (