28 Y/O thinking about joining the military (air force or army)

[that1gurl77798]

@ray88c If you succeed and don’t get hurt there’s no reason why you can’t do 20-30 years and retire. I’m not sure why anyone who wanted to stay in couldn’t other than a health (including weight issue), or they got in trouble.

Pay once you get to your second enlistment is pretty fine. Since you already have an associates you could theoretically bang out a bachelors online at ASU, for example. Then you could go to OCS. Officer pay is much better and there are older lieutenants that enlisted first, then went to school.

The military is having trouble recruiting, that tells me long term your options are probably even better than when they were downsizing following Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

[that1gurl77798]

Also, I’m not sure why you aren’t considering the Navy. If you are interested in seeing the world about a 1/3 of the navy is out at sea at any point. Plus, all their bases are coastal. Army and Air Force bases can really, really suck. That might seem trivial until you have to live there for four years

 

[ray88c]

@that1gurl77798 For me it was just being stuck on a boat

 

[april303]

@ray88c Depending on your rate, you may never be on a ship, or you may never get off.

 

[dreadnought]

@april303 which rates dont go? i think construction doesn’t.

 

[april303]

@dreadnought Yep. Believe aviation also. I think they go as shipriders. Sometimes certain NECs within a rate. Histo tech within the HM is 4 shore, 0 sea (hospital ship still possible). Mortician probably is 0 sea. However, they join already trained.

 

[that1gurl77798]

@ray88c I would rather be stuck on a boat for six months with port calls than at Fort Polk (army base) for four years.

 

[ray88c]

@that1gurl77798 The only thing with this , is what I want to go to school for (MRI/Radiology) I would need clinical hours which I assume I wouldn’t be able to do while enlisted? I could theoretically get a different bachelors degree just to be able to commission but would I waste my GI bill? Is it hard to get into an officer position ?

 

[that1gurl77798]

@ray88c If you want to be a medical technician enlist as a medical technician. You might have to enlist as a medic and specialize later. If that’s your goal do not enlist in any branch that won’t guarantee you that job.

You don’t use your GI bill if you get your degree while still on active duty. You would instead use tuition assistance. But it seems like being an officer is not your goal. Be a medic or a hospital corpsman in the Navy (same thing as a medic the navy just calls them something different).

 

[ray88c]

@that1gurl77798 I’m actually funnily enough interested in whatever life has to give at this point. an officer for me would be awesome due to not having to worry about the pay cut since it would be around what I am making now. the reason for wanting to do MRI is because here where I am , they have great pay right out the gate and a great work life balance. This has been a lot of info and has been very helpful thank you !! And that’s awesome that you could get tuition assistance while in!! This I had no idea about