Howdy?

I'm about to enlist in Air Force and I need some input on the jobs I am looking into.

Some background info: I speak two languages fluently, and even though I hate language arts I manage to catch on quickly (speak/read/write). I've moved to US after finishing 7th grade in Russia with no English background and skipped 8th grade year. By my junior year I was taking English in community college because HS was too easy. I love Calculus, Physics, and Science stuff in general. My last two years of HS I was going to HS just to get diploma while taking IT Networking, Programming, Ethical Hacking, and Writing courses in charter school. Also I was working at the shop working on cars. I quit that job right after graduating HS this year and now I am working part time for Chump Car and Oregon Raceway Park.

What I've learned from ^ is that I do not want to work on cars unless it's my personal car. I also learned that I hate spending most of my time behind a computer, however I got pretty good at it and could probably get a job in that field (I do have certifications & some experience).

I want some active job that will allow me to travel to different countries so I am looking at Air Crew (1A) stuff mainly. I would really like career field with long training program and would love to go through SERE or similar survival training. I love snowboarding, boxing, working out, going into woods and stuff like that but I don't ever get enough of it.

I hope I didn't bore you with all this writing, but this is very important decision that will affect my life big time so I would like to get input from people in service. Oh and I did look at ROTC, but I decide to go enlisted route first.

Any input is welcomed.

What AFSCs interest you?
Reading your interests helps, but your first spark of interest after you read through the career fields is probably the most important thing. Because at that point, you want to be able to score and rate well enough to get into that field.

SERE, ETAC or even PJs are certainly active and out doors enough to meet your requirements but I'd suggest visiting a recruiter and viewing all that's available.

But, before you go, decide ..... career or first term one and done!!??!!?

Any of the flying jobs require a month ish of survival training. the flying jobs also have more requirements like depth perception, not color blind, height restrictions as well. There also harder to get in so dont quit your job till your going to basic.When talking to your recruiter dont take any thing related to money as truth unless he can show you in writing. Af is usually good about not blowing things out of proportion.

other thing is make sure you have a job lined up that you want. When you go to meps iyour paperwork will have a specific job. For example I went in open mechanical. (any job in the mech field) I had no choice in my job other than it being"mechanical" related. Had I gone in open general I could of gotten stuck flipping burgers in a chow hall.


Ps maint guys get f-ed on working all the time ie 12 hr days. I'm also sure you know you can apply for another job when your about 75% done with your job. Also check out any russian linguist jobs. I believe they have airborne linguist. Aircrew have it good. They are the royalty of the af. Also going enlisted first and becoming an officer late you can't do anything cool like fly. Officers that don't fly planes fly desks.

you can be a door gunner. thats what i wanted and ended up being in sf(security forces)in the army i was a apache mechanic good money in the civilian world but sucked in the army. now im a 19d (cav scout).just do as much research as you can and think real hard if its what you want to really do before you swear in.hope you the best.

I don't really want to be in SF necessarily, something more technical but I would love to go through SERE training that's why I want flying career. Something like in-flight engineer would be perfect as I want to study electrical engineering in college while in Air Force and go that route if I decide to end military career at four years.

Do linguists just sit with headphones all day? Even on the plane that doesn't sound fun at all.

air crew is the way to go if you want the mechanical side.if you just want to fly door gunner is a good option.door gunner you still do sere and only have to work on the gun.as a crewcheif on the apache turning wrenches gets old sooo fast unless you really want to do it.

With strong Russian language skills, since you're from there, I would recommend highly Airborne Linguist. A CMSgt that I know personally was a Russian linguist back in the day and I've talked to him about it many times.

Something you might want to check out is the DLAB.

http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/joiningup/a/dlab.htm

I'm personally a 3DXXX AFSC. I work with Communications equipment and it's a great job and I get to work on many new and interesting things.

Feel free to PM me if you have questions.

Just one thing to keep in mind, if you go Special Operations you will have limited time for school. As a former Combat Controller, I never had time for college courses at all. My stuff was stationed one place and I was always somewhere else. A flight engineer will also tax your available time as well. The linguist thing is a good idea if you want some time for school, although now the Middle eastern languages are in more demand. A SERE specialist will afford you some time for school. If you do not mind spending a great deal of time at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, WA. There are very good schools there such as Gonzaga and Eastern Washington. I have spent plenty of time there upgrading my SERE training. The satifaction of teaching SERE is driven home everytime someone gets rescued and says the training got them through the ordeal. I personally used that training several times and thanked the instructors when I returned.

Now how boring is linguist job?

Linguist has (had?) a big signing bonus. From what I remember part of the training is in Monterrey. You are too smart for Security Forces, don't do it. In fact; you sound really intelligent, have you considered seeking a scholarship through AF ROTC so that you can come in as an officer?

My nephew went into the AF as a bomb loader on an A-10, then at the end of his first hitch cross trained to be a door gunner. he has a few deployments out here in the sandbox, both Iraq and 'stan. spent a lot of time on search and rescue. he loves it, I think he is a little crazy, but then who am I to talk .. I have been out in this God-forsaken hell hole for 8 years now LOL

Aircraft Maintenace. Not on fighters, Heavies!

Just dont let them sucker you into "Open General" Thats what I am, and leave in one month...FUUUUUUU!! *facepalm