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Jerayskin
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question for Air force families
Jerayskin
member
My husband is considering joining the Air Force as an officer. He graduated almost 2 years ago in business, and is having a hard time finding a job. I was just wondering if anyone has had a good experience with the Air Force? My dad was in the Army when I was growing up and literally had nothing to do with me so that is all that I have to compare it to. I obviously don't want him to be deployed overseas, any information or experiences about the Air Force would be awesome to hear. TIA
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Re: question for Air force families
My H has two degrees in business and was a finance officer until recently. (He cross-trained into flying). We have had a great experience with the AF so far. But be aware that this is not just a job, it's a lifestyle.
That being said, make sure that this is a decision you are both on board with. This will impact your life just as much as it will his, maybe even more. Go with him to meetings and ask questions. Not being able to find a civilian job is not enough of a reason to join the military. The lifestyle is too hard to sustain if that is your only motivation. You have to really want to serve.
If you do decide that this is something you two want to do, you have to know that you WILL move - probably frequently; and he WILL be deployed. There is no question about that. He absolutely WILL be deployed overseas, probably more than once depending how long he stays in.
Why is he thinking AF? Have you two looked into what each branch can offer you and where your H's expertise might be most useful? What is it about the AF that attracts you?
This lifestyle can be incredibly rewarding and it can even strengthen a marriage, but you have to be prepared and go in with your eyes wide open and make the best of it. It's great, but it's not for everyone.
Thanks for the responses ladies. My husband has always wanted to join the military, after having our daughter he wasn't sure if he would be able to leave her. Like you ladies have said, the basic training is the hardest and he didn't want to miss out on the first year of DD's life. As for the relocation, we are completely up for that. To us, moving seems more like a perk of the job. We have no idea where we want to move but we definitely want DD to experience cool new places.
We are still talking about it and trying to decide if it is a lifestyle for us. I appreciate all of the personal stories, my only hesitation with talking with a recruiter would be that it seems they will tell you anything you want to hear to get you to sign up. I would rather do my research before we make that next step. It will definitely not be a decision that is made overnight, that is for sure! Thanks again ladies
My H was looking into officer programs too. He looked into the Navy and the Air Force. One thing to consider right now is that they are swamped with applicants and a dry budget. It's getting increasingly difficult to get in. We are in the midst of this process too for some of the same reasons. Crappy economy, etc. We are both on board with this, but he had been working with an officer recruiter for a year and they still aren't reviewing applications for his field.
About a month ago we decided to just go the enlisted route and if we like the military life he'll apply for an officer position, if not he'll take the training (foreign intel) and run when his commitment is up. At this point even enlisting is taking a while, we're waiting on jobs to open up so he can take his physical and get a date for bootcamp.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do, just know that it's a long process right now.
like she mentioned above the Officer spots are hard to get! my husband has a 4 year degree and was going to go into the Officer program...but it was at least an 18 month waiting list, just to get looked at! so he did the enlisted route and actually loves it! but come a year from his join date he will be putting in his officer packet. it is suppose to be easier to get into the officer program once you are enlisted first. so maybe look at that as well.
as for the recruiter, some are just awful and tell you the things they want you to hear and not what you need to hear! so definitely do lots of research, that is what we did! and i continue to do my own research whenever we need to know stuff. if you have any questions i would be happy to help as best as i can! just message me
Hello - my husband is an aquisitions officer (BS in Business). He has been in 11 years. I know it's much harder to get in now.
I have been with him 8 of the 11 years (married for 5 of those years) and so far, we have had a positive experience. Your experience will vary depending upon career field.
The positives: we have lived in some beautiful places. I am an RN, so have been able to continue working, thankfully. He got his MBA paid for by the AF (he attended the Naval Postgraduate School, so owed 2 years after graduating).
We are currently living in Germany for the next three years. In his career field, we move every 3-4 years, so it's not so bad.
He has deployed once for six months and I expect another deployment while we are here. Deployments are less in his career field.
I am a type A, planner, so it's difficult to sometimes just let go. This last move was very stressful and we had little information to go on..but you just learn to go with the flow.
best of luck whatever you guys decide!
DS born via unplanned C-section at 40w6d
Ditto what the last two PPs have said -- it's not as simple as just "joining" if he wants to go in as an officer. With the current state of the economy, there are many people with the same idea...and it can be pretty competitive unless he has a specialized skill that they're lacking (which are few and far between). DH works with several people that wanted to do just that, but ended up enlisting because they could get in more quickly.
My husband has been in for over 13 years, 8 as an officer. He was enlisted through college (ANG) and then commissioned as an officer after he graduated. He went through pilot training and has an initial commitment of 10 years.
We've had our ups and downs as a military family. It's a love-hate relationship, really. We've been some incredible places (3 years in Okinawa, Japan!), but have endured a TON of separations. Because of deployments and TDYs (military-speak for "business trips"), he missed more than 9 months during DS's first year of life. It was rough....but we made it.
This lifestyle isn't for the faint of heart. Not only are you faced with the hardships of separations, but also the challenges of becoming reaquainted after those separations. That's one aspect that rarely comes up -- just how difficult it can be to transition back into life as a couple. When you're faced with single parenthood for months at a time, it's not always easy to jump right back into parenting as a couple. It can be *really* challenging.
Overall, I really do love this life. But we've been living it for a long time, and I had lots of practice separations before kids became part of the equation. I'm not so sure I'd fare too well if we started out in this life with children. But as with everything, it's different for everyone. If you're both on board and into this 100%, it's worth a shot.
I'm a fairly new AF spouse, my husband is an officer. We've been married just over a year and expecting our first. I'm extremely close with my family and it was difficult to leave them and move across the country when we were married. I currently hate where we are living, but on the bright side, we get to move in a few years. We've had to go through a lot as newlyweds the past year. He had a TDY for 2 months, during which I found out we were expecting, he's getting ready to do another TDY for a month starting next week, deployment for 6 months starting around my due date, reduction in force board and a promotion board. You have to be able to deal with stress, him not always being around for support and being able to handle the household on your own. Most families don't have to deal with everything that we've had to go through in that short amount of time, but it happens. You also have to be OK with him not telling you what he's doing at work or what he's working on if it's classified.
I don't mean to make it sound horrible there are some really good things about being AF. We have great medical coverage, my husband makes enough that I can be a stay at home mom, we've made some great friends and have traveled a lot. I really believe it's what you make of it. If you sit around all day saying "this sucks, I hate living here, hubby's gone again" you'll just be unhappy. My hubby loves his job and that makes it all worth it to us. Good luck with your decision!
Make a pregnancy ticker
I can't add a whole lot here. I'm also an AF Officer's wife- and have been for 4 years. DH did an ROTC program through college. We got stationed overseas in Okinawa Japan the last 3 years and now we are living in NC. We also have a love hate relationship with the military. I'm not particular close with my family so I don't mind the moving- in fact I look forward to it as it means new places and people. However, with my DH's job he goes TDY alot, we have also been through a 5 month deployement (shortest timespan you can get) and it sucked big time. He was gone the whole 2nd and 3rd trimester of my first pregnancy. He got home a few weeks before I gave birth- this wouldn't have bothered me so much except I was extremely sick while pregnant so I was in the hospital alot.
Anyhow I will say that I have had some of the most wonderful experiences due to the military. We have traveled extensively, met an amazing group of people who will be lifelong friends, and had experiences that we will never forget. Our committment is almost up and we are in the process of deciding if we want to reup or get out. Alot of this decision also has to do with my job. I think in general it is sometimes hard for the spouse to get a good job because we move so often etc. I have been lucky so far, but I also seem to be the minority.
I'm totally lurking, but I just wanted to add my two cents.
My sister and BIL are both ex-AF officers. They did basic, followed by DLS (Defense Language Institute) in Monterey, CA, followed by working for the NSA outside of Washington, D.C. Their positions were top secret and classified so I can't tell you exactly what they did, but I can tell you that they were never deployed (in 4 and 6 years, respectively) so it is possible to escape that.
ETA: Used the wrong "there".
sounds like my hubby
Good luck getting a commission! I know several people with MBAs and similar having an impossible time getting into the military right now. Even the reserves.
As for the lifestyle - for the most part we have enjoyed everything. My husband was commissioned (Navy) almost 10 years ago. There have been ups and downs, good and bad.
My biggest complaint is how the lifestyle has impacted my career. I have an M.Ed in Counseling and am licensed in VA and MD. I have had luck finding jobs in my field when we PCS, but right when I start feeling comfortable and like I am not struggling to learn a new work environment we are up and moving again. It has impacted my income potential, my own retirement accounts, etc. And as a professionally oriented woman that is very frustrating.
On the upside, we have made wonderful friends and I love how tight knit the military community can be. I feel extremely supported and never fail to be impressed with how friendly and gracious new faces can be. My husband is an aviator and I love how laid back our community is. We have a good time and I have been told that we have a unique bond.
We are in the middle of our third deployment right now. Do not listen to people talking about their jobs that "never deploy". While they exist obviously, it is NOT the norm. And those "nondeployable" jobs could quickly become deployable if the military decided it was so. Just ask all of the Navy spouses whose shore-duty (not a deployable status) husbands were volunt-told into the Narmy (slang for Navy-Army) and were sent on unexpected 12-16 month deployments to support the Army. Go into the military expecting deployments and moving - then if you get a job where they are doing a 9-5 for 5 years straight you can be happily surprised.
Good luck with your choice!
Married 6/28/03
Kate ~ 7/3/09 *** Connor ~ 11/11/10
4 miscarriages: 2007, 2009, 2013, 2014
*~*~*~*~*
No more TTC for us. We are done, and at peace, as a family of 4.
"Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but – I hope – into a better shape.” — Charles Dickens
Not sure if anyone is still reading this post, but I have a followup question...
DH is currently going through the process to become an officer. All these posts saying that getting a commission is nearly impossible is scaring me! What exactly does that mean? So far his recruiter has been great. She's been very responsive. He has submitted his packet along with his transcripts, and letters of recommendations, and takes the AFOQT next week. Would he be getting this far if they weren't looking to take anyone? I'm just trying to figure out what is a realistic expectation here. He is prior enlistment (5 years active in the Marines), looking to be a pilot, and has a 4.0 GPA currently... is any of this helping him move ahead of some others?
If anyone has any insight, I would really appreciate it. I'm getting very worried! Thanks for your help.