My husband has made the decision to join the Air force
My husband told me yesterday that he had been thinking about joining the military for awhile. He finally made the decision.....and told me yesterday after work. I didnt believe him, I looked up and in his face I saw he was sincere. Our first child is due in JULY and he is not planning to enlist right away. He currently works for campus police at a college and feels that it is not going anywhere. He started working there part time when he was 19 to help pay for school, but he hasnt been able to get the classes he needs because of his demanding schedule. Now 5 Years late,r he has had pay increases and such but he doesnt feel like he is growing as a person. He feels that the going to the Air force will help him get a career he really wants, help mold him in areas he knows he is lacking, and most of all provide for me and our child. I support his decision.
Right now he is focusing on getting in tip top shape and making sure he researches EVERYTHING before he goes to talk to a recruiter . He doesnt want me to tell anyone yet because he doesnt want it to get back to his parents. (He doesnt want to be talked out of it. He was talked out of it before when he was 17) So, I had to get it off my chest and ask you all what to expect in this transition?
Re: My husband has made the decision to join the Air force
While I can't speak for the actual enlistment process, I can tell you that (from what I've seen), the Air Force is definitely the best service branch for families. My husband has been in the AF for four years. There have been un-planned deployments and the such, but overall, the AF has been really great to us.
For us, it was really helpful for me to mentally prepare as much as possible for the times when he's gone. I'm a fairly independent person by nature, so it wasn't a huge stretch
You'll want to make sure that you know where all the paper work is for things like your utilities (in case you have trouble with your bills or anything), know when your car will need its next oil change, and if you aren't already, get comfortable with doing things like turning your water off. These might be things that you're completely on top of already, but I know that I took a lot of things for granted that my husband just "took care of". It's just nice to be ready in case anything goes wonky while he's at training 
I'm happy to talk more about the AF if you want, or if you just need to discuss this with someone other than your DH, please feel free to email me. lrn[dot]wllms[at]gmail[dot]com
Bahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
Ok, seriously though.
Have him do research on the jobs he'd want. I highly recommend he talk to ALL branches. I was dead set on joining the Marine Corps until I went and talked with other recruiters. I decided the Army was actually the best fit for me. Go with him, ask questions, you'll know which branch is right for you.
Like Lemon said, the process to get in is very lengthy and they're being very selective right now since so many branches are at capacity and are actually doing draw downs.
Find a recruiter that will work with you. If they start dropping the ball(not returning calls, not processing paperwork timely, etc.) find a new recruiter. It's like buying a car, walk away and they'll call you. Also, once he decides on a job, it may not be available right away. He needs to have back ups or know if he is willing to wait until one opens. GL!
CJ 05/29/2013
I ditto everything BLT said. He really should visit all branch recuiters before he decides for sure. I was convinced I was going to join the AF until I walked into the Army office. Five minutes in, I felt like I was at home with family. I just clicked. Also, the whole "The AF is the best branch for families" thing is crap. It all depends on the family and the unit. I could link you with several AF families I know who would gripe all day long about how disapointed they are in their expirience as far as family friendly the AF is. The Army has been very good to us and I know at least one family who would tell you the Navy has been very good to them. It all depends.
One more thing, go with him to see the recruiters. Ask questions. Get all the info you can so you know what's going on as well. Be as informed as possible. Ultimately, the choice of what branch to join is his, but you should be able to give as informed of an opinion as possible.
Hi! I can try to help answer AF enlistment questions if you have any specifics, but really, I think your DH should talk to a recruiter (with you by his side) to get answers. That's their job, so they are used to people just coming in to talk. I, like your DH, got talked out of enlisting when I was 17 by my family and didn't enlist until after graduating college and starting a career with my degree. Good ASVAB scores will really open doors to more AFSCs, and like PP mentioned, they aren't taking as many recruits as before, so the more jobs he qualifies for the better chances he'll have in the long run. Also, the DEP could go either way - he could get in and stay home waiting for a BMT date for a year or he could get a career field with immediate openings and leave soon. A recruiter would have a better idea of how long he could expect to be in the DEP, which will also give him time to get in a better shape.
Also, like others have said - the experience is different for every person and every family, so saying the AF is better for families isn't a fair evaluation. I know lots of AF wives who will all tell you a different story, as will the Army, Navy and Marine families I've known. It's all how you look at and deal with what you're given. Good luck to you and your DH, and feel free to ask me any questions you have. I'm enlisted in the AF and I'm a mommy, so I've got both perspectives going on.
Thank you. I will keep you posted. Trust me I will have more questions.