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Old 01-26-2014, 06:03 AM
 
Location: San Antonio
7,629 posts, read 16,375,970 times
Reputation: 18770

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I work with BMT recruits DAILY! My JOB is 100% in supporting the needs of BMT students.

There are TONS of new students who have come into the AF with a specific AFSC assigned, who are now trying to get OUT of that AFSC and into something they WANT. Seems the reason they keep giving is that "it was the only job they would offer me without a long wait" or "the recruiter said I could come in under this guaranteed AFSC and then reclass once I was in Basic Training". Gotta tell you...IT AIN'T HAPPENING FOLKS!!!

Either you select the job you are willing to serve in, or you will be headed home with an Entry Level Separation. PLEASE, PLEASE think carefully before you sign up with intent to change jobs before serving in that AFSC.

Now having said that, EACH AFSC has a number of years minimum to serve before you can apply to retrain, but it will NOT happen in Basic Training/Tech School...so think LONG and HARD.

If you sign up to be Security Forces...you will BE Security Forces. Likewise other AFSC's...ESPECIALLY for those in the Guard or Reserves...because those billets are allotted per the "job billet" required by that unit.

Another tip is to ENSURE YOU CAN PASS THE PT TEST WITHOUT ISSUES!!!! Yes, daily folks get sent home because they can not pass the basic requirement for physical fitness!!! If you really think you want a life in the military, PLEASE understand you need to be able to run 1 1/2 miles without breaking!!! Again, the number of recruits that can not pass the basic requirements and then feel we are the bad guys for not allowing them to continue AMAZE me. The military has requirements, and they are with reason. If you want the paycheck/benefits/GI Bill to help with education expenses, PLEASE ensure you do all YOU can to set yourself up for SUCCESS.

Congress is forcing HUGE cuts on all branches of the military, so while a wonderful life and full of opportunity, you NEED to understand YOU are asking to join the military, they are NOT asking to join you. The requirements are SOLID, and if you can not meet them, you end up being sent home without having done your country or yourself any favors.

I do not say this to discourage ANYONE from service, but to ensure that those considering go in with their eyes wide open as to what will be REQUIRED of them to be successful.
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Old 01-26-2014, 09:55 AM
 
5,544 posts, read 8,267,330 times
Reputation: 11141
truth
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Old 01-26-2014, 10:50 AM
 
Location: SW OK (AZ Native)
24,170 posts, read 13,016,858 times
Reputation: 10533
Extremely well-written, and to-the-point. Plus from a voice of experience (Paka, I take it you are either at AFPC [Randolph] or the BMT at Lackland) who deals with this issue. As a commander I had a couple of young E-2s ask to cross-train because they were not happy with their primary AFSC (MOS for Army/Marines), one in the post-911 intel field... claimed it was "too hard".

You join the military primarily to serve. Everything else is tertiary. Not even secondary. You follow the edicts and rules and regulations and you go where Mother Air Force or Father Army or whomever tells you to go. You miss anniveraries and holidays, PCS regularly, go remote, and as a perk you get goodt pay, a decent retirement if you choose to stay in, you get valuable skills and meet lifelong friends. Is it hard? Yes. I once got an assignment that floored me, not at all what I wanted. But I made the best of it, and that's what I told the young airman that she needed to do. In the end she perservered and was rewarded with increased responsibility, eventually went to OTS and was commissioned, and now is a major and JAG. ( Well, 2 out of 3 ain't bad.)
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Old 01-26-2014, 11:06 AM
 
595 posts, read 2,693,935 times
Reputation: 1223
Thank you for writing this!!!
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Old 01-26-2014, 02:47 PM
 
Location: Idaho
836 posts, read 1,654,110 times
Reputation: 1561
Good tip - back in '78 I wanted to bail L.A.

The first job available was Security Police (nope). The next was Phone Tech; I chose phones. loved it and had successful career plus traveled Europe on Uncle Sam's dime. Worked out great!

I noticed if you were in a shortage field like ATC or EOD, you weren't going to cross train out of it.
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Old 01-29-2014, 09:21 PM
 
28 posts, read 207,073 times
Reputation: 37
Since you're all in the know and everything with the personnel center... mind telling us "DEPers" what kind of jobs are gonna be dropping soon!? LOL
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Old 01-31-2014, 03:18 PM
 
4,862 posts, read 7,927,265 times
Reputation: 5763
How is it a kid late teens or early twenties can't run a 1.5 miles in the allotted time? Back many moons ago before I went to AF boot camp I did some running and pushups. I would think today when a issue comes up an the recruits have access to home I would think someone would have a come to Jesus conversation with them.

Hey it's just four years. Suck it up and then make a decision. Not a good thing to be let go by the military. That follows for life somewhere in some data base.
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Old 01-31-2014, 04:00 PM
 
Location: Hard aground in the Sonoran Desert
4,866 posts, read 11,157,369 times
Reputation: 7123
I couldn't disagree more with your assertion that this issue is due to indecisive or uncommitted Recruits. This is a problem caused 100% by Recruiters who are not telling the whole story or misrepresenting the actual facts of the situation. I spent 15 years as a Recruiting Supervisor and Recruiters are the ones telling kids to take jobs they are not happy with and they can reclass later. The conversation you just had should be said by the RECRUITER to the APPLICANT before they ever enlist and not by someone after the fact when they are already in and stuck with the AFSC they didn't want. I kicked my Recruiters butts regularly for "sugar coating" the facts.

Recruiters will say anything to get kids to agree to the crappy jobs being offered them and the Air Force expects its Recruiters to sell these jobs that are not popular. The Air Force is condoning this behavior.

The change needs to happen internally with the Air Force and the Recruiting Force. This problem is a result of kids trusting what their Recruiters are advising them when the Recruiter isn't actually looking out for the kids best interest.

The tone of your post towards the Recruits is misdirected and you should reevaluate it and remember this the next time one of these Recruits is sitting at your desk wishing to reclassify into another AFSC because his/her Recruiter said they could.
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Old 01-31-2014, 05:22 PM
 
4,862 posts, read 7,927,265 times
Reputation: 5763
Even Popeye knew not to believe everything when being recruited. Nothing against recruiters but the world is as it is. I remember those Air Force now videos we used to have to watch during commanders call back in the day. They were all hype. It still comes down to the recruit. They accepted the job and as I said It's only four years.
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Old 01-31-2014, 06:06 PM
 
Location: New Mexico U.S.A.
26,527 posts, read 51,508,687 times
Reputation: 31319
Quote:
Originally Posted by LBTRS View Post
This is a problem caused 100% by Recruiters who are not telling the whole story or misrepresenting the actual facts of the situation. I spent 15 years as a Recruiting Supervisor and Recruiters are the ones telling kids to take jobs they are not happy with and they can reclass later.
I don't care what you claim... How much experience you claim. Your claimed 100% is pure and simple bull... And it helps no one spouting that crap.
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