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Old 01-26-2009, 07:13 AM
 
Location: Virginia
97 posts, read 389,002 times
Reputation: 90

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Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Mo's View Post
All excellent points. Could have very well been my own wife typing those very same words. Been married for ten out of my 18 years in and my wife just amazes me. 4 major moves in ten years (including one to a foreign country), and countless deployments. It takes a strong person to join the military but an even stronger person to commit to their Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine.

To the OP: You have a family already established. Be sure they know what you're getting yourself (and them) into prior to making a huge commitment to any service. I would let them have as much say as possible before you sign on the dotted line. I wish you the best of luck with your decision.

One last thing. Go Navy! Sure you'll be deployed if you end up on a ship, but for no longer than 6-9 months. 6-7 is more the norm and you get shore duty after completing a normal sea duty tour. For example: My sea shore rotation is 36 months sea duty (deployable). 36 months shore duty (not deployable).

Very good points that 'The_Mo's' brought up.

I have been married almost 16 years now to my husband and he has been in the Navy for 17. It was/is really hard at times. We have been through lots and lots of workups and deployments and those are tough at times.

Once our son was in the hospital here in the states and my husband called from Israel to check on him cause the ship was out there and he could not come home.
Things like that are very common among military families and you need a strong partner to be able to handle all that pressure.

So talk to your wife and see if she things this is the right step for your family.
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Old 01-27-2009, 06:49 AM
 
Location: Virginia
97 posts, read 389,002 times
Reputation: 90
Quote:
Originally Posted by chispirit View Post
Very good points that 'The_Mo's' brought up.

I have been married almost 16 years now to my husband and he has been in the Navy for 17. It was/is really hard at times. We have been through lots and lots of workups and deployments and those are tough at times.

Once our son was in the hospital here in the states and my husband called from Israel to check on him cause the ship was out there and he could not come home.
Things like that are very common among military families and you need a strong partner to be able to handle all that pressure.

So talk to your partner and see if she things this is the right step for your family.
Sorry about the wife part ...I just noticed that you are a girl.
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Old 02-18-2009, 07:42 PM
 
Location: Huntersville/Charlotte, NC and Washington, DC
26,684 posts, read 41,560,654 times
Reputation: 41302
Default Opportunities in Air Force or Navy for college graduates

I'm currently attending college attempting to get a bachelors degree in Mangement or a related field. I've always had a tiny little itch to go into the military preferably the Air Force or Navy (gotta drop some pounds first but i'm working on it). I wonder how different my experience in the military would be if I came in with a Bachelors (and probably 25 years of age) instead of coming after high school?
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Old 02-21-2009, 08:00 AM
 
Location: Northern VA
798 posts, read 2,720,602 times
Reputation: 354
Your experiences would be quite different in my opinion especially joining older then the average recruit if you came in as an enlisted member. I can only speak to the AF (retired AF enlisted) but I did have one joint assignment and did find the Navy folks I worked with to have much more of a separation (sort of their own caste system) between officer and enlisted members then I think the AF has. I don't mean that as an insult, it was just a fact at the assignment I had. As a young officer, more responsibility will be placed on you then as a young enlisted member for obvious reasons and of course pay would be quite different. I would encourage to to continue on with your education and weight and fitness aspects of your life and to also talk with some current active military young officers and enlisted members. They are plentiful on the metro and areas all around where you live so take advantage of that.
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Old 02-21-2009, 03:55 PM
 
Location: The land of milk and honey...Tucson, AZ
303 posts, read 1,558,483 times
Reputation: 226
Let's see, first off, a person that has a bachelor's and enters the military has an advantage in terms of pay. For example an O-1 will make more than an E-1 or even an E-5--that's pretty obvious. However in the Navy, an O-1 is generally treated with less respect in the officer community because they're at the bottom of the food chain; everything is given to you in terms of the officer rank in the Navy up to Lieutenant. From that point on, you're competing for Executive Officer slots in which you probably will need to go to graduate school while serving in order to be competitive.


If you were to come into the Navy without a bachelor's degree, you would be based on the ASVAB. The ASVAB will tell you what jobs you qualify for and depending on what job you get will also determine how quickly you will advance in terms of paygrade. You can always put in an officer package and try to earn your commission and the Navy will pay for it; however, it's really a competitve program. Coming into the Navy as enlisted is not bad, some people prefer it and some don't.

IMHO, I would "stay the course" and finish you degree, you'll be glad that you did. I've met so many enlisted people who wanted to leave the Navy to pursue a degree program, or who are curretly pursuing a degree program while serving. So that should give you an indication and incentive to complete your degree.

Once you finish your degree, you can have the choice of going enlisted or officer. I knew a guy that went enlisted just to get the GI Bill for graduate school. He did his four years and got out and is attending the University of Wisconsin.
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Old 02-22-2009, 01:07 AM
 
Location: ***Spokane***
1,093 posts, read 3,414,645 times
Reputation: 465
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alanboy395 View Post
I'm currently attending college attempting to get a bachelors degree in Mangement or a related field. I've always had a tiny little itch to go into the military preferably the Air Force or Navy (gotta drop some pounds first but i'm working on it). I wonder how different my experience in the military would be if I came in with a Bachelors (and probably 25 years of age) instead of coming after high school?
I see your profile states Fort Knox KY.Do you have family in the military / US Army? With a 4 year degree, in the eyes of the military you are "lets say" mature compared to a person directly out of highschool "on averages anyway" and also your degree not only shows you but the military that you had determination and drive to seek out and obtain a college degree which further reflects you potential within the ranks of the military. Being retired US Army I do know you would start as an E-4 active duty with your degree. I believe most services are similar in this respect. Good Luck on your fitness and your desire to serve your country...
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Old 02-23-2009, 06:18 PM
 
Location: Puerto Penasco, Mexico
967 posts, read 2,988,310 times
Reputation: 527
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alanboy395 View Post
I'm currently attending college attempting to get a bachelors degree in Mangement or a related field. I've always had a tiny little itch to go into the military preferably the Air Force or Navy (gotta drop some pounds first but i'm working on it). I wonder how different my experience in the military would be if I came in with a Bachelors (and probably 25 years of age) instead of coming after high school?
I'm an active duty Officer / Naval Aviator. I've been on both sides, Enlisted and Commissioned. There is definite separation between O's and E's. It's a violation of the UCMJ to Fraternize- "...any relation that does not respect the difference in rank..." I've worked Joint jobs with the AF, and agree that they are a bit more lax in that area. Just the nature of their service and the way they deploy.

There are great opportunities in either Service, but you must be willing to sacrifice. Time, family, comfort and convenience, and yes- your life. It's not just "something" to do. I have lost more friends than I can count on my hands. (see the post "NEWS, Final Salute") Make certain you have the right motivation to serve, or you won't get much from your time. As I prepare to retire after 22 years, I can't think of anything I would have rather done.

~Mark
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Old 02-23-2009, 07:17 PM
 
716 posts, read 1,116,957 times
Reputation: 337
Alanboy, I got out of the AF about 2 years ago, and at that time they were only taking people with specialized degrees, like Engineering, etc. This may have changed by now, the recruiter should be able to tell you. The quality of life in the AF is very good, and the people are great. As an officer, expect to move about every two years. Like the last poster said, the AF is also pretty laid back compared to the other branches. Deployments are shorter on average than the Army and Marines.
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Old 11-23-2009, 06:36 PM
 
5 posts, read 105,322 times
Reputation: 14
Default Air Force vs Navy

Hi guys! I'm new here. I found the forums after spending many hours upon days of searching this, and I finally decided I wanted some feedback on my personal circumstance. I have talked to recruiters, but thus far, they've been rather unhelpful and unresponsive.

I am 23, not married, no kids; a woman if it matters. I have a BS, and I am currently applying to pharmacy school. My plan is to start school in Fall 2010 and graduate in 2014. I was considering different jobs as a pharmacist, and I've been very fixated on joining the military. It seems like a great opportunity! I am about 90% decided that I will join - the question is, which branch!

I have looked into all the branches, and have narrowed it down to the Air Force and the Navy. Now, everyone - family and friends - have been pushing me towards the Air Force. And my common sense tells me they're right! From what I hear, they have the best and most stable living environment and bases. You're not deployed as much. It's the best for "family life." And logically, it seems so right.

But then, there's just something in me that can't help but consider the Navy. I hear in the Navy, you get deployed more often to many more places. As their slogan says, you get to see the world! I love love love to travel, and ... it'd be no exaggeration for me to say that I do want to see the world! Travel to different places - yes, both the pleasant good places and the less "bad" places - and just experience it all. But at the same time, yes you ARE deployed very often - right now, this is a plus for me, but when I get married and have a family (which I do want to!) a few years down the line, I don't think that I would welcome those deployments as much. But still, I'm not sure how to explain it, but I'm drawn to the Navy.

So during my first 3-4 years, I think I'd love to spend time in the Navy, but afterward, when I get married and think towards kids, I don't think the Navy would be such a great choice.

If I did chose the Navy, is it possible to request a more stable location without getting deployed all the time? Do you get that option as a pharmacist/health care worker in the Navy? I KNOW there is no such thing as a guarantee, but ... just the probability of it? If you request to be situated in one place and not moved around for a few years, is it usually granted or not?

And ... well, if all else fails, what about switching from one branch to another? When you are at x rank in say, the Navy and you want to switch to the Air Force, do you stay at x rank, do you move down a few ranks, or do you start at the bottom when you move? How hard is it to switch? Like I said, I think I'd love to do the Navy, but once the family kicks in, I think I'd want to do the Air Force. Should I just stick with the Air Force from the beginning instead of trying the switch?

And of course, any opinions on which I should chose and why? I'm not asking for you guys to make my choice, but simply things to consider when I make my choice in the future. Thanks for reading!
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Old 11-24-2009, 07:02 AM
 
1 posts, read 33,341 times
Reputation: 12
Hi Busy.

My vote would be Air Force. I am an AF reservist. I work with active duty daily. Navy is OK if you can stand being on a ship with up to 5000 others. I knew for me, I could not be on a ship for more than a day. have you ever seen the sleeping quarters on a ship? very tiny!

I was active duty army and have been a full time reservist in the army and later in the AF reserve. the AF definitely treats you better!
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