Joining the Air Force vs Navy (soldier, weapons, differences, homes)

[DnRtLy]

Thanks to everyone that has responded with advice and such, it's been really helpful.

After a bunch of research, I've come to the conclusion that the AF is a better quality of life, and more people seem to stay in than the Navy. As for the job, ATC (Air Tower Control) is looking really appealing. It seems that there's a demand for it in the civilian sector for when I get out, and, depending on where you work, can have a six digit salary.

Anyone have any additional input on these?

[OhioJB]

Sounds like a good plan. Only additional advice is to stay focused and committed while going through your schooling. During my schooling I remember having a lot of pressure to catch on pronto or risk getting kicked out with an other than honorable discharge or being sent out to sea to walk the plank, I mean to work a different job that would have been very labor intensive. But then again that was during the dinosaur age when Reagan was president.

[OhioJB]

One more thing: You mentioned you are soon to be 18. I signed up less than one week after I turned 18 (actually going in 9 months later on the delayed entry program), and being away from home is a bit of shock for a person that age. Young guys and gals far away from home wanting to enjoy life often party, which includes heavy drinking. One of the very, very few things I wish I had done differently during my service was drink much more responsibly. I refused to drink and drive, but unfortunately I went through stages where I drank heavily putting my health and life at risk. Wasted too much time doing so. Stay away from excessive drinking, and enjoy life. I know I came very close to dying from alcohol poisoning on one occasion for sure, and probably one other time as well. It was pointless, immature, impulsive, and a huge waste of time. Not to mention, life is very precious as well as fragile. Don't take it for granted.

[DnRtLy]

@OhioJB
Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it. Drugs and drinking are definitely not something I'm going to have to worry about, I've been around people who've done the stuff, and still do, my entire life and have had bad experiences with them. Honestly, and no offense, I think you have to be a little dumb to even touch drugs and/or alcohol, as it's basically just accelerating your death.

Something else I'd like to ask you all; in case something goes wrong with the ATC plan, like they don't have any positions for it open, what are some different, safe, jobs that have a good potential in the civilian world?

[SluggoF16]

I work with a guy who was an air traffic controller after a stint as a combat control team (CCT) controller. Those guys are air traffic controllers who parachute into drop zones or establish LZs and bring in airdrops or landing of cargo on dirt strips (among other things). Pretty high-speed stuff. He was rushed into the Air Force ATC world in 1981 as a result of the PATCO strike and Reagan's firing of the controllers, and spent time both on radar and in the tower. He enjoyed it but never pursued it in the civilian world after he separated.

There are a lot of jobs that don't have a civilian counterpart; air refueling boom operator, for example. Others, like EMT, firefighter, security forces, dental and medical technician, IT, and vehicle or equipment mechanic have clear counterparts.

I heard a lot of talk in 28 years "in" from people who got into the Air Force because it was "safe". There are some jobs that are clearly not "safe", from a safety or danger standpoint, such as CCT, joint terminal attack controller, and pilot, especially fighter and helo pilots. (I have personally known 11 pilots who are no longer here becuase of accidents, 8 in fighters, 1 in a trainer, and 2 in a helicopter.) However, joining the Department of Defense implies worldwide service, which may, and in the past ten years, regularly requires service in a combat zone, with the attendant mortar and rocket attacks, firefights, IEDs, and Groundhog Day operations. ("So, if the chow hall is serving chicken today, it must be Tuesday.") I had to counsel two young enlisted personnel who did not want to go overseas because it was an inconvenience, going to miss my kid's first day of kindergarten or birthday, etc. I remember an old ad campaign, "It's not just a job, it's an adventure" which missed the point that many people were joining because of the job training offered, while forgetting that a job in the military may mean the application of violence in order to meet certain national objectives, at the same time confronting someone else with the same goals.

Now if the term "safe" in the previous post implies safe from furlough or outsourcing or reassignment, then energy research, GIS, and information management/counterintelligence are big in the DoD these days.

[dmarie123]

Sorry, I think it's going to be a hard thing for some people to do. I've been in the Air Force for 15 years but I have never been in the Navy, so I can't compare and contrast. The simple answer... I joined the AF because I didn't want to be on a ship, ever, not a chance. I didn't want to travel as much (I have never left the continental USA in the Air Force), and I liked my Air Force recruiter better than the Navy. I also didn't want to cut my hair (The Navy used to make females). I don't have a real answer for you.

The pay is the same, the medical benefits are the same, the retirement benefits are the same, the GI Bill is the same, etc.

Good luck making your decision!

[Ralph_Kirk]

I'm Air Force, but I did spend 4 years assigned to Pearl Harbor in a Navy facility.

One thing, a sailor at sea works a lot harder in a normal day than an airman does. And there is that whole "at sea" thing. The fact is, the Navy has this odd believe that sailors are supposed to be at sea, and if that's not what you want, you're going to constantly find yourself at odds with the service in most Navy ratings.

I was intel, and I had a couple of sailors working for me in their first duty station, which was a shore assignment. They both intended to do just one tour, which meant they would not do any sea duty. Well, I may be Air Force, but it didn't seem right even to me that a guy would be in the Navy and never get on a ship. All their lives, whenever they mentioned they had been in the Navy, the first question anyone would ask would be, "What kind of ship were you on?"

So to save them a lifetime of embarrassment, I went to the Command Master Chief and told him I'd be willing to give them up for a few months if he could get them a cruise. The Master Chief thought that was a dandy idea, so he set it up, a sweet run as TAD intel on the Blue Ridge.

After they'd set sail, a chief petty officer noted that the Blue Ridge was scheduled to cross the equator, so they'd get their Shellback certificates. When I asked him what that was about, he just grinned and clammed up. I'm not intel for nothing, so I eventually found out what the Shellback initiation entailed...and started to wonder if I'd made a mistake getting them on a boat.

But they came back with their Shellback certs and some extra swagger, so it was all right.

Back to the question. The Navy attitude, as I said, is that sailors should sail, so their shore facilities aren't quite as nice as Air Force and they keep their sailors on a tighter leash. And obviously bunks at sea are not as nice as Air Force dormitories. Air Force life is cushier overall.

Of course, a lot depends on the rate (Navy) or AFSC (Air Force) you're in. If you really want to see the world, Air Force C-130 loadmaster is better IMO than any Navy job ("Join the Navy, see the world," but remember that the world is 3/4ths water). The Navy, though, has more IT opportunities.

This is something I've learned in joint service: Each service tends to run overall the way it works best in its own combat environment. So the Navy tends to run its business on shore the way business is best run at sea. That's why they keep sailors on a tighter leash than the Air Force: It's the necessary way to handle sailors when a ship drops anchor at a foreign port. That translates into a lot of nit-noi things that were irritating to me as Air Force, but when I look at it from a Navy perspective, they make sense.

OTOH, although the Navy keeps sailors on a tighter leash, the Air Force lets airmen have enough leash to hang themselves. A sailor can screw up pretty substantially, get an Article 15, and go on to have a successful career (there are a lot of chief petty officers wearing red chevrons). An airman making the same mistake will get shown the door.

Sailors work hard all the time. Did I mention that?

Both services make going to school difficult for first-termers. Depending heavily on duty assignment, there are some Navy assignments where it's easier and some Air Force assignments where it's harder. I understand that plenty of online and remote courses are available to submariners, for instance, and I know it's pretty darned difficult to go to school if your Air Force assignment puts you in Kunsan AB, South Korea. That question is just too job-dependent to answer broadly.

[MTSilvertip]

I was Navy for 8 years, only spent 4 weeks at sea. Because of what I did, (primarily Intel), I was usually attached to SEAL or Marine units. While stationed in Bosnia I was billeted with the Air Force. I'll agree, they get nicer quarters, but Navy billeting is far superior to Army or Marine quarters.

I did travel all over the world, the Pacific Rim including Japan, Austrailia, Guam, Hawaii, all over Europe including some of the former Soviet Block countries, all over the US, and the Caribbian.

Loved the whole experience. We did work hard, but it was interesting work and very worthwhile. I also loved the fact that when you are Navy, you are Shipmate to everyone that has ever worn the Blues.

I've been out a few years, but I still have instances where I'll be talking to someone and find out they were also Navy, and it's like a fraternity, you are instantly friends.

I worked with the Air Force quite a bit, and got along with them well. There is definately a different personality to the services, but both make excellent careers.

The Navy has a lot of tradition that the Air Force doesn't yet, but then the Air Force as a seperate service hasn't been around that long.

Mostly it depends on your personality as to which is the better fit. I liked a little discipline, and I liked travel and variety. I love learning new things like different languages, how different people think and react, visiting exotic locations, seeing something new all the time.
My brother in law was Air Force working on Missle Silos, he liked staying in one place and just doing his job that he knew inside out.

It's up to you, but serving your country is an honorable thing to do in any uniform.

[joe from dayton]

Thanks for starting your post with an insult; it shows a lot of maturity.

[SVTLightning]

I joined the navy because I wanted to see the world, and I did!

I was also stationed at an AF base for 6 months. They have better living quarters and better food at the af base but I didn't regret 1 second about joining the navy over af.