I am 20 years old woman thinking of joining the Air Force. looking for advice, Pro's and Con's.?

I have recently graduated from Dunwoody with a degree in Electrical Construction and I have been thinking about joining the Air Force. I think that it would be a great way to add to my education and to get some job experience. I also think that it would be very rewarding and a good way to see the country and maybe other parts of the world. The one thing that is holding me back is that I would have to leave my friends and family for 4 years but I also think it would be good to leave home for a while and experience new things.I am 20 years old woman thinking of joining the Air Force. looking for advice, Pro's and Con's.?
Congrats on your degree.


I say go for it. You seem like a bright intelligent woman with goals. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by serving your country. Do some research, talk to a recruiter and some people who are in. The AF is a good choice by the way. You could even come in as an officer or just go enlisted for now and then go get commisoned later. You friends and family will be alright and will probably be doing the same things whenever you go home. Trust me after 19 1/2 years, your growth is what matters and you will grow. I have travelled to 45 countries and 35 states, can't do that sitting at home.





The AF has a good lifestyle and you can excel too. So, research, find a job, not career, you want and go for it. As they used to say: Aim high.





http://www.af.mil/





Jobs:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Force_S鈥?/a>





Bases


http://benefits.military.com/misc/instal鈥?/a>I am 20 years old woman thinking of joining the Air Force. looking for advice, Pro's and Con's.?
I spent 8 years in the Navy (SeaBees). I liked it but, if I had it to do over, I would go in the Air force. I worked with some Air Force Guys, I think they have better tech schools, housing, food and they were more laid back then us. Go for it!
it is a very good commintment to serve your Country and to honor your Family too. I wish you a good luck. I do not believe in wars, like Iraq wars or other wars against weaker countries but I feel good USA citizen can show to other countries you can do good thing for them too as serving in food programs, peace keeping mission, erradications of mine camps, distater help, ecc.
you know this all comes down to weighing the good vs the bad parts of it i mean when you go into any branch of the military you are going to have to give up being around your family but at the same time you are going to become your own person because you arent going to be depending on your parents anymore, you are going to be your own person. because you have a degree you should have a lot more options open to you in the military and you will go in as a higher rank than a normal joe off the street. but what i would suggest to you is taht you take a look at all of the branches and compare what they can offer you.. you always have the option of going into the national guard or reserve that way you will still get some more training but you will still be close to home.. but its a good decision if you are looking to experience more things
Do it.....you won't leave your family and friends for that long. You can always try to get stationed close to home, if it doesn't work out there's nothing wrong with your family and friends visting and vice versa.


I was lucky enough to be stationed 2 hours away from home and saw my family at least once a month (didn't feel like driving every weekend).








Oh and yes there is a war going on but you'll most likely not be gone for more than 120 days and it's not like your going to be on the front lines.





GOOD LUCK!!
Don't worry about the war. You won't be in it as an AF officer. I see no cons and think it's a great idea. (and I'm not some pro military guy) plus also include you will have lived your life knowing you served your country. Any time somebody bitches, you can say ';Hey!!!! I did my stint'; laughes. Really as an older guy don't worry about the 4 years thing 20 years are going to go by before you know it and 4 years is going to be a brief but enjoyable spot in your career. You may even decide after seeing other places that you don't want to return. Or you might, who knows. With your degree though I say do it. Or you could always also join Navy SeaBees and sail alot.
I would have went airforce when i was looking to join, wouldn't let me in because of a steal plate and screws in my hand(old football injury)





By far, the airforce has the highest standards for recruitment(mental and behavior) which is great because you wont have to put up with near as much trash as what is in the Army or Marines or their subsidiaries. The Navy is not quite as strict as the airforce. I was going to be able to get a waiver on my hand. But i settled for army. Biggst Mistake of my life.





They are letting anybody in the grunt forces. I thought going in that is was going to be all high and tight law and order but it is not. I was a damn good soldier and could not stand to be around the trash that was in there.





If you are gonna join, go AF, no question about it.





The pay or each rank is the same in all branches.





medicinal and benefits are the same.








But because the AF is so much more technically inclined than the others. (if you next employer knows anything about the military) you will get priority over members of the other branches for a tech gig.








Since you have a degree tell your recruiter that. If he does his job like he should he will help you find a job in the AF that best suits your degree and you should be about an E-4 when you grad basic.
Do it NOW! If you wait til May, June it will be very hottttt!. San Antonio is a hot town.





Once out of training you could get stationed in England, like my cousin. Do what you want. Have no regrets. Good Luck!
The first thing to do is contact your local Air Force Enlisted Recruiter. He/She will go over your qualifications to find out if you are eligible to join. I am assuming Dunwoody is a votech school and may have slightly different accreditation than traditional 4-yr degree granting schools. The recruiter will be able to figure out how many credits are acceptable and if your degree can qualify you to apply for our officer program (this is not likely).





The next thing to think about is what kind of jobs do you want to do? I'm assuming you are probably interested in the trade skills like carpentry, electrical, plumbing, etc... Don't leave out other mechanical/electronic career fields that are awesome, ie, Jet Engine Mechanic, Avionics, Air Traffic Control, Missile Systems (we keep the nukes out in the middle of nowhere like Wyoming and North Dakota). We have equipment and jobs that you may be able to find their civilian coutnerparts but the experience of doing that kind of work in a military environment really adds an interesting and fullfilling kick to it. It's one thing for me to be an IT technician in the civilian world and a totally different thing to work on governmet and military IT systems that are responsible for global command and control and mission support systems. I can do IT when I'm fat and old on the outside, the type of work I do now is exciting.





It's really tough to get into the Air Force right now due to Force Shaping aka downsizing. However, the benefits remain outstanding and the needs you express about education and getting your own experiences out there away from home are readily met. It's tought to leave your friends and family but it's also an opportunity to find yourself and also make new friends from all over the country. You'll forge friendships that will last long after you leave the Air Force. Your friends and family aren't likey to go far and you have plenty of chances to come home on leave (vacation) to see them through the years.





I think it's a great way to leave Minnesota and check out other climates. If you really want to get stationed close to home, then you may want to find careers that can help you get stationed at Nebraska, South Dakota or North Dakota.





At the end of it, you will be 24-25 and right on par with someone who has just graduated a 4 yr college...the big difference will be the fact that you have 4 yrs of Air Force experience to put on your resume! This stacks well with the education you pursued while you were in and the connections you made with friends who have moved on to other careers after they left the Air Force before you.





Like I said before, you really need to talk to your local recruiter to find out more. There is only 1 Air Force recruiter in MN and that's in Fridley. Shouldn't be too far out of your way. Good Luck and feel free to email me in my profile if you have more questions.
I looked up Dunwoody.didn't know what type of school..........


how about becoming an officer,,,,,,,,,,,,,,OCS...........


How about ARMY.they have the CORPOF ENGINEERS.........


a lot of stuff.New Orleans for example....go talk to a recruiter...........
do it now
There are many great aspects of a military career. And if your degree is a baccalaureate degree, then you should be eligible to enter as a commissioned officer.





However, the benefits of a military career should not be your primary motive. You must be able to support the causes the military defends, and the means by which it will do such. You must also consider the personal cost of freedoms you will pay. Freedom is not defended by those who are able to exercise complete freedom.
I was a pilot in the Air Force for 10 years. I loved it and would do it all over again. Definitely go the officer route - better pay and jobs. They give you a lot of responsibility and experience that will mature you into someone that can't be matched in the civilian sector. Air Force is the best branch due to many factors, not the least of which is the fact that the Air Force can be more selective than the others. Plus, no camping out (Army), or 6-9 month boat rides. First class accommodations on the road. Lots of available, intelligent, single men.
Don't do it. There's a war going on.