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 Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 7:37 pm
So, this is an expansion of what I wrote for my intro to some extent.
If you take the time to read all of this and comment, I'd really appreciate it.
My situation is this- I'm 22, going to be 23 soon, with a BA in English. Since graduation I've been trying to find a worthwhile job with no luck. I _did_ land a job as an assistant English teacher at a small school in Hungary. The problem there- I owe the loan-people 23k. They won't let me defer it for a year to do this teaching in Hungary and the money I make there is putting me slightly above paid volunteer, but not much. I couldn't make the loan payments and survive on the paycheck they'd give me. Not even close.
So I'm Stateside.
I was living on my own with friends for about a month (June-early July) before I realised that the job I did have (working at Subway) was a dead-end and I was way too overqualified for it. I had to do something that would give my brain something to chew on, and sandwiches just weren't enough.
So I thought about a career in the Civil Service and applied to a bunch of things through USAjobs- with no results. Nada.
I have flirted with the idea of joining the AF since right before I went off to college. The school I went to didn't have ROTC and wasn't close enough to a school that did to make that feasible. So for four years any customs/courtesies that CAP had succeeded in drumming into my head during High School were forgotten about.
And now, staring at a mountain of debt with my BA in hand, no car, no job, no prospects of getting a job, and living with a mother who is certifiably off her rocker... The AF is looking real good about now.
Arguments for joining the AF
-I'd like to serve my country and I think I have the skills to do so in an administrative capacity of some sort. Any job which involves a lot of reading and writing would be ideal for me.
- I'd like to travel. Anywhere that isn't home would be great. I don't really care where they send me.
- I desperately need the money to pay back student loans.
- Medical/healthcare bennies. I'm currently uninsured.
- At present, my parents are running my life- if someone other than me has to run my life at present, I'd rather be getting paid for it and have a damn good reason to listen to them.
Arguments against...
- I'll be an old fogy (at 22) compared to most other people who are first-time enlisting.
- I should at least wait, submit my app to be an officer and see what the selection board says come March.
- I won't find a co-religionist who would want to marry me, he'd be intimidated by the fact that I served in the military. (Of course, I've always been an individualist and I really think I could never be seriously interested in a guy who wouldn't realise that there is more to me than my job...)
Please, people, talk to me! Advice greatly appreciated.
Right now I'm feeling singularly not in control of my life- I feel like my parents are trying to run it and that's messed up because I'm 22 and old enough to go my own way. I feel like the one thing I can really do right now that would be MY decision would be to join. Maybe I just need to get up the nerve.
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Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 12:31 am
I've seen people older than you join the AF at an E1 to E3. I think the hardest part for you is the debt. You might have a hard time getting in because of that but the AF has a program to reduce the debt or something of the sort. The thing that would suck though, is you might get stationed stateside and might not get the job you want because of the debt, but I like the AF right now and I'm not living to bad. If you have questions, I can help a bit, but I've only been in for six months.
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Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 3:08 am
Although those are some valid reasons to worry about joining the military period, but you have to remember one thing. Is it really something you want to do? Is it something you can do and enjoy?
Me being the an idiot back in my high school days and not really applying myself to anything even thought I was smart, I ended up joining the Air Force for that reason. My life hit a brick wall. Joining was the best decision that I made. I don't look back and say that was a mistake. The military has made me a better person. I've learned things that normal jobs could never prepare me for.
I think the best thing to do is speak with a recruiter and find out what they can and can't help you with when it comes to the debt. After doing 4 years active duty, I went guard. The guard has a college loan pay back program. I'm sure active duty might have the same thing.
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Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 3:46 am
First off, if you feel like you were overqualified with your job at Subway, don't go enlisted. Lmao.
But seriously. Especially if you already have your degree, you'd most likely be better off going as an officer.
Your parents running your life right now is one thing, but you will never fully grasp the freedoms you still have until you join the military and they are gone. The control doesn't go away after boot camp. You gotta go through tech school too, and they make it shittier with each graduating class. Also, the AF is switching to a more combative role, so if you think the PT and the BS is done after boot camp, think again.
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Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 7:37 pm
Honestly, if i were you I would apply for OTS, and if that didnt happen then I would enlist or look at possibly going into the Guard side.
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Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 2:03 pm
Enlisted get paid more money when they go officer from 2Lt TO Captian. the AF is the safes branch yet contributes the most as far as overall elimination of the enemy. I had 3 35 year olds in my BMT flight. I would apply for OTS first but you tend to gain less respect as a officer if you were never enlisted cause you wont understand how the enlisted side is affected.
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