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Navy vs Air Force

OUSOONER said:
This guy?

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No, Tebow is God and Bradford is Jesus:D

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Kow-aka "Spanky said:
A long time ago, I was a smart, handsome, NROTC fellow attending the U of Arizona, attempting to woo and impress a hottie in a bar down in Tucson. After letting said woman know that I was on the fast track to becoming a Navy jet pilot, I asked her, with swagger in my voice, what she did for a vocation. A-10 pilot was her answer. Our conversation went no further...
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So you told her you'd rather have a sister in a whorehouse than A-10 time in your logbook, right?
 
I was thinking real seriously about joining the Air Force. Then I saw a military channel special on B-2's. Once I saw a B-2 PIT say "*giggle giggle* I'm training to be a warrior" I thought to myself "...I'm going Navy"
 
help with AF recruiters

Hi everybody,

I'm not sure if this is the best place for this thread, but I wasn't sure where else to put it.

I'm currently in for the March boards for NFO and SWO and hoping to get picked up, and in the mean time I have a friend who is considering a career in the military. He's in the fact-finding stage right now, but taking a serious look at the Air Force, and I am trying to help him out with that the best I can. He is a college graduate with a good G.P.A, so I am telling him that it would be best if he considered Officer Training School. He's spoken with a recruiter already, but He told him it would be best if he enlisted first and tried to apply to OTS after a year. This is pretty much what the Army recruiters told me when I was considering it, and I am pretty sure it is because he wasn't an officer recruiter.

When I decided on the Navy, I used the website to enter my info, but it wasn't very helpful. I ended up contacting a recruiter I met at a job fair directly. I think that it would be best for him to do the same, but he's having some trouble.

I was wondering if anyone here knew how the Air Force does its recruiting. Is it set up like the Navy, with separate recruiters for enlisted and officers, and if so where would a good recruiting district be in the Chicago / Illinois area. I looked at the Scott Air Force base website, but it did not seem to have an officer recruiter attached. If any of you have had any luck contacting AF officer recruiters I would appreciate it if you could give me some insight.
 
The Air Force does its officer recruiting through their enlisted recruiters. (Either that or I would have been snowed if I went AF).

Does your friend have a criminal record, or some other problem? If he wants to be an officer his first step should be to apply to be an officer.
 
Thanks, and no, he has a clean record. He's just looking at all of his options right now. He's not even decided on the Air Force yet, they just happen to be his top choice at the moment. And I agree.
 
I met with 3 different OFFICER recruiters in 3 different services before I decided to go with the Navy. To back up m26 the Air Force does have officer recruiters so make sure he meets with the officer recruiter for his area. I used the website of both the Air Force and Navy to contact an OR and got a phone call from each. The response time was about two weeks from submitting my info but that was about a year ago so your friends experience may vary.
 
Krafty1 said:
To back up m26 the Air Force does have officer recruiters so make sure he meets with the officer recruiter for his area.
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Hmm. I did an online chat with the AF when I was looking:

[m26]: Should I speak to an AF recruiter, or are there specific officer recruiters?
Don [AF]: any of them can help
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I ended up speaking with a Sgt about an application, so the fact that she was enlisted may have colored my memory as well.

Good thing the Navy panned out for me!
 
http://www.airforceots.com is by far the best resource for any questions your friend would have. When I applied to OTS I had a dedicated officer recruiter (although I think any can submit OTS applications now), in fact he was based in an office park about 15 min from Scott AFB. Don't let your friend enlist if he wants to go to OTS, the recruiter is just trying to make his quota.
 
Shakeszilla said:
Great, thank you.

I knew about the OTS portal site, but had not heard about the Baseops site so that is good to know.
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This is a little different way of doing things, but if your closest college has an AFROTC program then you could contact them and ask if their are any particular recruiters (officer mainly) that they would recommend. Usually those guys know who closest OTS recruiter.

Don't listen to the "go enlisted" or "take another job so we can get you in" ploy. I had AF OTS recruiters trying to push me in under engineering just so 'they could get me in and commission me' which I read as 'meet my quota and get you off my back'.
 
Once upon a time I was looking into the Air Force, and I was researching it a bit. I'm from the Chicagoland area too, and I found the location of the recruiter, which I believe is for officers. I never got past the fact-finding stage for the Air Force, so I never contacted anyone. I don't remember the address, but it's downtown in the Loop, and I think I found it via airforce.com, or maybe even a google search. Either way, if you find the office, give them a call and ask if they do enlisted and/or officer recruiting. I think the office was on Dearborn, if I'm not mistaken.
 
Air Force/Navy deadlock.

Now before I get torn to shreds and locked, this isn't your average "STFU and UTFSF, kid!" thread. For the past few weeks I have been reading everything there is to read on this forum and on BO.net, as well as various other web pages, and I'm in a bit of a deadlock. I'm going to be applying to colleges next semester, and whether I choose AF or Navy will affect which colleges I apply to (I plan on doing the ROTC route). Anyway, I know the differences between the AF and Navy, but I still can't decide. I like the more down to earth atmosphere in the Navy as well as the travel, but I hate cramped boat life and long tedious deployments. I like the better quality of life and the greater opportunities to fly heavies in the AF, but I hate the politics and the bureaucracy BS, not to mention the UAVs. So I'm going to ask a simple question. Why did you personally choose the Navy over the AF, and are you happy with your decision?

Stuff like this has pushed me more towards the AF. In your experiences, is it accurate?

Reasons for Resignation ICO LT KARL x. Bxxxx, USNR

I intend to resign from the Navy in order to start a civilian career. I am currently inquiring about employment opportunities. Concurrently, I intend to return to college and complete my master's degree as my working schedule allows.

I intend to resign from the Navy because I do not enjoy or derive satisfaction from my work. I believe that the Navy culture is flawed in many ways. The most significant problem I see is our continual use of negative leadership. Rarely if ever do I hear an officer complimented on an outstanding job. It is expected that we perform to perfection, and only the deviations from that are noticed and commented upon. I frequently hear negative comments from all levels of my chain of command towards other officers. Despite all our accomplishments, we don't even receive basic respect as professionals from one another.

While on the boat, very long hours are normal even while in port. Department heads would average over 70 hours per week even when nothing special was happening. At shore duty, I average 60 hours per week. Part of the problem is that we seem to create work for ourselves. We frequently go beyond the requirements, or volunteer for additions tasks. If you do not spend excessive amounts of time at work, you are looked upon as a poor performer that doesn't care about his job. The Navy does not appear to care about our quality of life in this aspect. We are well paid for our service, but since we are not paid hourly, the Navy does not care how long you work, as long as the job gets done. I am the only person that values my time.

A problem that is exacerbated by being stationed in Japan is how the Navy handles personal responsibility. We are in charge of warships and hundreds of lives, but we have to be told what we can and can't do on liberty. We are told where to go, what to wear, and when to be back. Due to the political sensitivity, I understand using the easy solution of creating more rules and restricting behavior. Since I can offer no better solution, I can't say that it is the wrong way to handle the situation; however, I don't enjoy being treated as a child and I will enjoy the greater freedom and personal accountability that goes along with adult life outside the Navy.

I disagree with how the Navy manages their personnel, particularly submarine JO's. I may very likely be separated from the Navy due to my poor physical fitness. At the same time, detailers threaten that if JO's currently on contract do not sign up for SOAC, they will be sent to Iraq. My first problem is that I do not see how my fitness level is relevant to my job. I am paid to make intelligent decisions. Nothing in my six years of service has ever been physically challenging (excepting of course the physical readiness test). Even though it has no bearing on my actual job performance, the Navy is ready to fire me over the issue. On the other hand, we threaten people that we will send them into a combat zone if they do not extend their commitment. We all understand and accept the fact that in the military we may be called into combat. That doesn't make it right to use it as a threat to bludgeon people into an extended contract they don't want.

Finally, command of a warship holds no appeal for me. From my observations aboard my boat, the captain was rarely in charge. Even at the peak of naval service, he was still subject to micromanagement from his superiors. There was an atmosphere that any mistake on his part would result in the end of his career. He didn't appear to enjoy his job, and talking with the department heads, they certainly didn't enjoy theirs. Almost every department head that I've talked to has told all junior officers that continuing on as a department head was not worth it. They have no life outside work and receive nothing but negative leadership. Their family and personal lives all suffered to support the needs of the job.

I would like to explore my career options and find something that is more personally and professionally rewarding. I will always remember the lessons that I've learned in the Navy, positive and negative. It has helped me grow professionally and as a person. Unfortunately, with the current culture within the Navy, I no longer desire to be part of this organization.
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Young Man,

Congratulations on your selection to both the Naval and Air Force Academies. Your goal of becoming a fighter pilot is impressive and a fine way to serve your country. As you requested, I'd be happy to share some insight into which service would be the best choice.

Each service has a distinctly different culture. You need to ask yourself "Which one am I more likely to thrive in?"

USAF Snapshot: The USAF is exceptionally well organized and well run. Their training programs are terrific. All pilots are groomed to meet high standards for knowledge and professionalism. Their aircraft are top-notch and extremely well maintained. Their facilities are excellent. Their enlisted personnel are the brightest and the best trained. The USAF is homogenous and macro. No matter where you go, you'll know what to expect, what is expected of you, and you'll be given the training & tools you need to meet those expectations. You will never be put in a situation over your head. Over a 20-year career, you will be home for most important family events. Your Mom would want you to be an Air Force pilot...so would your wife. Your Dad would want your sister to marry one.

Navy Snapshot: Aviators are part of the Navy, but so are Black shoes (surface warfare) and bubble heads (submariners). Furthermore, the Navy is split into two distinctly different Fleets (West and East Coast). The Navy is heterogeneous and micro. Your squadron is your home; it may be great, average, or awful. A squadron can go from one extreme to the other before you know it. You will spend months preparing for cruise and months on cruise. The quality of the aircraft varies directly with the availability of parts. Senior Navy enlisted are salt of the earth; you'll be proud if you earn their respect. Junior enlisted vary from terrific to the troubled kid the judge made join the service. You will be given the opportunity to lead these people during your career; you will be humbled and get your hands dirty. The quality of your training will vary and sometimes you will be over your head. You will miss many important family events. There will be long stretches of tedious duty aboard ship. You will fly in very bad weather and/or at night and you will be scared many times. You will fly with legends in the Navy and they will kick your ass until you become a lethal force. And some days - when the scheduling Gods have smiled upon you - your jet will catapult into a glorious morning over a far-away sea and you will be drop-jawed that someone would pay you to do it. The hottest girl in the bar wants to meet the Naval Aviator. That bar is in Singapore.

Bottom line, son, if you gotta ask...pack warm & good luck in Colorado.

PS: Air Force pilots wear scarves and iron their flight suits.

Bob Norris
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