quote:

Originally posted by Gerry_Agnosia:

[1] Would it be too forward of me to call an Air Force Base in my state and try to find an Airman in the Emergency Management field to interview?

Get ahold of a recruiter otherwise if you have access to a installation as a dependant go right ahead, I'm sure if they have time they can have someone sit down with you and give you the rundown

[2] What is the average day for an EM Airman like?Is it more office work, Power-Point Presentations and Meetings or CRBNE scenario training?

yes its alot of all that you just said in a nutshell, plus other stuff like checking equipment, messing with the new and latest gadgets for upcoming deployers,etc. Armory inventory,etc

[3] As opposed to Fire Protection and EOD, what is the mission of Emergency Management in a CRBNE scenario?

In a CRBNE scenario their would be a EOC-emergency operations center that is stood up and all organizations would play a part, FD and EOD are just some of the step children of CE since mainly CE is infrastructure maintainance and repair.

[4] Are there conflicts of interest or operational style between Emergency Management, Fire Protection and EOD?

unknown, different fields and the way they do business

[5] What is the current state of the EM field? Where do you see it going in the near future?

I imagine they will run the course with FEMA working hand in hand

[6] Is there ample time to complete a degree while performing your duties as an EM Airman?

yes, like any other AFSC it will depend on how quick you finish CDC's,etc and how often your deployed,TDY and where too.

[7] What are the highlights of being an EM Airman? What are your dislikes of the career field?

A few of my buddies liked it cause you got all the nice gear first, NVG's,tactical vests,etc. But of course they look a little too high speed when the rest of us get together for excercises wearing all their kit The training is good, besides it can lead to a job as a EM at the federal,state,local levels.

[8] Is Air Force health care as horrible as I hear some Airmen describe it as?

ITs like any HMO, have patience. Its not as bad as people make it out to be
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quote:

Originally posted by PowerProRanger01:

quote:

Originally posted by Gerry_Agnosia:

[1] Would it be too forward of me to call an Air Force Base in my state and try to find an Airman in the Emergency Management field to interview?
-it really does depend. I think that if you get with your recruiter and tell him/her that you would like to shadow someone in the career field, he/she may hook you up. Sadly we live in a day and age of deception and destruction, so just calling up an EM shop may get you nothing more than a very suspiocious person who will not divulge info over the phone. There aren't many bases where there aren't EM folks. Just get with a recruiter.

[2] What is the average day for an EM Airman like?Is it more office work, Power-Point Presentations and Meetings or CRBNE scenario training?
-that depends too. Day to day there's quite a bit of desk work, but when we get busy, it's non-stop. Our career field is a little broad and we don't just do one particular thing and nothing else. Also, he career field is going through a transformation, so what's happening right now may not be what goes on once you come in. We teach, so expect to stand up in front of people quite frequently, and don't be afraid of rank. Sometimes you may have to tell a Lt Col or higher what to do (tactfully and respectfully of course)

[3] As opposed to Fire Protection and EOD, what is the mission of Emergency Management in a CRBNE scenario?

"In a CRBNE scenario their would be a EOC-emergency operations center that is stood up and all organizations would play a part, FD and EOD are just some of the step children of CE since mainly CE is infrastructure maintainance and repair."
-kinda trailing onto this...some of us remain in the EOC, some of us go out there and use detection, marking and decon equiptment and work closely (well, we're getting there)with bioenvironmental engineering do what needs to be done depending on the situation.

[4] Are there conflicts of interest or operational style between Emergency Management, Fire Protection and EOD?

-doesn't really seem like it. We're all first responders but our missions are different so you can't really conflict on too much.

[5] What is the current state of the EM field? Where do you see it going in the near future?

-We're in transformation state. The career field will change as it needs to to adapt to the needs of the Air Force

[6] Is there ample time to complete a degree while performing your duties as an EM Airman?

"yes, like any other AFSC it will depend on how quick you finish CDC's,etc and how often your deployed,TDY and where too."
-three classes and two CLEPs from my CCAF...so there's time, you just take it as you get it.

[7] What are the highlights of being an EM Airman? What are your dislikes of the career field?

The career field has it's ups and downs. Every Emergency Manager has something they love or hate about this job. I love the fact that I don't have to go through CBRN class because I teach it. It's nice having a Mon-Fri gig(most of the time) but there are times when it seems like we do things that are very unnecessary pertaining to our job and that can get annoying pretty quick. You join EM, just come in and do your job. If you love it...more power to you. If you hate it...crosstrain if you can when your window opens.

[8] Is Air Force health care as horrible as I hear some Airmen describe it as?

I've had no problems. With the cost of healthcare right now...better to have crap than nothing at all.
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quote:

Originally posted by Gerry_Agnosia:
Hello again,

I thank you all for your responses. After weeks of searching the internet for information, you all have helped provide me with much more insight than Google or my recruiter [] have.

On that note, I have a few last questions for you, if you will allow me:

[1] Why does it seem that the rest of the Air Force hate monthly CRBNE training?

-CBRN class is a bit on the boring side...to put it honestly and nicely. The course is changing and will (soon enough) become a hands-on training as far as EM is concerned. Members will do the CBT online and come to us for a go/no go hands on ONLY class. Some bases may or may not have already started this; it just depends on the individual base.

[2] Weezymiller, you mentioned that sometimes you have to perform duties that go beyond the normal scope of what is expected. Could you please elaborate on this? If you do not want to do so publicly, please feel free to PM me.

-I think that in every job leadership tends to have you doing things that may not fall under your job description. Every base is different, every EM shop is different, so what is extremely pointless and happens in my shop may not be an experience you ever have to go through. I think I can speak on behalf of many 3E9's in saying that one of the things that we do that doesn't have much to do with EM is Prime BEEF...but that's a whole other can of worms.

[3] Could someone please elaborate on their experiences in tech school? Is it particularly hard? This piece of information seems to be very hard to come by.

-Ah...tech school. That's changed several times as well. When I went through it was a 10 week course, then it was bumped up to 17 weeks I believe, then they dropped it down again and now I'm not really sure how long it is anymore. There is talk of implementing a two-week course into the curriculum to have students HAZMAT technician level certified upon tech school completion. I believe that if it goes to that, the wash out rate with increase a bit. Our training isn't necessarily hard, but there is a lot of information we need to know, and that type of addition to our course may be a bit of a brain overload. We do get to experience the CDTF (chemical defense training facility) where we are get our "mask confidence training" when they have us do training with live nerve agents.

[4] Where is EM tech school? Is there anything fun to do in the area surrounding it?

-Ft Lost in the Woods, Misery...or Ft Leonard Wood, Missouri...whichever you prefer. It REALLY wasn't my favorite place to be, but some people like it. Not really a whole lot to do there (and the list of off-limits spots increased a bit since the last time I was there) but if you're the type of person who can make the most of any situation, you should be fine. I can tell you one thing though...it's a hell of a lot better to go back on TDY than it is to be there during tech school.

[5] Are there oppurtunities to travel abroad with a caeer as an EM Airman? Many articles I find cite the big trip the field took to South Korea a few years ago.

-EM Airmen can go almost anywhere in the world. Japan, Korea, Italy, UK, Germany, Portugal...you name it. But it's really up to AFPC (Air Force Personnel Center) to decide where and when you go. There are always exceptions, of course, voluntary deployments or tours to Korea for example. Ultimately it comes down to ensuring your dreamsheet is updated and crossing your fingers that AFPC picks you from amongst the crowd...

Much appreciated,

- Gerry