Im sorry to bring this up but i am really curious to know why all and i mean all of my friends and family (some of which are even prior navy) keep encouraging me to consider the air force?

I have been told numerous times that they have a better quality of life, bases, promotion rate etc? I am not looking for the easy route in any way so i dont want to run to an airforce recruiter just because they have nice bases, but really, is their that much difference between the branches? i have actually always been under the impression that their promotion rate was rather slow?

pelase help need some real advice. I just want the best path for an aspiring officer. already have my degree just need to do some enlisted time since my gpa and major stinks.

Go Navy , Go submarines , Go SSN or GN , if that don't hook you cross to AF .

quote:

i have actually always been under the impression that their promotion rate was rather slow?

It is compaired to the other services. That was confirmed for me by a guy I work with who retired as an Air Force LtCol. Seems the 9 year mark is a big one for Air Force personell. Thats when people make the decision to stay or leave depending on what rank they are. He told me what that rank was but a great case of CRS won't let me remember what it was but its a lot lower than the paygrade you can expect from most rates in the Navy.

quote:

is their that much difference between the branches?

Quite a bit. The jobs can be similar but totally different. As an example you can have a technician working on tanks in the Army that are powered by a turbine, Air Force working on turbines for Helo's and jets and MMs in the Navy working on turbine powered ships. The turbine has the same opperating prin****ls on all of them but thats where the similarity ends. The perifrials feeding them and what they power is totally different.



As to why your friends and relatives are pushing the Air Force I can't answer.

PS- Ignore the man behind the screen on that post before. All submariners are crazy.

If you already have a degree, why not apply for OCS now?

quote:

Originally posted by wannagousna:
If you already have a degree, why not apply for OCS now?

2.6 criminal justice...we've been down this road.

I'm more concerned with whether she's joining the coast guard or the Navy (seems base on previous posts elsewhere the Navy may be a last resort because she can't make weight for the Coast guard).

quote:

Originally posted by catherine0830:

quote:

Originally posted by wannagousna:
If you already have a degree, why not apply for OCS now?

2.6 criminal justice...we've been down this road.

I'm more concerned with whether she's joining the coast guard or the Navy (seems base on previous posts elsewhere the Navy may be a last resort because she can't make weight for the Coast guard).

sorry if it seems that way, but the weight issue is a factor but not as much as it appears. Prior to me learning that i would need to loose a few pounds if you read you'll see that the navy continuously drew me because of the better job selection. And in other posts i have even asked the difference between AC and OS in the navy because there is no AC in the coast guard.

BUT on that note since we had to bring up the coast guard, the same people that are telling me to join the airforce have also been telling me to consider coast guard as well. And i quote "what ever you do, dont join the navy". Seems like they did not have too good of a time while they served. And I want to point that im referring to ALOT of opinions. I live right smack in norfolk, va so i have alot of navy reserve, coast guard reserve and even airforce reserve at work with me all day shouting their opinions across the room.

like i said i wanted some opinions from real sailors, who are currently enlisted. Im sorry if i offended anyone by jumping betewen message boards catherine0830. This is a big commitment for me and i kind of wish i had just joined right out of high school as that would have been alot easier for me. But now that i am older i need to research the best options.

You didn't upsert anyone, but the whole story would be nice. If you're joining the navy as a "last resort", than it's a bad choice, if you are joining the Navy for other reasons than go for it.

To ask anyone here why your friends are saying don't joing the Navy, no one here can answer you. We are all here because we are or were in the Navy (there are a few spouses as well). I loved my time in, and my husband currently does. He in fact misses the "real Navy" now that he's in STA-21. Driving him nuts. It's amazing how attached you can get to those big gray things. My sister and her husband will both make careers of it, more than likely. My brother, well, didn't enjoy it as much, but I think a majority of that was his own poor attitude working against him.

Whether you join straight out of high school or later in life, it's an important decision, worth doing research.

Cat's right. We can't speak to your 'friends' that are giving you advice. For all we know, they could have been booted out for drugs and therefore blame the USN for their own bad choices. Or, they simply hated it. Some do.

I served as an enlisted snipe twenty years ago and am now going through the DCO application process. Not because I have to, but because I want to.

In regards to AF/CG/USN comparisons. Many people love the *idea* of joining the Navy, but don't realize the raw reality of life at sea. I loved going underway, but was nineteen years old with no worries or dependents. I had a helluva time. But it was rough on many people, especially those with families.

If you go Navy, you will go to sea. Yes, you may deploy with the AF or CG, but it's nothing like six months (or more) on a ship. Hours are long, drills are numerous, and boredom is plenty.

But you also see incredible liberty ports, make lifelong friends, and can say you were part of the world's mightiest Navy. Very few of my college friends have that bragging right.

quote:

My brother, well, didn't enjoy it as much, but I think a majority of that was his own poor attitude working against him.

In retrospect, every person I knew that 'hated' the Navy brought grief on themselves.

Those that played the game by the rules tended to cruise right on through.

From what I've seen, air force has a much better standard of living, whether it be state side or deployed. Advancment, for the enlisted ranks, is painfully slow however. Honestly though, if I could go back and do it again I'd go air force. Spending 5 years in a 150 man berthing got old pretty quick

quote:

Originally posted by ojhendrix:
Im sorry to bring this up but i am really curious to know why all and i mean all of my friends and family (some of which are even prior navy) keep encouraging me to consider the air force?

First and foremost this is YOUR decision to make and to LIVE with, not your friends. As with anything each branch has its pros and cons and it is up to you to decide what you want. The grass always looks greener on the other side, but it still contains the same weeds.

IMO, I would prefer to see the world and travel, vs being stationed outside a cornfield miles from civilization.

I "didn't" have an option. My family made it abundantly clear. (Father, Uncle, Granddad were all Navy). It went like this (sorry to offend anyone for frankness)

Airforce - Chair force

Army - Bullets everywhere

Marines - Bullets everywhere but learning to duck

Navy - Classy, fun, you do all your work in the relative safety of a steel box guarded by marines, missiles, airplanes, and submarines.

I can't speak for the coast guard as I never explored the option, and when I told my Navy recruiter that I wanted to go visit the other recruiters after i took my ASVAB (scored a 95) he just giggled and told me to go right ahead and he'll have my chair waiting for me when I come back.

For me, it came down to the tradition, my heritage, and the jobs the Navy has. I'm not gonna lie and say I love the ocean and boats (got nothing against them) but as far as a duty station goes, it's alright by me Also gotta love the coolest uniforms in the military.

Just my 2 cents, but I had it a lot better during my Navy time than my son has had in his 13 years with the Air Force and the Air National
Guard. As a weapons specalist in F-16 and A-10 squadrons he has had more deployments to the mid-east and Afghanistan since 1995 than he can count. Most of those were living in tents at "forward deployed locations".
Times they are a changin' so as far as I am concerned no service has it that much better than any other. Thank God for all those kids that choose to serve, no matter the branch.

quote:

Originally posted by Katsomoto:
Navy - Classy, fun, you do all your work in the relative safety of a steel box guarded by marines, missiles, airplanes, and submarines.

So those in airplanes and on subs aren't in the Navy?

quote:

Originally posted by catherine0830:

quote:

Originally posted by Katsomoto:
Navy - Classy, fun, you do all your work in the relative safety of a steel box guarded by marines, missiles, airplanes, and submarines.

So those in airplanes and on subs aren't in the Navy?

They are very very slowly learning.. Still a looooong way from being ACTUAL Sailors. Remember we sailed ON the sea long before moving around Under it or flying Over it.

Here's something to ponder. The first Chief Engineer was a Boatswains Mate..

This posting was of course ment with the utmost respect to You, Your rank, and Your station in life... But please in the future lets not lead the unknowing astray.
Respy
BMCS Ret.

quote:

Originally posted by RiverRat139:
They are very very slowly learning.. Still a looooong way from being ACTUAL Sailors. Remember we sailed ON the sea long before moving around Under it or flying Over it.

Here's something to ponder. The first Chief Engineer was a Boatswains Mate..

This posting was of course ment with the utmost respect to You, Your rank, and Your station in life... But please in the future lets not lead the unknowing astray.
Respy
BMCS Ret.

I'm having a hard time believing what I'm seeing. A retired Senior Chief calling two entire communities of the Navy a long way from being ACTUAL sailors?!?! Unbelievable. I wanted to believe that the way the "real" sailors treated us when we pulled into Norfolk was just a fluke. You would have thought they didn't think we were part of the Navy with how much support we got at the end of the submarine wharf. In one post, you just confirmed the su****ions I had all along.

If you don't want to lead the unknowing astray, might I suggest that you don't call two sea-going communities a long way from being sailors? Personally, I think I've done my share of sailing.

HA, holy crap, I just wrote a long blog about this very thing... Air Force or Navy? An eternal question.

quote:

Originally posted by sparky0123:

quote:

Originally posted by RiverRat139:
They are very very slowly learning.. Still a looooong way from being ACTUAL Sailors. Remember we sailed ON the sea long before moving around Under it or flying Over it.

Here's something to ponder. The first Chief Engineer was a Boatswains Mate..

This posting was of course ment with the utmost respect to You, Your rank, and Your station in life... But please in the future lets not lead the unknowing astray.
Respy
BMCS Ret.

I'm having a hard time believing what I'm seeing. A retired Senior Chief calling two entire communities of the Navy a long way from being ACTUAL sailors?!?! Unbelievable. I wanted to believe that the way the "real" sailors treated us when we pulled into Norfolk was just a fluke. You would have thought they didn't think we were part of the Navy with how much support we got at the end of the submarine wharf. In one post, you just confirmed the su****ions I had all along.

If you don't want to lead the unknowing astray, might I suggest that you don't call two sea-going communities a long way from being sailors? Personally, I think I've done my share of sailing.

Work on your sense of humor Then come back and lecture me...

quote:

Originally posted by RiverRat139:

quote:

Originally posted by sparky0123:

quote:

Originally posted by RiverRat139:
They are very very slowly learning.. Still a looooong way from being ACTUAL Sailors. Remember we sailed ON the sea long before moving around Under it or flying Over it.

Here's something to ponder. The first Chief Engineer was a Boatswains Mate..

This posting was of course ment with the utmost respect to You, Your rank, and Your station in life... But please in the future lets not lead the unknowing astray.
Respy
BMCS Ret.

I'm having a hard time believing what I'm seeing. A retired Senior Chief calling two entire communities of the Navy a long way from being ACTUAL sailors?!?! Unbelievable. I wanted to believe that the way the "real" sailors treated us when we pulled into Norfolk was just a fluke. You would have thought they didn't think we were part of the Navy with how much support we got at the end of the submarine wharf. In one post, you just confirmed the su****ions I had all along.

If you don't want to lead the unknowing astray, might I suggest that you don't call two sea-going communities a long way from being sailors? Personally, I think I've done my share of sailing.

Work on your sense of humor Then come back and lecture me...

Sar-'chasm
The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

BoatsBM1

Sar-'chasm
The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

BoatsBM1[/QUOTE]


Awesome definition. My girlfriend never ever ever gets my sarcasm, kills the flow when you have to constantly stop and tell her you woudlnt really rather be cuddling with the dog