Enlistment in AF. (Military)

[Stromgarde]

Air Force is practically beating away people with a stick these days, like people have said be prepared to wait for a long time in the DEP (delayed enlistment program) if you do decide to go in and get anything decent. Reiterating with what WahiGuard said, get ANYTHING you're promised in writing. I had the good fortune to have a great recruiter who was completely honest with me, but not everyone has that luxury. Endurance is the key to the AFPT, start running and work on your stamina, or you'll regret it once you get to Lackland. Also: the ASVAB carries no strings attached to taking it. Might as well take it to see where you stand, but do NOT sign anything whatsoever until you've at least had a night to sleep on it and consider your options. Also, regarding the pot: Unless you have a record or will ping positive when they take a blood test, they take your word for being clean, unless you say otherwise. That being said, I had a guy in my shop who got caught positive and wound up getting fast tracked to a dishonorable discharge, so I strongly suggest you stop now if you have any intent on making a career of it.

[saven]

Thank you all for the information. I haven't smoked pot since Senior year. I told the recruiter I have a High school diploma and he asked how many times I smoked? He said 15 times doing it was the experimenting with it. I was honest and told him maybe 40-50. THIS PART HERE IS WERE YOU ALL /facepalm. I know. I am a really good hearted guy and i'm honest about myself. I agree with you all now..I should have lied and just kept it simple. As for D.E.P. and the job I want part I can wait. Its more time to focus on learning ranks, AF song, running and w/e I can pull out of the interwebz. I love how most of you are point blank saying i'm a burn out. I am not. Maybe to you, but do you know me? Have you seen me? Do you know what i'm about? If all the answers are no then why post anything that makes no logical sense to help me succeed? I know there's bad people on these forums but do you have to assume or just even say so? I mean I absolutely don't need the encouragement from some of you who said I would be infantry right in the beginning. ALL MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS KNOW I CAN MAKE IT. I just need time to think and study what jobs I would be best for atm. I believe no one is a burn out, if you try hard enough and have faith and never doubt yourself then you can pull almost ANYTHING off. I may have messed up with telling him I smoke pot back in the day but there are far worse people who have done meth and crank before and got clean and got in. For the love of god..I smoked pot. Put me in the dark padded room.

Any who..back to what else went on at the Recruitment Office. I said I was not allergic to anything as far as I know, told him I am Hypoglycemic and that haven't affected me much cause ever since I heard of it I always carry a power bar or a nut bar etc etc. AS far as I am concern with being in the AF..I-want-to-do-it. I've been thinking about it and waiting till I felt 100% sure about it. Before it was navy but AF offers better schooling. Its what my best friends who are in told me. Tell me otherwise and I probably not believe you, then again I do keep a open mind to those with helpful and nice information.

@Elesirdur - Thank you. I usually do things gun ho and will try to beat the USMC tests. I don't smoke pot if that is what your asking. I do smoke cigs once in a while but never started at a young age thankfully.

@solanis How is this guy a pedophile? Does the pic he has speak everything about someone you may not know? I dunno if you do or not but just curious. Btw thank you for the link.

@Milkster Thank you for the nice comment about me. I dunno how your life standards are but I guess you don't care how you come off as when you call me "possible burnout". I heard worse and still thinking about joining.

P.S. I think the smoking pot eliminates you as well, doing hair tests now. If I recall correctly.
P.P.S. How are you going to survive Basic Training, if you don't adjust well under pressure? Are you sure you've actually thought this out?

I told him I did smoke pot but that was 8+ years ago. I did it and am done with it. I do adjust well to pressure but I wasn't clear enough in my words that I don't adjust well under pressure such as learning in a big group, I CAN DO IT..but since everyone is more mature these days hopefully..it won't be a problem.

@shepardG - Thank you..wish I would have read your statement to convince me to lie more. Its good i'm not a fiber but at the same time wish I said no to smoking pot.

@Lyn - I'm a very patient guy. If I had some record to show you I think you might say I am a reborn Buddhist monk.

@WahiGuard - Thank you. So what kind of writing does it have to be like? Like..ordinary scratch paper or will they provide a more military oriented piece of paper with what I want and signed/dated by my recruiter? This part sounds crucial of course. Tell me more?

Thank you all for reading and show you do care, if not that's fine. This is something I want to do. I'm not bored with my life. I want to do this for myself. The pay doesn't matter much. All the benefits outweigh a low pay scale. I can live off of nothing. Done it before. I'm tired and will check back later maybe. Hope you all have something good to say! TY! =D

[saven]

Also I recently got a free weighted vest from a customer from the place I work at. It goes up to 40 lbs! Is this a good way to enhance my training or just no on the jogging part cause of the knee's and the pressure that it put on them? Also what about push ups and crunches with this vest?

[Aksannyi]

Getting something in writing means actual DD-<random series of numbers> forms that are filled out and signed by someone in charge. If you get something in writing on a sticky note or a napkin or a milk carton, then you didn't get it in writing.

The Army (and the military in general, I speak in Army terms as that was my branch) has a form for everyfuckingthing. Just get used to that now. Make sure you know what you're signing, and make sure you don't sign anything if it looks like you're gonna get hosed. They've changed recruiting tactics because of some of the bad press recruiters got, so just ask questions, read your paperwork before you sign it, and you'll be fine.

[saven]

What is DD?

[Aksannyi]

It's a standard abbreviation for forms. Like the DD-214 is your paperwork stating that you were discharged from the military. I think it stands for Department of Defense. I think the army ones were DA for Department of the Army, but tbh, I can't remember. And obviously others for their respective branches. Basically, most military forms will have LetterLetter-SetofNumbers like XX-999. It's not really necessary to know that sort of thing unless you want to be a paper pusher, just something I picked up on while I was in. And those numbers will be in the bottom left hand (I think) corner of the paper. Generally, what I'm saying is it should be an official form for it to count for something. It shouldn't be something on a sheet of notebook paper.

[Asai]

The ONLY thing that is gonna matter is your ASVAB score. AF physical standards are pretty damn low. Also your credit history will play a part.

With everything you're saying on your physical prowess, honestly.... you're gonna sail past everyone on that already and it's still not gonna make a big ripple in contract/career.

You're fine physically, take practice ASVABS and grind highschool math and grammar in your head, that's really all that will matter with your job choice. Really focus on that.

[Minnich]

I'm not entirely sure what you are asking, if you're asking anything at all, in this thread. I'm in the AF as well, right now, as a crew chief. Which is basically a glorified mechanic on fighter jets.

If you're concerned with basic, whether physically or mentally, don't be. From the sounds of your workout regimen, you are physically fit enough to do just fine. The 1.5 mile run time is just under 12mins. Crunches are about 45/minute. Push ups are around the same, I think? Really, if you're doing 20/minute right now, you'll be just fine by the time the real test happens at the end of the 8 weeks (I think, I went through when it was only 6 weeks). Mentally, just don't be a complete idiot, and basic is actually pretty fun.

ASVAB is whatever. Don't really need that high of a score to be a mechanic. I got an 89, and work with people that got 50s or lower. Can't say anything about the computer field. If you have any questions regarding my job (since you have an interest in the mechanic field), TDY's, or deployments, or anything else at all, just let me know. I strongly support anyone who chooses to join the AF. Best decision I've ever made.

Also, don't downplay the pay. It's surprisingly good, when you consider all the things you don't have to pay for.

[test123]

Get a real job. When the american empire crumbles in debt you're screwed.

[Minnich]

Don't know if you noticed or not, Tab, but America isn't really in the best shape to get any "real jobs" at the moment.

[Archain]

I think you've got the right mindset; you don't want to keep doing what you've been doing.

Take the ASVAB and find out what you would fit into. It's not all English and math, I remember specific "cause and effect" questions, (like which way a called out gear would turn if you had three linked together in a series and they rotated one CCW) coding speed, and pattern recognition. It's trying to pin down what your aptitude is.

I did a single enlistment with the Navy as a Missile Technician on a ballistic missile submarine. It taught me about electrical systems and equipment, electronics, hydraulics, pneumatics, nuclear safety rules, how to read schematics and one-function diagrams, and the way the ordnance field operated in terms of troublshooting/maintenance philosophy. I was able to easily get a job after I separated with a defense contractor that provided the documentation I was actually using when I was still in. If you have any sort of military maintenance background, you are a perfect fit for these types of companies because you were the end user of their products and you know how they are used.

I couldn't do 20 years in the submarine service (they aren't likely to move you from submarines once you volunteer and you're probably not going to fast attack submarines if designated an MT as they're only assigned to Ohio Class boomers and SSGNs), but I don't regret the time I did at all. It helped add a few very nice resume bullets that I'm able to back up. The place I'm working at now has more than a few Ex-Air Force aviation mechanics and we're all working for an Army customer.

Give it a shot; you'd be surprised at how much you actually learn and retain just by doing your job.

[saven]

Thank you thank you!

[Abandon]

leave me a pm some time. Still active duty in the navy, and I've got nothing but time when i'm off the ship to answer questions, to the best of my knowledge.

[Elesirdur]

Last night I sought out some practice ASVAB tests; I was honestly surprised at the kind of material that's on there. Factoring polynomials? Synonyms and antonyms for fucking obscure words (including a yiddish word!)? Current in a circuit with resistors in parallel? I have to admit that I had to look up information for more than a few questions as part of a 40-question short practice test. I can imagine going into your ASVAB without any prep would probably land you washing floors or straight into the PBI.

[Abandon]

i slept for the last 30 minutes of mine and got a 94, and i was never aware of study guides that supposedly exist for it.

[Trinsie]

There was many crap posts I stopped reading them in full and skimmed, but I will give you read info from someone who was in the Air Force and enlisted til recently.

You GPA means absolutely nothing to them if you are going enlisted and all they will care about is what your asvab score is which can be retaken if you screwed it up before.

Air Force was trying to get rid of people or transfer them to the army via the blue to green program when I got out so you might have a wait or to pick a job they need over a job you want.

Any job that requires a high asvab score and is stressful you can consider yourself a shoe-in.

They don't care how much weight you can lift as long as you can squat the required 50 pounds. The Air Force wants you to run and run. If you can run 1.5 miles in a decent time you are fine.
The run time will depend on your waste and how many push-ups/sit-ups you can do. If you waste is 35+ inches (this is measures next to the belly button) and you can do only 20 pushups then you better be able to run 1.5 miles in 10-11 minutes if you waste is 32 inches and you can do 50 push-ups then you can run it in 15 minutes.

The also don't give a crap about if you smoked weed (don't say you did any hard drugs or you are screwed) as long as you are not smoking now. I said I smoked and it went into my file (lying and them finding out later will be real bad)

You will want to ask the recruiter to go over the jobs they have and ask about which ones are needed. You will want to ask if there is a signing bonus and make sure it is in writing if there is.

Really though do good on the asvab cause it will make everything easier.

TL;DR Air Force wants to to be smart, skinny, and able to run all else is a nonissue.

[Minnich]

The Air Force wants you to run and run. If you can run 1.5 miles in a decent time you are fine.
The run time will depend on your waste and how many push-ups/sit-ups you can do. If you waste is 35+ inches (this is measures next to the belly button) and you can do only 20 pushups then you better be able to run 1.5 miles in 10-11 minutes if you waste is 32 inches and you can do 50 push-ups then you can run it in 15 minutes.

Not exactly. Once, that was true, but it has changed. You have to be able to pass each part of the fitness test individually now. If you fail one, you fail the entire test. As far as I'm aware, it has always been like that in basic, as well.

[Fodder]

Tell them the number of times you smoked pot with friends. Make sure none were recently. The AF considered 99 times or less "expirementation" when I went in. Ask the recruiter what they consider expirementation now and follow with "oh good I only did it a few times so I'm wayyyy under that". If the your job requires a TS SCI clearance or anything they will find your friends and ask them. If you say "Durr I never did that stuff, weed's bad mmmkkkk..." and your stoner buddy lets it slip you did you just got caught in a lie, which is a bigger deal. Any pot smoking with no witnesses never happened.

Air Force basic training and fitness requirements are a joke. Chainsmoking Fatty McTubs go in all the time and make it. At the beginning you have to run 1 mile in like 20 f'in minutes and at the end 2.5 or so. IIRC you've exceeded the other requirements on your own.

If you do computer programming (AFSC 3C0X2) you have a 95% or so chance of spending your time in the AF at Maxwell AFB, Gunter Annex in Montgomery Alabama. You will hate every fucking minute of that shithole. You'll also have to take an additional test on top of the ASVAB for this.

Computer operators (AFSC 3C0X1) can go anywhere, but you don't walk away with as marketable skills.

The AF does have mechanical AFSCs, but generally they get out and go back to a shitty hourly job that pay dick. Why bother?

EDIT: As has been mentioned before, at the MEPs NEVER, NEVER, NEVER give additional information after your first interview. Stick to your story. Even if they ask a new question they never asked before.

[saven]

Ok so i've told the recruiter I did smoke pot over 15 times. But that was 8 years ago man. My friends are all gone basically. The way I see it any job fate decides to put me in I might hate it due to the area, people, job..etc. I've done some pretty boring and mind numbing stuff so i'm ready for it. I'm not trying to set low standards i'm basically saying that I just wanna be in and learn and stay in as my career. I love being somewhere new, computer learning\science is great for me to learn. As for your MEPs comment I will stick to one story only. But let me ask you all something, since I told the recruiter I did smoke pot will this be there source of information they have now to keep forever? If so I will have to stick to what the story has been.

[Orph]

What you told your recruiter is what you tell everyone. Nothing different