air force reserve?
Out of context: Reply #14
- Started
- Last post
- 31 Responses
- StratusGD0
Wasn't aware Marines flew F-16s...thought they did FA-18s and Harriers (as far as small fixed-wing goes).
Anyway, I have a brother, a cousin, an uncle, and a father who are all Air National Guard/AF Reserve. Its not that bad. Just remember, your commitments are a MINIMUM. 8 weeks basic (AF is supposed to be the easiest, but still hard as hell), plus your tech school (this was an additional 3 hard months for my brother - an aircraft maintenance tech), then your commitment. Which can be extended, not always by your choice.
Also, your 1 weekend/month, 2 weeks/year is a minimum. My brother (a full-time guardsman) is deployed for a week at a time at least once every 2 months, often every month, and has done several 3 and 4 month tours.
But it's not all bad. He's got some amazing skills, had his college paid for, and travelled to a ton of places. And, to be fair, Air Bases tend to be relatively fixed - buildings may be temporary, but they're at least buildings, not just tents.
And no, not everyone is a rabid Bush supporter. Do they outnumber everyone else? Probably. But in the end, yor popularity will rest on your ability to get your job done without killing/injuring/angering someone (so yes, you will have to keep your mouth shut and do what you're told).
Most of all... figure out exactly why you're doing it. I almost applied for a pilot slot (I have my private FAA cert)... but I didn't need the money for college, didn't want to abandon my life for 3 years (pilot training can take that long, at least), didn't want to ditch a design career, and didn't take orders from W (or really, anyone who I can't totally trust).
I've seen people go in for the right reasons and do great, and come out with a very different perspective on things. And I've seen people go in for the wrong reasons, and really screw things up.