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The Stinky Pink: Actually, I need help with the Airforce
roflgoblin
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Let's not turn this thread into a debate about joining the service. Thank you.
I'm 20 years old and I've made a pretty solid mental comittment to join the Airforce. Before I enlist, I would like to complete a college degree in Aerospace Engineering. At the very least, I would like to make it half way through school and then enlist into the Airforce's academic program (I can't remember the acronym for it, but it's a competitive program that pays the enlistee to attend and complete school with an enlistedman's pay and benefits). I have a girlfriend, and we have a 2-month old son (keep in mind).
Here are my concerns:
1.) Is bankruptcy recoverable with the Airforce?
Without getting into it too much, I had a problem with online gambling which has since been remedied (not cured, but controlled). I know that bad credit is a character reflection and that having extreme debt poses a potential threat for bribary, thus limiting my career options to non-confidential areas and information. Now, since I don't intend to enlist for a few more years, and knowing that I'll be 23 in less than 3 years, will I ever have the ability to join without this bankruptcy limiting my options? If I show, since the bankruptcy, a trail of responsibility when it comes to new debts (paying credit cards in time, having a low debt-to-income ratio, no evidence of gambling) will that be taken into enough consideration to be trusted? Will a bankruptcy ruin my chances forever, altogether?
2.) How will AFROTC help my chances for the competitive academic program and/or getting any petitions approved for things that might have otherwise held me back from joining? Is AFROTC worth the time and the effort? What were some of your experiences with AFROTC?
3.) How much do you know about the academic airman program?
Again, I can't recall the name of the actual program. It allows the enlistedman to attend school, paid for by the government, while recieving enlistedman's pay and benefits with the agreement that they will fullfil their duties with the Airforce immediately after graduation (or go on to attend officer school). Is it competitive? What does the Air Force look for when considering someone for this program?
4.) Any thoughts or resources regarding areospace engineering?
That's the majority of questions I have so far. I've done a pretty decent amount of research, including asking retired relatives, web browsing, and even speaking to a recruiter (who I know to take with a grain of salt). I really do appreciate your feedback guys. I know it's not the most relevant community for such a topic, but it never hurts to ask.
Again, please keep all replies on-topic, and DO NOT turn this into a debate about joining the services. Thanks everyone.
I'm 20 years old and I've made a pretty solid mental comittment to join the Airforce. Before I enlist, I would like to complete a college degree in Aerospace Engineering. At the very least, I would like to make it half way through school and then enlist into the Airforce's academic program (I can't remember the acronym for it, but it's a competitive program that pays the enlistee to attend and complete school with an enlistedman's pay and benefits). I have a girlfriend, and we have a 2-month old son (keep in mind).
Here are my concerns:
1.) Is bankruptcy recoverable with the Airforce?
Without getting into it too much, I had a problem with online gambling which has since been remedied (not cured, but controlled). I know that bad credit is a character reflection and that having extreme debt poses a potential threat for bribary, thus limiting my career options to non-confidential areas and information. Now, since I don't intend to enlist for a few more years, and knowing that I'll be 23 in less than 3 years, will I ever have the ability to join without this bankruptcy limiting my options? If I show, since the bankruptcy, a trail of responsibility when it comes to new debts (paying credit cards in time, having a low debt-to-income ratio, no evidence of gambling) will that be taken into enough consideration to be trusted? Will a bankruptcy ruin my chances forever, altogether?
2.) How will AFROTC help my chances for the competitive academic program and/or getting any petitions approved for things that might have otherwise held me back from joining? Is AFROTC worth the time and the effort? What were some of your experiences with AFROTC?
3.) How much do you know about the academic airman program?
Again, I can't recall the name of the actual program. It allows the enlistedman to attend school, paid for by the government, while recieving enlistedman's pay and benefits with the agreement that they will fullfil their duties with the Airforce immediately after graduation (or go on to attend officer school). Is it competitive? What does the Air Force look for when considering someone for this program?
4.) Any thoughts or resources regarding areospace engineering?
That's the majority of questions I have so far. I've done a pretty decent amount of research, including asking retired relatives, web browsing, and even speaking to a recruiter (who I know to take with a grain of salt). I really do appreciate your feedback guys. I know it's not the most relevant community for such a topic, but it never hurts to ask.
Again, please keep all replies on-topic, and DO NOT turn this into a debate about joining the services. Thanks everyone.
"There's no such thing as real life, just AFK."
roflgoblin on
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AFROTC is by far the easiest and least demanding of the ROTC routes. They will give you a full ride scholarship if you are accepted. They also however are one of the more difficult scholarships to get because of this. The benefits of ROTC over enlisting are huge.
Being an officer especially married with Dependants will net you ALOT more pay. It is also the only way you are going to get to fly. If that is what you want to do. I know there are some air force cadets running around here that can give you a better idea of what AFROTC is like.
I did Navy ROTC and it was not that much extra of a load academically spaced over 4 years. And getting free college at a big 10 school was nice.
I am pretty sure bankruptcy will ruin your chances for a security clearance, which means you won't be a pilot if that is what you wanted (pretty sure all pilots need one) although you can still be an officer and have a desk job of some sorts.
I am not too sure what you are asking here, what competetive academic program? If you are talking about the academy you probably don't have too much of a chance from what I know about it, most people planned way ahead in high school to get in, get great grades and stuff like that.
I know what you are talking about, it might be called the boot strap program, you do double the time in college as an officer. So you do four years, you serve eight. I am not sure what they look for when considering people for the program, but from what I hear it isn't tough to get into just don't fail out of it or you can get screwed.
Also, if you are just looking to pay for school you might want to consider guard or reserve.
However, once you get into it, it's a sweeter deal than the ROTC program because you do pretty much the same thing that they do except you are getting whatever your enlisted salary is while the ROTC guys are just getting a monthly stipend that can be rather paltry depending on cost of living in your area ($250-$400 a month between freshman to senior year).
I don't have any desire to fly, I would much rather fix things and design other things. In all honesty, and ideally, I'd love to work with satellites (thus this wouldn't necessarily pertain to an aerospace engineering degree).
If I were looking to help in communications in the satellite network (transfer of information, etc) which direction might I want to go? Aside from Aerospace engineering, I've considered a CIS degree as well.
When I spoke to the recruiter, she let me in on a few things. One, I'd have to petition for my credit situation, I would have to get married, and because I have two minor offenses when I was in high school (drinking related) I have to petition for a waiver in that area as well. She made it sound like I had no bargaining chips, and that if I were accepted (if I were to enlist in my current circumstances) it would be like the AF was doing me a favor, and I'd have no say as a gaurenteed job. What do you think about this?
And, I've been told that the service can gaurentee you the job(s) you've requested if it's put into the contract you sign. Is this true?
Actually, just had to put the flags up.
Give me a PM and I'll answer all your AFROTC related questions to the best of my ability.
Thanks everyone to all of your insight. I'll keep in touch to those I have specific questions. Any additional feedback is appreciated, but thanks again guys for keeping this on-topic, mature, and very helpful.
First, I can't see why you would enlist with that degree. You are one of the prime people they are looking to put through OTS (everyone calling it OCS...that's Army). The money is so much better.
The people talking about bankruptcy being a temporary problem are correct. As far as getting in, if you've demonstrated good sense SINCE your mistakes, they won't have much of a problem letting you in. The security clearance stuff will work out fine once you get out from under your debt, and if you go AFROTC or OTS that won't take TOO much time at all if you're responsible.
Someone said that, "They [AFROTC] will give you a full ride scholarship if you are accepted." The second sentence of that post seemed to approach a more correct statement but let me be absolutely clear: getting into AFROTC DOES NOT in any way guarantee a scholarship. You have to compete on a number of factors; I can explain that in a PM if needbe. Your choice of a technical major is a strong starting point.
Don't worry about the drinking tickets. Unless one of them is a DUI you're fine.
One last thing...if you go into AFROTC, you are not guaranteed where/what you want. As an engineer, you can imagine what you'll probably be doing for a job. But you CAN get fucked, so you need to go in with a positive attitude and a willingness to be flexible. Hope this helps.
PSN: TheScrublet
Generally bankruptcy won't completely disqualify you from a clearance. The old gambling problems might, especially if you need to go for a TS. A secret clearance is probably doable, but not being able to get your TS is a big limit in the space world.
Now school. I was an OTS graduate, I paid for college myself and as a result now get the GI Bill. I had may friends who were AFROTC in college and highly recommend it. Enlisting is all well and good, but if you want to work with satellite you basically have to be an officer. Satellite operators can be enlisted, but the space career field is significantly weighted towards officers, and if your studying engineering, you will probably be an Acquisitions officer. People in the pure space field are what used to be known as missileers. They operate and maintain the Nuclear missiles in such wonderful places as Minot North Dakota(compare this to where I am stationed) in addition the guys who sit in the capsule are again officers. Some "Missileers" work satellite control, and here you do see some enlisted troops, but generally they will be senior enlisted ranks.
Anyway about school as was said ROTC will pay for college as you go. I've known a few people paid to go to school while serving but never known anyone who didn't serve first. With ROTC you aren't actually in the military until you graduate, though after the first year you will either need to pay back the Air Force or serve time. Once you've joined there are plenty of ways to get advanced degrees paid for including the Air Force Instittue of Technology, or getting sent to a private school.
I can't help with the 3rd question and can provide tons with the 4th if you get more specific. Feel free to ask. Since I can't check the forums at work send me a PM and I'll send you my work e-mail, or you can just wait till I get back
-Terry Pratchett
ROTC will pay for college IF YOU GET THE SCHOLARSHIP. This is very important. Also, he said after the first year you will need to pay back or serve time. Let me clarify this: if you get a scholarship BEFORE entry (as a high school applicant, basically) you can try the program for a year, and then quit WITH NO OBLIGATION TO PAY OR SERVE. AFTER that first year if you stay with it you are committed. But this doesn't apply to you; if you enter at this point, you will compete for a scholarship after entry into AFROTC, and will have to commit 4 years to Air Force to accept this scholarship if you win.
I cannot stress this enough: entering AFROTC, EVEN with a tech major, DOES NOT equal a guaranteed scholarship. The only guaranteed money is that after Field Training (essentially, basic for officers), you WILL get $350 taxfree a month as a junior, and $400 taxfree a month as a senior.
EDIT: Acquisitions is one career you may be put in. But more likely are actual engineering/R&D fields (I know a math major that got put in R&D straight out of commissioning...this is a competitive field).
PSN: TheScrublet
Its army navy and marines that call it OCS you zoomies always have to be different!
All us 6X's are in acquisition. An AFSC(job code) of 61 is a scientist, 62 analyst and 63 Program manager. Within those there are specialties for mechanical engineering and Chemistry and all sorts of stuff. None of that matters. Very, Very few positions within the 6 career field aren't treated as interchangeable, especially if you have a job code. We have chemists working as wargaming experts and business majors designing new concepts. AFPC sees engineer and doesn't check what type of engineer. You can get lab work and R&D but it is likely that as a 62 or 63 you will end up at one of the product centers for your first assignment, these are in Boston, Dayton, Ohio and LA. Of those 3 only LA deals with space stuff in any significant amount.
-Terry Pratchett
I'd read/heard that Colorado had one of the more space-specific bases?
Also, knowing that pursuing a tech degree won't be grounds for a scholarship... what are? How can I be a competitve prospect for the scholarship program? Right now I'm goign to be using the pell grant and a small student loan, but ultimately, I'd love to have school paid for.
Headquarters Space Command is located at Peterson AFB, Colorado springs, I'm there quite often. There's also schriever AFB and Buckley AFB both of which are near C. Springs. The thing is these are not places where you go for a first assignment, there are some 2nd Lt slots there, but not many. Like I said it's possible you'll get assigned other places, but those 3 I mentioned are the most likely as a 62 or 63. You also generally can't specify space command, but that may have changed. If you want to .work for space command then LA, Cape Canaveral, Schriever, and Vandenberg are your best bets without trying to be in the missile career field
-Terry Pratchett
You're on the right track, but things have changed a bit.
If you are NOT going to receive a scholarship, you can be in the program for 2 years (or until you go to Field Training, which is now called Expeditionary Training).
If you DO receive a scholarship, you contract when you activate it. In this way you are indeed "in the military." You will not be subject to the UCMJ, but if you, for example, fail out, the AF can force you to enlist.
Also, stipend pay went up across the board, $500/month seniors, $400/month juniors, $300/month sophomores on contract, $200/month freshmen on contract.
Also, if you compete for a scholarship, you still get to accept/decline it (as far as I know, I accepted mine sophomore year).
So yeah, you were close, just a bit dated. In my defense I'm still in the program (Senior) so I get the latest info.