BF2S Forums Military: Before or after college?

Last edited by Poseidon (2008-04-12 19:14:45)

lowing wrote:

imortal wrote:

lowing wrote:

Well, what you suggest can be done, and has been, but c'mon really, why put all of that on a person that actually has a choice between college BEFORE military and college DURING military? Why subject yourself to all of the enlisted bullshit when they do not really need to put up with it?

I was enlisted in the Air Force, I got my A&P while I was in, and went on to an airline career ( actually several) I am also a private pilot.

The thing is, what you suggest works for people that do not have many options. Poseidon apparently does.

My first college experience was straight out of high school and was basically a waste of time, education-wise.  A few years in the military made a world of difference for me, discipline-wise, and is helping me to make my way through college much more successfully this time.

The military is not just a way out for people who have few options.  It helps create options.  Military service can also be a (metaphorical) mirror; helping you look at yourself in different enviroements and helping put to the test your dreams and goals.  Not to mention free training and pretty easy money.  Not to mention that I was army, and I do view enlisted in the Air Force as... more comfortable. 

I found it humorous that you followed a similar track I was suggesting.  There are so many people here suggesting college, then military.  It is the more traditional, I grant you.  I went to a military college first, and saw that life from the inside.  I am presenting an alternative method of getting to Poseidon's goals.  Options are rarely a bad thing.

Though I think it a bit pretentious of us discussing his future here while he sits back and observes.  Poseidon, how is your thinking going?  I hope you have time to seriously think about all of this.  It is not a descision to make lightly.  There are various ways to get to your goals.  Beware of recruiters, either college or military.  Listen to them, gather information.  Even get suggestions from us.  But make your own descision.

I think you put too much emphasis on what college has to offer. The reality is, college offers nothing more than a right of passage to pursue interests off limits to people without a degrees. Nothing more.

For example, to fly in the military, all you need is a degree, it doesn't even need to be in anything aviation related, it can be in hotel management for all they care. All the military wants to see is a piece of paper saying you have a degree. Now why would that be? Because college is used to weed out people for selection for UPT. The only reason I went into the military as enlisted was because I to wanted to fly but my vision wasn't 20/20 so I picked the next best thing. Working on them. No college required. As it is I make just as much as the majority of college grads anyway.

People do not go to college to learn shit, they go to college to get a piece of paper that magically opens doors regardless as to how smart you are. I know a ton of people with college degrees that couldn't scratch their ass with a bobcat in each hand.

lowing wrote:

Poseidon wrote:

lowing wrote:

I think you put too much emphasis on what college has to offer. The reality is, college offers nothing more than a right of passage to pursue interests off limits to people without a degrees. Nothing more.

For example, to fly in the military, all you need is a degree, it doesn't even need to be in anything aviation related, it can be in hotel management for all they care. All the military wants to see is a piece of paper saying you have a degree. Now why would that be? Because college is used to weed out people for selection for UPT. The only reason I went into the military as enlisted was because I to wanted to fly but my vision wasn't 20/20 so I picked the next best thing. Working on them. No college required. As it is I make just as much as the majority of college grads anyway.

People do not go to college to learn shit, they go to college to get a piece of paper that magically opens doors regardless as to how smart you are. I know a ton of people with college degrees that couldn't scratch their ass with a bobcat in each hand.

Lowing - I'm also going to an Aeronautical school. An Aeronautical offers much, MORE more than a normal college as it's based on...well, aeronautics.

Well there ya go, so why would ya consider dropping that to go into the miltary as enlisted??

lowing wrote:

Poseidon wrote:

lowing wrote:

Well there ya go, so why would ya consider dropping that to go into the miltary as enlisted??

Because it's free to go to the CCAF.

Ok, I just hope you are more disiplined to your studies than all my friends with all of their good intentions.

We drank, we partied, we chased girls, we worked, for 4 years. Just like college. God, I miss those guys

lowing wrote:

What about the Naval Academy or the Air Force Academy? Any thoughts on that avenue?

HurricaИe wrote:

apply to the USAFA Poseidon. What's the worst that could happen... ya don't get accepted?

lowing wrote:

What about the Naval Academy or the Air Force Academy? Any thoughts on that avenue?

Little BaBy JESUS wrote:

Well wat im doing is going to ADFA (Australian Defence Force Academy) doing my degree and officer training at the same time... ill be getting paid to study and its a proper degree the the University of New South Wales. minimum serve time for pilot in RAAF is 12 years (that includes degree so really 8 years) but that doesnt bother me... i plan on being in RAAF for a long time.

i like it the way im doing it lol.... anyways... id say talk to ex AF/ recruiters more and try to find out exactly which way will give you the best possible chances for making it in as a pilot.

lowing wrote:

Little BaBy JESUS wrote:

Well wat im doing is going to ADFA (Australian Defence Force Academy) doing my degree and officer training at the same time... ill be getting paid to study and its a proper degree the the University of New South Wales. minimum serve time for pilot in RAAF is 12 years (that includes degree so really 8 years) but that doesnt bother me... i plan on being in RAAF for a long time.

i like it the way im doing it lol.... anyways... id say talk to ex AF/ recruiters more and try to find out exactly which way will give you the best possible chances for making it in as a pilot.

HOLY SHIT!!...... Talk to anyone about this OTHER than a recruiter. DO NOT go to a recruiter with questions. Go to a recruiter informed and with your intentions and tell him what he needs to do if you are to sign up.

If you go to recruiter, he will tell you the best way to do what you want is to sign up TODAY!!

Little BaBy JESUS wrote:

lowing wrote:

Little BaBy JESUS wrote:

Well wat im doing is going to ADFA (Australian Defence Force Academy) doing my degree and officer training at the same time... ill be getting paid to study and its a proper degree the the University of New South Wales. minimum serve time for pilot in RAAF is 12 years (that includes degree so really 8 years) but that doesnt bother me... i plan on being in RAAF for a long time.

i like it the way im doing it lol.... anyways... id say talk to ex AF/ recruiters more and try to find out exactly which way will give you the best possible chances for making it in as a pilot.

HOLY SHIT!!...... Talk to anyone about this OTHER than a recruiter. DO NOT go to a recruiter with questions. Go to a recruiter informed and with your intentions and tell him what he needs to do if you are to sign up.

If you go to recruiter, he will tell you the best way to do what you want is to sign up TODAY!!

thats why i also said ex AF and friends in AF.... i understand that recruiters will just try to get u to SIGN UP TODAY!... but if you come to them with specific questions the usually have specific answers.... u dont go to them for life help lol just some questions u might have about service etc

mcjagdflieger wrote:

I didn't really read through this thread, so i dont know whate else you've heard, but I do have, perhaps slightly valuable input to your dilemma. I went to riddle, was in their AFROTC, and am open to answering a few questions. I'll start off with a few basics.  Only officers fly in the AF(someone correct me if im wrong, its happened before). I highly highly suggest if you go the ROTC route, you try it through an aeronautical engineering degree.  the AF does not give two fucks how many hours in a cessna you have, they need someone who is a math wiz and can jack off an F-16's computer systems with their eyes closed.  grades mean everything, your flight time means nothing. being an outstanding scholar and excelling in the ROTC program are the only things that matter to them. this is not to say you cannot do it with a BA in Aeronautical Science(professional pilot), you just better have god damn awesome grades to compete with the 350 aero engis and 75 other pilots who want the same thing you do...one of about 20 pilot slots that generally come from riddle's AF rotc program. the AF only gives out about 50 pilot slots a year. the entire AF. the whole country. including all rotc units, the academy, everything. you need to be the best, the best on the books. not in the air. dont waste your money flying at riddle, the AF takes care of it for you. i hope this isnt discouraging, but they ( The AF) dont fuck around. they want the absolute best in their multi-million dollar planes. you should also seriously consider flying in another branch, or the Guard.  i "heard", meaning im not sure, that the marines will give you a test and tell you if they'll give you a pilot slot before you even start doing anything, so ask around, find out as much as you can. more questions? i'll answer what i can.

FEOS wrote:

mcjagdflieger wrote:

I didn't really read through this thread, so i dont know whate else you've heard, but I do have, perhaps slightly valuable input to your dilemma. I went to riddle, was in their AFROTC, and am open to answering a few questions. I'll start off with a few basics.  Only officers fly in the AF(someone correct me if im wrong, its happened before). I highly highly suggest if you go the ROTC route, you try it through an aeronautical engineering degree.  the AF does not give two fucks how many hours in a cessna you have, they need someone who is a math wiz and can jack off an F-16's computer systems with their eyes closed.  grades mean everything, your flight time means nothing. being an outstanding scholar and excelling in the ROTC program are the only things that matter to them. this is not to say you cannot do it with a BA in Aeronautical Science(professional pilot), you just better have god damn awesome grades to compete with the 350 aero engis and 75 other pilots who want the same thing you do...one of about 20 pilot slots that generally come from riddle's AF rotc program. the AF only gives out about 50 pilot slots a year. the entire AF. the whole country. including all rotc units, the academy, everything. you need to be the best, the best on the books. not in the air. dont waste your money flying at riddle, the AF takes care of it for you. i hope this isnt discouraging, but they ( The AF) dont fuck around. they want the absolute best in their multi-million dollar planes. you should also seriously consider flying in another branch, or the Guard.  i "heard", meaning im not sure, that the marines will give you a test and tell you if they'll give you a pilot slot before you even start doing anything, so ask around, find out as much as you can. more questions? i'll answer what i can.

The numbers of pilot slots varies from year to year. Worst I ever saw was 50 pilot slots for ROTC, nation-wide, during the drawdown of the early 90's. There were like 40 nav slots nationwide (ROTC). There are FAR more than 50 UPT slots available every year, AF-wide. USAFA gets the majority of them, then ROTC/OTS, then active duty applicants. It all depends on how you do on the right parts of your AFOQT and the BAT. The flavor of your degree means the square root of fuckall when it comes to being selected for pilot training.