I do not want to do desk work, I like working with my hands and problem solving, I like being outside, I hate cold weather, I dont want to go home smelling like grease or oil although I do enjoy mechanics. Please tell me your point of view on the job you suggest
If I dont make a career out of the military I did want to be an officer
I was looking into Airborn linguist, Helicopter Maintenance, Security Forces, Airborne Battle Management, Aerospace Propulsion
If you don’t want to smell like grease and oil and you don’t like the cold, I don’t suggest maintenance. If you like being outside, then I would suggest Security Forces, but as it was said above, there is a chance that you could be stationed in one of the northern bases. Being an airborne linguist is a very difficult job to qualify for, and the training has a 70% washout rate. Not to mention once you do make it through, you would be sitting at a desk most of the time. Airborne Battle Management (My job) isn’t as difficult, but once training is over you’ll be doing a desk job on the days you don’t fly.
Hope this helps.
February 14th, 2010 at 3:41 am
OK so you don’t want to go home smelling bad and you don’t like harsh weather..? I would suggest staying as a civilian.
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February 14th, 2010 at 4:22 am
Security Forces, Aerospace Maintenance apprentice (heavies crew-chief), tatical maintenance apprentice (fighters crew chief), Hydraulics, GAC, COM NAV, Electrics, Jet Engine repair
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February 14th, 2010 at 5:02 am
Check out Aircrew Egress Systems….. we maintain Ejection Seats and related equipment….. we do not do alot of maintenance outside, but at times it is unavoidable….. I am in Alaska so it is very cold here in winter. Propulsion – if you get assigned to flightline propulsion shop you will be outside ALOT. Security Forces – you sit in a vehicle for hours on end and if an alarm or whatever happens…. you could be stuck outside forever till they fix whatever is happening. Airborne Linguist – all aircrew have to go to SERE school which from what I have heard is pretty grueling…… also I think they have to go to Arctic Survival School which is learning to make an igloo and living in the winter outdoors for almost a week.
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February 14th, 2010 at 5:37 am
with all the equipment you wear…it will keep you warm, I hated the heat, the equipment made me so hot!!! and I always had to drink water to stop from being deydrated. As a mechanic you wil be doing PMCS and will get oily and greasy so beign a motorpool rat is not for you. All SGT’s problem solve, so you just have to wait to come upo in the ranks, however some SPC do get to be incharge or are delegated to do so. which one of these jobs will translate into a civilian job, incase you don;t want to go to school???
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February 14th, 2010 at 6:06 am
If you want to be an officer… you must have the college degree to back it up.
Don’t like to smell like your a mechanic… don’t be a mechanic! You can tell the guys that work MX.. they all have a smell about them and their uniforms. And, even thought they scrub and they scrub, they never totally clean up. So, that rules out anything in MX, including props.
Don’t like cold… well, don’t be a cop. SF are at EVERY base, so there is no where you can’t go. And, you could be blessed enough to end up in Eilson AFB, AK or Minot AFB, ND, or guarding a silo out at one of the northern tier missile bases. True… you could end up in Texas or Florida, but you just never know!! (And it’s rather chilly in Iraq at night, and in the hills of Afghanistan.)
Airborne Linguist… not a lot of working with your hands, but a lot of sitting and listening. And, you have to be able to pass the language test to even be considered.
Battle Management.. don’t know that career. Can’t help on that one.
Good luck!!
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AF spouse – 21 years, married to a Maintainer
February 14th, 2010 at 6:55 am
If you don’t want to smell like grease and oil and you don’t like the cold, I don’t suggest maintenance. If you like being outside, then I would suggest Security Forces, but as it was said above, there is a chance that you could be stationed in one of the northern bases. Being an airborne linguist is a very difficult job to qualify for, and the training has a 70% washout rate. Not to mention once you do make it through, you would be sitting at a desk most of the time. Airborne Battle Management (My job) isn’t as difficult, but once training is over you’ll be doing a desk job on the days you don’t fly.
Hope this helps.
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4 Years USAF