The AF Reserve...

G

Greg Davis

Well-Known Member
I'm thinking of joining the AF Reserve. The reasons are many (I need money, experience for my career as an A/P, benefits, etc)...this was brought up/suggested by a former Marine friend of mine.

Thing is I'm not sure how the whole thing works...as I understand it...you sign up and go to Basic Training...but then what? Do I go on to find a job as a civilian, or do I work for the air force (like a contractor), or what?


My plan, I guess, is to do the Reserves, get a job at the nearby AF base (preferably airframe/structures, but I'll take anything if that isn't available) to fund getting my pilot's ratings and living, and use GI Bill to attend an aeronautical university.

I know these are things to be asking a recruiter...but I want opinions or experiences from other people who aren't paid to get me to sign up...

Thanks.
 
From what I understand being an AF maintainer does nothing for your civilian A&P experience (I could be completely wrong though). You'll come in as an E-3, and while you will be doing the actually wrench turning generally E-6 and up are the ones whose names go on the paperwork. I would still log the hours and they may count towards something, but I'm not sure. I would ask a mil/civ maintainer, as they'd probably be able to tell you better than pilots will. As far as benefits you'll be able to get the bad version of tri-care for health insurance.

After basic you go to follow on training that's full time, maybe 5 months long for a maintainer depending on the air frame, then come back to your home unit. Your home unit is based on who has opening and where you can get hired. You will actually have to go to specific units to find this out. You will be very part time, and will need full time work if you expect to pay rent. As for working for the reserves and working for active duty at the same time, that'll be a no go, as a guardsman or reservist you can take active orders from time to time, but that's a different discussion. You will need to find a civilian job that you would be at 90% of the time.

Post 9/11and the GI bill will fund pilot training and university, but it's not enough money for both. However most states Air Guard units have really really great educational benefits for their members not coming in with a degree, I can't speak for the Reserves, but generally higher education is looked upon highly by the USAF no matter where you are.

A lot of these questions are geared more towards the folks at afforums.com, those folks will know a whole lot more about the enlisted side of the house than the dudes cruising these boards, maybe even try reddit.com/r/airforce. There may be some MX officers around that could give you some advice though I guess, but I don't know of any on these boards.

Good luck whatever you decide.
 
Coming from the floating side of the force and mostly active duty.....

I was an airframes in the Navy, did four active and three reserves. When I got off active I took my training paperwork to the local FSDO and got signed off for my Airframe and General. Never really used it though. I worked in an I-Level shop, but was a CDI (QA) inspector for Airframes, Composites and Welding by the time I was E-4, though I know from hiring Tinker guys the Air Force does the 5-level, 7-level maintainer thing so they may be a bit different. For us it was boot amp for 9 weeks, then airframes A-School was 9 more weeks.
 
Soku39 said:
From what I understand being an AF maintainer does nothing for your civilian A&P experience
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Depends on your experience level: for some, you can just take your paperwork to the FSDO, for others you have to take the practical test.
 
Can't answer anything about the A&P, sorry. But, being a Reserve guy, I'll try to fill in the blanks...

You'll go to Basic Training, I think it's 8 weeks now. After that, you'll go to tech school. Every airframe is a bit different, but 6 months is a safe guess. A lot of the USAF's aircraft maintenance courses are at Sheppard AFB in Texas, but there's a few scattered around. From the time you leave for basic to the time you graduate tech school, you'll be on what's called "initial active duty for training" orders and be paid the monthly amount for your rank. If you're married, you may be able to live in base housing, or even outside the gates, in which case you'll get monthly allowances for food and housing. When you're done with tech school, you'll go back home (assuming your unit is local) and probably do some kind of "seasoning" tour which is basically a period of time for you to learn how your job is actually done, as opposed to how the schoolhouse teaches you. After that, the possibilities really open up. Your unit may have a need for someone with your skills to be on orders, for which you'll get paid. After you've become somewhat proficient in your job, there may be a full-time "technician" position that you can apply for and work at your unit as a government employee. You can be a straight "TR" or Traditional Reservist that shows up only for the one weekend a month and 2 weeks a year. There's really a lot of different ways it could work out.

Hope this helps.
 
Ah...well the way I'd understood the AF Reserve was a way to serve, while being able to live at home (if you choose), and work at the nearest base.

See, I would love to serve, and gain experience as an A/P for a while, then use my GI Bill to pay for flight training or a degree. But if the Reserve is gonna keep me from doing that, I'd rather not. I do not agree with the politics and foreign policy of the country currently, so I have no interest in being shipped out...but I want to support our guys (and women) here, and defend our borders.

Maybe the Air National Guard is a better idea for me?
 
Greg Davis said:
I do not agree with the politics and foreign policy of the country currently, so I have no interest in being shipped out...but I want to support our guys (and women) here, and defend our borders.
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Sounds like the military isn't for you, amigo. The AFRC/ANG is typically pretty good about working around your schedule (ie- asking for volunteers first), but if it's your unit's turn for a rotation and they need you to go, you can and will be activated.
 
Greg Davis said:
I do not agree with the politics and foreign policy of the country currently, so I have no interest in being shipped out...but I want to support our guys (and women) here, and defend our borders.

Maybe the Air National Guard is a better idea for me?
Click to expand...

The Reserve and ANG are closely married to the active duty AF in terms of how they're used in deployed combat operations. There's a concept called Total Force Integration which basically means that reserve and guard components are worked in to combat rotations in order to ease the burden on active duty people and equipment. Being in the ANG or reserve can mean just as much opportunity to go to far off lands and apply US foreign policy as your active duty servicemates. So, your vision of how the ANG/Reserve works is not correct.

Even moreso, as a member sworn to protect and defend the Constitution, you are not a sunny-day patriot who gets to go play when it matches the politics you want. You get to go play when and where the National Command Authority say you will, and if you don't like it there's not much you can do about it (and there's plenty the gov't can do if you try not to play: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ehren_Watada).

I think that CBP might be a better option for you.
 
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