Thinking about the Air Force for ATC

[challenger]

Hello all,

I am thinking about going to a recruiter and see if I can get ATC guaranteed as a job in the Air Force (I would only go in if its ATC in writing). I do know that it should be something in demand,with people leaving for the FAA and such. I have been having the run around with trying to join the Air Guard for over a half a year now. So I have been thinking maybe I should join in a job that I am really interested in in Active Duty.

As some of you may know I am currently a student at UND. I will be 21 in a few days and am sitting around 30 credits after this semester and am just feeling bored and unfulfilled with college life; money issues have made it so I have been unable to fly airplanes here as well. I took the first ATC class at UND and can honestly say it is the only college class I have enjoyed so far. I do not feel like paying for a lousy education anymore.

Otherwise UND does not seem to be fitting for me. Nothing is tying me down at this point in my life. I would kind of like to see different places, after all Grand Forks is pretty drab. (I understand could get put in a place similar, would not take much to beat here though :whatever

I tried AFROTC here and it just did not work out as I had planned. The way I see it if I like the Air Force I could always try for a commission after my enlistment is up. My original goal was to be a pilot in the AF, but I scored poorly on the AFOQT. That is a secondary goal though, because it may never happen; my major goal in life is to be able to live a (monetarily stable) life. I have been poor my entire life and am sick of it, so I want to set myself up for success. Which I mean hey, I like ATC and it definitely is a stable career path compared to some in this day and age. I also want to serve my country at some point.

So whats the verdict? Good idea, bad idea? Anyone out there Military controllers? Any advice would be greatly appreciated on this rather life changing decision!

 

[Hacker15e]

How about just retaking the AFOQT? If you really want to fly, then that's the first place you should start.

 

[challenger]

How about just retaking the AFOQT? If you really want to fly, then that's the first place you should start.

I forgot to add the other option that has been going across my mind if I were to not do this idea. I know I would be happier finishing college closer to home, so that could help me in getting back on track to trying to get a slot. I definitely would be willing to give AFROTC another try at a different school. I would hope to find a smaller detachment, it just feels like it would be a better fit if that were the case. Have any idea on how to find out the sizes of detachments?

I have my application into the University of Minnesota Duluth, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that I could get in and still qualify as a Minnesota resident (MN is awesome for state grants to help pay for college). If my tuition is mostly covered it will help me out immensely. Otherwise, Duluth will be too expensive, so I would have to go back to the drawing board. One thing seems for certain at this point, I have no desire to continue at UND regardless of whatever happens, its just too depressing here for my taste.

Being in and out of ROTC 2 times already, I don't know if they would let me back in, although the second was related to financial issues that required me to work 30 hours a week on top of 16 credits and ROTC, it just kind of spiraled out of control within a short period of time.

I just totally fell off track since I came to UND and didn't perform as well as I should have. I am quite persistent though so I guess that is a good thing :beer:

As far as retaking the AFOQT, is it hard for one to get a waiver to take it a third time if need be? If I am to retake it I need to really prepare better this time. I really underestimated it. I suppose I would at least have the entire summer ahead of me to study for it though. Anyone have any ideas for materials to look over? The Barron study guide I bought kinda stank.

Didn't take much to talk some sense back into me, thanks Hacker :laff:

 

[Rosstafari]

Two things to remember...

1. Make sure you're okay with the commitment, both in terms of time and location. Six years for the AF, don't remember for the others. There's also a chance you'll be far, far away from home for an extended period of time. I wasn't military, but I did work as a missionary in the third world for a couple of years and didn't come back the entire time. I'd do it again, but some people can't do it.

2. Get any promises about you going into ATC as your specialty IN WRITING. A recruiter will tell you anything to get you in, but he's not the one who might be spending years slogging around doing what he didn't sign up for.

Congratulations on thinking about serving, btw.

 

[MikeD]

2. Get any promises about you going into ATC as your specialty IN WRITING. A recruiter will tell you anything to get you in, but he's not the one who might be spending years slogging around doing what he didn't sign up for.

.

What are you talking about? Do you even know?

I mean, you make recruiters out to be akin to used car salesmen with a quota.

oh wait....

 

[Rosstafari]

What are you talking about? Do you even know?

I mean, you make recruiters out to be akin to used car salesmen with a quota.

oh wait....

Heh. I remember wandering into an Army recruiter's office during my senior year of college. That guy just kept trying to bait me on and on, and I'd feed him a little at a time just to see how far I could take it. Got him to the point where he actually agreed that I would be just like Chuck Norris in Delta Force. Had another one, a couple years later, when I was in Divinity School. Came by to recruit some of us to be chaplains. I was still interested, so we talked for a while... this time we took it to where I was told that I had a realistic possibility of ministering to Saddam Hussein, who was being held at the time.

 

[challenger]

haha :rotfl: Don't worry guys I have plenty of experience dealing with recruiters. I never pulled the trigger because I have this thing about being lied to. Only one that has been truthful, yet still incompetent is the Air Guard. If it did work out though it would have to be in writing and not the list your top 5 thinger.

For now after thinking it over a little, after this semester when I leave UND, I have one college I might get into and two I would definitely get into; they all have AFROTC. So getting back on track for a commission is probably the best idea. I am a smart kid and know I could be a decent officer, I just have to work on doing better in school.

 

[hship]

the air force is a good route to do both of the things you want to, but you just have to decide. if your goal is to be monetarily stable, the military will get you there, just not in the beginning! the first two years or so you won't make much more than 30k. i was in 6 years ago so i'm sure it has changed some, maybe a couple of puny raises since then, but once you make watch sup and promote a couple of times, you'll be doing ok. the reenlistment bonus was somewhere around 60k back then. and you can choose between 4 yr and 6 yr enlistments. i think they even have a shorter one now, but that is something you WOULD have to ask a recruiter about. you also have a pretty good healthcare system and don't have to deal with the insurance companies(which i love about civilian life-sarcasm). some people dog the military healthcare, but i had two kids while i was in and never had a complaint one about my experience. take it for what it is worth. this is all just to give you a small glimpse of what the benefits are. you also get a housing allowance so if you were to get stationed somewhere, you could buy a house and let the military pay your mortgage. i actually wish i would have stayed in. i'm 29 now, passed the point of reenlisting and wishing the faa would pick me up HA!
you're only 21 so you have plenty of time to make it happen with whatever you decide, i think you just need to make a decision and make it happen. hope i gave you some helpful info.

 

[ppragman]

Join the Coast Guard. I was going to join the Coasties out of highschool until I got a scholarship, my recruiter found out I had a scholarship and said, "Son, what the hell are you doing? Go to college, get your degree then come back and tell me what to do! I've been in 23 years, and there are still brand new incents (sp?) telling me what to do occasionally, plus you'll get paid more." And so I've been in college ever since. The honesty that he showed made up my mind as to what the most human branch of the services was. That and his no BS assessment of the job I'd be doing, "Son, this job's gonna have hours of boredom on end and no thanks in sight, boaters on the water will hate you, the only thing that'll make up for it will be the people you meet. I recommend it cuz' of the benes and the places you'll go, but it ain't all roses!"

 

[boondr]

Join the Coast Guard. I was going to join the Coasties out of highschool until I got a scholarship, my recruiter found out I had a scholarship and said, "Son, what the hell are you doing? Go to college, get your degree then come back and tell me what to do! I've been in 23 years, and there are still brand new incents (sp?) telling me what to do occasionally, plus you'll get paid more." And so I've been in college ever since. The honesty that he showed made up my mind as to what the most human branch of the services was. That and his no BS assessment of the job I'd be doing, "Son, this job's gonna have hours of boredom on end and no thanks in sight, boaters on the water will hate you, the only thing that'll make up for it will be the people you meet. I recommend it cuz' of the benes and the places you'll go, but it ain't all roses!"

Ensigns :insane:

 

[challenger]

After thinking it over for a while, I think I have decided that if I end up doing ATC, it will be civilian and being in the Air Guard (probably something other then ATC in the Guard because there is no ATC unit within 1000 miles of me); but I will get my college done and maybe give AFROTC another go first and foremost. I used to be of the pilot only crowd, but I can except if I commission and I could end up with doing something else for a few years. I am finally in the officer first mentality, so hopefully that will help me in the long run. If I change some bad qualities of myself now and at my new school when I get out of UND after this semester, I should be able get back on track towards accomplishing this goal, I became too distracted here and did not take it seriously enough. Although, I do hope that the structure will be a better learning environment at a different detachment. Knowing what I know now regardless, ROTC is nothing like being in the real military and I just need to tough it out if that ends up being the way for me to go.

 

[Hacker15e]

I can except if I commission and I could end up with doing something else for a few years. I am finally in the officer first mentality, so hopefully that will help me in the long run.

Excellent decision IMHO.

Hope to see you on the line someday.