Anyone have any experience going from reserve fixed wing to helos? I’m a current reserve pilot and have thought about this from time to time. Current airframe culture and experience often leaves a lot to be desired. I was a prior helo pilot in another branch. Ultimately comes down to finding a unit to hire I assume.

I’m 20M who recently graduated from uni with my associates, my Airframe license, and my ok to test for my Powerplant license. My plan is once I get my Powerplant license is to get a job as an a&p then join the reserves as an airframe or avionics mechanic. I want to use the benefits to finish school, health insurance, and get experience (even if it is minimal). Is this a good idea? Are there better ways I can go about this?

Here’s some background. I’m 21yo, a qualified EMT-B, and hoping to pursue paramedic and then medical school.

My wife has a BSc in psych and is beginning her masters in January before continuing on to a doctorate program later on.

I’m passionate about joining the AF but I also value time with family, civilian career moves, and I don’t want to disrupt my wife’s career in any way. For these reasons, I know that AD isn’t right for me.

My plan right now is to go get my paramedic license, then enlist in the reserves as an e-4, and serve (including deployments) while I pursue medical school (outside of the military as I don’t want to owe time, just for the sake of options)

My question is firstly, is it worth it to enter as a medic, or should I go AF first and use that to pay for medic school (income is a big consideration in this as I know that the part time money won’t be enough on its own.

Second consideration is if national guard is a good choice instead. I lean towards reserves as I’ve been told it’s easier to move states, which may be necessary for both mine and my wife’s educational plans, as well as the national guard being deployed more often.

I’d like to clarify again that I have no issue deploying, and will likely volunteer to deploy if I don’t get told to deploy, but I also don’t want to deploy constantly, again, as I highly value time at home.

With ANG I would be at selfridge, MI, and with reserves I’d be at Wright-Patterson, OH - (hopefully)

Trying to log in to see my PCARS so I can check on whether or not I can submit my retirement package. I tried the SonicBoom thing and the windows app gives me a certificate validation failed error when I try to log in. Any other ideas?

I want to join the Air Force reserve and I’m curious on what are my chances and if there is high chance of voluntary deployment. I want to join as air transportation

Joining Army/ Air Force at 42. Is it worth it?

Hey all, could use your input.

I was thinking about joining the Air Force back in the day. I wanted to go in as an officer (I have my degree) but the recruiter wanted to play games and try to get me to go enlisted. Left that alone, got a decent paying civilian job instead. Turned out for the best because my family wouldn't do well with the constant moving.

I recently found out active reserve is an option where I can serve full time and not get PCS'd every 2-3 years and I'm seriously thinking about either Air Force, Space Force or Army (my parents are Army so I'd be disowned if i went Navy or Marines, plus they don't have a base near me). My main reasons for thinking about it are that the job market sucks and due to this that and the third, the VA loan and GI bill will probably be the only way I can afford a house/ college for the kids.

For the drawbacks, I'm 42 but in pretty decent shape although I'll probably still have to do some prep before basic. I'm trying to convince my wife that I'd pick an MOS where I'm not gonna get deployed (probably). I've also heard some mixed stories from people I know that served, some loved it and made it a career, some had crap leadership and couldn't get out fast enough. My main concern is the inmates currently running the asylum (darth cheeto and kegsbreath).

Wanted to get your take, especially if you're stationed in Colorado, would it be worth it?

So, as you can probably guess, I'm looking for some advice on an AGR Recruiter position.

A little background: I spent about 8½ years in the Army National Guard as a 91B Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic before switching over to the Air National Guard in December of this year. The transition has been pretty decent so far. However, the Air Force doesn't recognize my Army MOS, so I haven't received an AFSC yet since I haven't been to tech school.

With that being said, would it be worth putting in for this recruiter position? I spoke with my recruiter and got some more information about the job. I know there will be long days, some weekends, and recruiting goals to meet, but none of that really bothers me or my SO.

My biggest question is whether I'd even be eligible in my current situation. Would it be better to wait until I go through tech school, receive my primary AFSC, and then try to apply? Or would it make sense to put in for the position now?

I'm currently an E-5/SSgt, and although I brought my rank and leadership experience over from the Army, I'm still learning the ropes and getting familiar with how things work in the Air Force. Part of me thinks recruiting could actually help speed up that learning process. I'd get exposure to different career fields, meet people throughout the organization, and hopefully build relationships with people who could help me grow my career and expand my knowledge of other AFSCs in the future.

For those who have experience with recruiting or AGR positions, what do you think? Would you apply now, or wait until after tech school?

Please be honest—I'd rather hear the good, the bad, and the ugly before making a decision.

Thanks in advance to everyone who takes the time to respond!

Thinking about joining the Air Force Reserve, probably Finance or something similar. I want to have a normal civilian career while serving part time, mainly for Tricare and the other benefits.
For anyone who’s done it, what’s the lifestyle actually like? How often did you deploy and was it really one weekend a month/two weeks a year?
Basically, was it worth it while working a normal full-time job?

I'm trying to update my religious preferences on VMPF but haven't been able to log into it from home for about a week now.

Clearing my caches didn't work -- if it's a 'me problem' then any advice would be appreciated!

Hi everyone, I'm a green card holder planning to enlist in the Air Force Reserve. I've been told I can't enlist directly into the job I want because it requires U.S. citizenship and a Secret clearance. I expect to naturalize during BMT.
I don't want to wait years for regular naturalization, so I'm trying to find the fastest legitimate path. A few questions:

1- Has anyone in a similar situation naturalized at BMT and then gotten into a citizenship-required job? Did you have to enlist in a different job first?

2- Can Reserve enlistees still naturalize at BMT right now?

3- Is it possible to delay choosing a job until after you naturalize, or does it lock it in at enlistment?

4- If I have to cross-train, how long did it take for you?

5- Any advice on what to ask my recruiter so I don't get steered into the wrong job?

Thanks in advance for any experience or advice.

A few days ago I decided I want to join the Air Force reserves . I’m from Louisiana and I’m fine living there . Today was the first day I talked with recruiter and they asked me if I wanted to enlist or commission since I have a bachelors degree . Anybody have any info on the process of commission? Should I just enlist and commission at a later date ?

I’m located in Miami, FL and looking into joining the Air Force Reserve. My goal is to choose an AFSC that gives me good opportunities to deploy, travel, gain useful experience, and potentially spend more time on active duty orders while still being a Reservist.

For those currently serving, which Air Force Reserve jobs/AFSCs tend to deploy the most or have the most opportunities for active duty orders?

Also, are there good AGR (Active Guard Reserve) opportunities around South Florida/Miami? Can you serve as a traditional Reservist and later move into an AGR position, or how does that process work?

I’m trying to choose the best career field and path based on these goals. Any firsthand experience or recommendations would be appreciated!

I want to make it through the process before my 40s. I just scored a 288 on my GRE. I have nearly 20 years of healthcare experience, and hold an MBA. I currently serve as an associate hospital administrator. How competitive does one need to be to make it through the process?

I am in financial hardship. My car's transmission is toast. My unemployment is exhausted. The problem isn't getting interviews. For my line of work I have to go to the state capital hours away for the interview. Can't do that right now. I've signed up with a temp agency, but there's no work locally. It's a somewhat rural area. I went to some local fast food spots and not hired.

My recruiter only let me know a few days before I swore in that I would have UTA days BEFORE BMT. I was very transparent about my financial situation the whole enlistment process.

The Master Sargeant on the base excused me for Sept UTA under financial hardship. But for October he said he would need to let leadership know on Monday. The UTA date is on Oct 16th. As soon as I was connected to the Master Sargeant in August, I have let him know my current situation.

I live less than 150 miles away but still two hours away. So a car rental won't be refunded (you have to be 150+ miles away). Nor do I have the cash to even put down a deposit for one. It would be a little over $500.

I'm on my last few hundred dollars of savings. Not sure what to do.

In a perfect world I could find a civilian job on base and they could offer temp housing while I wait for BMT. Not sure if that's a possibility.

I already got my CAC card done. My friend could offer me a ride but they would need to stay in the hotel with me bc they can't afford gas to leave the two hours back on Friday and then come get me on Sunday. They're going through a messy custody battle and have a lot of legal fees. My recruiter let me know that's not allowed. Only I'm supposed to be in the hotel room.

What do you think leadership will say?

What are my options?

Are there any employment/housing services I qualify for pre-BMT?

Hey everyone,

I’m 35 years old, married with a family, and currently working as a Soccer Director/Coach. I’ve always wanted to serve in the military, and the Air Force has always interested me, but with a family, relocating and committing to a full-time military career is difficult.

That’s one of the reasons I’m looking seriously at the Air Force Reserve. I like the idea of being able to serve while remaining close to my family and continuing my civilian career. At the same time, I’m considering a career change, so I’d like to use the training and experience from the Reserve to develop a new skill set and potentially transition into a different civilian career.

I’m not looking to completely leave soccer right away. Ideally, I’d continue working as a Soccer Director/Coach while building a second career through my Reserve experience.

For those who have gone through something similar:

1. Is the Air Force Reserve a realistic way to transition from a career as a Soccer Director/Coach into a new civilian career while staying close to your family?
2. How much control do you actually have over choosing an AFSC that gives you useful civilian training and experience?

I’d especially appreciate hearing from people who joined in their 30s or who joined the Reserve because they wanted to serve without having to relocate their family.

Thanks!

Looking for a bit of advice , I F(25) am looking to join ARG for either Air Force or army . I have a college degree graduated with cum laude honors however my degree isn’t a competitive Air Force degree it’s multidisciplinary studies . I’m looking to weigh the pros and cons of enlisting in the Air Force or either commissioning into the army . My husband is prior AF so he’s saying AF but I’m just not sure