I am confused as to the Air Force potential. I want to be an engineer and apparently in the Air Force you need to be an officer. In the navy you just become an engineer according to your ASVAB. Is this true that you can't be an Engineer in the Air Force without a 4-year?
2006-12-07 19:20:39 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Military
Engineer to the navy means an entirely different thing in the Air Force. To the Air Force an engineer is someone who has a four year college degree in some form of engineering and said person would then work on research and developement or applied engineering in designing and directing the construction of facilities on bases. To the navy, an "engineer" is someone somewhat more akin to the traditional definition of a shipboard engineer: someone who turns a wrench. Don't let recruiters trick you, to be a TRUE engineer you're ALWAYS going to need a college degree.
2006-12-08 03:56:52 · answer #1 · answered by promethius9594 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't know about how the Air Force operates, but in the Navy, you can enlist in an engineer job, so that might be the route you want to go.
This Wikipedia page has a list of Engineering Ratings in the Navy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U._S._Navy_Ratings#Engineering.2FHull_Ratings), there's also an "Engineering Aide" rating for construction but I don't know what that entails.
Basically, the branch you sign up for will dictate where you'll work. If you're in the Navy, you'll be doing marine engineering, if you join the Air Force, you'll probably have to invest some more time but it will take you more into the aeronautical engineering sector. Both are very applicable in the civilian sector.
If you decide to enlist in the Navy, I HIGHLY recommend getting an Ordinary Seamanship qualification through the Coast Guard. This will help immensely if you wish to pursue a career in the Merchant Mariner or private mainer sector since you'll be racking up sea time like crazy and automatically qualify for the next certificate. Try contacting the nearest Coast Guard post to you about how to obtain one. My brother is a Merchant Mariner and he says the best thing you can do if you ever plan on getting sea time through any job is to get your OS qual., since you get the sea time, you get boosted up to an Able Bodied Seaman practically automatically which means extra pay. It doesn't really mean anything to the Navy, but it will get you extra money if you go to a civilian naval job after your contract expires.
2006-12-07 19:37:35 · answer #2 · answered by Ultima vyse 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To be an officer, you have to be a graduate of a 4 year course just like in the Air Force. Thus, you should choose the Navy.
2006-12-07 19:24:19 · answer #3 · answered by FRAGINAL, JTM 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As an AF SSgt, I need to point out that all officers (in all branches)need to be commissioned and have at minimum 4-year degree. Hoever, i was a civil engineer in the AF before cross-training into a different career. I maintained some base operating systems. The term "engineer" does not necessarily mean "officer" in any of the branches of the military. Decide what you want to and ask the recruiter for more info or talk to a ROTC represenative.
2006-12-08 09:18:36 · answer #4 · answered by haribo1978 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The word engineer is used very loosely in the military it means many different things. I am sure in the Air Force it really means that you are an Engineer but in other branches it could me that you are Engineering a shovel
2006-12-07 19:47:39 · answer #5 · answered by cuddydman 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the name engineer is used to describe different jobs in the service. so it would depend on what exactly you want to do. an engineer in the navy stays below deck in the engine space working on the engines. while and engineer in the Marines and army concentrates on construction and demolitions. laying mine fields and setting up barbed wirer barriers along with breaching both. so first off i would figure out what exactly it is that your looking to do..
2006-12-07 21:06:17 · answer #6 · answered by stanyazfan 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A navy "engineer" is a "technician" in the Air Force. ex: avionics technician, or avionics engineer, same job different name.
2006-12-07 22:56:51 · answer #7 · answered by tom l 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
4 years is a long time so choose the navy
2006-12-07 20:31:09 · answer #8 · answered by laladingdong 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ultimately, you should compare the schools. The schooling is where you will be learning everything.
2006-12-07 19:32:06 · answer #9 · answered by Sandfrog 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋