I am considering bot the navy and the air force. Which one should I choose? Please give reasons why.?

Question

I am a senior and have just met with a navy recruiter yesterday.I have yet to meet w/ an airforce recruiter.I hope to go into dentistry.How would I go about doing that?What job should I pick to do?Is it true that in the air force u pick 3 jobs and they give u any of the 3?How often are you allowed to go to school?I am a bit confused.How would I go to college on a ship???Is there time?Would it take me longer than four years to get a predental degree in the navy and air force?If I were to reenlist after four years would I be able to go to dental school and graduate within four years??If I did not reenlist, would I get any assistance for dental school?Which of the two branches have more benefits?Which is better for females?Do u travel in the air force or are you more stationairy?Would u go to college faster? Which branch promotes education more?Which is better for health professions?Please just answer my questions and give me any extra info including the pros and cons.THANKYOU in advance

Answer 1

I'm sorry I know little about the Air Force. I have heard they are the place to go if you are female. However, I do have information on the Navy. My Husband was a DT (Dental Tech.) in the Navy. He is currently a CM (Construction Mechanic). He did not deploy the whole time he was a DT. He did however, take overseas duty in Naples, Italy. The A school is in San Diego, California which isn't too shabby. You will be properly trained and can continue school when you get out or on your time. He never went on a ship in over 8 years as a DT.
DT isn't a bad rate in the beginning. If you don't plan to stay in for your career it's a good place to be. Once you get to E-5 it's hard to get any further. Though most people are in their re-enlistment phase before they reach E-5. My husband changed rates (jobs) because he wanted a new challenge and because he wanted the chance to advance beyond E-6.
Oh and the Navy really doesn't send DT's into combat, there isn't really a place for them. DT's sit on a base.
I also have several enlisted female friends. None of them have said that Boot Camp was unbearable.
In the Navy, if you want to go to C school you have to ask for it. A school teaches you how to do your job, C school is additional schooling. You have the option of night school at a local college and doing online courses once you've reached your duty station. How much you want to learn is on you. The Navy isn't against furthering your education but they will only pay for it if you want to go. Also as a plus, any further schooling you do looks good for promotion. It all goes into your quarterly Eval. Hope that helped.

Answer 2

I am ex navy and I know the did have a dental technician rate (rate is like your job description) when I was in. If you are a dental tech you would most likely not spend too much time at sea so you may be able to do college. If you sign up for the GI bill your school would be paid for when you get out and they also did have an apprentice program when I was in (don't know if DT's got to use that or not.). The navy will try to force you to go into the field they are shorthanded at so before you sign a contract make sure your school/ field of choice is guaranteed don't listen if they say we will just put you in and you can strike for a rate later because you will not get what you want in most cases. Of the two branches I think the Navy has better schools and when I was in they had better advancement rates. The Air force has better living conditions but they don't move up through the ranks very fast. Good luck I don't think you can go wrong with either.

Answer 3

There are pros and cons to both branches. I am currently serving in the Air Force right now, so I can give you a point of view from the Air Force mainly. The Air Force does have dental hygienist which would be the closet to dentistry. Contrast from all of the other branches we have CCAF, which is the Community College of the Air Force. It is regionally accredited and it makes get your A.S. degree real easy. Each branch has Tuition Assistance which provides 100% of tuition up to $250 per semester hour for a bachelor degree if you are on active duty(The Reserves have a slightly different set up). On top of that you have the G.I. Bill which can be used while on active duty or even as a civilian after your first enlistment is up, on any level of degree as you desire.

I think that you could get a predental degree in 4 years, but you would have to work extremely hard, and probably go to school year round at one point( That is for both branches).

I think the Air Force is better for a female, cause if you ask anybody in the military, cause you can beat Air Force quality of life. The traveling in the Air Force depends on what job you choose, but as a dental hygienist you probably wouldn't move as much, but at least once every 4 years(give or take 6 months). The Air Forces prides itself in education but YOU have to find the time and effort to go to school. If possible it wouldn't be bad to take a Air Force( or maybe even Navy), ROTC and get your B.S. and then use the Armed Services Health Profession Scholarship.
If you have any other question feel free to ask. Here are some help links

Health Profession Scholarship:
http://www.d.umn.edu/~lenn0040/armed.htm

ROTC:
http://www.afrotc.com/
www.nrotc.navy.mil

Answer 4

First... do NOT, repeat...do NOT go by what the recruiters say. Recruiters are lying snakes that will tell you whatever you want to here just to get you to sign up. Talk to people who have served in either branch. I was in the Marines so I cannot speak from experience. However, I do believe the Air Force is the way to go if you're looking for technical skills that can really pay off after you get out. If you join the Navy, you have a chance to see the world, Mediterranean Floats, Pacific Floats, etc. Both are branches are good choices.

Answer 5

All the branches of the military offer unique opportunities.

When I went in to the military, I wasn't sure whether I wanted to go Army or Air Force. I had elliminated the Marines and Navy because at that time they didn't offer an entry level opportunity in law enforcement.

Deciding that the Air Force was a better choice...I went that way!

The individual services should be checked while considering a specialty chosen in an area that interests you. This way you can also use your skills when you eventually retire or when you leave.

Best wishes!

Answer 6

what I would recommend is, if at all possible do not go into the service for your education - go to college.
If that is not going to be possible, find a way to go to a base and speak with someone (more than one person) of the rate that you are interested. Unless someone has tried to do exactly what you want to do, their story and issues will be slightly different than what you would encounter. (for example, I can only tell you sub stories)
Recruiters have a quota to enlist in the service, they can give you general information, but you cannot believe their specifics (my opinion). Recruiters will paint a great picture of what you will face (really - try this - say you want to be a dental tech and let them talk about it, then say - oh I meant diesel mechanic and you will find they will just say everything is great)
If you had to pick a service, I would go AF before Navy (again, my opinion). This I reccomend because it would be easier to go to school if you are on land then at sea.
But knowing what I know now, find a way to go to college. Make it happen. Once in the service, you have less control over what you get to do. Not everyone reconizes millitary training as equal to the civilian job. Find a way to go to college (have I said that before?). Many people find a way and you are just as worthy as any of them. You can do it! .... Oh yes you can! ... Can too!

Answer 7

i would recommend joining the air force because they have such programs as mention by A.T. the Navy has combined their medical and dental rating into one big one now they are all CORPSMAN'S and giving them more ways to go to other technical jobs in the corpsman rating and corpsman's are more likely to get deployed to certain parts of the world than others with marine units. both have good health care professions. the navy uses their dental techs mainly on land base bases and that should give you some time to go to school also. your best bet is to join the air force and you should be able to knock out most of your pre-dental requirements as to being station on a ship. it was hard going to work and school but i ended up finishing up and becoming a Navy doctor. so it can be done. hope this helps.

Answer 8

In the navy you would stand a good chance of being deployed on a ship. The Air force will be a fixed station scenario for the most part. You may however not be in an area that offers the courses you want to finish your education. You will get a lot of them, but not all of them. There is a program that will let you go to school full time, but the payback is that you serve a certain amount of years in return.

Answer 9

I am currently in the Army, I personally should have done more research myself, i would have joined the Air Force because you have better quality of living. Army 2 star hotel, Air Force 5 star hotel. I didnt want to join the Navy due to the fact that i dont like being around the ocean and on boats,,,

Answer 10

You will be spending at least 2 years in service, so choose carefully based on what you are looking for, and what you think you will get out of the experience in the military. You CANNOT change your mind after you sign on the dotted line, so choose carefully and wisely. Good luck to you.