Is the Air Force a good idea for a soon to be Father?

Question

Right now i'm 19 years old. My girlfriend that i love very much is pregnant with our baby and is due in August. At the time i work for UPS which has great benefits and is a union job. But i cant get enough hoursbecause you have to start part time and it's all goes by senority to become a driver which can take a few years. i've always been interested in the Air force and wonder if it would be a good idea to join with a family. i'm just worried that with all the new delivery companies growing it might be better to learn a trade in the air force instead of driving a truck. if i stayed there i might struggle making enough money for the three of us.

Answer 1

If you're going to join the military with a family, I'd say join the Air Force. They tend to have less deployments and transfers. Also, your basic training is shorter. My cousin's husband joined the Navy at 19 with a baby on the way. He was gone to sea six months out of the year.

Answer 2

One step at a time chief. Take the ASVAB. The screening. you will could make it by way of effortless and tech college first. you do no longer in user-friendly terms connect the A.F., it particularly is different from signing up for little league, there's a technique in basic terms like there's a technique for on-base housing. there's an prolonged waiting checklist, and the RHIP Rank Has Its Privilege and you would be on a waiting checklist for a pair of three hundred and sixty 5 days or extra. you're extra effectual off going single, besides there'll be extra skirt chasing than you are able to ever have self assurance. don't get married.... in case you think of you would be stateside, you're dreaming. you would be deployed... Did you swear in? I swear that i will guard and guard the form of the U. S. against all enemies the two foreign places and better half and infants.... there's a war occurring chum. you isn't with you new wifey all that lots...

Answer 3

Ok sweetheart maybe then if you want to do a trial time to see if it's what you thought maybe you should join the Air Force Reserves or Air National Guard where you do only 3-4 weeks a year 1 weekend a month for like 2-4 years. Then if you feel it is all that you want or what its all cracked up to be you can renlist as Active duty and have more options and so on and so forth. But to answer your is it a good idea for a guy to join that has a family well hunny there's family men and women over in Iraq and all over the world so you wouldn't be the first.. :)

Answer 4

The military is excellent for families because they will actually pay you more money if you have dependents. They would teach you a great skill and are guaranteed to get promoted, at least for the first few years (providing of course you don't get in any trouble). And since you were already interested in possibly joining, yes, it sounds like it would be a great idea for you.

That being said, you have to understand that you can and likely will deploy, meaning you will be away from your girlfriend and child for up to a year (well, I am deployed now for a year, plus I had 3 months of training beforehand so its more like 15 months away from my loved ones). Additionally, there is no saying where you will be permanently stationed so you will want to discuss this with your girlfriend to see if she would be willing to move with you. Any specific questions, and I would be happy to help you. Good luck.

EDIT: We get paid decent money, so disregard that... on average, after 3 years of service, you should be making closer to $3,000 a month. You won't be rich by any means, but I live comfortably and drive a Lexus so...

EDIT #2: (I swear I spend more time on here correcting other people's mistakes than I do making my own post!!) AF will guarantee you a job. I came in guaranteed Linguist.

Answer 5

Before you sign on the dotted line, think on -

The minute you sign, your life no longer belongs to you. The Air Force will send you where-ever they want you, and you can be sure that is going to be in Iraq, Afghanistan, or ANY other conflict zone or theatre...at the moment the Military are looking for cannon fodder.. just look at the ages of those returning home in body bags for goodness sake.

Join up by all means, but, you will not be given the time to learn a trade, or gain the neccessary experience NEEDED when they send you into the theatre of war.

Simple as.... don'' believe me..?

Check out this great site I came across and get the FACTS from the horses mouth about what you have to look forward to, and what the girlfriend you profess to love very much has to worry about 24/7...
http://www.geocities.com/bfpoonline/Pullupasandbag.html

click on EVERY underlined yellow link.. including NEXT at the bottom of each page... and check it out WITH your beloved girl-friend TOGETHER, so you can ask her advice.

Once you are in possession of the FULL FACTS of what your employment plans are, and you have properly discussed it with the girl you "love very much" you will be able to sleep at night with YOUR decision as to your future LIFE.

Hmmmm

Answer 6

two questions buddy
first, are you ready to possibly give your life for your country? we're at war keeping us safe from terrorism in the US
second, how much money do you make now? the military pay isn't that high, so would you be better off quiting ups, you already have health care for your family?
when i left the Air Force after 8 years i was making under 1800 a month, that's not that much to support three people

Answer 7

Yes, but the Air Force won't guarantee the job you want BEFORE you sign your contract. Sixty percent of all Air Force enlistees are open contract.

From about.com:

Army. In the Army, an enlisted job is called an "MOS," or "Military Occupation Specialty." The Army is the only service that offers a guaranteed job (MOS) to everyone. The Army has no such thing as an "open" or "undesignated" enlistment. However, the MOS's offered to you, might not be the one(s) you wanted. It depends upon your qualifications and what jobs have current/projected openings. If the job you want is not available, your only choices are to choose a different job, or not enlist.

Air Force. The Air Force calls their enlisted jobs "Air Force Specialty Codes," or "AFSCs." The Air Force has two enlistment options: Guaranteed Job, and Guaranteed Aptitude Area. Under the "Guaranteed Job" program, the applicant is guaranteed training in a specific AFSC (Air Force Job). Under the Guaranteed Aptitude program, the applicant is guaranteed that he/she will be selected for a job that falls into one of the designated aptitude areas. The Air Force has divided all of their jobs into four aptitude areas (General, Electronic, Mechanical, and Administrative).

It is unfortunate, but true that a majority of Air Force jobs (approximately 60 percent) are are reserved for individuals joining under the Guaranteed Aptitude program. Therefore, many of the available jobs are not released to the Air Force Jobs Counselor. Instead, they are "reserved" and offered to recruits in basic training, who enlisted under the Guaranteed Aptitude Program.
If one enlists in the Guaranteed Aptitude Program, they will meet with a job counselor around the 2nd week of basic training. The job counselor will give them a list of all the AVAILABLE jobs that they qualify for (medical, moral history, ASVAB scores). Understand that not all Air Force jobs within the aptitude area will be on the list. Only the jobs that have open school seats at that particular point in time.
When you receive the list of choices, you have one week to consider it, then you return to the job counselor and give your top 8 choices (from the list). Everyone else in the same week of training, who enlisted in the same aptitude program will also have a list that looks exactly like yours. They will be making choices, as well. The job counselors give each applicant a "rating," which is derived from their ASVAB scores, medical qualifications, and moral (criminal/drug history) qualifications. If, for example, there is a job that has five openings and six people put it down as there first choice, they take the five highest rated and give them the slots and the sixth person, they go to their second choice (of course, that "second choice" may also be someone else's first choice, which would affect whether or not the person would get the slot, depending on how many are available, and how many placed it high on their list).
Individuals generally will then find out which job they've been selected for, around the 5th week of training, right after returning from "Warrior Week."


Those wishing to enlist in the Air Force must be very flexible when it comes to job assignment. For the past two years (and currently), the Air Force has done exceptionally well in recruiting. In fact, the Air Force has thousands of more volunteers than they have enlistment slots for. Air Force recruiters didn't even have recruiting goals assigned to them between May 2004 and May 2005.

Because the Air Force has many more applicants than they have slots for, it is very common for an applicant to process through MEPS, and return enlisted in the DEP (Delayed Enlistment Program) without a reserved job-slot or shipping date. Instead, while at MEPS, they provide a list of job and aptitude area preferences to the job counselor, then they are placed on the QWL (Qualified Waiting List), for one of their preferences to become available. This can take several months. It's not uncommon, these days, for an Air Force applicant to remain in the DEP for 8 or more months before finally shipping out to basic training.

Air Force recruiters will often refuse to process an applicant who is "job locked." In effect, it's a waste of time and resources to process an applicant who is determined to be interested in only a couple of job possibilities, when there are hundreds of other qualified applicants, waiting in line behind him/her, who are willing to be more flexible. Some Air Force recruiting squadrons have established a briefing checklist that recruiters must go over with the applicant and have them initial and sign before they go to MEPS that specifically states that they are going to the MEPS in order to swear into to the Air Force (DEP), and NOT TO JOB SHOP. If the applicant doesn't agree to this and doesn't sign this briefing checklist then they don't go to MEPS. Plain and simple. In order to join the Air Force, one must be flexible with both job selections and dates of availability.

For those with lots of flexibility, the Air Force has a program called the "quick ship list." Every once in a while, an applicant with a reserved slot will drop out of the DEP at the very last minute. As it would be a waste of time and resources to allow this "bed to go empty" at basic training, the Air Force will allow applicants in the DEP to voluntarily put their name on the "quick ship list," to take the place of the applicant who dropped out. The down side? You've got to keep your bags packed, because you may only get one or two days notice that you're leaving for basic training, under this program.

Navy. The Navy calls their enlisted jobs "ratings." The Navy offers two programs: Guaranteed Job, and Undesignated Seaman.

While both programs are available, most enlist under the Guaranteed Job program. Again, whether or not you will be offered the job you want depends upon your qualifications, and the needs of the service. Undesignated Seaman can "strike" for a job after basic training. The Navy also has some "special" enlistment programs whereby you can enlist knowing what "area" you are going into, but not your specific rating (job). An example would be the Nuclear Program. These programs generally require higher ASVAB line scores, and require a longer service commitment, but offer accelerated promotions, greater training opportunities, and higher enlistment bonuses.





Also, the Air Force has been going through drawndowns lately, send Airmen with 15 years, families and mortgages out of the service.

I suggest you make a fully informed decision by speaking with the Army, Air Force and Navy. I do not recommend Marines because their are no benefits fo ryour family, or housing allowances given until you finish Boot Camp.

After you see what everyone offers, up front, before you sign a contract at MEPS after your physical, discuss it with your girlfriend and explain all of the "whys". Heck, bring her with you when you do your research. Also, ask the Army first to do an FSR2S based on the scores of your practice test. Use that as a foundation as to what the other branches can show you. If at anytime a recruiter from another branch says anything to you about what another branch is offering you, walk away to another recruiting station. It is your decision to make for your family, not theirs to make for you.

Any branch pays well, but see how fast you can get promoted. I make over $7500 a month and my daughter's birth was free..

I ask every applicant that walks through my door if they have met with every branch, and if time permits, I walk them back down the hallway.

Enlisting is a big step, so do your research. If you have any questions, feel free to email and ask.