Navy vs. Air Force?

Question

Okay...I am really starting to get confused. I have known for a while I wanted to join either the Air Force or the Navy. I grew up as a military brat and liked it for the most part (I just DID NOT want to join the army.) If anyone read my previous posts, I am supposed to be signing my papers tomorrow, but today two of my uncles came and jumped down my back telling me don't do it! They said tell them never mind and go to the Air Force. They are saying the Air Force is better, better benefits and all. They say the Navy won't honor what I want, which is: to spend MAJORITY of my time on-land as a nurse in a base hospital (I know I will have sea time, but how much), a bonus (the recruiter said not everyone gets a bonus), to travel some, and room for promotion. My uncles said that you get promoted slower in the NAvy than any other branch. Thing is, I actually liked what the Navy recruiter said (I guess I am supposed to though, right.) I am confused. In your opinions, the pros/cons of both?

gugliamo...-- I repsected everything you said until you got to the part about joining girl scouts or whatever. I NOT ONCE asked what was the safest, I wanted people's opinins and experiences to help me chose which one was a better choice...I dunno...maybe you misunderstood part of my question or something...

Quote: "Second, sorry, but I'm really getting tired of questions like, "Which service is the safest?," and "Which service can I get the most out of?""

That was never a part of my question to begin with.

Answer 1

The airforce is the safest branch in military .

Answer 2

Larry answered 23 hrs ago
I will say the Air Force does have nice bases and housing, but something the Air Force from what I have experienced being in 9 years with the fly boys/gals is camaraderie, it doesn't really exist in some career fields and some people can be a little more cocky and arrogant in the Air Force. I have been to 5 Air Force Bases in my career, Ramstein, Nellis, Tinker, RAF Fairford, and Lackland. Fairford is the smallest of the bases I have been stationed but it was great but still Navy has a sense of camaraderie. Traditionally, my dad served in the Navy for 14 years and he loved it. He worked on F-4 and F-14s (1979-1992) Navy yes, you will deploy on ships and being away from 6, 8, or even a years worth depending on your job and the scenario of our crazy world but you see a lot more of the world and sometimes they do port and give you r and r time (morale time). The Air Force, you won't deploy as much depending on your AFSC (Air Force Specialty Code) and yes the Air Force usually puts you in a job that you do not like such as Logistics Plans which made me miserable. Also, the Navy you are in a high probability to receive an enlistment and re-enlistment bonus. The Air Force doesn't provide that in some career fields but they do harp on too much about education and aggravating you about the Community College of the Air Force. By all means, nothing wrong with going to school but think about it someone who works their *** off after an 8 hour day and wants to be in a classroom for additional 2 hours, hell to the **** no. The Navy respects that and from what my dad told me was that if you choose not to go to school, they don't harp on it like the Air Force does. The Navy gratefully respects your decision if you want to go to school, they will support you, if not they still will support you every step of the way.

If you want a great education and not deploy as much, plus they do mostly have a lot of pretty girls too but they can be snobs like the French which makes it feel like high school- Air Force

Navy- Deploys more, better camradarie, you would get a better chance to see the world. Be stationed in California, or Virigina unless you get stuck at a Recruiting Command Installation at Millington Tennessee (been there back in the early and late 90's when i was still in middle school).
Source(s):
Plus you are not conisdered a hired killer, in some career fields if you are not a grunt, pararescue, fighter pilot, helicopter pilot, soldier, etc. that involves shooting at people and airplanes/tanks, you are not considered a hired killer. Yes civilians might think that but from what CNN and other news media that harasses the military, you see where people get that term "hired killer"

Answer 3

Well your Uncles are feeding you some bad gouge, the USAF promotes slower than any of the services. The keys to promotion in the Navy is to stay out of trouble, get qualified ion your primary job, study for the exam, and then work on other qualifications to add diversity. Always be working toward where you want to go next. The benefits are exactly the same with all the branches. All the rates in the Navy have a designated sea/shore rotation. As a HM you will see time on the boat as well as shore billets. It is your life and your decision, make the one you want based on your wants and needs, not someone else. Good luck.

Answer 4

still being Navy, that's what I would go with. Every branch has it's ups and downs. The mentor program for Navy is great and there is a lot of traveling. I came in single and am now married and my husband is in Japan right now. Some of his battalion is in South Korea, San Clemente, and other parts of Japan. There are also people from my base on deployment to Kuwait, Afghanistan, the Bahamas, Africa, Spain, and leaving next week for Iraq. If you did decide Navy and you are willing to fight, but don't want to be on the front lines, there is the Seabee's. It's a construction battalion where we go overseas to rebuild or in homeport we help out with rebuilding things down here that were destroyed in Katrina. Deployment is 6 months and homeport is being changed the beginning of next year to 12 months. I can't tell you a lot about the Air Force since I don't know anyone in that branch, but I know they do have the same program. Good luck with your decision.

Answer 5

Okay i'm just going to give my insight. I grew up around the military. I've got a brother that was in the Army and now AF reserves another one in the Marines and i'm in the Navy. When you are talking about advancement it doesn't matter which branch you are in depending on your job and the number of openings available for that job is how many people are going to advance. It all depends on timing I've been in for 8 yrs and will be going up for E-7 in Jan so I guess your uncles are calling that a slow advancement. For your bonus if it isn't in your contract then it doesn't exist. And as for the whole going to sea thing this is my belief "Sailors belong on ships and ships belong at sea."

Answer 6

I spent my 20 in the Air Force and loved it. It's true the AF promotes slowest but it's also harder to lose rank. I was flying to Thailand and had just made E-4 after 2 years while in the next seat was a Navy guy that had just gotten out of boot camp at the same rank. Yeah, I was a little miffed at that but he was going into subs so he was welcome to it. The Marines can pull your rank for all kinds of silly stuff. It's harder to do that in the Air Force.

Personally, I'd say if your priority is to stay on land, go into the Air Force. As always, your choice.

Answer 7

The air force is the best choice if your looking to stay on land and get pretty good benefits.

guiglamo- shes just asking a question, like anyone would do if thats how the had to spend a good portion of their life. If you took everyone who was there for benefits out of the military there wouldnt be half as strong military as we have today.

Answer 8

The Air Force has the slowest promotions of all services. The benefits (medical, dental, vision and most pay is the same regardless of the service you are in)

If you are going in as a nurse (as opposed to as a corpsman) you probably will spend more time on shore duty as there are not a lot of sea going hospitals.

Answer 9

If you want to spend the majority of the time on land, I would go Air Force. The Navy is going to station you on a ship eventually and since sea duty is considered part of your enlistment they are going to let the seniors have the shore duty first.

Even if they try to say they can give you a guarantee, be leery.

Answer 10

First, it's YOUR decision whether or not to join. You have to live with you for the rest of your life. If you make decisions to please others... when the others aren't there, you're stuck with the decision.

In my experience, most nay-sayers are merely trying to make you question your decision to serve your country... a decision they are afraid to make. If they can convince you to change your mind, it justifies (to them) their lack of commitment... lack of courage.

You've been talking to recruiters You have up-to-date information on the needs of the services Recruiters are not allowed to lie. But that doesn't mean they tell you all the truth... or emphasize the good and deemphasize the bad. They are, after all, salesmen.

If you want the "straight skinny," contact the personnel headquarters of the services and ask the specific questions.

Second, sorry, but I'm really getting tired of questions like, "Which service is the safest?," and "Which service can I get the most out of?"

The last competent competent Commander and Chief we had in this country once said, "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country."

Join the military because you want to serve your country. If you want your country to serve you, please do the military a favor and don't join.

No recruiter can give you a guarantee. There are no guarantees in life. Guess this is as good a time to learn that lesson as any.

In boot camp, when interviewed for a particular program I was asked, "Do you want to die for your country." I replied something to the effect that I joined the Navy knowing that I may have to die for my country, and that I wasn't afraid to do so, but that it wasn't first on my list of things to do tomorrow morning. I figured that it's better to keep living and fighting for my country and make it as costly to the enemy as possible.

The military is not in the business to provide you an education. It is not in business to train you to be an aircraft mechanic for Boeing or Lockheed, a computer guru for Microsoft, a journalist for CNN, or an EMT for your local fire department. The military is not in the travel business to station you where you want to go. The military isn't a free ride from E-1 to O-10 in 3 years... or even in 30 years.

While some of those opportunities may be available, but the military is in business to train you to fight for your country as an instrument of policy... and to give you the best chance to come back alive.

In the Navy advancement is based entirely on you... your competence in your specialty, your personnel evaluations, and the needs of the Navy. You compete with everybody else in the Navy. There are no "field promotions." If an O-3 is usually in charge of a group of guys, but is taken out of action, and the highest ranking individual is an E-5, the E-5 is not promoted to O-3, he just takes charge.

In the Navy you are expected to be promoted. If you get passed over a couple of times, the Navy begins to question whether you're the kind of leader they want around. I guess it's kind of the same way in the Air Force.... I know a guy who was rifed as an O-3.

I'm sorry, but if you want a safe service, join the Girl Scouts. And you can get medals and merit badges for just about anything. You want something for nothing, become an illegal alien.

I retired from the Navy. I would make the same decisions again.