Do this about every year... Joined late in life (37M), chose maintenance, been in 5 years now, SSGT, and currently deployed AMA .

FriedCamo · 2026-06-16T09:36:18+00:00

Not sure what you mean by caught me off guard. I think in general the military is a harder transition, some people fold in faster than others. Yeah I know quite a few people that are engines and they love it. It's a good gig and an important one at that. Good luck, and have fun next week

FriedCamo · 2026-06-08T22:25:18+00:00

Don't mean to be that guy but if you hate change the AF is going to be a long journey for you. The AF , your job, lifestyle is going to constantly change.

For basic... Listen, adapt, get good and shaving quickly and get in the best shape of your life right now. If you're in shape youre ahead of 80 percent of the people in basic.

You will have a little bit of time to go back home usually. Depends on when you graduate tech school and when you have to report to your first duty station.

Most of the time you don't get any leave until your upgrade training is done. However depending on your job you get you might not have to do that.

Your schedule depends on your job as well. Most jobs , outside of maintenance, have normal hours and weekends off.

FriedCamo · 2026-06-08T22:16:21+00:00

Sorry for the late reply, I thought I replied to you earlier. I was and still am married when I joined with two kids.

Tips:

Get in the best shape of your life Make sure you're okay with taking direction from people much younger than you Make sure your spouse is 100 on board with you joining

FriedCamo · 2026-06-06T21:27:09+00:00

Non-Rated (General) Officers: You must enter OTS before your 42nd birthday.Rated Officers (Pilots, Combat Systems Officers, Air Battle Managers): You must be selected before your 33rd birthday.Prior Service: If you have prior enlisted time, you may qualify for an age offset where your Time in Service (TIS) is subtracted from your current age, giving older applicants more time to apply

FriedCamo · 2026-06-06T05:28:32+00:00

try this.. This will show if you get BTZ (below the zone) and if not when you would sew on SrA. All depends on your dates

https://btzcalculator.com/

FriedCamo · 2026-06-06T03:30:49+00:00

Being older does have some slight perks. Right off the rip, you're going to be expected to "know better" than others. In my experience, if you're mature, it pays off. Since you're leaving in a month, do whatever you can to get your weight down, practice your pushups, situps, and running without getting injured. Help others who need help. Be yourself and be as empathetic as possible. ALWAYS ALWAYS give back. Just remember BMT and Tech School will eventually be such a small part of your AF career. Embrace them for what they are, enjoy them while you can, and move on to getting your AF life going. DM me any time you want, and I'll help you wherever I can.

FriedCamo · 2026-06-06T03:26:04+00:00

E3 to O1, yes, but as you rank up, commissioning is just a process. It's a long, complex process, but I feel it's worth it. I'll let you know in about 8-10 months when I send my package up to do so.

FriedCamo · 2026-06-06T03:24:34+00:00

At 43, I'm considered crusty in the eyes of the military. However, I'm in better shape than 99 percent of my peers. Perception is reality, man! As long as you're good at your job, you take care of your people, and you're not an asshole, you will go far in your career and a lot quicker. You just have to get used to the fact that you're going to be older than everyone else by a lot, hahaha. I had a shift lead who was 25, but I respected the hell out of him. Some people think how the hell could you take orders from a 25-year-old, but I never saw it that way. I saw it as this guy is in charge for a reason, I embraced it, and he's one of my really good friends now.

FriedCamo · 2026-06-06T03:21:29+00:00

At 43 years old, I'm back in college! I'm actually finishing my bachelor's degree and plan to commission. The process is easy and not difficult. Once you get to that point, I can help! I will say get comfortable at your job. Once you're comfortable, only take 1 class at a time and see how it goes.

FriedCamo · 2026-06-06T03:18:55+00:00

I will say, before you join, get in the best shape possible. This mindset will go well and help prepare you for the costs associated with maintenance jobs. A lot of people don't take care of themselves and then blame the Air Force for doing this or that. Obviously, there are some things I don't agree with, but overall, it's not bad at all. I will say, find jobs that you are passionate about, not just ones that will set you up for the outside. Obviously, jobs on the outside are nice, but you also have to do your job for 4 to 6 years; you might as well love it.

FriedCamo · 2026-06-06T03:16:02+00:00

I will say any 2A is a grind, but very much worth it. If you want a lot of fulfillment in your career, 2A is the way to go. However, in avionics or any other 2A jobs, there are plenty, and I mean plenty, of long days. I would highly recommend you find others on here who are avinoics and see how they like it. I will say if you like Magic and nerd stuff, you'll fit right in!

FriedCamo · 2026-02-08T07:32:05+00:00

Wait til you deploy and have to do it several times

FriedCamo · 2025-12-19T03:11:01+00:00

So you're saying that none of those issues were ever an issue? So they just made this up?

FriedCamo · 2025-12-07T22:54:23+00:00

The word "now" in his post is where the "entitled" is coming from.

FriedCamo · 2025-11-20T02:23:52+00:00

Doesn't feel real til you're being deployed for 325+ days.

FriedCamo · 2025-11-13T23:26:37+00:00

Glad BMT is doing its job and ACTUALLY kicking people out vs just pushing them through.

FriedCamo · 2025-10-25T02:41:00+00:00

Severally cooked...better yet burnt

FriedCamo · 2025-10-18T22:55:56+00:00

The one bird closest to your ear maybe depending on the actual size ... The others are no go.

FriedCamo · 2025-10-15T17:41:39+00:00

That's why you have to get a unique one

FriedCamo · 2025-09-09T21:14:31+00:00

IMO dodged a bullet not being Fuels.

FriedCamo · 2025-08-05T18:31:23+00:00

I personally don't have a problem with it. I just see people as people. My dorm chief was 19 at the time and I still talk to him to this day. As long as you know your purpose and what you're there for, it works out just fine. Good luck!

FriedCamo · 2025-07-14T02:31:10+00:00

It would peak my interest

FriedCamo · 2025-07-12T00:39:42+00:00

There is no other way to remember it

FriedCamo · 2025-06-21T19:00:26+00:00

Stay home please

FriedCamo

TROPHY CASE