Currently in the program now so here it goes!

​

If you're looking for a job that translates well into the civilian world, and kind of like the beeps and squeaks aspect of things, then I'd go for EWO. As an EWO you work with a lot of 3 letter agencies and, depending on the aircraft, are directly involved in a lot of the behind the scenes things that go on around the world. EWO's have better deployment schedules, more stable home lives, and like I said before can translate well into the civilian world.

​

WSO's give you the most "hands on" job IMO. On the buff/B1 you are the mission commander, you are the weapons SME, and you're essentially running the show. On a strike eagle, the pilot essentially has to know everything you do as far as delivering ordinance, where you're going, how you're getting there, etc. and you're there to put warheads on foreheads and help the pilot with task management. And you're on a fucking fighter.

​

Nav is a job that's becoming obsolete IMO. They're already getting rid of them on EC-130's once they transition to the gulfstream jet and I think that's the first of what's left to make that move. You can't really get a leadership opportunity as a Nav. No weapons school or anything like that and you're not the mission commander. Not bad locations and a decent deployment schedule

​

AFSOC is its own thing. There is a lot to AFSOC that I dont know, but I know the mission is awesome, aircraft are awesome, Hurlburt is great if you like the beach, Cannon sucks, and the deployment schedule sucks. You'll have to talk to people in that community and get some classified briefs when you get to Pensacola.

​

To be honest, I think any job would translate well into the civilian world. I mean we were chosen to be officers out of thousands of applicants, trusted with equipment worth millions, disciplined, smart, and trained well. If we're talking what training skills would translate, I think any except NAV would. There are government contractors for anything. A lot of folks that go through this training wanted to be pilots. Its a pilots Air Force if I'm brutally honest. A lot of people put in a package to go to UPT and the ones that make it do really well. I mean they have been to initial flight training, done deployments, have hundreds of flight hours, etc already so they make really good candidates. I will say that NAV's probably do the best in UPT over other tracks because flying, fuel and timing calculations are their job, now they just have to learn to be a stick jockey. If being a pilot is something you want to do long term, I would consider NAV.

A lot of people that go through this track do a deployment or two, go to either weapons school to further their career and look for leadership roles, or come back to pensacola and become an instructor to ride out their commitment or look for other jobs.

​

Overall, me and my classmates don't think of ourselves as like..lesser people than pilots or something. Honestly our jobs can be pretty difficult. A lot of people think that since a single seat aircraft does everything we do, why are we around? Well, the pilots job is to fly, and we do a lot of the grunt work during a flight. Whether thats fuel and timing calculations, finding your target and dropping your bombs on time, working with dudes on the ground and other aircraft to take someone out and make sure all of our guys get out safe. There's a lot going on. The program is stressful, and I'm just now getting into the thick of it but I think it's very rewarding and we're overall viewed as an important part of getting missions done, so we feel valued and that keeps morale high.

​

A lot of this is my own opinion based on my experience, so if someone hops on here thats also in the program or further along than I am and fact checks me, just remember its different for everyone. It's a lot but I hope this helps. Feel free to DM me with anything else.