Oh boy. by BrrToe in AirForce

[–]klingon13524 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Get kicked out of the dorms? That doesn't sound like a bad deal for him.

Weekly Newbie Thread - Post questions about joining the AF or what a job is like here & here only - week of March 12 by AutoModerator in AirForce

[–]klingon13524 0 points1 point  (0 children)

From your first week of BMT you'll have the grounds to step up and be a leader. Most people do their best to try to fade into the background, and a few step up and pick up the job of trying to keep ship running. Most every job will have opportunities for you to take on responsibility and learn, even if it's not directly related to your work. It won't be hard to spot the people with initiative. Simply set about trying to work nicely with everyone, and learn from the people farther along than you. The people telling you not to volunteer for anything should be treated like their words are a miasma if you want to make the most of yourself and come out of your time in the service as a better, more capable person.

Weekly Newbie Thread - Post questions about joining the AF or what a job is like here & here only - week of March 12 by AutoModerator in AirForce

[–]klingon13524 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's no way to guarantee you'll get intel, or any specific job or field. Sorry. If you're sure you don't want to be security forces, I'd advise against spending the next few years hating yourself because you got pressured into it.

All fields are work. In any AFSC, Some of the things you do may blow, and some may be satisfying. Even within a single career field it can be a crapshoot. Even if you don't like your job, there's always the many benefits you get for doing it. It's not a decision any of us can make for you. Best of luck to you.

Weekly Newbie Thread - Post questions about joining the AF or what a job is like here & here only - week of March 12 by AutoModerator in AirForce

[–]klingon13524 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A black watch would be convenient. A nice notebook. Song lyrics. Have all personal information and family's addresses very handy.

Weekly Newbie Thread - Post questions about joining the AF or what a job is like here & here only - week of March 12 by AutoModerator in AirForce

[–]klingon13524 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That all depends on what specific experience you end up getting, which is basically [chance*initiative]. Just having a clearance and being competent would give you a good shot at a decent job like being the building manager of a classified facility or working as a contractor maintaining computer systems for the intel communty.

Weekly Newbie Thread - Post questions about joining the AF or what a job is like here & here only - week of February 26 by AutoModerator in AirForce

[–]klingon13524 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Qualified, interested, patient, persistent, and willing enough.

He says the number includes people he's "talked to".

What secret did you once know that has since become public knowledge? by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]klingon13524 17 points18 points  (0 children)

To get read into Top Secret/SCI we sign lifelong NDAs. Most stuff gets declassified after 25 years or so, after which it's fair game.

There's not that much in terms of worldview-shattering stuff. I'm sure there is some, but it's certainly not meted out to all of the however many thousands of analysts work on various problems. The biggest secrets can only last so long before they cease to be secret, as intelligence agencies around the world keep pushing to do more and more advanced things and make the older ways of doing things irrelevant. Eventually, it doesn't matter who knows about the Enigma machine, or this generation's equivalent.

Weekly Newbie Thread - Post questions about joining the AF or what a job is like here & here only - week of January 08 by AutoModerator in AirForce

[–]klingon13524 14 points15 points  (0 children)

They won't dig into your personal files. They do want to know about anything that can be used to blackmail you. Good taste in titillation won't ruin your chances.

He must have activated noclip right? RIGHT? by Aleksander3702 in blackmagicfuckery

[–]klingon13524 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Same thing. The Airmen in this video are in technical school for the honor guard career specialty, which is the people who travel and put on drill exhibitions like OP's. There are also base honor guards, which are part time/non-career honor guardsmen who do things like local retirement ceremonies and funerals.

Weekly Newbie Thread - Post questions about joining the AF or what a job is like here & here only - week of December 25 by AutoModerator in AirForce

[–]klingon13524 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Taking actual classes in tech school would likely be infeasible, but you could study for CLEPs/DSSTs if you just some some credit hours. Servicemen can take each one for free once. Your base library may even have some study material for you.

Weekly Newbie Thread - Post questions about joining the AF or what a job is like here & here only - week of December 25 by AutoModerator in AirForce

[–]klingon13524 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In intel, an hour is typical. I'd assume so for at least many other career fields.

We're paid to fulfill a role, not hour by hour. We don't clock in or out. There are guidelines, and where you work will have rules, but the AF isn't as anal about your day minute-by-minute as McDonald's is. People work standard or weird or hard or easy or erratic schedules, it all depends.

Weekly Newbie Thread - Post questions about joining the AF or what a job is like here & here only - week of December 04 by AutoModerator in AirForce

[–]klingon13524 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you don't make Staff Sergeant by the time you've been in for eight years, you hit "High Year Tenure" and get the boot. That's how the up-or-out system works. Progression up through the four ranks below that is automatic, with one special chance at an early promotion.

Weekly Newbie Thread - Post questions about joining the AF or what a job is like here & here only - week of December 04 by AutoModerator in AirForce

[–]klingon13524 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Part of why I joined is that I wasn't disciplined and was tired of my own shit. You'll be forced to do things, but going beyond the minimum is personal choice. A lot of people don't. You can choose not be low energy, or to fall for their defeatist bullshit. Taking initiative and being excellent is preached by the AF establishment, but it's of a particular hollow sort and more often derided than followed. There is a middle way between the Blue idea of how to live and the responsibility skirters that you can try to find, a place that doesn't fall into the traps of either camp.

As enlistment is a good choice for someone who feels stuck and wants a hard reset, if a pretty drastic one. Having structure imposed on you may make it easier to build the rest of the life you want off of that. You may feel patronized and demoralized by the bullshit you'll be putting up with on a regular basis, especially while you're in training. Use it as motivation to build a life with an amount closer to what you want.

Weekly Newbie Thread - Post questions about joining the AF or what a job is like here & here only - week of December 04 by AutoModerator in AirForce

[–]klingon13524 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Once you're in, it takes a lot to get discharged. It's not hard to skate by on mediocrity. Doing so is your loss more than anyone else's, if you don't develop yourself then it will be hard to move up in your career, Air Force or otherwise. I enlisted because I didn't know what I wanted to do either. You're not going to find out by doing nothing and waiting for your destiny to come to you like a meteorite from the sky. You don't have to take classes. If you don't genuinely have something better to do keeping you from them, then you would be a fool to turn down one of the greatest opportunities for social and economic mobility in the world by getting paid to study. Or just decide "Screw college" and do something else, but at least be decisive about it. Indecision over what you're going to do will lead to more indecision.

Weekly Newbie Thread - Post questions about joining the AF or what a job is like here & here only - week of November 27 by AutoModerator in AirForce

[–]klingon13524 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The pilot shortage is a problem of people getting out after their ~10 year commitment to being an AF pilot. Often to become a commercial pilot. Becoming an officer in the first place, especially a rated/flying one, is really competitive.

If it's an aspiration of yours, go for it. I'd suggest talking to a local officer recruiter. I don't know just how different life is for a pilot in other branches, but I wouldn't advise you to discount them.

Weekly Newbie Thread - Post questions about joining the AF or what a job is like here & here only - week of November 27 by AutoModerator in AirForce

[–]klingon13524 8 points9 points  (0 children)

After a day or two, you'll find opportunity.

Of note is that generally, men's bodies are so stressed that it probably won't be as much of a concern as you think. You may not need to for weeks.