Is the U.S. Air Force or Marines right for a married woman?
I’m 27 years old, married for 3 years, no kids yet (but want one within the next year and a half), and am curious about joining a branch of the military. Mainly what sparks my interest in it is the confidence building and persona strengthening which joining the ranks can do for a person. I feel that strengthening as a person will help my relationships: marriage, social and parental (in the future), and I need some sort of conditioning as such. So I thought of the military.
I have already completed a 4 year college, so I am not in need of secondary education, unless it applied to flight school or something like that. I don’t know how it works with the Air Force or the Navy or Marines. I’m kind of naive and kiddish and I feel I need something to spark a reality for me, to help me become more responsible with adult realities in the world. Am I thinking the wrong thing here? Is the military out of my league? Does it required too many years’ commitment or would it interfere with my family plans in the near future?
Aim High
The Marines are not Mentally stable much less family friendly. From what i gather reading your post, I’d say You need to look in to the Air Force Reserves or Air National Guard maybe even Army National Guard. It all depends on what your hubby does for a living, rather you want to move, and what your degree is in.
Unless your hubby is a Ex-convict, who makes a living smuggling guns, drugs, or illegal aliens, has a drinking problem, and anger management issues. In that case you’d love the Marines.
Is there a way I can switch over to the air force from army before basic training?
The Air Force, but I recommend holding off on the kids until after you completed your training. The military demands a commitment, but only you can answer as to whether you are ready or not for that commitment. A recruiter would be your best source of information and could give you all the answers you are looking for.
AF Vet
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if you want children in the next year or so I wouldn’t.
maybe you should wait.
actually, if you are wanting a family soon this isn’t in your best interest.
how does your partner feel, have you discussed this with him?
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military commitments are at least 8 years
since you have a ba talk to an ocs recruiter they deal with officer Candidates.
you also need to talk to your husband.
if your immature and very childish you wont make it
the military isnt for whiners and crybabies.
planning on kids in the near future dont join. yes your husband can care for them when you deploy but do you really want to be gone for nearly a year of their life
if at 27 you arent connected with adult reality you probably arent ever going to be.
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Just right off the top I can tell you you’re actually too old for the AF and probably won’t make the Marines in time either(28). However, there is the Army or Navy, but you will be away from your husband very long periods of time and he probably won’t like that. However, you’re not to old for any of the reserve or national guard branches. Check my source below.
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http://usmilitary.about.com/od/joiningthemilitary/a/enlage.htm
Aim High
The Marines are not Mentally stable much less family friendly. From what i gather reading your post, I’d say You need to look in to the Air Force Reserves or Air National Guard maybe even Army National Guard. It all depends on what your hubby does for a living, rather you want to move, and what your degree is in.
Unless your hubby is a Ex-convict, who makes a living smuggling guns, drugs, or illegal aliens, has a drinking problem, and anger management issues. In that case you’d love the Marines.
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Tough question. There really is no right or wrong answers to this but many things to consider. Having a family in any branch of the military isn’t easy on the family members. Being in either the USAF or USMC has it’s ups and downs. Once you complete basic training (8.5 weeks for USAF although I think they’re dropping it to 6 weeks, and 13 weeks for USMC) you’ll go to another base for technical training for your selected career field. Tech training varies in length depending on your job. Once you’ve completed that, you go to your first base of assignment (could be anywhere in the world based on the needs of the military branch you choose). You WILL NOT go directly to a war zone after training, you will need to spend a certain amount of time at you first location gaining on the job experience. Now comes the darker parts to consider. Any career field is eligible to go to a war zone. There will be lengthy periods of separation from you family members. This puts a great strain on you and them. It will either pull you apart or make you and your bonds with your loved ones stronger than ever. In the USMC, you do deploy more often but not for incredible lengths of time. Marines are front line fighters, first-in, but not an occupying force so once they job is done, they’re gone. The USAF on the other hand, doesn’t deploy as much but can be gone for greater lengths of time. If not deployed, being in the military is just like any other job for the point that you go to work, you go home. you can, however, be sent away and you don’t have any choice about it. The best thing you can do is look inside yourself and ask yourself if you can tolerate being away from your family. More than that, ask them if they could tolerate being away from you! Many facets to consider and the only real answers are the ones YOU come up with.
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I’m a retired USAF 1st Sergeant.
Check into the National Guard Air or Army and with a degree make sure you go through OCS.
Air National Guard web site http://www.ang.com.
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I use to be in the Air Force. If you want kids then the military is not for you unless you don’t mind being away from them for long periods of time. When I say long periods I mean 6 months to a year. It also doesn’t matter how old your kids are. You can deploy at any time. I joined the military for similar reasons as you mentioned. Contrary to popular belief you are not going to get any of those things in the military. If you are kiddish and irresponsible the military is definitely not going to help you. The military teaches you to be dependent on other people. You are always going to have somebody holding your hand that doesn’t know any better then you do about how the world is. You don’t make rank in the military by being good at your job and being smart. However, I won’t go into that. The military is definitely not out of your league and you probably will find that you are too good for it.
I would be willing to bet that your not going to join so I won’t talk too much about it. I have a feeling you live very close to your parents and that is your problem. Move far away from them and you find how quickly your problem will be solved.
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USAF….definitely not the Marines. That is my opinion….hard to maintain a family if you are being deployed 80% of the time.
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former Marine
Well, you’ll get raped in the USAF. Really, Navy branches have harder basic and as a guy, usually when I see that much sweat I assume the pussys rotten.
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no disrespect.