Expert: Howard Lorenz - 1/6/2008

Question
Hello. I am a 19 year old college student. I have been in love with the Air Force since I was a child being that I grew up next to McGuire AFB in NJ. I want to join the Air National Guard. I've been to the recruiter, taken the ASVAB, and I am headed to MEPS next week. My concern is being deployed before completing my degree. I have two years to go and I wanted to know if PERSONNEL was a good career-field in terms of being safe from being called to go overseas. I do not want to wait the two years to persue my dream of "Crossing into the Blue" but I also do not want to spend 6 years trying to complete a four year degree. Any advice?

Answer
Dominoe,

The first thing you need to do is STOP!!! I have a question? Do you have ambitions of going to active duty? If you do , you need to complete your degree first. Confused? If you go to the guard, you  will become prior service and the active duty sector of the air force does not take prior service personnel. You would be shooting your self in the foot!! You need to go to the active duty sector and complete your degree on the inside.

If you plan on going in as an officer the rules are different. Just make sure that your degree is one that the air force needs.!!!

As far as the deployment part...Its mostly a volunteer for who wants to go thing, although there is a possibility that your whole unit can go but as a personnelist, not likely.

HW