Expert: James Bell - 9/10/2011

Question
Hi, my name is Carley. I am 19 years old and come from a small town in Kentucky. I have always wanted more out of my life. It is not the best place to live and is often looked at as a "trap" by the people that grow up here. I am extremely interested in becoming a part of the Air Force. I cannot afford to attend a suitable college and I refuse to allow myself to stay in my home town and work in a factory for the rest of my life.

However, I do have some concerns. My questions may seem trivial or may not be what you are usually asked about but I was hoping you might be able to give some insight as to what the daily life of an Airmen is like. I am rather shy and small in stature and I am hesitant to join because I am worried that I may not fit in. I am strong willed and am not worried about keeping up in Basic or not being able to push through the hardships; but I am worried that my introverted personality will clash with the Air Force way of life. I have heard that all types of people join the Air Force and that I can make it work for me.. what do you think?

Also I very much want to travel, what career choices in the Air Force would you recommend for this?

Thank you very much.

Answer
Carley -

Please don’t let these very minor things dissuade you from your dreams or goals.  I came from San Antonio, a very large city yet, just like you, I was introverted and usually kept to myself.  You would be surprised at how many there are just like you in the military.  I joined because I wanted to fly, travel to see the world, and to follow in the footsteps of both my mother and father.  They had both served in the Air Force.  Military life will change you … you will become stronger of mind and body, and you will gain confidence in what you do.  Most people join because they want to do more with their life, to maximize their human potential.

Don’t think of your entire military career like years of Basic Training.  Yes, it is six weeks of forced discipline and training, but it is to weed out those who are not compatible with military life.  There is a lot of structure and some people just aren’t cut out for that.  It is a very small segment of what you will experience in the military, but it is the first memories you will form.  Like you, I wanted to travel, and I knew I wanted to get into one of the flying career fields.  I didn’t want to work on the plane, fix the plane, load the plane or service the plane, only to wave goodbye as it took off.  I wanted to be ON the plane wherever it went.  I chose to be an Aircraft Loadmaster (AFSC 1A2x1).  You can learn about that career field at … http://usmilitary.about.com/od/airforceenlistedjobs/a/afjob1a2x1.htm.  That job does require good math skills.

I started flying on C-5’s at Travis AFB, California.  I did this for seven years and the entire Pacific Ocean was my back yard.  During my career – which spanned 24 years – I had the opportunity to fly to every continent except Antarctica (and I was only two months from one of our “ice” missions to go there).  I stopped in 47 of the 50 states (somehow I missed Wisconsin, Montana and West Virginia), and all of the U.S. territories.  I logged a little over 2,000 flying hours on the C-5 before changing to the Flight Engineer career field (AFSC 1A1x1).  You can see what that job entails at … http://usmilitary.about.com/od/airforceenlistedjobs/a/afjob1a1x1.htm.  The flight engineer career field is one you can’t get right out of Basic, you require a background from a “feeder” career field, such as another flying career field, or certain aircraft maintenance related fields.

As a flight engineer I logged over 2,500 hours on the C-141, then moved over to the KC-10 aerial tanker.  I logged over 3,500 hours on this plane, my final assignment.  During my assignment as a loadmaster, I definitely got over my “shyness” issues.  I was in charge of all the passengers on the aircraft, and the C-5 could carry 73 at a time.  You can’t be shy as you give your flight briefings, and you will definitely have a “take charge” attitude when their lives are in your hands and an emergency comes up and you need to make sure they safely evacuate the aircraft.  I was also responsible for the upload and download of cargo.  The C-5 could carry over 200,000 pounds of cargo, and it was my responsibility to make sure it was balanced properly, restrained properly, and met all the requirements for safe shipment if there were hazardous materials onboard.

As far as the day to day routine, there is so much to write about.  I would suggest you look through my previous answers, as there is an entire library of questions I have answered over the years.  I think that will paint a pretty complete picture for you.  I’m sure some of these things will spark more questions, and if you have a question to ask, please don’t hesitate to do so.  I love being able to spark a passion for military service in people.  A young lady very much like yourself, several years ago, wanted to join and asked many questions.  She eventually went into the Intelligence field, attended to college while she served, graduated and got commissioned as an officer.  I haven’t been in touch with her in a while but, to my knowledge, she is still serving.

Please look into the career fields I have shown.  Another is an Inflight Refueling Specialist, or Boom Operator, on tankers (AFSC).  You can learn about that job at … http://usmilitary.about.com/od/airforceenlistedjobs/a/afjob1a0x1.htm.  Many of the jobs in the military are high-tech, and require good math skills.  I think you will find that of many of the higher-quality jobs in the Air Force.

Take care and keep in touch as you make your decision.  Of all the military branches, I think the Air Force has the best to offer, and will give you wonderful training and experience that will shape the person you become, forming the foundation of your adult life.