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Careers: Military--Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines, Coast Guard/Basic Training Changes
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Question
I have been trying to get the right answer for this. I will be graduating from college in December, and then will go to Basic Training in the beginning of January. I joined the Air National Guard and have been told that when I go to Basic Training in January it will be 8.5 weeks long. The article that I read from you on about.com, and what an Air Force recruiter told me, was that the extended length of Basic doesn't start until October 2007. So...who is right, you and the Air Force recruiter (6.5 weeks) or the Air Guard recruiter (8.5 weeks)? The length isn't the problem, it's just that I need to get everything financially in order, and my wife and kid will also be flying out, so I would like to get airline tickets now since they are cheaper.
Hi Mat,
The Air National Guard Recruiter is wrong.
The length of Air Force Basic Training can't be changed overnight. If you extend the length of basic training, and still want to graduate the same number each year, this requires extra dormitories, extra classrooms, extra chow halls, extra instructors, and extra staff members.
The Air Force is *hoping* to get the extra funding for construction in FY 2007 (1 October 2007) from Congress, to build the additional facilities, then the extra funding for extra instructors and staff in FY 2008 (1 Oct 2007). That's the current plan. They may not even make it by Oct 2007 (although, that's the goal), but it depends on funding granted by Congress.
Hope this helps!
Rod Powers
http://usmilitary.about.com
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Rod Powers
Expertise
Rod Powers is considered one of the premire experts about U.S. Military career information on the planet. He has more than 30,000 articles about U.S. Military career information on the About.com U.S. Military Careers Information website at: http://usmilitary.about.com. Additionally, he is the author of "ASVAB for Dummies," "ASVAB AFQT for Dummies," (available in Dec 2009), and "Veteran Benefits for Dummies," all published by Wiley Publishing. He is also the author of "Barrons' Guide to Officer Candidate School Tests," published by Barron's Educational Series.
Experience
Rod Powers is a retired Air Force first sergeant, with 23 years of active duty service, 11 of those years as an Air Force First Sergeant. He has helped thousands of military members, recruits, and military applicants since he took over the About.com U.S Military Careers Information site in 1999. He has a reputation for "telling it like it is," so questions may not be answered based on "what you want to hear," but will be answered based of the bast available information, concerning the service/situation.
Education/Credentials
Rod is a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Noncommissioned Officers Academy, the Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, and the Air Force First Sergeant Academy. He also holds an Associates Degree in Personnel Administration from the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF).
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