Expert: James Bell - 5/19/2004

Question
I'm a young female graduated from high school in 2003 and have been through my first year of community college and I feel like I'm getting nowhere staying here at home. I am thinking about going the Airforce. I just do not feel a sense of accomplishment just staying home with mom and dad going to community college. I'd like to be out on my own and have job training in something. I want to be doing something active. At least when I was in high school I had sports to keep me busy. I guess my question is, do you think it would be a good idea for me to go into the Airforce while a war is going on?

Answer
Greetings -

Should you join the Air Force while a war is going on?  That is a very good question.  Yes, there are people getting killed in Iraq, but all of them are either Army or Marines.

If you joined the Air Force, could you be sent to Iraq?  Yes, anyone could, but that depends on your job specialty.  When you get with your recruiter and start looking at the various jobs available, ask him which career fields are more likely to get deployed.  Security Forces (cops) are in high demand, and all will get deployed at least once, if not twice, a year to the Middle East.

Realize there are MANY bases other than Iraq in which you could get deployed.  The Air Force currently has bases in the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Afghanistan, to name a few.  Most of these deployments are 120 days in length.

The most important thing to consider is the job itself.  It doesn't matter if you are stationed in the Middle East ... or Hawaii ... if you don't like the job, the whole experience isn't going to be pleasant.  The higher you score on your ASVAB tests (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery), the more jobs you qualify for.  If you took the ASVAB in high school, and don't think you did well, you can retake the test.

Once the recruiter has broken your scores down, he will show you the various jobs you qualify for.  Realize that he is a salesman, and his boss gives him a "list" of critical jobs ... jobs that are hard to keep people in.  These are the ones he will push on you, because of the high turnover rate.  There is a reason people are leaving these jobs ... they suck.  I can't tell you any particular job, because what I don't like, you may find exciting.  Just ask a lot of questions about any job you look at, and don't accept it if you don't feel you would completely enjoy that job.

Another thing to consider ... if you can't decide on a job, he may suggest going in under an "open contract."  That means you sign up for a particular "group" of jobs ... electronic, administrative, mechanical, etc.  He may say that there is a good chance you could get a job you are looking at that currently doesn't have any openings (that, of course, will open up while you are in Basic Training).  Once you sign the contract, they can put you in any job they want, and if the one you want only has 5 openings, but another career field has 500 ... you can imagine which job you will end up with.

I was deployed to the Middle East ON 9/11, and watched the attacks on the towers and Pentagon live on television.  Between then and my retirement last month, I was deployed six more times, but mine were usually in 45-60 day increments because of the nature of my career field.

Obviously I am sure you will have many more questions, and this is a decision that will alter the path your life takes.  I want to help you make an informed, educated choice.  If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to write back, either here, or directly at KC10Engr@aol.com.  If you would like to see pictures of my career and what I did as a KC-10 tanker flight engineer, you can visit my family website at ... http://64.41.64.113/home/Air_Force.html

You didn't mention what you name was, so be sure to tell me the next time you write.

Sincerely,
James Bell