Joining the air force reserves vs. borrowing money for college loans

In summary, the conversation discusses the idea of joining the air force reserves while attending college and the potential benefits and drawbacks of doing so. The speaker wants a second opinion and is looking for anyone with experience in the reserves to share their insights. They also mention the importance of being well-informed and cautious when making agreements with the military. The conversation also touches on the different paths of joining the military, such as entering as enlisted or applying for Officer School. Overall, the conversation highlights the need for careful consideration and research before making a decision about joining the air force reserves.
  • #1
Benzoate
422
0
I am thinking about joining the air force reserves while continuing to attend college because I am no longer able to borrow money for college. I think the air force would be beneficial for me because I think it would be the perfect opportunity for me to developed my research skills in the Air force and I could put my physics education to use while helping me pay for my college loans. I 'd like a second opinion about joining the air force reserves while attending college. I would like anybody who has worked for the reserves to share their experiences and share some research experiences you might've had while in the airforce reserves
 
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  • #2
I had an idea to do that, but this was during college and would have interfered with my classes, since I'd need a 13 week break (after boot camp) to get training, really screwing everything up.

The work is nice, but you have to at some point serve I believe a year or two full time, also.

So long story short, get ALL of the information available to you, since there might be snags that you don't learn about until after you sign the dotted line.
 
  • #3
If you plan to do it, find out everything you can. Do not let the recruiter put ideas out there. Make sure he is telling you the whole truth. I learned from my time in the military that you should make agreements with the government on your own terms. They need you for one reason or another. Make sure you know that and make sure you verify everything they say from people who are in the air force and from secondary sources.

I know plenty fellow marines who were told their college would be free, which is true, but if you do not serve your full length for whatever reason, you end up owing the government money.

I'm a wounded veteran and it took many phone calls and months of hard work to finally convince them that I still deserved my college money. It's a pain, so make sure you are certain the military is something you can handle.
 
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  • #4
It may go without saying but be especially careful these days. Even being in the reserve can mean much more than you may expect due to current circumstances in the world.
 
  • #5
Benzoate said:
I am thinking about joining the air force reserves while continuing to attend college because I am no longer able to borrow money for college. I think the air force would be beneficial for me because I think it would be the perfect opportunity for me to developed my research skills in the Air force and I could put my physics education to use while helping me pay for my college loans. I 'd like a second opinion about joining the air force reserves while attending college. I would like anybody who has worked for the reserves to share their experiences and share some research experiences you might've had while in the airforce reserves

If your interest is a military career, I'd recommend getting your bachelor first and then apply for the Officer School. The majority of AF jobs are technical in nature and don't lend themselves to much research.

If you just want to join now, you'll be entering as enlisted. Normally, enlisted personnel take a test called the ASVAB. This test measures your Administrative, General, Electrical, and Mechanical skills. The higher you score in each of these categories the "better" the job you can get (and there's little room for research in many of these jobs - you do as you are told).

Like I mentioned previously, I recommend getting your degree first. This is unfortunate to say, but a degree-holding person has more value to the military than your average HS diploma kid.



Jordan Joab.
 
  • #6
Jordan Joab said:
If your interest is a military career, I'd recommend getting your bachelor first and then apply for the Officer School. The majority of AF jobs are technical in nature and don't lend themselves to much research.

If you just want to join now, you'll be entering as enlisted. Normally, enlisted personnel take a test called the ASVAB. This test measures your Administrative, General, Electrical, and Mechanical skills. The higher you score in each of these categories the "better" the job you can get (and there's little room for research in many of these jobs - you do as you are told).

Like I mentioned previously, I recommend getting your degree first. This is unfortunate to say, but a degree-holding person has more value to the military than your average HS diploma kid.



Jordan Joab.

I'm not interested in a joining the reserves to have a career in the air forces. I want to join the reserves so they can pay for my college tuition , oh and uh to serve my country .
 
  • #7
Jordan Joab said:
If your interest is a military career, I'd recommend getting your bachelor first and then apply for the Officer School. The majority of AF jobs are technical in nature and don't lend themselves to much research.

If you just want to join now, you'll be entering as enlisted. Normally, enlisted personnel take a test called the ASVAB. This test measures your Administrative, General, Electrical, and Mechanical skills. The higher you score in each of these categories the "better" the job you can get (and there's little room for research in many of these jobs - you do as you are told).

Like I mentioned previously, I recommend getting your degree first. This is unfortunate to say, but a degree-holding person has more value to the military than your average HS diploma kid.



Jordan Joab.

What kind of test is the ASVAB
 
  • #8
A really easy one. I remember when I took it (I was in the same situation as you, just further along), I was tired and really hungry because the recruiting guy I was with just took me down to the center spontaneously, so I hadn't prepared. He made me wait for a long time because he had some stuff to take care of.

When he called me later he was like "You got a 99!" How much of that was just to make me come down and sign some papers, I don't know, but the test was easy.

It was basic math and some very basic physics, like "If a screw has more threads per inch, does that mean each turn requires more or less force?" Stuff like that. By that time I had taken some freshman physics, though, so that was more than enough for me on that test.

Here's a sample:

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/joiningthemilitary/l/blasvabsample.htm
 
  • #9
Benzoate said:
I'm not interested in a joining the reserves to have a career in the air forces. I want to join the reserves so they can pay for my college tuition , oh and uh to serve my country .

As someone else said, considering the way the world is right now, it is probably not a good idea to join if all you want is money for school. You may end up getting way more than you bargained for.
 
  • #10
bravernix said:
As someone else said, considering the way the world is right now, it is probably not a good idea to join if all you want is money for school. You may end up getting way more than you bargained for.

what is the difference between the Airforce reserves and the airforce? Aren't people who are usually in the reserves usually stay in the united states
 
  • #11
Not anymore. A LOT of people in the reserves have been sent to Iraq. You being in the Air Force, you wouldn't think you'd have to go. I mean, it's not like you'll be on the front lines with the Marines or anything, but if they sent the National Guard over there, I wouldn't bet on you staying here.
 
  • #12
Benzoate said:
I'm not interested in a joining the reserves to have a career in the air forces. I want to join the reserves so they can pay for my college tuition , oh and uh to serve my country .

Well, I strongly recommend not to join. If I'm not mistaken, the USAF Reserve don't offer contracts of less than 4 years. You might also run the risk of not being allowed to go to school your first year due to training requirements (happened to me). More than likely you will be activated and that's a 4-month deployment. You might also not like the work environment; the military is not a democracy - there's no free thinking.

In any case, if you really want them to pay your college (and keep in mind they'll work double the money out of you) there are a few options:

1) Apply to Officer Training School. Basically, you enroll in school full time and the military gives you a free ride. Catch: you must serve a 4yr contract.

2) Join the Air National Guard. The ANG is assigned to States and not to the Federal Gov. However you may end up getting activated. Check with the ANG recruiter.

3) Sign a 2yrs contract with the Army. You get $40k+ for college. Catch: paid trip to Iraq.

Those are the 3 I can think of at the moment. You also got to consider "Stop-Loss." Just remember that until you sign that contract you are under no obligation to the military. Don't let the recruiter sweet-talk you and read, read, read every single piece of paper you are given.

Once again, I recommend not joining and getting that money elsewhere.



Jordan Joab.
 
  • #13
Jordan Joab said:
Well, I strongly recommend not to join. If I'm not mistaken, the USAF Reserve don't offer contracts of less than 4 years. You might also run the risk of not being allowed to go to school your first year due to training requirements (happened to me). More than likely you will be activated and that's a 4-month deployment. You might also not like the work environment; the military is not a democracy - there's no free thinking.

In any case, if you really want them to pay your college (and keep in mind they'll work double the money out of you) there are a few options:

1) Apply to Officer Training School. Basically, you enroll in school full time and the military gives you a free ride. Catch: you must serve a 4yr contract.

2) Join the Air National Guard. The ANG is assigned to States and not to the Federal Gov. However you may end up getting activated. Check with the ANG recruiter.

3) Sign a 2yrs contract with the Army. You get $40k+ for college. Catch: paid trip to Iraq.

Those are the 3 I can think of at the moment. You also got to consider "Stop-Loss." Just remember that until you sign that contract you are under no obligation to the military. Don't let the recruiter sweet-talk you and read, read, read every single piece of paper you are given.

Once again, I recommend not joining and getting that money elsewhere.
Jordan Joab.

The problem is , The bank that is allowing me to borrow money is not enough to cover the costs of summer ,fall and spring semesters. what are other options besides joining the air force reserves to help pay for college tuition ? I can't just dropped out of school

I was also told that a person in the air force reserves , after six weeks of training would be only on duty for one weekend a month.
 
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  • #14
Nothing you maybe told is binding. What is binding is what you sign. Read your contracts *THOROUGHLY*.
 
  • #15
TMFKAN64 said:
Nothing you maybe told is binding. What is binding is what you sign. Read your contracts *THOROUGHLY*.

Is each contract unique for every individual who decides to sign up for the reserves, depending on your location? Or is each contract generic, regardless of your location.
 
  • #16
Don't take any chances. They may use different forms for different branches, different locations, different jobs you're signing up for, etc.
 
  • #17
Benzoate said:
Is each contract unique for every individual who decides to sign up for the reserves, depending on your location? Or is each contract generic, regardless of your location.

There will probably be an identical set of rules, stipulations, etc for all individuals. What may vary will be length of service, job chosen, rank after basic training, amount of money received after basic training, etc.

If it's not in writing, the AF will not honor it.



Jordan Joab.
 
  • #18
Jordan Joab said:
There will probably be an identical set of rules, stipulations, etc for all individuals. What may vary will be length of service, job chosen, rank after basic training, amount of money received after basic training, etc.

If it's not in writing, the AF will not honor it.



Jordan Joab.

This contract that you sign, would AF offer what would be listed on the contract online or would you yourself have to talk to a recruiter in person and then he will present your contract.

BTW , thanks for telling me this. I'm still not sure if I will join the AFR or not, but I'm glad some body presented me the other side.I was told that I get free traveling expenses , a salary and my college tuition paid for , simply by doing 6 six weeks of training and reporting for duty every weekend of every month of the year.

Surely they would not send you to Iraq if your service only spans into the weekend.
 
  • #19
"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch."

I should point out that I've never been in the military... but if you are about to sign a contract that will change your life for the next 4+ years, READ IT CAREFULLY.

Seriously, do a little google search for "air force reserves iraq" and "stop loss iraq" before you sign.
 
  • #20
TMFKAN64 said:
"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch."

Unless your parents' income is under $50000 and you are automatically offered a grant.
 
  • #21
Benzoate said:
This contract that you sign, would AF offer what would be listed on the contract online or would you yourself have to talk to a recruiter in person and then he will present your contract.

BTW , thanks for telling me this. I'm still not sure if I will join the AFR or not, but I'm glad some body presented me the other side.I was told that I get free traveling expenses , a salary and my college tuition paid for , simply by doing 6 six weeks of training and reporting for duty every weekend of every month of the year.

Surely they would not send you to Iraq if your service only spans into the weekend.


Here's how the process goes:

After you take the ASVAB the recruiter sets a date for you and other applicants to go to a Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS). Transportation, lodging, and food are covered by the AF. At MEPS you go through background, medical, drug screening, etc. You will get these results at a later date.

You return to MEPS (again, everything covered by the AF) and after you clear everything you get a list of jobs you qualify for (taken from ASVAB results), you choose a job, length of service, bonuses, etc. if there's something you don't like talk to that person right there and then. Don't let them force you to sign, take your time; you are not obligated to anything yet. You read the contract, ask questions, and if you like it then sign. If not, ask for what you want (you may or may not get it).

After you sign, you take an Oath to serve the country. You receive your shipping date (date you'll go to Basic Military Training - BMT). 6 weeks of training, X number of months at a technical school (job you chose), and then you are sent to your first duty station. Welcome to the Air Force.

For the reserves, you show up for duty 2 weeks a year except when you get activated and find yourself on a plane to the Middle East. I don't know the specifics of the Reserves since I was Active Duty. I've heard the atmosphere is laid-back and whatnot. Not sure. Feel free to call your nearest Reserve base and talk to everyone you can from Airmen, NCOs, AF civilians, to Officers.

Salary for reservists is different than AD (can't remember specifics); tuition, bonuses, training requirements, etc might be different as well (read: less). One thing to remember, this is not your typical part-time job: when the AF says you got to go somewhere, you really don't have a choice.



Jordan Joab.
 
  • #22
Jordan Joab said:
Here's how the process goes:

After you take the ASVAB the recruiter sets a date for you and other applicants to go to a Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS). Transportation, lodging, and food are covered by the AF. At MEPS you go through background, medical, drug screening, etc. You will get these results at a later date.

You return to MEPS (again, everything covered by the AF) and after you clear everything you get a list of jobs you qualify for (taken from ASVAB results), you choose a job, length of service, bonuses, etc. if there's something you don't like talk to that person right there and then. Don't let them force you to sign, take your time; you are not obligated to anything yet. You read the contract, ask questions, and if you like it then sign. If not, ask for what you want (you may or may not get it).

After you sign, you take an Oath to serve the country. You receive your shipping date (date you'll go to Basic Military Training - BMT). 6 weeks of training, X number of months at a technical school (job you chose), and then you are sent to your first duty station. Welcome to the Air Force.

For the reserves, you show up for duty 2 weeks a year except when you get activated and find yourself on a plane to the Middle East. I don't know the specifics of the Reserves since I was Active Duty. I've heard the atmosphere is laid-back and whatnot. Not sure. Feel free to call your nearest Reserve base and talk to everyone you can from Airmen, NCOs, AF civilians, to Officers.

Salary for reservists is different than AD (can't remember specifics); tuition, bonuses, training requirements, etc might be different as well (read: less). One thing to remember, this is not your typical part-time job: when the AF says you got to go somewhere, you really don't have a choice.



Jordan Joab.

How can I attend another technical school after six weeks of training while I am attending
university? Does the AR make you go to a trade school even if you are already attending college? Would the air force choose where you are going to reside if you decide to join the air force?
 
  • #23
Benzoate said:
How can I attend another technical school after six weeks of training while I am attending
university? Does the AR make you go to a trade school even if you are already attending college? Would the air force choose where you are going to reside if you decide to join the air force?

Signing a military contract is similar to signing your life away. The Air Force's needs take priority over your needs. So more than likely you will have to stop attending college until you finish Technical Training (and longer if your job requires you to obtain more advanced training).

As far as places where you will reside, you will live where the AF tells you to live until you complete BMT and Technical Training (BMT is at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, TX while Tech School depends on the job you chose). For Reserves, you might or might not get assigned to an AFR base near your hometown; you can certainly choose to reside 3hrs away from base just as long as you show up on time for duty.

Once again, the AFR's needs take priority over you. If you getting a degree appears on the AFR's "things I need" list then yes you will be getting your degree; if it doesn't, that degree is coming after the AF gets what it wants. It's that simple.



Jordan Joab.
 
  • #24
I don't know all that much about bank's and economy and what have you. But can't you borrow ( as other's have said in you other thread) a dedicated student loan from a bank. For example mine is from Citibank and I am fairly certain when I was applying it said the maximum is 40k for a loan. You request an amount and they check with your school to make sure it is legit and that you aren't trying to borrow 40k/year for community college
 
  • #25
The way I see it, there's a reason why the military will recruit you, and there's a reason why they give you all of that combat training: so that they can use you to fight its wars. They don't pay you for nothing, even if you are in the "reserves."

A friend of mine is in the reserves, and has been for I think two years. He's a "cook," and for a while it seemed like he would never see an actual fire fight. Well, now he's going to Iraq, and I can't imagine all of that combat training and whatnot was given to him just so that he can cook.

Never trust an army recruiter when they say it's very unlikely that you will be heading to Iraq. Actually, never trust an army recruiter at all. They have a tendency to be ridiculously nice, so nice that it's obvious they're manipulating you. The only other time someone was that nice to me was when some religious dude (I think he was Mormon?) was trying to convert me. Incidentally, on a less related note, the initial idea to study physics occurred to me when a recruiter called me and tried to recruit me one night. They had calling me for a while. I was a freshmen, and an undecided major. Of course, if I told him that, it would encourage him, because they like to pull the "well if you don't know what you want to do, why not join the army while you decide" card. I think I'd get a similar reaction if I told him I was studying liberal arts such as English (which I was leaning towards at the time). So I told him the first non-liberal arts thing that came to my mind: astronomy and physics (since I was in an astronomy class at the time). It worked like a charm. The call ended very soon after that, and they never called me again. And then I thought "Hmm, astronomy and physics, that's not a bad idea!" Anyway, I think I'm rambling now, so I'll stop.
 
  • #26
Mathemaniac said:
The way I see it, there's a reason why the military will recruit you, and there's a reason why they give you all of that combat training: so that they can use you to fight its wars. They don't pay you for nothing, even if you are in the "reserves."

A friend of mine is in the reserves, and has been for I think two years. He's a "cook," and for a while it seemed like he would never see an actual fire fight. Well, now he's going to Iraq, and I can't imagine all of that combat training and whatnot was given to him just so that he can cook.

Never trust an army recruiter when they say it's very unlikely that you will be heading to Iraq. Actually, never trust an army recruiter at all. They have a tendency to be ridiculously nice, so nice that it's obvious they're manipulating you. The only other time someone was that nice to me was when some religious dude (I think he was Mormon?) was trying to convert me. Incidentally, on a less related note, the initial idea to study physics occurred to me when a recruiter called me and tried to recruit me one night. They had calling me for a while. I was a freshmen, and an undecided major. Of course, if I told him that, it would encourage him, because they like to pull the "well if you don't know what you want to do, why not join the army while you decide" card. I think I'd get a similar reaction if I told him I was studying liberal arts such as English (which I was leaning towards at the time). So I told him the first non-liberal arts thing that came to my mind: astronomy and physics (since I was in an astronomy class at the time). It worked like a charm. The call ended very soon after that, and they never called me again. And then I thought "Hmm, astronomy and physics, that's not a bad idea!" Anyway, I think I'm rambling now, so I'll stop.

So did you have to take a break from college to perform the duties given to you by the army.
 
  • #27
Benzoate said:
So did you have to take a break from college to perform the duties given to you by the army.

You do what the military tells you to do when they tell you to do it. If that means interrupting college then yes, you will not be going to college until you do what they tell you to do when they tell you to do it.

If they give you permission to attend college then you may go to college until they tell you to stop going to college.

You are on their time not on yours.



Jordan Joab.
 
  • #28
Jordan Joab said:
You do what the military tells you to do when they tell you to do it. If that means interrupting college then yes, you will not be going to college until you do what they tell you to do when they tell you to do it.

If they give you permission to attend college then you may go to college until they tell you to stop going to college.

You are on their time not on yours.



Jordan Joab.

Seems like we have a dictatorship within our pseudo-democracy
 
  • #29
So did you have to take a break from college to perform the duties given to you by the army.

Eh? I didn't say I joined the army, I said my friend did. With the exception of training and such, I think his college education was for most of the part unimpeded (he's studying engineering). That is, until they decided to send him to Iraq. Now he won't be able to finish until he's back.

Seems like we have a dictatorship within our pseudo-democracy

Basically. I think with the exception of constitutional rights and such, for all intents and purposes, the military pretty much owns you when you are in the army. You are almost literally property of the government. Which is one reason (along with the fact that you could, you know, get shot) why they have to give plenty of very tempting incentives, such as free education. It's understandable; I can't imagine the military would be very functional if everyone can come and go as they please.
 
  • #30
The military has to have a hierarchy so that when the s*** hits the fan, people know who to turn to (the highest ranking officer) instead of voting and arguing. You don't have that kind of time when bombs are exploding around you. The person in command can very well make a stupid mistake, but there's a much smaller chance of that happening than everybody in the unit not agreeing what to do next.
 
  • #31
Benzoate said:
How can I attend another technical school after six weeks of training while I am attending
university? Does the AR make you go to a trade school even if you are already attending college? Would the air force choose where you are going to reside if you decide to join the air force?

Some of my friends in the army managed to put off their technical school off until the summer after their first year at a university. When I first joined it was before the Iraq war. I was fully active for three months and the next thing I know it, I'm out in Kuwait waiting to invade Iraq. The Air Force has a lot of cushy jobs compared to others, so if in the end you do plan to join them, make yourself seem so smart that it would be a waste to put you active combat.

I had leadership skills, thus was given a fireteam. I should have made myself seemed incompetent lol.
 
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  • #32
While the military helps some, and it definitely builds character, because of my experience with it, I always feel obligated to inform anyone considering going into the armed forces...

If you join anything, don't join the army. If you want to be GI Joe, marines, if you want to be treated better, air force (and I second going the Officers route, because Enlisted is a bum deal). If you're smart, and the main reason you're joining is because you feel pinned to a wall, don't join. Besides, they're having budgetary problems, so I'm sure they'll be looking for ways to not give you everything they promised in the future.
 
  • #33
I wouldn't risk my life just so I can get some college degree.
 
  • #34
torquerotates said:
I wouldn't risk my life just so I can get some college degree.

Then pick a non-combat job :-p.

If you decide to go through it, when you are picking your job, look for maintenance and logistics jobs. This includes, fueling stations, munition depos, communication, electronics, aerospace maintenance.

Other safe jobs include, aircrew protection, weather related jobs, C & CS operations, information management.
 
  • #35
PowerIso said:
Then pick a non-combat job :-p.

If you decide to go through it, when you are picking your job, look for maintenance and logistics jobs. This includes, fueling stations, munition depos, communication, electronics, aerospace maintenance.

Other safe jobs include, aircrew protection, weather related jobs, C & CS operations, information management.

Maintenance jobs are normally not school-friendly; personnel has to work long hours until equipment is fixed.

The good jobs in the AF are normally those that are office related such as Finance, Computers, Dining Facility, etc.



Jordan.
 

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