Off I go, into the wild blue yonder...

Just a little something I wanted to share:

After a long 7 month wait to clear medical paperwork (which got lost at least once ), last week I swore into the Delayed Entry Program with the United States Air Force. Yesterday I took the Defense Language Aptitude Battery test and passed with a 117. So I can now officially say, in a few months time I will train to be an Air Force Linguist.

I've wanted to join since I was about 8 years old and I discovered my dad's old uniform and a training book gathering dust in the basement. Although every little boy dreams of becoming a pilot, my vision restricts me from that particular profession, so I applied myself in a field that I have a little experience in (BA in Linguistics). Since I have my degree I'll apply for OCS during my enlistment, but I wanted the enlisted experience first. I'm just happy to finally be on my way

-EDIT- add an extra "f" to that title...since I can't edit it after I posted...grrr

Congrats! I come from an Air Force family and had a really hard time choosing whether to go that route. I think you'll have a ball!

May you be the most cunning linguist the Air Force has to offer!

My wife's father was career Air Force; 30 yrs. All her 5 brothers and sisters were either in the Air Force or married to the Air Force. She and I are the only two in the family that were not.
Personally, I was not willing to work for that company when I was that age.

If you want it, you can have a great time there. Sounds like you too will have a desk job. That is why I refer to it as The Chair Force.

John Brown wrote: May you be the most cunning linguist the Air Force has to offer!

Hee hee, I got that one

ps. have fun, and look into prk laser surgery while in, it's free and flight status is unaffected, or so I hear.

I was committed to joining the Air Force as a kid, but decided I should one-up my older brother who enlisted about a year before me, so I ended up in the Marine Corps. I was still in aviation and eventually ended up in a flight test squadron working with a combination of USAF and USMC personnel.

The Air Force is allowed to have more fun, but the Marines actually had more fun, occasionally at the expense of our good-natured Air Force counterparts. They were all quality people and I would have no reservations suggesting the Air Force to people who don't like to shoot guns.

Congrats on passing the DLAB tests. I have a very funny story about mine...Monterey is a great town! (Hopefully you end up at that DLI...) What language?

By the way- I found the "F" you dropped in the subject.

In reply to Tom Heath:

Thanks! I appreciate the title-edit. Yes, the DLAB was an...interesting test. I KNEW what I was getting into, but I still thought I failed it when I was done. I will definitely be going to the DLI in Monterey (half hour from Laguna Seca!), but my language doesn't get assigned to me until the 7th or 8th week in basic. Yes, the AF now has an 8.5 week BMT. They give you a rifle and everything!

wherethefmi:

My vision is too far-gone even for correction. They only allow 20/40 correctable to 20/20 and although my near vision is perfect my far vision is 20/200 and 20/100 correctable to 20/20. I can still get the surgery (and probably will eventually) but it won't help me get a pilot slot. Now, a navigator on the other hand...

Oh, and jrw1621: yeah, it'll be a desk job...at 35,000 feet :D The first job I listed (there are only 2 linguist jobs) is Airborne Cryptologic Linguist, which means intercepting foreign language transmission from the air. So long as I can pass the flight physical, that job will be mine.

USAF is a good choice for the military. Historically, the food is better and if you can't fly there, you're not going.

OrangeRazor wrote: . Now, a navigator on the other hand... Oh, and jrw1621: yeah, it'll be a desk job...at 35,000 feet :D The first job I listed (there are only 2 linguist jobs) is Airborne Cryptologic Linguist, which means intercepting foreign language transmission from the air. So long as I can pass the flight physical, that job will be mine.

We're called "Combat Systems Officers" now. It's basically a rose by another name.

If you get the Airborne Linguist job, look me up if you get RC's and Offutt. I just got assigned a nav, sorry, CSO, slot on them.

In reply to Osterkraut:

Very cool, will do. I hear a lot of the 1A8's go to Offutt, which at first I wasn't excited about, but then I heard they TDY a lot, which made it a little bit better. Of course if I fail that physical and get 1N3 (ground) instead, lord knows where I'll end up.

OrangeRazor wrote: In reply to Osterkraut: Very cool, will do. I hear a lot of the 1A8's go to Offutt, which at first I wasn't excited about, but then I heard they TDY a lot, which made it a little bit better. Of course if I fail that physical and get 1N3 (ground) instead, lord knows where I'll end up.

Offutt and Omaha are surprisingly nice for being smack in the Midwest. If snow isn't your thing they use linguists in the back of the Compass Call, too.

In reply to OrangeRazor:

After having to wear glasses for over 50 years, I had lens implant surgery. I went from legally blind(both eyes)uncorrected, to 20-20 and 20-15! If your heart is really set on flying, there is a way and it's not too expensive. Most insurance won't cover laser as they consider it a cosmetic procedure. BUT, since everyone has the beginnings of cataracts, the lens implants are covered because it's corrective surgery for a medical condition. In my case, one was completely covered and the other cost me less than $800 because it also corrected a severe astigmatism. Almost forgot, thank you for serving!

In reply to Osterkraut:

Oooo, didn't even know about the Compass Call, I just looked it up. Guess I'm just gonna have to graduate near the top if I want to get that assignment, but it sounds a lot better than being stuck in an AWACS.

My neighbors (husb and wife) are both 20-year retired master sergeant payload specialists. Guy across the street is a retired AF recruiter. Guy I work with was AF JAG and is now Vt. Air National Guard JAG. A cousin is in the Air Force also. Another neighbor is Army, retired Airborne. I thought long and hard about seeking an Academy slot while in high school (I think I had a really good shot at it) but decided I didn't really want to go the military route. Sometimes I regret that decision... Anyway, good luck, stay safe and thanks for serving.

I took a few AFROTC classes in college--they dovetailed nicely with my history minor. It was weird being the only civilian in the class, but Col. Simms, our commanding officer, was always friendly. He was a car buff, too.

He flew AC-130s. I am convinced that a very angry person designed that ship.

Man, AC-130s don't take no E36 M3.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Jn6nByuDS0&feature=PlayList&p=B48C1CFB9412BA8A&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=8

Thanks for keeping us safe.

the co I work for makes parts for the AC - 130 ... (valve actuators that isolate ruptured sections of the hydraulic system)

Lockheed AC-130 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia AC-130 Spectre/Spooky

AC-130H Spectre gunship deploys flares in 2007 Role Fixed-wing gunship Manufacturer Lockheed and Boeing First flight AC-130A: 1966 AC-130U: 1990 Introduction AC-130A: 1968 AC-130U: 1995 Status Active Primary user United States Air Force Number built 43, including all variants (25, Active) Unit cost AC-130H: US$132.4 million AC-130U: US$190 million (2001) Developed from C-130 Hercules The Lockheed AC-130 gunship is a heavily-armed ground-attack aircraft. The basic airframe is manufactured by Lockheed, and Boeing is responsible for the conversion into a gunship and for aircraft support.[1] It is a variant of the C-130 Hercules transport plane. The AC-130A Gunship II superseded the AC-47 Gunship I in the Vietnam War. The gunship's sole user is the United States Air Force, which uses AC-130H Spectre and AC-130U Spooky variants.[2] The AC-130 is powered by four Rolls-Royce T56-A-15 turboprops and has an armament ranging from 25 mm Gatling guns to 105 mm howitzers. It has a standard crew of twelve or thirteen airmen, including five officers (two pilots, a navigator, an electronic warfare officer and a fire control officer) and enlisted personnel (flight engineer, electronics operators, and aerial gunners). The US Air Force uses the AC-130 gunships for close air support, air interdiction, and force protection. Close air support roles include supporting ground troops, escorting convoys, and flying urban operations. Air interdiction missions are conducted against planned targets and targets of opportunity. Force protection missions include defending air bases and other facilities. Currently, AC-130U Spooky model gunships are stationed at Hurlburt Field in Northwest Florida and the AC-130H models are stationed at Cannon AFB, New Mexico. The gunship squadrons are part of the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), a component of United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM).

Join the military and coming out of the closet in the same post! Amazing!

Just kidding! Congrats man. I have a lot of respect for fly boys. I've seen their unique approach to ruining someones day. Good luck!

Best wishes! Althought I never joined the military, I always thought it would have been a great choice. I grew up next to McGuire and saw all the air shows from my back yard. Lakehurst was nearby too, so I got to see the Blue Angles buzz over my house at about 300' AGL.......plus blimps!

Ahh, those were the good old days!

Anyway, I was invited to fly on a KC-135 last summer as it re-fueled eight F-15s over NC.

~Video I Took From Inside KC-135....check out 1:20~

wherethefmi wrote: Hee hee, I got that one ps. have fun, and look into prk laser surgery while in, it's free and flight status is unaffected, or so I hear.

just had mine done this last fall, and haven't looked back since(hee hee)

the air force life can be interesting at times, but its been good to me so far, just cleared 4 years

I am a fuels systems repair guy, which means I climb inside the gas tank of the b2 stealth...and that's about all I can say about that

Haha, nice. Is the surgery really free? Or is it just mostly covered by Tricare? I still don't know precisely how the health plan works, I just know that it's a pretty decent one by reputation.

My father worked for Lockheed as a field trainer for the C130 project. He taught most of the third world to repair it. (varying degrees of sucess there, but thats another story) He started his carrer in the USAF went to the Allison experimental shop when they were developing the engines for the 130. Went to Lockheed when that program was over and did 35 years there. He doesnt think he would have made it off the farm in southern Indiana if he hadnt joined up. Definately would have not have seen the world the way he did. He has let an amazing life and has a million stories and still remembers tha details.

Thanks for serving and protecting our freedoms.

Congratulations and thanks for all you will do!

The Air Force...one of the best para-military groups this nation has to offer....sorry had to do it as a retired Navy man and all in good fun.

In today's economy the armed forces are an even better option than they normally are. Get the most out of your time in no matter if you stick around for 5 years or 20 years. It is a great way to serve your country and gain experience for whatever you do next.

OrangeRazor wrote: Haha, nice. Is the surgery really free? Or is it just mostly covered by Tricare? I still don't know precisely how the health plan works, I just know that it's a pretty decent one by reputation.

The only thing I paid for was the travel and a room to stay in(I had to go to another base). For me everything I need is covered 100%.
The wife has been covered for everything but drugs, and for that we only pay a small fee if we get them off base. The kids have been covered 100%, including all baby delivery costs.

There are times when I hate my job, but I hated my outside jobs too, and with the way outside jobs are now days I'm staying in for awhile.