Anyone in the Air National Guard or the Airforce? I have a question

pcsavvy

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I was also in the CA Army National Guard for 7 years as a cook. Don't ask me why but it was either that or small engine repair or tank repair, I was tired of doing mechanical type jobs. I don't even like to cook at home. The National Guard is bit more flexible as far as what station you want to be assigned to within the state but that might have changed since I was in. You go one weekend a month which can be two days (Saturday-Sunday)or three days (Friday-Sunday) depending upon the training/mission and then you have two weeks either in the summer or winter but mostly in the summer that you serve. I was stationed in San Diego and Long Beach and we usually ended up in Fort Irwin for our two weeks but once in awhile we would go to San Luis Obispo for the two weeks. When I first joined there were guys who treated their weekend drill as party time but once the desert wars started then the culture really started to change.
The CA National Guard almost went to the first desert war but the Feds only wanted certain units so the commander of the National Guard would have had to find a new job so he refused and the Feds went to the Georgia National Guard and all heck broke loose cause they were not ready to deploy especially overseas.
As time went on Army National Guard's culture became more like regular Army so they were becoming more strict about PT standards and stuff. We were activated for the Rodney King riots and the Northridge Earthquake, the cooks were stuck at the armory while others went to LA to assist. But I had unique opportunities for instance when I was at Camp Roberts outside of San Luis Obispo there were helicopter pilots who needed to fly a certain number of flight hours so they asked for volunteers to fly with them. I got to fly with them twice in a row and I made their night cause I hummed a Rollling Stone tune under my breath wearing the headsets. The pilots could hear me and they got a kick out of it because everyone else just sat like a stone.
Another time, at Fort Irwin, we made a night move and we ended up in the wrong place. One port-a-john for 300 plus people to use. and since it was Fort Irwin which is protected land you could NOT go out with your shovel and dig a latrine. BIG NO NO. Unfortunately, that port-a-john filled up fast and people were desperate to find alternatives. The final straw for our Tech Sergeant was finding a box with feces in it near the mess tent. We packed up and went on to the base which had concrete set ups for us to put our gas stoves on. That was one of the worst experiences.

At this time I was working full time and going to ITT Technical School 5 nights a week so I was a busy person. Unfortunately, when I was in the Air Force, the old GI Bill was gone and they had an interim program called VEAP-Veteran's Assistance Education Program for every dollar you put in the Feds matched 2 dollars but then when the new GI Bill came out, you were not eligible for new GI Bill if you fell under the VEAP program.

If you decide to cross branches, you do not have to go through Basic again but you may need to go to Technical School depending upon your career field.
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Love hearing the stories.

Once we were seated we only had 5 minutes to eat our food so I learned to eat very fast which to this day gets on some people's nerves though I do try to slow down.
I’m still like this. That’s why in my service week when I had to help in the galley, I’d hide in the back and eat anything I could get my hands on. Leading up to going to basic training, I was in the gym often, and would run around the roads near my house, out in the country, in the dark with my dads M1 Carbine after I got home from work around midnight (stocking at a grocery store). I went into boot camp a decently muscled 165 lbs on my average 5’9” frame.

Between the limited time to eat a finite amount of food... and no snacking, when I got my military ID which had my weight on it; I was 121 lbs. My boot camp photo is of a young man who was the shadow of his former self. I dreamed of food every night I was so hungry. All the cardio jacked my metabolism up where I just melted what bit of weight I had right off. Dinner was around 1700. Breakfast 0700. 14 hours without food was probably the worst thing for me. We had mint floss I’d chewed at night a few times... just for something.

My parents and my then girlfriend, now wife, flew up for my graduation. First place we stopped was at some non-chain all you can eat restaurant. I remember eating probably a couple pounds of red potatoes.
 

pcsavvy

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When I joined in Feb, I was actually underweight but by Nov when I went to Basic I was at my ideal weight. After Basic I was 5 pounds heavier which I stayed at for a number of years. I was never a person interested in exercise and being buff, I really hated the push ups. Push ups were very hard for me to do but then the female anatomy is not as conducive to doing push ups as it is to doing sit ups. While at Basic I did bulk up on carbs since I was doing a lot more marching and exercising then what I was used to.
 

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Whatever you do if once in you find you don't like the Military culture DO NOT DO STUPID SHIT TO GET OUT EARLY! I can not emphasis that enough, serve your full term and get an honorable discharge and you will be eligible for VA Benefits which can help you in the future when needed. I knew a guy who smoked pot with some other guys, he got caught and ended up in detention and going Palace Chase which at the time was you switch to the Air Reserves/Guard but it doubles your time in, ie if you have 3 years active duty left you have to sign up for 6 years of Reserve or National Guard. How does that equal to getting out early?
I went through some bad crap but I bit my lip stayed in for my full term Active Duty. Which was helpful cause I had a job with no medical benefits and I was able to use the VA to take care of my medical needs at that time at no charge since my income was extremely low too. Also you will be eligible for the VA Home loan which if you are planning on buying a house, it can help you too.
As a military brat of a retired Marine, I had medical coverage until I was 18 unless I went to college then it was extended to 21 but I am not sure what the policy is now.
 

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Whatever you do if once in you find you don't like the Military culture DO NOT DO STUPID SHIT TO GET OUT EARLY! I can not emphasis that enough, serve your full term and get an honorable discharge and you will be eligible for VA Benefits which can help you in the future when needed. I knew a guy who smoked pot with some other guys, he got caught and ended up in detention and going Palace Chase which at the time was you switch to the Air Reserves/Guard but it doubles your time in, ie if you have 3 years active duty left you have to sign up for 6 years of Reserve or National Guard. How does that equal to getting out early?
Preach on, sister. I said it in one of my posts, too. We had this one guy attempt suicide to get out early. While we were out to sea. He showed zero signs, and while he had his issues (the Navy Nuke field isn't known for having social butterflies), he still worked pretty damn hard. He nonchalantly grabbed a butterknife from the mess deck, went back to berthing, stared one of my friends in the eye, and dug it into his arm. I just remember waking up to, "DUDE, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?! [name]! CALL A MEDICAL EMERGENCY!" and blood everywhere.
We also had a dude literally jump ship when we were 50 feet from the pier. From the flight deck. Into icy cold PNW water. We heard the Coasties escorting us said his jump form was perfect until he decided to freak out 15 feet above the waterline and broke his form. Shattered both of his legs and that was the last we heard about him.

Another piece of advice I wanna give to @CVCTURBO about military life. Yeah, it's a serious job, but don't forget to have fun. Met too many people with proverbial sticks up their ass whenever they were "on the clock." Do your job, do it well, but no reason to be a super high speed guy. Learn how and when to flip that serious "shit needs to get done" switch. Very valuable tool in and out of the military, I've noticed.
 


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Thank you all so much for the advice and encouragement. I do have another question....
So for when I go to MEPS or mainly when I do my security clearance. I had a somewhat bad history 4yrs ago. Let's just say I went to church thing for 2 months lol, again this was 4yrs ago. It wasn't court ordered, I have no criminal record, and it was a volunteer type thing. There's no actual paper trail or medical record. Do I bring this up...

I don't want to shoot myself in the foot for no reason but I also don't want it to be considered a lie.
 

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Bring it up to your recruiter and see what he/she says. Something like that might not disqualify you for military service, but can sure have an impact on security clearance. So, at the very least, bring it up to your recruiter.

Just a case in point kinda deal. Had a buddy in boot camp. He disclosed information at the "moment of truth" during boot camp (where you can come clean about anything without repercussion or something. I don't remember the specifics). What he disclosed was a sealed and expunged marijuana possession record he had. They didn't send him home, but they did de-nuke him because it was security clearance disqualifying or something.
 

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As I recall... you should qualify for NOFORN clearance off the bat. Past that, at the schoolhouse (at least in the nuke line), you'd have to qualify for Confidential/Secret through a BG check... depending on the community you'd be going to... this could be a Top Secret. You'll have to list family/peers. If there's something in the past they'll possibly bring up... better to just get it out in the open.

As @xRiCeBoYx pointed out... just because some things might disqualify for one community, doesn't necessarily mean you can't do some job. There are tons of great jobs... and all have their good and bad points. Your recruiter is going to be a pump and not a filter to get you in. Have a frank and honest discussion with them. I will, again, point out that things that you've needed in the past you may need again, whether that is physical or mental health... and if you put yourself in a position to not disclose it, you're forcing your hand to keep it a secret... if it ever popped up and became a need again. That's what happened to my buddy, Kevin. I can't say to it there was any job he could have ever done... but he was a good dude and, for as hard as he worked, it was sad to see him gotten rid of when it was determined he couldn't do the job he was doing, and never should have been doing it in the first place.

So far as discussion with the recruiter, they won't/don't necessarily pass that information beyond the recruiting station. MEPS? The buck will stop there. Moment of truth at boot camp? Again... there.

Consider your recruiter an advocate to getting your ass in the service. They want you in. You're a number for their quota. If they can get you in... they're going to make it happen. If they can't get you in... well... you really shouldn't have been able to go.
 
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It's definitely a hard position to be in. Because that crap is not who I am today and is almost 5yrs ago. I volunteering took care of it and have moved on and I just don't want to jeopardize me getting in you know...
 

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It's definitely a hard position to be in. Because that crap is not who I am today and is almost 5yrs ago. I volunteering took care of it and have moved on and I just don't want to jeopardize me getting in you know...
Honestly... whatever it is... if it's a done deal and not part of you record... then it pretty much doesn't exist. If it was a court ordered thing... it was done in that way so it wouldn't follow you. There's a lot of that sort of thing that happens. I'd imagine the recruiters would tell you the same thing. I am, however not a recruiter.

If you want to discuss something with one with some anonymity... just call a recruiting station and chat with them to bounce the scenario off them.

Most people have said or done something that wish they could take back... or random shenanigans as a kid. Many get away scott-free. Others did it at the wrong place at the wrong time and had authorities get involved. If you did your penance and grew from the experience... it should not prevent you from doing service. It is understood that you were not held to the same standard that you would after having entered service.
 


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Honestly... whatever it is... if it's a done deal and not part of you record... then it pretty much doesn't exist. If it was a court ordered thing... it was done in that way so it wouldn't follow you. There's a lot of that sort of thing that happens. I'd imagine the recruiters would tell you the same thing. I am, however not a recruiter.

If you want to discuss something with one with some anonymity... just call a recruiting station and chat with them to bounce the scenario off them.

Most people have said or done something that wish they could take back... or random shenanigans as a kid. Many get away scott-free. Others did it at the wrong place at the wrong time and had authorities get involved. If you did your penance and grew from the experience... it should not prevent you from doing service. It is understood that you were not held to the same standard that you would after having entered service.

Yes exactly. I have a meeting Weds with my recruiter so I'm probably just going to tell him then. Fingers crossed it goes positive
 

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Look at different jobs the chair force has to offer. Have a contingency plan in the unfortunate case that whatever is in your history messes with your chances of being able to secure the applicable security clearance. I wouldn't stress too much on it, tbh. Like I said before, we've all done stupid shit before.
Most people have said or done something that wish they could take back... or random shenanigans as a kid. Many get away scott-free. Others did it at the wrong place at the wrong time and had authorities get involved. If you did your penance and grew from the experience... it should not prevent you from doing service. It is understood that you were not held to the same standard that you would after having entered service.
This so much. Just be forthcoming with as much information that you can provide to your recruiter, and they'll try and make magic happen. I don't wanna tell you that you're gonna be 100% fine and everything from here on out is gonna be rainbows and butterflies, since I can't verify anything, but I will tell you to go in with your head high and work with your recruiter. Like going to the doctor's office, don't beat around the bush because you're embarrassed about anything. Own up to what's in your history and disclose as much as they need to get the ball rolling for you.

Just out of curiosity, if you're willing to share, what kinda job were you looking to get into?
 

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Yes exactly. I have a meeting Weds with my recruiter so I'm probably just going to tell him then. Fingers crossed it goes positive
Good luck to you. I'm excited for you and hope everything works out the way you want it to. Feel free to post up some more stuff on this or another off-topic thread or to drop me a PM.

There's a lot of us who are currently or previously served. While we all might have had different experiences... some liking... some disliking... some hating the experience and just glad it's over... some of did drink the Kool-Aid to be lifers. I do think most of us want the next group who take our place to succeed and, if they can, do maybe just a little bit better than we did.

It might be a kinder, gentler Navy today... but I still hold to that you make a great Sailor like you make a great sword: You set them on fire and you hit them with a hammer ten thousand times. ;)

Again, good luck!
 

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If I may share, when I enlisted I went in as guaranteed job not job field-Aircraft Armament Systems Technician-a bomb loader is what I signed up for. I needed a Top Secret Clearance at the time and I had to fill out a huge long form and put down my history for the past 10 years that I could remember. I joined when I was 17 and I remember how intimidating it was to fill out that form cause I had ended up going to 5 high schools in 4 years because of my parent's divorce. I remembered thinking should I mention that one time I walked into a communist book store in San Diego for all of 5 minutes, did not buy anything or speak to anyone but it was the Cold War time. But I didn't because it was a nothing burger so to speak. A few friends at the time remembered being interviewed by the FBI back then. Now with social media and stuff all one has to do is google your name and find out all kinds of stuff some accurate and some inaccurate. If you have a social media presence be very careful of what you post and remember there is no such thing as permanent delete on the internet. So if you have anything in your background that other people in your life know about, be honest with the recruiter about it and if need be, be honest on the security form because an old friend may disclose that info to an interviewer then they gotcha for lying or failing to disclose the information. I do not want to scare you but that is the reality of security clearances.
There are lots of jobs in the Air Force that don't require a high security clearance, the only reason I received a Top Secret Security Clearance was due to the type of weapons I would have to possibly load. And also the technology on some of those jets can be considered a high security, need to know type thing. My job was physically demanding but not that intellectually challenging, as long as you had common sense and the ability to read and follow directions you would have no problems and be able to work under pressure.
As I said there are a lot of jobs that don't require a security clearance like a cook doesn't but there are some bases you would not be able to be assigned to because you may need a security clearance of some type to be stationed there. The way it will work is you take the ASVAB-Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery which you can get study guides at your local book seller or Amazon or online. It basically tests to see where you are at in math skills, reading skills and problem solving and then it tests out where your strengths are vocationally. When I took the ASVAB with no studying by the way, I scored college reading level and the second highest score in electronics according to my recruiter. And while at MEPS you will be given a physical to make sure you are in good shape and also tested to see how much you can lift over your head. That is what I had to do when I went, this way they can find out if those jobs that require a lot of heavy lifting would be a good fit or not. I believe I was able to lift 50 lbs above my head at that time but not a 100 lbs.
I ended up on the delayed enlistment program for about 7 months, basically I signed the contract in Feb and went to Basic in Nov. While at Basic, holidays and weekends do not count so if you go in the fall, you end up longer there because of the holidays whereas in the summer it is basically 8 weeks straight with very few holidays. I hit Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years so I ended up being there from Nov to early January of the following year, at the time Basic was only 6 weeks.
Unfortunately, when I got out there was not a lot of need for an Aircraft Armament Systems Technician unless I wanted to be a third world mercenary type, no thanks I wanted to be able to sleep with both eyes closed. When I got out there was not a lot of support other than going to the unemployment office or the VA. And the unemployment office was not that helpful for someone just out of the military at that time. Now there is a lot of support for veterans in finding jobs or education or housing, some states do it better than others.
Keep in mind the recruiter has a quota he/she has to meet and good recruiters will be straight with you about your chances and will be your advocate in getting you in. The Air Force has the reputation of having strict standards but some of the people I had to work with in the Air Force made me doubt that perception.

Edit: Good Luck
 
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Well guys thanks for all of your help and encouragement. Unfortunately I talked to my recruiter today and he essentially said right away sorry ur disqualified.
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