I am considering joining the air force as a nurse and I have been told that all slots are full for student loan repayment for this fiscal year (2009). But that the bonus is still available.
I know the new fiscal year starts October of this year. However, my recruiter says that he has heard that there will be no bonus or student loan repayment because of the economy and that they over-did the amt of nurses that they accepted last year. Does any of that sound accurate?
I am also told that I need to give a definitive yes or no on whether I want to join the Air Force before he will even enter my application into the system. He says if I go through the process of getting accepted and then turn it down, then I wasted 4 AFB's time and money.
I am uncomfortable with giving a yes to this before I even get the opportunity to find out about student loan repayment & bonuses for the next fiscal year and before I even find out if I am accepted.
He says if I want to wait to hear about that, it will be December before he knows anything about student loan repayment and then he can enter my app.
Does any of this sound accurate?? Just curious b/c I have no other sources.
I am so ready to leave the private civilian world of mishaps and doctors yelling at you and nurse directors on your back for the military world. I even told my recruiters that I am willing to go early, if possible, than later....I want out of the private world.
It makes me wonder how many people go through the process only to get cold feet at the end. If I were the recruiter and I put all the time and effort in to have recruit after recruit decline perhaps I would be a little more adament on early committment for the next recruit.
It is a long process as the recruit ( one that never seems to end) but it probably os just as long on the recruiter. I know mine drives all over the place and is responsible for multiple states. Plus, I have heard that some recruiters drive the recruits to MEPS and their Interviews - that is a heck of a lot of driving considering the barea covered and the number of applicants...
And that's their job. Period. Recruiting is a special duty assignment and in the Air Force recruiters APPLY to get the job. You're not appointed to the recruiting service. You choose to be a part of it. If they don't like it, in my opinion, too bad - do your job and suck it up. They know what they're getting into when they apply for it. I don't feel bad for them - except I do feel bad when the ones who are awesome get slagged and have a bad rep along with the crappy ones.
It really, really pees me off when I hear/see all these recruiters doing other than what's expected of them.
Specializes in ED. ICU, PICU, infection prevention, aeromedical e.
pssssst, maverickemt....
I think that you will still get yelled at and have people on your back in the military. Maybe not in the way you experience in the civilian world. The grass isn't always greener, just a different kind of grass.
The difference I've seen is in the military, there's usually someone to reign in the person who wants to scream at you....in other words, the captain doctor might want to lose his temper, but there's a lieutenant colonel somewhere above him who can scream at him.
The medical corps are VERY different from the line Air Force - I've met a couple of military MDs who are tossers, but they'd be tossers anywhere - and how they talk to and treat the RNs is very different from what I saw on the line side, and very different from the civilian world. But as I said, jerks are everywhere, so I make no guarantees.
There's a necessary awareness of rank that doesn't exist in the civilian world for obvious reasons, and I think it tempers a lot of tempers, if you know what I mean.
But jerks are everywhere - even in the Air Force - and rank doesn't necessarily grant an expected level of professionalism.
I had a couple of questions, I know that this is an AF forum but had a couple of questions, I'm currently trying to get into the Nurse Candidate Program for the Navy, I think the board will meet for that in Oct 2010, and I'm in the process of getting all the paperwork together, motivational statement, resume, etc......anyway I normally have a back up plan just in case, and I was wondering if the Navy for some reason falls through and I decide to pursue the airforce for a direct commission straight out of nursing school, would it look bad on the application process for the Air Force if for some reason I was declined for the Navy through no fault of my own? For example, say they just didn't have enough slots for all the applicants for that year??? Also I don't graduate with my BSN until May 2012, so far as the application process what types of things should I be doing to make my application stronger for the air force if I decided to go that route???
Also I had read on the forum that Inactive Reserve time counts towards pay??? Did I read that right?? For example I was Active Duty Army for six years and had 2 years Inactive reserve time, so far as the payscale goes..it would put me at O1E with 8 years in (only for pay purposes) and still have to 14 years to be applicable for retirement, or would it be O1E with 6 years and then the 14 years, just wanted to clarify:-), one more thing I know you've answered this one before but far as my motivational statement, I got out of the Army as an E-4, basically because at the time I never really felt ready to be in a leadership role and wanted to pursue school,but that was about 6 years ago and I've matured alot since then, my grades aren't as high as I'd like currently 3.2, so not sure if I should highlight that, and I'm still a nursing student so no nursing experience, and the reasons I've come up with on why I want to commisison is Better Career Progression than in the civilian world, the teamwork aspect of my peers and myself, ie not such a distinction between the physician and nurse, the educational opporturnites and the service ethics are in line with my own and with the nursing profession, so I guess my question is would these reasons be good enough or do I need to have a couple of things from my own experience?? oh and obviously the patriotic duty, but I'm sure thats in about 98 percent of the apps and not sure I should include that, thanks for any help
I just got my phone call last thursday...YAY!!!! My recruiter knew selection status, base assignment, and COT date. I had to go to his office within five days to sign the acceptance letter. He said that would hold my spot for January. When I went to his office, we did fingerprinting and background check. Next, we're waiting on my name to go into the system (can't remember the name) so that we can set up a commission date. I don't think you sign the official contract until you sign commission paperwork (someone correct me if I'm wrong). Hope that helps!! I so excited about commissioning, but I feel like I have no idea what to do next!! Hurry up and wait, I guess :)
Question...has anyone heard yet what the bonus/student loan repayment is for the upcoming fiscal year?? It's almost October. I thought we'd know something by now!
Do you remember if your recruiter called you on the exact day that they said they would? The reason I ask is because in 2010, they selected more nurses because they had a really good year and now COT dates are getting filled so for people who wanted to go in May or August are getting pushed back to October. The reason I ask is because I have not signed anything but my recruiters tell me that I have been selected and will definitely have a job in USAF... My question is WHEN????!!!!??? It is a little discouraging and frustrating. Do they really expect us to accept assignments if they are late in telling us...Is this their way of ensuring that people will accept and stay in forever??????!!!!!??? Please respond. I am pretty stressed and frustrated and annoyed at this whole process.
i am curious to know the answer to maverickemt's question. my paperwork will be seen by the board this month. if i am told i am selected and they don't give me any details about the start date i will be vary wary of joining and signing any paperwork. if i get selected and don't go to cot in 2010 then i will not accept the commissioning.
my life has been on hold since i started this process and i do not want to hear them tell me "yes we want you to work for us but not until next year". i am at a temporary job and at 29 years old i live with my parents because of all of the waiting. i need to pick a career path and move out of my parents’ house and get a life. i wanted to do that with the air force but if waiting until next year is the current standard i feel they have plenty of nurses and i should pursue other goals instead.
this process has been stressful and my interest and excitement for joining the air force has diminished greatly and i have thought of other things i can accomplish in my nursing career that are interesting and exciting to me now and it makes joining the air force look like an imprudent risk.
i know everyone has had second thoughts but this feels different than that.
Specializes in ED. ICU, PICU, infection prevention, aeromedical e.
I started this process in May last year. I've had no bumps or troubles or need of waivers. I go to COT in May. Yes, that is 1 full year. I found that my resolve for joining grew stronger with the wait. I have no doubt it is the right thing for me. A few months of waiting is nothing compared to being given the privilege of serving. I'm prior service enlisted Army. Waiting is what the military does. Get used to it. If you really are this frustrated now, you may want to review your priorities and decide if this is the future for you.
I do have sympathy for your frustration. I was supposed to be at COT in January. I haven't whined and moaned, but have celebrated everyone's acceptance and departures ahead of me.
i am curious to know the answer to maverickemt's question. my paperwork will be seen by the board this month. if i am told i am selected and they don't give me any details about the start date i will be vary wary of joining and signing any paperwork. if i get selected and don't go to cot in 2010 then i will not accept the commissioning.
my life has been on hold since i started this process and i do not want to hear them tell me "yes we want you to work for us but not until next year". i am at a temporary job and at 29 years old i live with my parents because of all of the waiting. i need to pick a career path and move out of my parents' house and get a life. i wanted to do that with the air force but if waiting until next year is the current standard i feel they have plenty of nurses and i should pursue other goals instead.
this process has been stressful and my interest and excitement for joining the air force has diminished greatly and i have thought of other things i can accomplish in my nursing career that are interesting and exciting to me now and it makes joining the air force look like an imprudent risk.
i know everyone has had second thoughts but this feels different than that.
i too have been told that i am accepted and have not seen anything official and would really like to get that acceptance letter. however, i was also told that cot dates could be as far out as mar 2011 and i am prepared for the wait. i am prior enlisted air force and hope to retire with the air force. i don't know what your goals are but the air force has many benefits and provides a rewarding career. i know the wait is excruciating because i feel it also.
I went back and forth with the long wait. Keep in mind that a few months is nothing compared to your time in service. That was the only thing I had. If you have a job now, be happy. Wait or no wait, there's nothing we can do to speed it up
Maverick- I had so many find out dates. The last one was march 5 and I found out MArch 18.
Nashville-if this is what you really want, your enthusiasm will be out of this world when you read that acceptance letter. You might as well see this through. You are not committed until you swear in.
Here is the thing, you can let the long wait make you crazy or you can use the time to your advantage. You can spend the time enjoying all the things you will miss when you finally leave. Earn a certification, improve your run times or take a weekend someplace you have always wanted to go.
The COT date will eventually come and after that you will not have the chance for all things you could be doing while stressing about getting in.
I think most of us are control freaks and hate the thought of our fates in the hands of others. Once we can come to terms that we do not call the shots anymore then it becomes easier and focus can be placed in areas that are more productive...
I haven't posted for a couple months but i read and got caught up on what people are saying. I was frustrated because an old back injury was delaying my application process. Happy to say I passed MEPS and was cleared by a neurologist. I was just at MEPS and had my interview with a colonel which I think went well. One thing that surprised me though is this colonel AND my recruitor told me they have met their quota for med/surg nurses already this year. I have critical care experience and they are sending my app in for CCU and not med/surg. Has anyone else heard that they don't even want med/surg nurses? That scares me to think that they are close to getting all the CCU nurses they need too! I am being told that my app will be submitted in June and I will know of acceptance by August, then go to COT next March. That's a long wait!!!!!!,but i feel like they are being honest. any thoughts??
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maverickemt
126 Posts
I am so ready to leave the private civilian world of mishaps and doctors yelling at you and nurse directors on your back for the military world. I even told my recruiters that I am willing to go early, if possible, than later....I want out of the private world.
Maverickemt