AF 4 year committment

Sewbusy~RN · Dec 1, 2009

Make no mistake, your recruiter has lied to you, that is the only guarantee in the military. That aside, I spent four years enlisted in the AF and I would do it over again in a heartbeat. And it went pretty fast for me. Yes you lose some independance, but its part of becoming a member of the AF team. People who really want out always find a way out. Parents are going to be worried regardless, especially during a time of (endless) war like we are. You will miss your friends and family a lot. Being in the military is hard and extremely demanding in many ways, but you will never be more proud of yourself. Talk to other people who have already experienced it, and then see how you feel about it.

DrCOVID, DNP · Dec 1, 2009

Are you willing to be pushed to be the best RN you can be? Be part of something bigger than yourself? Have the best set of benefits/perks possible? Dedicate 4 years (or more) but be sure that you will be ready for almost any nursing job afterwards? Sacrifice a few freedoms that can do more good for you than harm? Be forced into uncomfortable situations that will become part of life's experience and make you a stronger/more well rounded person? Be tolerant of one of the biggest bureaucracy's and follow it's policies? Have numerous doors opened in education, work, and life in general? I could keep going but you get the point... long list of pros/cons.

I have made up my mind in the situation I am in that this is the best thing for me to do at this moment (ready to move out, have top RN training, be challenged and forced into new things, hard to find job in my area, I have around 25k+ in loans I don't want to worry about so I intend on taking a 6 year commitment). All anyone can ever do what is best in the moment!

You will miss family and friends but you will and can make new friends and possibly start your own family to take the edge off. When you are done with 4 years, it will be up to you to leave, you will be well trained for any nursing job.

As I was typing this, I found out via my recruiter my application was accepted into the USAF, but I have no orders yet, 8/8 people that applied were selected in my region. WOOT!

nursemel09 · Dec 1, 2009

I also signed up for the 6 year committment. My parents were concerned about my making the leap into military life but accepted my decision but my husband has been totally supportive and excited. The pros definately outweigh the cons for the me in this situation. I know that these six years will fly by. I have the opportunity to serve my country, get really great experience and educational opportunities, and be debt free in a matter of a few years? No brainer for me. Only you can decide what is best for your life though....good luck in whatever you decide!

nursemel09 · Dec 1, 2009

Congrats on being accepted! Hopefully, I will here from my recruiter today too. Did they say why you still didn't have any orders?

jentrump29 · Dec 1, 2009

Congrats adammRN!! Are you going to COT in January or March??

Nursemel09, you won't get orders until after you commission. I commissioned Nov. 5th and still don't have orders...hopefully soon!!

nursemel09 · Dec 1, 2009

Jenhasredhair,

I was told that I would find out my COT class, and my first duty station when my package was accepted. Is this incorrect?

DrCOVID, DNP · Dec 1, 2009

Congrats adammRN!! Are you going to COT in January or March??
Nursemel09, you won't get orders until after you commission. I commissioned Nov. 5th and still don't have orders...hopefully soon!!

Thanks :) I didn't get a reason why there were no orders for me yet, it sounded like he just hadn't received them, I was told that I will possibly wind up in the march COT class, though I am hoping for January!

Jenhasredhair,
I was told that I would find out my COT class, and my first duty station when my package was accepted. Is this incorrect?

Eh... my packet has been accepted, but I don't have orders (duty station/COT class).

jentrump29 · Dec 1, 2009

Didn't mean to confuse you...sorry about that. You'll find out your duty station and when you'll go to COT. Your recruiter will have you sign an acceptance letter with that information on it. After you sign your acceptance letter, your recruiter will run your background check. Then you wait for your name to go into OCAL in order to commission. After you commission, you'll wait some more for your orders.

mobro · Dec 2, 2009

USAFhopeful- I have many of the same concerns (per usual with what you post ) but I honestly don't think it will be so bad once you settle in and get used to it. I know I'll be horribly homesick initially and wonder what the heck I was thinking but I also think that if I decided not to pursue this then I would forever wonder "what if..." Literally everyone I have talked to has said it was/is a wonderful experience. It will be scary (and I am almost positive I will cry on multiple occasions at COT but I've just accepted that) but it will also be amazing! What freedoms are you worried about losing? I worry about the same thing but then when I think about it I'm not sure I can pinpoint what I'm worried about losing. I really think the experience and the people I meet will make it worth it. One of the reasons I want to join is the people and everyone looking out for each other. Hopefully that's not a figment of my imagination...

USAFhopeful · Dec 2, 2009

Hi Mobro,

Lol I feel better knowing that there is someone on the same page as me. Maybe if we are lucky - and I get in we'll go to COT together - then we can cry on each other's shoulder lol. It's such a huge decision and I feel like I post so many things about how worried I am and if I am making the right choice - it does help thought to have others' feedback especially when the feedback I receive from my parents is always so - well, negative. My dad has been more supportive than my mom however he is a Vietnam Vet so maybe he looks at it differently. Anyway best wishes - keep me posted!

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Dec 3, 2009

Four years is NOTHING.

I am always amazed at how quickly my four years as an enlisted member passed. And I was on one of the tiniest bases in the Air Force in what nearly amounted to a remote area (trust me, there were days Altus, Oklahoma felt SCARILY REMOTE) with very little to pass the time - and I survived it! For essentially NO MONEY - I found one of my first leave and earnings statements (LES) when I was cleaning up for the move to Texas a few months ago and I cleared a whole $840 a month!

Think about how fast nursing school went by.

There will be days COT will drag - but you will be so busy while you're there that, too, will be over before you know it.

You have to work somewhere, and I really can't think of a better place to be right now with the economy tanking around us. On January 1 I'll get a 3.4% pay raise - just for being in uniform. Not many people in the country are getting pay raises right now. I don't pay for health insurance for me or my husband (I used to pay almost three hundred a month) and I only pay $10 a month for his dental coverage (you have to pay for dependent coverage now).

Yes, eventually I will be deployed, but that's how this job works. My odds of being killed on the highway are higher than my odds of dying in combat, simply because I'm on the road more than I'm in the AOR (area of responsibility).

You will accomplish things you never thought you could accomplish, you will see things you won't believe you've seen, and you will meet people you would never have met otherwise - and you'll do it all for a decent salary, free health care, housing and groceries paid, and while caring for those who serve and have served out on the front lines in defense of the greatest nation the world has ever seen.

(**cue flag and national anthem**)

Four years is nothing. :)