Please help- airforce ?'s

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I will graduate in May 2006 (BSN), and have been thinking about the airforce. If I join it would be ~JAn 2007, after working in a civilian hospital for a year. I have 2 small children( single parent), which I plan on taking with me to live on the base. Right now my first choice base is Lackland in San Antonio, Texas. Do you think they would deploy me oversees with my family situation ( kids, etc)? I talked to my instructor who is Colonel in LA, and she said that its a slim to none chance that they send women oversees that are single parents. Is this true? What has happened on your bases in this situation? I wouldnt go in as an enlistee, I'd be an officer; do they send the volunteeers first? I don't have any desire to go into combat, I'd be happy working at the base hospiatal or clinic. Just tell me wh at u guys think. Has anyone been at Lackland? Also, where( state) do they do the health care (RN) basic training, I cant find anything about its location on the website. I know they dont do it with the enlistees training. ANy advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Does anyone know if AF and Army nurses will work together at BAMC? Or since Walter Reed is closing....Army and Navy nurses at Bethesda? How are they planning on doing that?

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

BAMC at San Antonio is supposed to become a triservice hospital like Landstuhl.

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Greetings! I have a couple of questions. What is the age cutoff? The web site says 47 but I heard a recruiter say 42. Also, I graduate in May with my ADN, have about one year left for my BSN, I heard (rumor??) that there is a program where they will take ADN nurses with the premise that they finish the BSN within a specified amount of time, or they can't be promoted past Cpt, and will have to get out. Is that true? One more thing, what are the chances of getting to stay at the base where you do the NTP? If you want to be at the same base...do you make that part of the initial contract?

THanks!

Michelle in ALaska

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

The mandatory age for retirement in the military is 62, if you don't have 20 years in by that time you cannot retire from the military. You can come into the nurse corps up to age 47, but w/ the understanding you will not be retirement eligible.

I believe the Army Reserves/NG will commission ADNs w/ the understanding that they will become BSNs. The Air Force does not commission ADNs at this time, and as far as I know there has been no talk about the Air Force commissioning ADNs. There is some good news though the military will give you constructive credit towards rank based on how long you have been an RN no matter if it was as an ADN, diploma grad or BSN.

Your 1st base as a nurse is pretty assured, because you can negotitate before you sign your contract. As far as NTP I don't know that their is much choice where you go it is luck of the draw/where slots are available. Also if you more than 6 months experience as an RN you will not go to NTP just COT.

Hope this helps.....

Good Luck!

Greetings! I have a couple of questions. What is the age cutoff? The web site says 47 but I heard a recruiter say 42. Also, I graduate in May with my ADN, have about one year left for my BSN, I heard (rumor??) that there is a program where they will take ADN nurses with the premise that they finish the BSN within a specified amount of time, or they can't be promoted past Cpt, and will have to get out. Is that true? One more thing, what are the chances of getting to stay at the base where you do the NTP? If you want to be at the same base...do you make that part of the initial contract?

THanks!

Michelle in ALaska

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I work at in the hospital at Lackland now as a civilian contractor and love it. I have talked to the airforce nurses about deployment and many have been deployed, but they are also the ones who volunteered. There is one that volunteered and still anxiously waiting to go but has not been yet. From what these AF nurses say, right now its easy to not get deployed since everyone is volunteering.

Military nursing is great. Infact, I have my packet in to this months boards in hopes of getting into the army nurse corps soon. Civilian contracting in military hospitals is great too, but I want to go military so that I can retire in 20 years and get further my education with the military paying for it.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

I am kinda curious if you don't mind sharing. Why did you choose the Army Nurse Corps over Air Force/Navy nurse corps?

Good Luck w/ your packet!

I work at in the hospital at Lackland now as a civilian contractor and love it. I have talked to the airforce nurses about deployment and many have been deployed, but they are also the ones who volunteered. There is one that volunteered and still anxiously waiting to go but has not been yet. From what these AF nurses say, right now its easy to not get deployed since everyone is volunteering.

Military nursing is great. Infact, I have my packet in to this months boards in hopes of getting into the army nurse corps soon. Civilian contracting in military hospitals is great too, but I want to go military so that I can retire in 20 years and get further my education with the military paying for it.

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Specializes in Telemetry, OR, ICU.
The mandatory age for retirement in the military is 62, if you don't have 20 years in by that time you cannot retire from the military. You can come into the nurse corps up to age 47, but w/ the understanding you will not be retirement eligible.

I believe the Army Reserves/NG will commission ADNs w/ the understanding that they will become BSNs.

  • Yes, an ADN can receive direct commission into the USAR Nurse Corps. However, to be promotable to MAJ in the USAR Nurse Corps you must have a BSN. Therefore, officers in the USAR Nurse Corps are encouraged to pursue some type of credible RN-BSN program.
  • I received my commission as 1LT in the USAR Nurse Corps at the age of 42. However, I have prior military service in the USMC, 1980-1988. So, if I decide to go AC [in the near future] military retirement won't be a problem for me.

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I am kinda curious if you don't mind sharing. Why did you choose the Army Nurse Corps over Air Force/Navy nurse corps?

Good Luck w/ your packet!

I decided to go army because I have heard it was easier to get into the crna program via the army, I was prior army enlisted and liked it, and my husbands in the army. I would never join the navy-dont like boats for long periods of time and never thought to really research the airforce.

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The new Commissioned Officer Training for nurses is now based in Alabama according to the recruiter that I met with... but maybe it depends where youa re coming from... I just graduated from a BSN nursing school in Florida and that is where he told me I would go for Officer Training... and he said that the 10 weeks of shadowing a nurse could occur anywhere in the states.

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