My process in joining the Airforce

Skeletor · Feb 27, 2009

What's so wrong with ball breaking? :lol2: :lol2:

athena55, BSN, RN · Feb 28, 2009

BBFRN:

Thank you for the big smile you put on my face!

athena

JDCitizen · Mar 1, 2009

You know thats the fun thing about sites like this; one never knows the course a thread will take....

But really more "my process" details / stories probably could do lots to help others. Who knows the folks in the military might even be paying attention...

athena55, BSN, RN · Mar 1, 2009

JD, you are so right!

When I applied to the Reserves, ANC, I was getting a wee bit fed up with not hearing anything. My recruiter told me that I "was in" toward the end of November 2005 but I hadn't heard anything by Feb 2006. I went on the Branch web-site, looked up the email for HRC/Reserves, and wrote an e-mail asking for a better time-line of when I could expect to take the Oath.

I received a response stating that I wasn't in their records, they hadn't received ANYTHING from my recruiter. I forwarded that response to my recruiter and low and behold the paperwork was "found". I finally took the Oath in May of that year, received my orders and went to drill that next month.

Now I am not a recruiter, but tongues wag and I have heard "stories" that sometimes the recruiter will hold on to an application, for whatever reason. Civilians told me it was because a recruiter makes "x" amount of $$ for every application. NOW I know that is true for the Recruiter Assistant program. But could never figure out the benefit to holding on to an application, if indeed that were true.

Maybe one day when I go to recruiter school - wink-wink, I will get the down low.

The process for going Active was so quick I didn't have time to blink! Put forth my completed application right after the winter holidays, wrote my letter of intent Feb 26 and heard I was in Feb 27, got my RFO 01 April and PCS-ed to Fort Bliss 01 May

So in my experience I would have to say it was the Recruiter!

Oh, I never disclosed this: I had originally put in paper work to go AD but I guess my recruiter thought I was "too old" so he never came by on the appointed day for my MEPS, he just never showed up! Boy, was that a kick in my pants. Me outside, waiting from 4 am until 8 am finally realizing "I was stood up!" Oh I left a few phone calls to his cell and his office, to this day he has never called me back....Good thing I didn't hold my breath, ha ha, Smile...I was very discouraged, but I went ahead, found a new health care recruiter and went into the Reserves. I later found out recruiter #1 was not a healthcare recruiter, but I found out the hard way....That was before I found out about this forum on All Nurses. Ha, it would have saved me a lot of soul searching and heartache if I would have found this site before the process!

ravneet · Mar 2, 2009

but I went ahead, found a new health care recruiter and went into the Reserves. I later found out recruiter #1 was not a healthcare recruiter, but I found out the hard way....That was before I found out about this forum on All Nurses. Ha, it would have saved me a lot of soul searching and heartache if I would have found this site before the process!

Thanks for the detailed response Athena. I am trying to start the recruitment process under the army's new MAVNI program. I have tried online chat sessions, was asked to send a email, got a response that recruitment hasn't started yet, eventhough all immigration websites that i frequent as well as the army website say that recruitment has already started. My question to u is- How exactly does one fine a nurse or a healthcare recruiter. I am also trying to get into reserves. Thanks again!!

deftonez188 · Mar 3, 2009

Here's one thing we do in the military, "Hurry up and wait" apply this concept to your joining, and you'll be all set.

sassysoldier · Mar 3, 2009

I don't understand the health recruiters. It seems like all of us have had the issue with the hurry up and wait with all the branchs. I know for the enlisted recruiters they will go all out come to kids houses, schools etc to get them in. When I went to MEPs there were several recruiters who drove or met people out there. I am assuming that they have a bonus, commission or something for the amount of people who they get to enlist.

Now with the health care recruiters they are soo much relaxed and are not as aggressive in completing the commissioning process. Do they get a bonus ?? It definatly doesn't seem like it. I know my recruiter has seems like she has no incentive to get me commissioned in a timely manner. She's like if we get you into this board thats cool or next one thats cool.

What is the deal???

PS: When I was at the informational stage I contacted all there branch recruiters because I wasn't sure which I wanted to join. I contacted them in July 08. Navy called me back with in a day or two. Army called me back the next week and Airforce called back one month later. By the time the AF health recruiter was ready for me to come in and sit down I was all ready finished with my security clearance paperwork and application completed.

Cursed Irishman · Mar 3, 2009

You're comparing two different populations which have disparate lifestyles and attract different personalities: officer and enlisted.

As the reserve and ng healthcare recruiters here told me "There is no shortage of people wanting to become ANC officers, in fact we're at over capacity." With no shortage of supply, there is no reason to be overly agressive. Also, it should be noted that most people who apply to be officers have a couple years of experience under their belt and shouldn't need to have their hand held, afterall, they are applying to hold leadership positions.

But on the enlisted side of the house, its a different story simply because of the way of life enlisted members incur; very few people rush to work in the subservient population. There is no extra incentive for enlisted recruiters to meet mission; their job is to recruit. If they fail to make mission it goes on their evaluation reports. A single bad NCOER can end a promising career. That is their incentive. So holding a young potential soldier's hand through the process is encouraged to maximize a recruiter's effectiveness.

Old Army motto: If you wanna work, join enlisted. If you wanna manage, be an officer.

sassysoldier · Mar 3, 2009

i can understand that because of some of the 17,18 year olds i sat with at meps were on a whole different maturity level than myself. however, do the healthcare recruiters not have any bonus?? or are healthcare recruiters like career counselors just guiding us into military healthcare? i personally never needed my hand held however, if i am aggressively competing to get into to military healthcare a call back within a month of voice messages are nice even if it is purely informational.

you're comparing two different populations which have disparate lifestyles and attract different personalities: officer and enlisted.
as the reserve and ng healthcare recruiters here told me "there is no shortage of people wanting to become anc officers, in fact we're at over capacity." with no shortage of supply, there is no reason to be overly agressive. also, it should be noted that most people who apply to be officers have a couple years of experience under their belt and shouldn't need to have their hand held, afterall, they are applying to hold leadership positions.
but on the enlisted side of the house, its a different story simply because of the way of life enlisted members incur; very few people rush to work in the subservient population. there is no extra incentive for enlisted recruiters to meet mission; their job is to recruit. if they fail to make mission it goes on their evaluation reports. a single bad ncoer can end a promising career. that is their incentive. so holding a young potential soldier's hand through the process is encouraged to maximize a recruiter's effectiveness.
old army motto: if you wanna work, join enlisted. if you wanna manage, be an officer.

Cursed Irishman · Mar 4, 2009

i can understand that because of some of the 17,18 year olds i sat with at meps were on a whole different maturity level than myself. however, do the healthcare recruiters not have any bonus?? or are healthcare recruiters like career counselors just guiding us into military healthcare? i personally never needed my hand held however, if i am aggressively competing to get into to military healthcare a call back within a month of voice messages are nice even if it is purely informational.

the military isn't so big on monetary incentives for doing your job. shiny things for your uniform, yes; cash money not so much.....unless you meet a contracted recruiter, which are usually retired service members themselves, but even then i doubt it.

PRicanRN · Mar 4, 2009

ya like someone said earlier, about healthcare recruiters there is no shortage of candidates. They also don't have as high a quota to meet each month. My recruiter told me that he had reached his quota for the whole year by the time I spoke to him in may. So there definitely is no reason for them to be aggressive. They also end up with a lot of people who for some reason or another either change their mind or don't work out because of health reasons so they are kind of used to the whole waiting deal. On that note though my recruiter was awesome, he took me out to eat and spoke with my wife and I about the military and what to expect; and had everything set up for me, meeting wise. All I had to do was show up. From what I hear from my peers not everyone was so lucky. .

JDCitizen · Mar 5, 2009

Plus with the way the economy is going I would bet all the recruiters are having a fun time.