suds1228

Tzu-do a BSN completion program and come on. What are you waiting for? You can start your paperwork 12 mos from grad and have a slot waiting for you. For real, you will never have opportunities as a civillian like you will in uniform, and have the blast of your life while you're at it!!!

I haven't recieved anything from anyone yet. Kinda yanked about that but anyway...Here's the link where I found the recommendation...http://www.dns.amedd.army.mil/crna/. The family would prefer to stay in S.A for Phase 2. Travis would be a 2nd choice as we have friends there. The wife would prefer anywhere she can sunbathe in Feb. :)

My PCS orders have yet to drop. Ideally PCS'ing 1 May. I 'll try earlier if I can get the leave approved from my CC. We are trying to get housing on Ft Sam or Randolph AFB. BTW I just received the recommended Pre-course review book off of Amazon.com. The Denniston, Topping, Caret 5th edition. Used $9. First 10 Chapters are essentially stoichoimetry review. I don't know how much heavy number crunching will be expected. Heard anything?

Congrats OTD! I'll see you in class!

I read article attached by Tzu911. Don't be mislead. The articles discusses what I think are verbage differences when discussing retirement pay. The bottom line is this: If you do 20 years of Federal Service, in any uniformed branch, your 50% base pay starts the day after you formally turn in your papers. This I believe also applies to non-uniformed "GS" Federal employees as well.

You're welcome. I wish I could give you concrete good/bad between Dobbins /Maxwell. I have been to Maxwell for OTS (you will go as well) but I have never been to Dobbins. I have found though it is usually best to hitch up to reserve units co-located on an AD base like Maxwell because important flights like the MPE, Flt Med as well as the normal base perks are open M-F 9-5. On a reserve base your access and availablity could be minimized because many of those elements are only open on the UTA weekend and are wicked busy. This is good in the event that you have paperwork to do you can accomplish it during the week rather than on your UTA weekend. Now Dobbins may run full on w/ all the services of an AD base. I don't know. But I would ask. This also depends on your commute to the base. For me, the commute would be issue #1. Good luck.

Sorry lots of spelling errors in previous post. I hit send before proofing and edit feature did not take.

I couldn't disagree more w/ jeckrn. Truthfully though, in the Air Force, anyone who is not a pilot is a 2nd class citizen. However, that is more of a lightheartly tolerated shadow of 1940's Air Force heritage than a modern code of conduct plaguing those of who choose to proudly wear the uniform today. Make no mistake about it, I'll deflate a jetjocky ego in a nanosecond if his/her head starts gaining to much altitude. Promotion in the Air Force is based on 2 things only... how bad you want to be promoted and how many nurses are ahead of you. I will address the latter first. The number of nurses (Billets) in the USAF Nurse Corps (I can't speak for sister services) is Congressionally set. Meaning the Air Force cannot just say "I want more Majors" and make space for them. This is (as far as I know) one of the only professional corps where the quota is set in this manner. As opposed to the guidance that dictates how many Pilots, Navagators, Maintenance Officers, Intel Officer etc whose numbers are set more from internal standards. It does take a long time to make rank in the Air Force, true. However, some years are quicker than others depending on how many nurses in the higher rank are retiring or separating. I will wear O-3 for 5 years before I will meet the O-4 boards in 2010. The avg Time in Rank for an O-3 Nurse Coprs Officer is 4-6 years. Each rank has a different time standa I couldn't disagree more w/ jeckrn. Truthfully though, in the Air Force, anyone who is not a pilot is a 2nd class citizen. But that is more of a lightheartly tolerated shadow of 1940's Air Force heritage than a modern code of conduct plaguing those of who choose to proudly wear the uniform. Make now mistake about it, I'll deflate a jetjocky ego in a nanosecond if his/her head starts gaining to much altitude. Promotion in the Air Force is based on 2 things only... how bad you want to be promoted and how many nurses are ahead of you. The number of nurses (Billets) in the USAF Nurse Corps (I can't speak for sister services) is Congressionally set. Meaning the Air Force cannot just say "I want more Majors" and make space for them. This is (as far as I know) one of the only professional corps where the quota is set in this manner. As opposed to the guidance that dictates how many Pilots, Navagators, Maintenance Officers, Intel Officer etc whose numbers are set from internal standards. It does take a long time to make rank in the Air Force, true. However, some years are quicker than others depending on how many nurses in the higher rank are retiring or separating. I will wear O-3 for 5 years before I will meet the O-4 boards in 2010. . So "How bad you want it"...You must keep yourself promotable. Do your PME, get a Certification, get your masters, demonstrate solid clinical and professional/officership skills through good meaty assignments and deploy as much as possible. Oh, and DO NOT get a DUI, steal narcotics from your patients, sleep with the technicians, beat your wife...blah, blah, blah...and you will likely get promoted. I would guide your decision more on what are you looking for in a career. Both services have great opportunites. I would have loved to have gone out to sea on a huge aircraft carrier, or be apart of a long and proud Navel heritage but I love the fact that as a USAF Flight Nurse, I personally have had the honor of having flown well over 3000 wounded soldiers, saliors, marines and coalition troops out of the desert and brought them home. It just doesn't get more gratifying. Seek out what each service has to offer you; locations, opportunities, special schools/training. You wont go wrong with either Navy or AF. Good luck my friend.

I've met many Pittsburgh flyers. That is another busy bunch. There's at least 1 FN who flys out of Pittsburg and lives in Chicago. I met a few Niagara folks in Germany doing downrange missions.

BTW, where your squadron is at may also dictate what your primary MDS is (what aircraft you fly on). For example, the 433rd in San Antonio primarily fly C-130's, the 315th in Charleston, NC fly C-17's, the 452nd out of March AFB CA, fly KC-135's and C-17's. Just FYI...

No difference in qualifications or expectations between AD or reserve FN's. Most crews are mixed when deployed anyway. The AE Chief Nurse/D.O. will likely break up the crews and get the mix in chemistry and exp levels. Only real difference is where your squadron is located. I would suggest researching the busiest AE sq in your area. In fact I know a few nurses who actually live 5-6 states away from thier assigned squadron but love the people enough to FLY to thier UTA's every month. That's loyalty!!! Anyway, The bigger the squadron the more flight time you'll get. The 433rd out of San Antonio is a rockin crew, they are among the biggest if not the biggest Reserve AE sq. I have flown w/ many of those guys and they are all #1.

I am AD USAF and am fortunate enough to be starting the US Army Graduate Program in Nurse Anesthesia (USAGPAN) in San Antonio 6/09. Just looking for some Pearls of Wisdom specific to this program. BTW, I have spoken to enough friends that I now have the fear of God in me. Thank you in advance.

I am an active duty USAF FN. Be patient but do not be forgotton. Things move slow until the paperwork starts to drop then it will hit all at once. I would drop a call every couple of weeks for an update though. Flight school @ Brooks City-Base in San Antonio is a blast! You'll love it. All FN's and AET's now must attend Survial School Level C (same as what the pilots go through) @ Fairchild AFb, WA. ***THIS IS A NO SH*T SURVIVAL PROGRAM.*** I do not want to concern you but for real...it will be unpleasant. This is a recent change in 2007, as many of us went through Level B survival training which is significantly easier. In the level B pgm, we had 4-5 days in the field. in 4 days I ate 3 powerbars, a small portion of rabbit (which we butchered ourselves), one potato and some fish jerky. Thats it. I can't discuss much more but I have never felt so cold or tired in my entire life. Reminder, this was the easy course. Fairchild is longer, harder and more intense. On the plus side, the SERE guys work hard to equip you with the training you need to survive. I left that pgm knowing that if I was ever in that survival/evasion situation I could survive (at least for a short while). USAF Flight Nursing is the bomb. It is hard at times but I have absolutely loved every min.

I agree w/ Shimanao to start networking early. Find contacts where you want to go. Seek the ART's. Manning docs are reviewed annually. If they know you want in they will keep you in mind w/ periodic friendly updates on your status. Best to find someone in your unit who knows someone where you want to go and get a hookup.You know how it works! Here's a pearl for you. Want to fly? Aerovac Flight Nurses are in high demand. Particularly in the current world condition. Personal exp talking here...GREAT OPPORTUNITY!!! Lots of AE sqds CONUS looking for nurses to go to flight school and deploy. No I'm not a recruiter... think about it.