fluffy103

Air Force question for anyone who might have been down this road recently: How long does it take before you start seeing the sign-on bonus? When do you get your first paycheck? Thanks -Paul

Yeah, I have already talked to a recruiter. It's hard to listen to them say one thing, and then see it play out another way. I have a friend who is going to MEPS this Wednesday. The recruiter said he would send a limo to drive him up to the city it's in and pay for the hotel for him to stay in... well about half of that is true so far. It's good to know it's a six month process to your point. I'm still in the "taking it all in" stage; I'm gathering all of the information I can. It's hard to sort out fact from fiction sometimes. This forum on here has been great. There's a lot of useful information on here. Where is your Chief Nurse interview?

I've been reading a lot about COT. What is involved after getting commissioned, i.e the timeline? When does pay kick in? I read that I am responsible for the initial cost of uniforms, but will I be reimbursed later? When do I move my family, after COT? So many questions... :-)

I'm still getting that BSN behind my name so it works out that I work for them for another 1 1/2 years anyway. The online BSN program I am doing will take about that long. That's a real bummer about needing the 4 yrs. of experience. Would my two years experience put me on track for a faster promotion if I came in as a 2nd Lt. with the experience? I don't understand the promotion process yet. You said you were in school. Are you in CRNA school right now? At this point, it seems like I'm making a carreer of being a perpetual student. :-)

Thanks for the great info. What will it take to go in as a 1st Lt.? Time is on my side right now; I have to stay another 1 1/2 years to fulfill my commitment to my civilian employer. The two years of experience should not be a problem. I'm seeking to go into the Air Force for the experience, hopefully more interesting patient loads. We get A LOT of sepsis around my area; we also have our share of bariatric patients. Please tell me it will be different in the Air Force. :-)

I've been reading several posts on joining the air force as a critical care nurse. I graduated last year and went straight into critical care nursing with the intention of CRNA school down the road. Before nursing, I worked as a Paramedic for 10 years; fortunately a lot of certifications already came with that job: ACLS, PALS, and ITLS. Now I'm 34 with a wife and three small kids. I have been seriously considering the air force, but I have questions about several things: 1. Rank/Pay, 2. Typical pt's in the military, 3. Length of deployments, 4. Length of time before I would be allowed to continue to CRNA school, and 5. The hassle involved with moving my family around. Any responses would be appreciated. Looking for an Air Force Critical Care Nurse buddy, Paul