Some Questions about the Air Force

[OwlieO.O]

I'm a student nurse graduating with my BSN in 2017. What's it like applying for specialty and also getting assigned a base? There are a few places I really don't want to be assigned (California, Maryland, Illinois, New York), basically all the really anti-second amendment states.

[jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA]

Are you ROTC or just a hopeful student nurse looking at military options? Either way, new grads don't get much say in the Air Force. You have to go to a hospital, and you'll either be doing OB or med-surg; New grads can't specialize. That leaves you about 8 possible bases (I may be forgetting one): Elmendorf (AK), Travis (CA), SAMCC (San Antonio), Wright-Patterson (OH), Keesler (MS), Langley (FL), Ramstein (Germany), and Eglin (FL). As you may or may not know, it's very competitive to even get in at all right now. You get to submit a dream sheet, but that's all it is really.

If they give you Travis, there's really nothing you can do but refuse the assignment and give-up your Air Force career. For what it's worth, if you put Elemendorf (AK) as number 1, you'll probably get it. It's hard to place people there, and you won't have any issues with gun laws.