USAF Nurse Corps

rncali · Apr 7, 2007

ps.thank you Jazzy for your response. :)

JazzyT · Apr 7, 2007

Your welcome!

allnurses Guide · Apr 8, 2007

I was off for two years because of an injury from the job then I ended up with depression which prolonged my hiatus. But now Im feeling better and want to get my life back on track and I miss the OR. I don't want to go back to floor nursing. I was enlisted in the Navy from 86-90 in a Helo-Sqaudron then reserves for 6 months, so i definatly did a day over 4. What does E-pay mean, does it matter what branch you were in?. Im 39 right now. Is it too late? I've read so many contradictory things. Im looking for a part time job currently and I'd love part-time in a surgi-center however it's rather tough out here being that I have been out of circulation for 2 years. So I thought maybe I better just buckle down and finish a 1 year online BSN course and see if I can go into the service from there. ( Preferably the Airforce because I've always wanted to be in the Airforce even when I was in the Navy.) Im just wondering how realistic the idea is. If the Airforce would accept someone with my situation, or the fact that I haven't worked in 2 years and had a bout with depression would totally exclude me from being acceptable.
What is Captain in the Airforce O-3?

E pay is short for prior enlisted pay and it doesn't matter what branch you were in. If you come in as a O-3/Captain, which you might, your E pay wouldn't really matter for several years. You can google military pay to see the differences.

As far as age it doesn't matter as long as you will have earned 20 years active duty time by the time your 62, if you want to retire. I don't know where you live, but the best thing to do is find a job in OR while doing your paperwork. Your job doesn't need to know anything about you joining/seeking to join the military.

There are few definite disqualifiers from being a nurse in the military.

If you still have back problems active-duty might be kinda hard.

deftonez188 · Apr 8, 2007

Hey there, prior active AF, current AF Guard nursing student, quick questions!:

Is it difficult to get into the AF specifically? I know the Army/Navy have their Nurses however i've been an Air Force boy since JROTC in High School, so it's AF or bust.

Second, any chance I could work somewhere near Italy? was stationed in Aviano in 04', would love to go back (but I realize the closest hospital isn't an American one! )

Last, same question as above, however for Japan

thanks

-SrA

rncali · Apr 8, 2007

wtb. Thank you for your replys. Youv'e been helpful. I sent you a pm by the way.

allnurses Guide · Apr 8, 2007

Hey there, prior active AF, current AF Guard nursing student, quick questions!:
Is it difficult to get into the AF specifically? I know the Army/Navy have their Nurses however i've been an Air Force boy since JROTC in High School, so it's AF or bust.
Second, any chance I could work somewhere near Italy? was stationed in Aviano in 04', would love to go back (but I realize the closest hospital isn't an American one! )
Last, same question as above, however for Japan
thanks
-SrA

It is not hard to get in the AF as a nurse. It is just like any other branch you just have to be persistent and jump thru all the hoops. Your situation should be fairly easy unless your enlisted record has something awful in it.

Aviano just opened its own hospital last year.

Japan has two AFB hospitals....I think.

Basically if you want to go overseas...just be real persistent. Your case is a little different since you are in ANG. As a new grad you will be kinda of limited on where they will try to send you.

JazzyT · Apr 8, 2007

Capt E, could you tell me how the AF is about pets. Are they allowed in base housing? We just got a new puppy in December, and I want to make sure we can take her wherever we go. Also,, could not get to those websites (about the USPHS) you gave me. I guess they are under construction. I am going to call the 1-800 number on Monday and get some information. Looks interesting. Evidently, you decide where you want to go and for how long. Still same benefits as military like you mentioned. I am still, however, interested in the Air Force. As stated earlier in my post, am partial because my father was in the AF for 23 years, but I am going to check out all avenues before I make my decision!

By the way, HAPPY EASTER to everyone!

allnurses Guide · Apr 8, 2007

Capt E, could you tell me how the AF is about pets. Are they allowed in base housing? We just got a new puppy in December, and I want to make sure we can take her wherever we go. Also,, could not get to those websites (about the USPHS) you gave me. I guess they are under construction. I am going to call the 1-800 number on Monday and get some information. Looks interesting. Evidently, you decide where you want to go and for how long. Still same benefits as military like you mentioned. I am still, however, interested in the Air Force. As stated earlier in my post, am partial because my father was in the AF for 23 years, but I am going to check out all avenues before I make my decision!
By the way, HAPPY EASTER to everyone!

Happy Easter,

Pets are not a problem in base housing. In general all the base housing I know of allows cats and dogs.

I am not sure why you couldn't get on those websites...you might check your internet security settings.

allnurses Guide · Apr 8, 2007

wtb. Thank you for your replys. Youv'e been helpful. I sent you a pm by the way.

rncali,

I didn't see a PM?...

deftonez188 · Apr 8, 2007

It is not hard to get in the AF as a nurse. It is just like any other branch you just have to be persistent and jump thru all the hoops. Your situation should be fairly easy unless your enlisted record has something awful in it.
Aviano just opened its own hospital last year.
Japan has two AFB hospitals....I think.
Basically if you want to go overseas...just be real persistent. Your case is a little different since you are in ANG. As a new grad you will be kinda of limited on where they will try to send you.

I won't be trying to go Air Guard, i'd be going back to Active.

rncali · Apr 8, 2007

Thats Okay WtB. I guess Im not so savy with the tools of this forum. I just had a question but i got my answer through a website so its okay. Thank you for responding letting me know you didnt get it . Maybe next time i can figure out how to do this PM buisness when i have another question :)

Cherish · Apr 8, 2007

The USPHS website is under construction you can still get some information but not a lot since its not full access right now. They are updating the website. Also, if your prior service (like me), or hold military dearly in your heart and want to experience being around the military and living the military life. USPHS may not be for you, the only military branch job you can hold with them is U.S. Coast Guard (you will NOT be coast guard just work with them).

You can not have an AF, Navy, Army, Marine (if your medical then its navy), slot only a U.S. Coast Guard slot when it comes to being military (you will NOT be a coast guard but can work for them).

The USPHS usually works with federal prisons and hospitals, indian health service, National institute for Health, HRSA, Medicare/Medicaid Services, Mental Heath Institute, Immigration and Naturalization, Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin., Park Service, U.S. Marshals, U.S. Coast guards these are the areas where you will work.

I have a family member that joined the USPHS, he was prior service AF, and he said its not like military life. Yes you get the benefits and rank as military since it is a uniformed service. But when it comes to the whole having soldiers with you and living the military life per se its not like that. So if you like the military life and want to be deployed, travel, work with soldiers, have special duties, then USPHS is VERY limited in offering these perks.

Also, its not like regular military were you join and your an officer. You have to apply for that job FIRST then get into the USPHS once you secure that job because USPHS doesn't put you in inactive reserve first like most military branches do until your ready to do OCS/OBC (I was army forgot what its called in other branches), or other schooling to prepare you for the military.

If you want to be an officer but not sure if your fully ready for the full on military life then you should go USPHS, you can always do an interservice transfer where you transfer to the branch of your choice and vice versa from lets say AF into the USPHS, you would have to contact them and see what those requirements are.

Hope that helped my cousin gave me a lot of information since I want to be in the Nurse Corps once I finish school. He knows I'm partial to the military life and says I should think about that more than USPHS, he's family and knows me and my likes so I will take what he is saying. I will be shadowing him once I start though so I can compare myself.

He's also a CRNA and he went to school for that through USPHS but he said that since I want to do the same come in with at least 1-2 yrs of ICU experience before hand and join the Army since they usually have more slots than anyone else for CRNA school and get picked up faster than the other services. I'm an Army Vet so I know how the Army life is...still debating on doing Army or Navy.