Serious Questions. - XDTalk Forums - Your HS2000/SA-XD Information Source!

**NewXDsupporter** · 05-08-2008, 11:22 AM

Alright I'm prior service AF (f-15 comm nav) and for about a year I have been kicking around the idea of getting back in uniform.

My question is what will I give up by going Army, living conditions, base locations, and actual work environment.

I don't want this to turn into a pissing match over the better service. But I would like to know your experiences on base and at work. I miss the commrodery that we had on the flight line and I would like to get that back without going aviation.

casio02478 · 05-09-2008, 07:55 AM

Are you talking about state side or in the sand box? I just left the service (army) and I think the airforce is a step up especially in living conditions. The base placement are comparable and the working conditions about the same. Although army + marines are doing 12 month tours (down from 15) and last time I checked airforce is 6. Not sure about the navy.

**NewXDsupporter** · 05-09-2008, 09:02 AM

Sorry about the vagueness of my question.

No I'm only talking about state side. Deployments are another animal.

What I'm looking for is what condition is base housing in on most bases. Conditions of facilities on base.

Devil Dawg · 05-09-2008, 09:10 AM

Was in the Marines when I served, many moons ago. I can't speak from any long term effects. But the AF always had better living quarters. Depending on what rank and MOS you get if you do go Blue-to-Green, you might end up in a squadbay type arrangement with 40 to 79 other swingingdicks.

I doubt that there would be any less commradery with any MOS in any branch. All in it for the selfless sacrifice, and not the money.

Good On Ya for making the plunge AGAIN, if you do. Keep us posted.

What are you looking at doing anyway? Seems a shame to give up a Wing type job if you are already qualified. Nothing wrong with the infantry though.

GunnBugg · 05-09-2008, 02:44 PM

My 20+ years of experience and couple of joint jobs leave me thinking what I always have; USAF takes better care of its people with better funded QOL initiatives. The Army is a lot bigger and therefore has less per capita for QOL stuff, but has gotten significantly better over the last 10 years, IMHO. How much all of that affects you is very rank dependent.

In summation, the Army's facilities aren't bad, and they're getting better. The main QOL issue is how often you rotate to OIF/OEF.

yeahYeah · 05-09-2008, 02:46 PM

Air Force Reserve?

i work for them as a defense contractor....it's a pretty good deal. check it out.

JTF96B · 05-10-2008, 05:19 AM

Don't worry about the bays those are gone. I've been in the Army for 16 years and have always laughed when the AF personnel get a part of their BAH just for living on an Army installation.

The PX and MWR facilities are either on par or just below the facilities I have seen on AF bases. As far as camaraderie goes, having been Combat Support, I will say the closer you get to Combat Arms the better it is. Service Support really does not have the closeness in the unit, Combat Support has some but the Combat Arms are tight.

My brother was in the AF and I have known a few AF vets who have come over in the Blue to Green program. It will be a culture shock to you. One thing to remember, in the AF 90% of your fighting is done by the officers, while in the Army everyone is getting shot at.

I just got back to Hood from TRADOC and will tell you that now is the time to join. I had several students in my classes who had joined after long breaks in service, Marines, AF and Navy. Most kept all their former rank or only lost a stripe. The Army needs experienced people right now.

AF base locations have always seemed to be nicer. Killeen, Fayetteville and Watertown are just not all that great of cities. Not when compared to Ogden, Tucson, San Antonio, etc.

Hope this helps.

dincote · 05-10-2008, 06:41 AM

yeah, the main thing for you is going to be the "culture" shock, the AF is more relax, the ARMY is more anal about rank structure

AF has better living conditions for all ranks at all bases, ARMY...well lets say hope you get lucky.....really lucky.

for me it was a GIAGANTIC culture shock when I went from combat arms to hospital pukes(yes I am a low life hospital puke now, but I can still out shoot and loot everybody else

) yeah when a lower rank soldier calls you dude the first time is kind of WTF are you talking to me??? kind of thing, or when a high rank officer calls you by first name and says lets go play golf, still you go WTF get to work siiir, LOL those days are gonne now, but I still remember

Good luck in your descicion

Jose

KenW. · 05-10-2008, 06:55 AM

I retired from the USAF six years ago. It was great; until they put me in charge of a section...

Once you enlist and raise your right hand, the "needs of the Air Force (or Army)" come first, and you may very well be sent on a deployment or two. In Desert Shield and Desert Storm we lived much more comfortably than did the Army and Marine Corps. Good barracks condition and better food.

You would be building toward veterans benefits through the VA and your State of residence. I'm disabled only 30% and until a recent change in laws, I paid NO property tax to my state! Now its $38.00 per year...

**NewXDsupporter** · 05-12-2008, 10:06 AM

Thanks for all of you experiences guys I will keep all of them in mind. It should be only another few months before I make a move on this and I will keep everyone posted.

Have a good one
Woo

05-08-2008, 11:22 AM	#1
NewXDsupporter XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Marietta GA Posts: 334	Serious Questions. Alright I'm prior service AF (f-15 comm nav) and for about a year I have been kicking around the idea of getting back in uniform. My question is what will I give up by going Army, living conditions, base locations, and actual work environment. I don't want this to turn into a pissing match over the better service. But I would like to know your experiences on base and at work. I miss the commrodery that we had on the flight line and I would like to get that back without going aviation. __________________ By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest. A veteran - whether active duty, retired, or national guard or reserve - is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America," for an amount of "up to and including my life." WAR EAGLE

05-09-2008, 07:55 AM	#2
casio02478 XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: MA Posts: 118	Are you talking about state side or in the sand box? I just left the service (army) and I think the airforce is a step up especially in living conditions. The base placement are comparable and the working conditions about the same. Although army + marines are doing 12 month tours (down from 15) and last time I checked airforce is 6. Not sure about the navy. Last edited by casio02478; 05-09-2008 at 07:58 AM.

05-09-2008, 09:02 AM	#3
NewXDsupporter XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Marietta GA Posts: 334	Sorry about the vagueness of my question. No I'm only talking about state side. Deployments are another animal. What I'm looking for is what condition is base housing in on most bases. Conditions of facilities on base. __________________ By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest. A veteran - whether active duty, retired, or national guard or reserve - is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America," for an amount of "up to and including my life." WAR EAGLE

05-09-2008, 09:10 AM	#4
Devil Dawg XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: The Woodlands, TX Posts: 338	Was in the Marines when I served, many moons ago. I can't speak from any long term effects. But the AF always had better living quarters. Depending on what rank and MOS you get if you do go Blue-to-Green, you might end up in a squadbay type arrangement with 40 to 79 other swingingdicks. I doubt that there would be any less commradery with any MOS in any branch. All in it for the selfless sacrifice, and not the money. Good On Ya for making the plunge AGAIN, if you do. Keep us posted. What are you looking at doing anyway? Seems a shame to give up a Wing type job if you are already qualified. Nothing wrong with the infantry though. __________________ XD-45ACP ...still lacing them left over right General James Mattis, USMC to Iraqi tribal leaders. "Allies or enemies. You make the call. I come in peace. I didn't bring artillery. But I'm pleading with you, with tears in my eyes: If you Faq with me, I'll kill you all."

05-09-2008, 02:44 PM	#5
GunnBugg XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: El Paso del Norte Posts: 161	My 20+ years of experience and couple of joint jobs leave me thinking what I always have; USAF takes better care of its people with better funded QOL initiatives. The Army is a lot bigger and therefore has less per capita for QOL stuff, but has gotten significantly better over the last 10 years, IMHO. How much all of that affects you is very rank dependent. In summation, the Army's facilities aren't bad, and they're getting better. The main QOL issue is how often you rotate to OIF/OEF. __________________ GunnBugg I own everything that Rebecca Peters hates.

05-09-2008, 02:46 PM	#6
yeahYeah XDTalk 5K Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Vegas Posts: 7,588	Air Force Reserve? i work for them as a defense contractor....it's a pretty good deal. check it out. __________________ The American Revolution was a new war fought by a new kind of soldier...snipers built this country

05-10-2008, 05:19 AM	#7
JTF96B XDTalk Newbie Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Cameron, TX Posts: 17	Don't worry about the bays those are gone. I've been in the Army for 16 years and have always laughed when the AF personnel get a part of their BAH just for living on an Army installation. The PX and MWR facilities are either on par or just below the facilities I have seen on AF bases. As far as camaraderie goes, having been Combat Support, I will say the closer you get to Combat Arms the better it is. Service Support really does not have the closeness in the unit, Combat Support has some but the Combat Arms are tight. My brother was in the AF and I have known a few AF vets who have come over in the Blue to Green program. It will be a culture shock to you. One thing to remember, in the AF 90% of your fighting is done by the officers, while in the Army everyone is getting shot at. I just got back to Hood from TRADOC and will tell you that now is the time to join. I had several students in my classes who had joined after long breaks in service, Marines, AF and Navy. Most kept all their former rank or only lost a stripe. The Army needs experienced people right now. AF base locations have always seemed to be nicer. Killeen, Fayetteville and Watertown are just not all that great of cities. Not when compared to Ogden, Tucson, San Antonio, etc. Hope this helps. __________________ War is an ugly thing but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feelings which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself. John Stuart Mill

05-10-2008, 06:41 AM	#8
dincote XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Schertz Texas Posts: 117	yeah, the main thing for you is going to be the "culture" shock, the AF is more relax, the ARMY is more anal about rank structure AF has better living conditions for all ranks at all bases, ARMY...well lets say hope you get lucky.....really lucky. for me it was a GIAGANTIC culture shock when I went from combat arms to hospital pukes(yes I am a low life hospital puke now, but I can still out shoot and loot everybody else ) yeah when a lower rank soldier calls you dude the first time is kind of WTF are you talking to me??? kind of thing, or when a high rank officer calls you by first name and says lets go play golf, still you go WTF get to work siiir, LOL those days are gonne now, but I still remember Good luck in your descicion Jose

05-10-2008, 06:55 AM	#9
KenW. XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 105	I retired from the USAF six years ago. It was great; until they put me in charge of a section... Once you enlist and raise your right hand, the "needs of the Air Force (or Army)" come first, and you may very well be sent on a deployment or two. In Desert Shield and Desert Storm we lived much more comfortably than did the Army and Marine Corps. Good barracks condition and better food. You would be building toward veterans benefits through the VA and your State of residence. I'm disabled only 30% and until a recent change in laws, I paid NO property tax to my state! Now its $38.00 per year...

05-12-2008, 10:06 AM	#10
NewXDsupporter XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Marietta GA Posts: 334	Thanks for all of you experiences guys I will keep all of them in mind. It should be only another few months before I make a move on this and I will keep everyone posted. Have a good one Woo __________________ By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest. A veteran - whether active duty, retired, or national guard or reserve - is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America," for an amount of "up to and including my life." WAR EAGLE

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode