Single Mom Looking into Going into the Air Force

Are you prepared to leave your child for a year at a time more than once? Pretty much every job field is being deployed to the middle east. They don't guarantee that you won't have to go back. We have had friends who are in non-combat jobs have to go for 6 months, then turn around and within a year have to go back for a whole year. You must consider this. They don't care if you are a single mother. That does not hold any weight at all as far as deployments go. I assume that you are considering going in as an officer since you are getting a degree. My husband just retired as a LtCol after 20 years in the AF. The people I am talking about were officers. I think it is even worse for enlisted people. Oh, and you will also have shorter TDYs, which are trips away from home. Depending on the job, they could be 1 week or 6. In some of his jobs, my husband was gone 1/3 of the year on various short trips. Are you willing to do this to your son?
By the way, while you live with your parents now, unless they are willing to move with you wherever you are stationed, which could be anywhere in the world, you will have to find alternative childcare for your son.
Oh, and I see now that you are getting your associates. You can't be an officer without a Bachelor's degree.

My husband is air force, and they have been good for us. We have traveld the world and lived in places many will never see. You will need to have someone available to watch your child, both during basic and Tech school, and than any time you deploy. You will have to spend some time away from your child, but air force deployments are 3 or 4 months only, not 12-15 like the army.

Recruiters arent always 100 percent truthful.

I wanted to add, my husband joined the army as an officer candidate. Because being an officer is a privelege, they paid for no school, no student loans, no sign on bonus, no uniforms, etc. If you join as an enlisted, that is usually when you get the education money or student loans paid off. I don't know if this is true in the AF, but don't ask the recruiter. Ask someone else in the AF. Don't you have a Bachelors? If you do, you probably can choose to be an officer candidate or an enlisted, but if you choose enlisted, that of course pays a lot less money (paycheck-wise) except for the education stuff.

Hi, I have a friend who is in the Air Force...supposed to be non combat, but he was pulled to go to Afghanistan this month...he can't even spend Christmas with his two baby girls and wife. He was supposed to go for 6 months...now they have told him he is now going to Korea instead. He will be there for 2 years No option to come home.
This is a difficult decision to make and you should not do it alone. Talk to your family, make sure you have a support system set up for you and your son. Is someone going to have your son move in while you are gone? What would be best for you?

My experiences with my ex-husband, my friends, and family who have been in the armes forces is....
*No job is non-combat
*You don't get to pick want you want to do, or possibly where you go.
*There is no quitting, even if you want to.
*Be prepared to leave your child at the drop of a hat, for however long they decide.
If you feel strongly about seriously joining, and you think this lifestyle/decision is for you, if you feel you would regret it later on down the road for not joining....then join.
I would try to find a group that is for single mothers who are in the armed forces to get a better idea of their life.
Good Luck.

My only question to you would be to make sure you have reliable, long-term, round-the-clock childcare in case you are deployed somewhere or have to go on active-duty status away from home for any length of time.

First off I comend you for looking into this!! I myself amy not AF, but my Husband. We have 11 years of this under our belt. I dont want to sound like the party [pooper and I DONT want to talk you out of it. There are a few things that I feel you should think about very hard.
1-Dont belive everything your recuter tells you. They are good at painting a very pretty pic of the AF
2-Whill meny would like to over look it the Militry is more or less a boys club. People that dont know you and your back gound could be very hatfull jsut because you are an unmarred woman with a child. So of the wives of the men you would be working with could be very petty and start rumors about you that just arnt true. You are going to need to have a though sink and let some things that are truly unfare roll off your back.
3-Like others have said no job is a non-combat job. At some point you will be deployed. They are going to make you come up with a plain on what you are going to do with your child when you leave. Someone said they dont care if your a single mother or not and that is very true.
However the AF has a lot going for it. It could be a great place for bother you adn your child. If your in a good flight (your work group) they could be like second family. A chance and help to further your education. Live around the world and exp new thing. For the most part good child care open to you. Think long and hard about it. Talk it over with your family and friends. If you deside to join then Welcome to the family!!! If not then I wish you best of luck with whatever you pick to do!
Blessing
S.

I can't answer to you from the perspective of being a mom in the military because I was a single woman at the time.

My advice to you is IF you choose to go this route do not sign any papers with your recruiter without a guarenteed job. This means you get to pick a job/career that you will be assigned. If you don't, the recruiter will probably say something like "well do our best to get you in the field you want". That is not good enough.

Also, you should be able to enter at a higher pay scale (I think this would happen after you complete tech school which comes after basic). Talk to the recruiter about the boot-strap program if it still exists (where the military will pay for you to finish your education to a bachelors degree and then you have to commit to a certain number of years in the military - 6yrs?).

Basic traning for the Air Force is a breeze for the most part. There is a lot of admin stuff you have to get through, immunizations, and physical. If you are worried about the physical part you should just start training before you go.

Good luck.

Just keep in mind, if you do enlist, there is basic training and MOS (specialty) that add up to about 3-6 months you must be away. And then there is a high degree of probability that you will be deployed for a year or more at a time into a war-zone or such, considering how things are going.

However, if you are willing to be gone for that long from your kids, and your parents are able and willing to take care of them, there are also definite benefits to joining military (which it sounds like you are aware of)

Do you have someone who could and would watch your child if and when you got deployed? When you go to training? Could you handle one year away with maybe a 10 day break?
If you did not have a child, I would say what a great idea it was.