Is the AF reserve a good way to complete your bachelors or possibly master degree?

Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 17 Aug 2019 00:33:30 -0400

I'm considering joining the AF Reserves to start and finish my college education. Has anyone successfully done this in their initial 6 year enlistment and would you reccomend it to someone else. Please only answer if you have first hand experience. Any and all input us appreciated, thankyou!

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 17 at 2019 12:44 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 17 Aug 2019 00:44:54 -0400

I was not in the AF but I did complete my degree while being active duty Army. All depends on how much work you put into it.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Aug 17 at 2019 5:19 AM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Sat, 17 Aug 2019 05:19:47 -0400

Your question is quite complex...try to elaborate more concretely...what major you'd want on each, whether you've done an awards or any part of one thus far...which other svc s you'd looked at it any...flight interests not just pilot/aviator, also navigator/WSO as well...hobbies, interests, reading tastes, grades, GPAs, AP coursework done in high school, civilian types of work done and/or levels thereof incl anything supervisory...also,.whether you've done any CLEP testing thus far...EAT or ACT scores, whether you'd want a physical school, which would in my view be far superior, or willing to do an online program, which would take considerable self discipline...doing a degree part time while working is extremely fatiguing, I was Army ROTC 3 yrs, then went USAF OTS when it was at Lackland, I started a masters in electronic engrg (MSEE) way too late when I'd been in, I worked myself practically to exhaustion, and still wasn't able to finish it while I'd been in, only after I got out, which took at least two more yrs...further, what is your object? Senior enlisted? Warrant, whether flight, cyber, or some other field? Commissioned? do you have any clinical interests? Would you eventually want to go doctoral level, whether PhD, clinical doctorate, or some other doctoral level program? Doo you have research interests? Would you consider Guard? Reserve? Have you looked at Guard Tech? Reserve Tech? AGR? Would you want an actual military school, an ROTC, USMC platoon leaders course (PLC), which is less well known, or possibly USPHS Jr and/or Sr COSTEP, the USPHS analogue to ROTCs? Would you possibly want VMI? The Citadel? to try for an academy or one of the academy prep schools? Have you had any exposure while in high school through a JROTC, Civil Air Patrol (CAP), Young Marines, or Navy Sea Cadets, esp any of their STEM programs in Sea Perch underwater robotics, AFA CyberPatriot, or the CAP flight training and/or drone programs? Would you want to consider Army WOCS for rotary flight, the so-called high school to flight school program? The various military junior colleges or any of the several state maritime colleges, the latter of which you can go through without doing NROTC, if you do their regimental programs you can try for USCG MARGRAD, look that up also...would you want to wait do an ICE or direct commission One Of HIS program later? Army direct commission cyber? The newer Navy warrant cyber program!? Those are the kinds of questions you should, in my view, really be asking...when I went in, I did it all totally wrong, as I'd been impulsive, rushed it, asked all the wrong questions, wound up in the wrong place, totally unexoected, completely unable to fix and/or change it...I only suggest what I have to try to spare you such aggravation, so far as possible...when you go into a svc, and I'm not saying to not do it, certainly, I'm merely saying to take the time to try to do it at least halfway right, things rarely if ever go as one plans...one winds up in unexpected places, life seemingly takes on a direction all its own, despite all the plans you'd make it hopes you'd have, honest, that's all I'm trying to say...further, it's not about what you want, it's about who wants you, and whether you're willing to accept the reality that you might not wind up getting what you'd wanted, hopes for, or expected, in which cases you're still expected to give it your all, all the time, 150%, trust me, very much been there, some that (BTDT), I'm total perm disabled noncombat as a result, I needed to have my head repeatedly figuratively slammed really hard into concrete pavement to get me to even halfway learn how to function even marginally properly in the role, and even then I learned way, way too late...I often think that, had I been prior enlisted first, I'd have adjusted far more readily to the role, even though it's have taken me way longer, I knew many at USAF OTS who were prior enlisted from all the other svcs, they did adjust generally far more readily to the role of craved, and yet had so little clue regarding what was really expected day to day...also, look closely at the various drone pilot fjelds, esp if you want USAF, I merely raise that as a possibility you might not yet have cknsjdered...if you'd wanna chat more, just lemme know, no rush, whenever you'd want, I can only tell you that with all career/educ questions I've seen in here, the more you send in, generally, the more specific you are or take the time to try to be, the more I and/or others can try to help you by suggesting things, so far as possible...I'd wanted to be a flight surgeon doing clinical research in bioengineering while USAF, I'd then wanted later to go HSPHS, as I'd externed with an O-6 of theirs while doing my clinical allied health dkctorate, before my total perm disability, needless to say, I saw none of that, got none of that, largely due to many reasons, not the least of which was my own sheer clumsiness and incredible, total ineptitude, which many times left me acting the part of a clod, for the simple reason that i, as well as my Dad who programmed myself and my next younger brother to go in from infancy, had zero clue what we were REALLY getting into...my next younger brother was USMMA Kings Point, I commissioned him when he'd gone USNR on finishing, he had his own aggravation...the Army ROTC unit I was in trained a good deal at West Point with the cadets, I saw a lot of that, too...my best friend d in USAF had gone AFROTC at VMI, I've known many SUNY Maritime grass and frequently kick myself I never applied there, I very nearly djd...I interviewed for just about all the svcs, I've had a friend to Navy OCS, another who went Navy 6-he nuclear enlisted as I also very nearly dkd, then he had to switch to Navy 6-he electronics due to his own aggravation...we have a family friend who'd gone Arrmy enlisted, then Army WOCS for rotary wing, finished his bach in aviation at Embry Riddle, then get released by Army, USCG picked him up, he finished as a USCG O-3 after 20 yrs...my Mom's Dad had briefly been USMC during WW2, he didn't make it in there and was sent home from Parris Island, which always nagged at him...my Dad had been USNR, a Grumman TBM Avenger aircraft mechanic after WW2, he's been noncombat in during Korea on a carrier in the Caribbean...my wife's Dad had been Bronze Star with "V" recipient in Army during WW2, her stepdad had been Navy surface combat in WW2 and Korea in the Pacific, her brother had been USAF enlisted KC-135 aircrew mechanic and refueling boom operator nonlinear in during Vietnam, he was never in country...one of my uncle's had been a radio operators for Gen Eisenhower, actually knew him slightly, and helped send the Telex of the German surrender during VS Day in WW2, one of my Mom's first cousins had been Army armor at the Fulda Gap in Germany during the Cold War in the 1950s...so, I haven't seen everything, however, I've seen a good deal, and known many who have...as I'd said, if you'd care to chat more, just lemme know, I didn't mean to be so long wknded, however, your question intrigued me, which was why I figured you'd find all of the foregoing of some possible value to at least try to give serious thought to, that's all I'm trying to say, honest, I hope it was of at least some possible value and/or interest, in any event, or course.

Response by WO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 17 at 2019 11:13 AM

WO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 17 Aug 2019 11:13:30 -0400

I think over six years you can complete bachelor degree. I'm working on my masters and I've been in twelve years. I'll be working on a doctorate by the time I'm getting out. The biggest thing to stop you will be the first year you can't due to training, pcsing and deployments.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 17 at 2019 4:04 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 17 Aug 2019 16:04:41 -0400

I was in the Army National Guard for a while and I met lots of people in college who joined just for college. The Reserve component offer great incentives such as TA, scholarships, space-available classes, GI Bill, and cheap Healthcare. If my main goal was to go to college, and pay for it, before starting a career I would choose the NG again.
Definitely expect to deploy once or twice though.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 18 at 2019 6:27 AM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 18 Aug 2019 06:27:57 -0400

Try air national guard as a first choice and attend a state university. If there is not an ANG base near you go AF reserve. Most people use up their TA before using up their GI bill. Yes you can use the AF reserve or ANG to go to school. I did.