Branch Crossing from USN to USAF

[SSdoc272]

Hey gents. I'm currently a Navy Corpsman attached to 2nd BN 7th Marines. I had originally came in and went to BUD/S. I had plans to go back after I did my time in the fleet but they aren't letting Corpsman go back for a few different reasons. I started looking into PJs and it actually interested me more than returning to BUD/S. I went into a recruiting office and was told the AF isn't taking crosses from other branches, and I'll have to completely separate from the Navy before I can even try. I don't EAS until Jan13, so with terminal about Dec12. I've been in long enough to know there are ways to get around a lot of things that "you can't do". I was wondering if any of the active guys on here might be able to help me out on how I could cross 6 months before my EAS. Thanks in advance.

 

[pardus]

SOWT, how easy is it to transfer from AFR and ANG to AF?

 

[SSdoc272]

You have to seperate first, but should see a Recruiter 6-8 months before you seperate. I also suggest you look at the AF Reserve and ANG as the AF generally doesn't take Prior Service folks (ParaRescue is generally an exception).
Http://www.specialtactics.com has the best data and usually has the most up-to-date info.

If I were to go to the AFR or ANG could I go for PJ training then put in to go active?

 

[DA SWO]

SOWT, how easy is it to transfer from AFR and ANG to AF?

Easy if your a PJ or other high demand field.
I did it in 2002.
I think the Guard/Reserve route is better because you don't put up with the Active Duty BS.
Remember we are talking about a Training Pipeline that is 2-3 years long. Most guy are happy for a little break once they get Home Station Certification. Training and operational requirements can keep you on orders 4-8 months a year too; So the paycheck stays close to your AD Counterparts.

 

[amlove21]

I think the Guard/Reserve route is better because you don't put up with the Active Duty BS.

Man, there is BS everywhere, and there simply aren't the same opportunities in the guard/reserve as there are active duty. I suppose the same could be said vice verse, but I am a big advocate of active duty. If you think you eventually want to go active duty, just start out active duty.

With that being said, keep in mind that LOTS of times, when you get hired by a guard/reserve unit, they are expecting you to be there for the rest of your career, or at least a big part of it. Going guard/reserve and then going active really isn't the preferred method. Think about it this way- telling a guard/reserve unit that you want to be hired by them, trained by them, certified and paid by them only to move to active duty and leave them a J down after you figure out what you want sounds pretty bad right?

Training and operational requirements can keep you on orders 4-8 months a year too; So the paycheck stays close to your AD Counterparts

Weeeelllllll, thats not exactly true. There are lots of issues with funding right now for lots of guard/reserve units, and that "paycheck stays close to your AD counterparts" isn't always the case. Most guys (traditional guard/reserve guys) have jobs which they use as their primary source of income, as the paycheck from the mil side isn't anywhere close to the AD guys. Well, it is when you're on orders, but that isn't half of what the AD guys are putting in consistently.

 

[Trip_Wire]

Going from Army to Air Force I dropped a rank, when I came back to join Army SF ('61) I lost a stripe. (IT WAS WORTH IT!)

 

[amlove21]

Yea, the rank thing is a great point also. Going from service to service you almost never hold the same rank. The same can be said from reserve to active duty- the deal is they take your actual time served (number of actual days on orders) in the reserves and give you the rank commensurate with that time on active duty. A close friend of mine came from the guard as an E-5 and went through induce as an E-3, simply because of time turnover.

Something else to consider.

 

[PJSH]

A Guard/Reserve Team will most definetely NOT pick you up with they even have the slightest idea you would transfer over to AD after getting trained. Would be a huge slap in their face, for the reasons AMlove already touched on. Yes there will be some added BS while going through the pipeline, but if you actually want to deploy and operate, youll have plenty more opertunities on the AD side versus the Guard/Reserve.

 

[SSdoc272]

My biggest concern is the AF not liking to take prior service, so whatever it takes to get crossed over I'm going to do it. I think the only issue i might have is my tattoos but they aren't even bad. But it looks like I have a couple PJs on here so just out of curiosity, whats the daily life of a PJ. I know how the SEAL teams operate but info on the PJs is kind of hard to fine so I'm not sure exactly how they do things. I recently went through the CTM course and talked to a retired PJ there and he made it sound like you guys were OFP.

 

[amlove21]

I'm not real sure what "OFP" means. CTM isn't a bad course. Keep in mind that your information depends a lot on the source and their experience, enough said on that.

We train, a lot. We have something ridiculous number like 259 line items on which to maintain currency to actually work, so it's basically an intricate juggling act trying to figure out what skill (shooting, medicine, tactics, climbing, flying, high angle, jumping, diving, water ops/boats, technical rescue, employment, etc.) needs to be re-hacked most expediently.

It's not like it's some weird animal where we go in, directly inject tiger blood to our Adonis DNA, bang 7 gram rocks (thats how we roll) and proceed to whip ourselves with knotted chains for body hardening and muscle confusion. We get to work early, PT for 2 hours, and get the days events underway. Depends on your team, but we work a full day (1700-1730). Some days there are no training events lined up (not likely) and you get an admin day to take care of stupid crap necessary to make you green for the higher ups, just like everyone else- computer based training nonsense, big blue AF items that need accomplished, so on and so forth.

I can only talk for my specific place of business, being an STS, but we are gone a lot (the guys that are home the most can expect 200 days on the road) and guys that leave a lot (like me) are gone as much as 320 days a year. You deploy a lot, different for rescue/sts because of the specific missions.

I don't know man, I don't know what else you want. That's about as plain as I can make it. not a lot of rocket science there, we just have more on our plate to do than a lot of other comparable specialities.

Hope that helped.

 

[SSdoc272]

Yes amlove that helps a lot. So I take it the job can make being married pretty rocky if your active duty, so how would AFR PJs compare? (OFP: own fuckin program)

 

[TLDR20]

I know that right this second the AF is taking dudes for the PJ route from other services(at least Army). This was from the horses mouth, or at least as close as I know it, it is from the ACAP people.

 

[TLDR20]

Speaking of going PJ. If say an 18D wanted to cross over, and still had a valid ATP card, would said 18D still have to do the whole medic part of the PJ course? This is hypothetical of course.

 

[PJSH]

The required certification is NREMT-P for both the ACC and AFSOC side. ATP however is only madatory for the AFSOC side. No difference in the pipeline, just another added currency... So if said 18D decided to cross over, I'd suggest getting that knocked out first otherwise the answer would be yes. Also any schools already accomplished, MFF, SL, CDQC would be able to be skipped granted his currencies were still good to go.

 

[PJSH]

SSdoc: that all depends on your spouse, my wife is very independent and has handled many years of being gone alot very well. On the flipside, I have had many friends have their marriages fail as well. No different than any other SOF job. The demand for us is high and our families feel the brunt of that.

 

[Doc.Moore]

Hey gents. I'm currently a Navy Corpsman attached to 2nd BN 7th Marines. I had originally came in and went to BUD/S. I had plans to go back after I did my time in the fleet but they aren't letting Corpsman go back for a few different reasons. I started looking into PJs and it actually interested me more than returning to BUD/S. I went into a recruiting office and was told the AF isn't taking crosses from other branches, and I'll have to completely separate from the Navy before I can even try. I don't EAS until Jan13, so with terminal about Dec12. I've been in long enough to know there are ways to get around a lot of things that "you can't do". I was wondering if any of the active guys on here might be able to help me out on how I could cross 6 months before my EAS. Thanks in advance.

Try the air force reserves. i spent 12 yrs in SF as a 18D. Became a 1T2700

 

[Teufel]

What about MARSOC or recon? It seems like that would be a whole lot less complicated.

 

[SSdoc272]

What about MARSOC or recon? It seems like that would be a whole lot less complicated.

I have considered marsoc and recon, but i'll still be "doc" to them and we wind up being restricted from doing things since we are so valuable. After looking into it PJ more and talking to a retired PJ and learning what their operational tempo and missions are like I think if I can get back into BUD/S thats what I'm going to do.

 

[amlove21]

Hey, just a question- what made you lean towards BUD/S? Just wondering what info you got from your retired PJ and what you learned about ops tempo in contrast to SEAL.

 

[PJSH]

Im with AM, what info did you get exactly? Keep in mind the missions/ops tempo have increased dramatically since 9/11. Depending on with said individual retired he may have no personal experience in whats going on in the current AOR.