Is the US Air Force a wimpy branch?

[Anonymous]

Many people I know call the Air Force the "Chair Force" and say they are nothing but fat desk jockeys and pencil pushers. Is this really true?

[reptocarl]

I was in the US naval airforce so I think the US naval air force is the best. In WW II, when daylight bombing raids began in 1942 over Germany there was about a 75% chance you weren't coming back from a raid. Casualties were very high. DDay had been planned for a long time but before it could happen the planners knew the Luftwaffe had to be destroyed. In late 1943- early 1944 there wasn't much left to bomb so the bombers were used as bait to get the Luftwaffe's fighters in the air so the "little friends" (P-51's) could destroy them. Hermann Goering said that he new the war was over when he looked up and saw P-51's escorting the bombers. As far as ground crews go their job is to keep the planes flyable and if that means working 20 hours to accomplish that then that's what you do. I know this part from my own combat experience. In Vietnam and Korea it was a lot like WW II except on a smaller scale. At first casualties were high until tactics and equipment were developed. It took some very brave men to get up every morning knowing you were going on a mission that you probably won't be coming back from. Every day no time off. WW II could not have been won without the air force and neither could any other conflict for that matter.

[DanAG]

I wouldn't call it wimpy but they are not as hard core as other branches. It's still the military. And anyone in the Air Force who thinks otherwise will be reminded of it in no uncertain terms. They are also not fat. They have to stay fit and healthy. They are military and every one of them can take up arms if needed. Even the officers have to stay healthy and relatively fit.

I had a friend who was in the marines. Years after he got out he joined the Air Force. He was really surprised by how relaxed they were.

Pencil pusher? Well they are probably the most technical branch. Although the navy is up there too. There is a huge amount of R&D that comes out of he Air Force. A lot of the R&D ends up in the civilian world, you're using some of it right now.

[Asker]

Yea it certainly doesn't have the hard ass reputation the Marine Corps does, but as you said it is still the armed forces. Somehow I really doubt it is a picnic or just a paid vacation like people from other branches love to claim.

[DanAG]

They have a completely different roll than the marines. As far as I know the Air Force only has a token ground force.

Here's one thing to consider about the Air Force. If they get shot down it's probably behind enemy lines. They're on their own in enemy territory. A high percentage of POWs in wars are from the air forces. It takes some balls to fly missions over enemy territory.

[Asker]

That is a really good point actually. Was your friend who served in the Marines a hard ass or just a down to earth guy for the most part? I honestly find it hard to believe that Marines are these invincible warriors who can fight off 50 Taliban with their bare hands and people from other branches are a bunch of sissies. There training is more advanced, but there are some pretty tough people in all branches from what iv seen.

[DanAG]

The guy I mentioned who went in the AF was not the stereotype Marine. I knew him before he went in, then got him a job in construction after he was out. He was dangerous because he just didn't take things seriously enough, and wasn't focused on what he was doing. When he was in the Marines he got busted a rank because of it.

I've known other Marines who fit the stereotype. They aren't going to fight off 50 Taliban, but they are pretty hard core.

[Asker]

If you don't mind me asking what did you mean by dangerous because he didn't take things seriously enough? You mean overconfident and not paying attention on the job?

Iv worked construction myself for a brief time years ago.

[DanAG]

He just didn't take safety seriously enough. He goofed around and didn't pay attention to what he was doing. I saw him fall down a ladder once and just laugh about it. He'd get on the roof and act like he didn't care if he was two stories up. It wasn't construction but he also shot himself in the foot once. He was out drinking and shooting, and practicing "quick draw" like the old west, and shot his freaking foot. I don't know how the Marine Corps put up with him. Like I said, not the stereotype Marine.

[jeanbean]

This stereotype and nearly every other branch stereotype is pretty much complete BS. Every branch has its fair share of lazy assholes who couldn't be bothered to lay off the cake and step foot toward the gym. Every branch has desk job workers and I assure you, there are fat Marines. They exist.

Frankly, I think anybody who truly believes that an entire organization formed around striving to be the world's most formidable air power is nothing more than a whole lot of pencil pushers shouldn't breed. We don't need that kind of stupidity to multiply.

We might have more desk jobs than others, but it's necessary for our mission. Being a branch focused on air power requires A LOT of ground-based support.

[Asker]

Thanks.

[DANNYBASSMAN93]

Coming from an Airforce specops member its pretty good lifestyle not to mention the facilities, housing, allowances, pays and overseas destinations. But its really not for everyone its actually more mental than physical for most of the jobs but if you want specops you need to really score well in both the ASVAB and the MEPS medical & physical evaluation test oh and the specops physical test

[BertMacklinFBI]

first time I heard the term "chair force". they may have it more comfortable but are just as important than the rest.

[Anonymous]

Yep, pretty much. They don't do shit. I've dated air force, my family is in air force, they wanted me to join, because you don't do work. -.- F-that.

[jeanbean]

That depends entirely on what career field you sign into though.

[Opinion Owner]

Sure it does hun.

[jeanbean]

Have you ever heard of Aircraft Maintenance?

[Opinion Owner]

Yeah, I'm an aviation mechanic. You'll have me doing the same job that would take five of them.