I know many of you on here are active duty or retired vets and I'd love to hear your experiences while you were enlisted. Also what branch and if you could do it again would you go into a different branch. Hoping to join the USAF this next year and I'm curious on what you all thought of your time enlisted.

  
Spent 6 years in the Navy, If I had it to do over again I would have gone Air force, Hard to find Good Jobs that need Submarine experience, and easier to attend college during your off time if you’re not away from port, and under water! But I am also willing to bet you don’t get all you can eat Prime Rib and Lobster on Halfway night served by an Officer in Drag, wearing a grass skirt and a wig. (Good news today a woman can qualify Submarines, Back in the day; the closest they could get was the tender) Also bet you don’t get to sleep next to an ICBM, 50 feet from a reactor, and 100 feet from an Mk48, while making your own air, electricity, and water! 

KMoore4318
  
Spent 6 years in the Navy, If I had it to do over again I would have gone Air force, Hard to find Good Jobs that need Submarine experience, and easier to attend college during your off time if you’re not away from port, and under water! But I am also willing to bet you don’t get all you can eat Prime Rib and Lobster on Halfway night served by an Officer in Drag, wearing a grass skirt and a wig. (Good news today a woman can qualify Submarines, Back in the day; the closest they could get was the tender) Also bet you don’t get to sleep next to an ICBM, 50 feet from a reactor, and 100 feet from an Mk48, while making your own air, electricity, and water! 

Submarine screen door repair is a great job :-P

The leadership is wonky on my end as well. Currently, the squadron I am with has the cleanest record on base for alcohol related incidents. Everyone on base has free reign, except for our squadron, because as the others get into trouble, they place further restrictions on us to keep us out of trouble.

I do love being in the service, accomplishing things I couldn't do on the outside without the experience I am getting on the inside. I get to enjoy experiences I have never thought of, been to 9 countries I never had plans of visiting, and so much more. It has all been worth it. Bad leadership will come and go, undoubtedly.

I was in the Marine Corps as a tactical network administrator. Unfortunately Marines are by and large a bunch of meatheads who don't have 2 cents to rub together, so I dealt with a bunch of BS and stupid games when I was in. If I had to recommend a branch of service to someone else, especially someone that wants what most closely compares to a civilian life, I'd recommend the Chair Force. They definitely have the best quality of life among the different military services.

I am currently in the Army. Have had many fun times, but my current career field has no potential after military service. Only reason why I ended up in the Army was because I walked into the recruiter station and the Chair force was closed (was mid afternoon on a week day) so I walked across the hall to the Army. I wouldn't change the to decision I made then, the only thing I may have changed was not changing MOS when I re enlisted. My advice, whatever branch you do end up joining, get a technical job, so that way it has meaning after your service. Combat engineer is not gonna get me anything but concussions lol.

  I'm not in yet (still waiting for them to get back to me with my ship date for the Army) but what do you like to do?  Do you like to camp or spend LONG extended periods of time outside?  If you do then I would say ARMY or National Guard if not Air force and if you don't mind being on a vessel for an extended period of time do the Navy...  My buddy enlisted last year and did the Delayed entry program that allowed him to get his affairs in order and to prepare for basic training... 

jd72389
I am currently in the Army. Have had many fun times, but my current career field has no potential after military service. Only reason why I ended up in the Army was because I walked into the recruiter station and the Chair force was closed (was mid afternoon on a week day) so I walked across the hall to the Army. I wouldn't change the to decision I made then, the only thing I may have changed was not changing MOS when I re enlisted. My advice, whatever branch you do end up joining, get a technical job, so that way it has meaning after your service. Combat engineer is not gonna get me anything but concussions lol.

I chose 11B and my mother was mad as hell...

I think there are meatheads in all branches. I spent 4 years in the Marine Corps and 3 years in the Army. Although I would have to say that the Marines by far have more discipline, that is not always the most important thing. All branches have a different purpose and therefore have a different way of training. I think what you want out of the military is also dependent on the person. If you are looking at a technical type of job then probably the Air Force has more to offer. Other branches have something to offer also. 
When I was in the Army I was a dental assistant. Which was really cool. They had a program where they were looking to get actual Dentist in the Army. So if you had a four year degree and could get accepted into a Dental school, the Army would pay for your education completely, pay you E-5 pay. When you were done it was a One for One deal. So if you spent 4 years in  Dental school then you just owed them 4 years of service. Not a bad deal if you want to be a dentist. There are obviously more programs like that in the branches of service. Few are a one for one though. Depends on how badly they are needing them. 
 
All in all I have to say that I learned alot out of both branches. Not all is just head knowledge. Especially in the Marine Corps I learned that my body can take more than I thought it could. It has actually come in handy a few time where maybe I might have given up before but did not. 
 
Also I am currently in school where they pay for all my schooling, give me $1000 a year for books, and pay me E-5 BAQ while I go to school. Not a bad deal at all. Since I originally was under a different benefit where I paid in $100 a month for a year to get the education benefits, they now give you back your contribution when you finish your Post 911 education benefits. 
 
Was the military the best life I have lived? No but it was for sure an experience that I cherish for the rest of my life.
 
*** If there is any advice I can give, one would be to NOT be a sick call commando, but when you are honestly injured just pay them a visit. Not to necessarily to only get help, but to also get it put in your medical record. Because when you get it, and are older that little sprain or whatever it might be may be issue down the road. If it is not documented in your record book, then you are out of luck. But if it is and it worsens, then you can get VA medical help. Maybe even some disability for it. Even if it is 0%. 0% means you get no money for it, but at least any medicine or help you need, you will get from VA for free.
 
GOOD LUCK!!

I never served but I want to thank all of you who have. 
 
Thank you.

Service has it's upsides and downsides.  Like anywhere there's the share of those inclined to be buttheads, then there's okay folks... and finally shipmates.
 
It's what you make of it.

5 years U.S. Army. Favorite place I ever went to was Korea. Soju kicked my butt more times than I can count over there. Kegogi actually tastes good if you don't know what it is beforehand.. Good luck BF3PRO, you're about to have the time of your life.

anarchy998
5 years U.S. Army. Favorite place I ever went to was Korea. Soju kicked my butt more times than I can count over there. Kegogi actually tastes good if you don't know what it is beforehand.. Good luck BF3PRO, you're about to have the time of your life.

Korea is not my favorite place, and I have yet to find the kegogi places. I just want to try it, at least.

 Air force here. Best thing I ever did. Had a couple strange coincidences. The day I went in Reagan got shot. The day I got out of basic the Pope got shot. My last full day I hit a munitions truck carrying phosphorus bombs. Decapitated my 1973 Cutlass.  (one of those 2 wrongs don't make a right)
 After schooling spent most of my time in Nevada in a air conditioned room . (top secret of course) 
Yes I would do it again, perhaps not decapitate my car though.

I was in the Marine Corps, and I made the dumb decision of being in the infantry. You seem pretty smart already for wanting to go into the Air Force. Get some kind of job or skill in the military that you can use in the civilian world, that way you won't have to waste time like me and go back to school and have to start from the bottom. As for my experience, to make it short I hated it :P

jd72389

Fbmbirds
Served in the ARMY 4 years with the 82nd Airborne at Bragg, Wouldn't recommend it to a friend.
 
Got out and been doing contracting ever since. Worked for NAVY EOD and loved every minute of it,s orta wished I went NAVY.

Working for the MARINES right now and enjoying it.
 
Only had very little interaction with the AIR FORCE but they seem like a safe bet.

 
Your problem was you were 82nd

 
 
To be fair I was in aviation the entire time so I really wasn't in the 82nd. Right before I got out I got attached to a Combat Medic Aviation Unit within the 82nd and really enjoyed working with those guys. If I would have been with them as my first unit then I might have stayed in.
 
 

So not to bump my own thread but i've started talking to recruiter.  Trying to get a feel for everything and hopefully get the ball rolling in the new year now.  I haven't told anybody in my family yet but considering i'm gonna go in delayed entry i'll still have some time yet anyways.  Want tog et my car paid off so i dont have to worry about that while away at BMT or even tech school.