Benefits of Joining the Air Force

A few months ago, I wrote an article outlining the myths of being in a military family. Most of them were negative, but they were true. However, I am very proud to be a member of the United States Air Force. There may be someone out there that is thinking about joining the military but not sure which branch to join. With obvious bias, I would say the Air Force and from my experiences here is why.

Your Coworkers are a cut above the rest. When you decide to join the military, you have to take a test called the ASVAB which stands for Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. It just sees what basic skills you have in different areas like mechanical, electrical, administrative, etc. The higher your score, the more job options you have. The Air Force's minimum score is always higher than the other branches. The Army's minimum overall score is 31 out of 99, whereas the Air Force's is 36. However, if you take a look at the minimum scores required to qualify for certain jobs, you'll see that the qualifications can be tough. Even working in public affairs requires a score of at least 69 in the General category!

Housing Is Better. I lived near Fort Bragg, a huge Army base in Fayetteville, North Carolina. In the middle of the place was a small Air Force Base called Pope Air Force Base. Comparing the housing, it was like crossing the railroad tracks to the wrong side of town when you left Pope Housing and went to Army Housing. I've even been to another base where different branches worked and Air Force had priority over other branches when it came to getting better-conditioned homes. Even the new Air Force members have it nice.