| I'll be turning 18 next August and I'm pregnant right | | | | for six weeks. |
| now. I was thinking of joining the Air Force sometime | | | | Today's IT personnel are the modern incarnation of |
| next year so I can have some sort of stable career | | | | yesterday's administrative personnel. There are those |
| to care for my child. I was thinking about joining in a | | | | who specialize in computers and network |
| career of information systems. Do you have any | | | | management, but the majority is your clerk/typists |
| advice? | | | | that fill the much needed administrative support role |
| Answer. You will need to check with a recruiter to | | | | in every squadron. There are approximately 10,000 in |
| make sure you meet all the requirements for | | | | the Air Force, of which half are regularly |
| enlistment, as you have many more hoops to jump | | | | non-deployable due to a variety of medical problems |
| through before you are accepted. | | | | or other constraints. This means that, when a |
| Because you would be deployable at any time, you | | | | deployment requirement comes up, half the people |
| have to keep on file with the base personnel office, | | | | have to do twice the work. Yes, you will be |
| three different dependant care plans: Immediate, | | | | deployed, and I guarantee it will be within months of |
| short term and permanent. | | | | getting fully qualified in your job. That means that |
| The immediate plan is for when the phone rings and | | | | you won't have that much time getting settled into |
| they need you to come to work immediately. You | | | | your first permanent duty station with your child |
| need to have someone available 24-hours a day, to | | | | before you have to hand him/her over to your |
| be able to take care of your child for short periods | | | | short-term sitter and go off on deployment. |
| of time, up to a day, for the times you need to fill in | | | | Every career field deploys these days. Some more |
| for someone else who was unable to work. | | | | than others, but everyone gets their time in the |
| The short term plan is for when that same phone | | | | "desert". Granted, of all the armed forces, the Air |
| rings; although this time you are being deployed for | | | | Force deploys less to the "hot" spots. The Army and |
| an extended period of time, anywhere from a week | | | | Marines spend the most time in Iraq, while the USAF |
| to three months. You need to have someone | | | | deploys more to support locations, such as Kuwait, |
| available and willing to take on that responsibility. | | | | Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. |
| The final plan is the permanent plan: If the unthinkable | | | | You need to look at your finances and see if the pay |
| happens, and you are killed in the line of duty, you | | | | scale will meet your needs. As an E-1, Airman Basic, |
| need someone willing to adopt your child. This is | | | | with less than four months in service, you will be |
| usually a blood relative, mother, sister/brother, and | | | | earning $1,178 a month (current pay, due to go up |
| aunt/uncle. Again, this has to be someone willing to | | | | roughly 3% next year). After four months that pay |
| take on this lifetime responsibility. | | | | goes up to $1,274 a month. An E-2, Airman, earns |
| I know these aren't things happy to think about, but | | | | $1,427 a month. An E-3, Airman First Class, earns |
| they are required by military regulations, and you will | | | | $1,595 after two years of service. |
| be required to revalidate these plans annually. Most | | | | Realize the Air Force will provide housing (or the |
| people choose friends and/or neighbors for the | | | | funds to acquire housing), so that will offset your |
| immediate and short term plans, and relatives for the | | | | monthly costs. Probably the single biggest "bonus" is |
| permanent plan. | | | | that all medical needs for you and your child will be |
| During the period of Basic Training and your tech | | | | provided for while you are on active duty. If you |
| schools, your child will need to stay with relatives. | | | | stay in and retire, the current plan provides medical |
| Your time and efforts will be devoted to learning | | | | insurance for you and all your dependents for only |
| your basic military and technical skills, and you will not | | | | $460 a year. |
| be provided with any time to yourself for child care. | | | | There are many other things to consider. |
| In Basic, you will be under supervision 24-hours a day | | | | |