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Air force enlisted or Navy OCS?

K

kimmer1013

New Member
I have a subpar undergraduate GPA which isn't good enough for the Air Force OTS but I can do the Navy OCS. I know the QOL in the AF is very good but I was drawn to the base locations in the Navy, the opportunities for promotion, travel, and obviously the pay gap. Would I be making a mistake enlisting for the AF instead of going the officer route?
 
This is a very personal question that only you can answer. There are plenty of enlisted with degrees already, so it’s not necessarily a mistake. But what jobs do you want? Would you be ok with the pay and lifestyle differences between officer and enlisted? You’re talking about very different walks of life and a very different set of potential jobs.
 
kimmer1013 said:
I have a subpar undergraduate GPA which isn't good enough for the Air Force OTS but I can do the Navy OCS. I know the QOL in the AF is very good but I was drawn to the base locations in the Navy, the opportunities for promotion, travel, and obviously the pay gap. Would I be making a mistake enlisting for the AF instead of going the officer route?
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What do you consider a subpar GPA? What are you wanting to do as an officer? QOL is subjective depending on the person, I know those that have had bad QOL in both, I know people that have had good QOL in both.
 
I'm a pre-OCS selectee coming in with 6 years Army enlisted experience (so grain of salt, I cannot speak to Navy or Officer QOL). I personally would take being an O in literally any branch over being enlisted in the best branch. Anecdotally speaking, I've seen more unhappy AF enlisted during my joint exercises than unhappy Army Officers. But it all boils down to what the Q in QOL means to you. Is quality working less? Deploying less? More interesting work? More pay? More freedom? I worked hard during my enlisted time (despite being in the E4 mafia), but that work was brainless. If you enjoy being another member of the pack and having low expectations, enlisted is nice. Personally, I felt the pay, leadership opportunities, and additional autonomy was worth pursuing that commission. So fingers crossed for me and OCS! Just my 2 cents from a prior enlisted soldier.
 
Military wide, the only place it’s arguably better to be enlisted than officer is in Special Operations (SOCOM)
 
kimmer1013 said:
I have a subpar undergraduate GPA which isn't good enough for the Air Force OTS but I can do the Navy OCS. I know the QOL in the AF is very good but I was drawn to the base locations in the Navy, the opportunities for promotion, travel, and obviously the pay gap. Would I be making a mistake enlisting for the AF instead of going the officer route?
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Do you want to live and work with guys that are 17-21? We all were that once, and it's great when you are a member of that cohort, but if you are older than that and a little more seasoned, that might be trying. Same with being an E2 / E3 and having barracks inspections and strict rules about your living space. All that is a little easier to deal with if you're young and green.

Absolutely nothing wrong with going the enlisted route, but i think you've already passed that fork in the road.
 
kimmer1013 said:
I have a subpar undergraduate GPA which isn't good enough for the Air Force OTS but I can do the Navy OCS. I know the QOL in the AF is very good but I was drawn to the base locations in the Navy, the opportunities for promotion, travel, and obviously the pay gap. Would I be making a mistake enlisting for the AF instead of going the officer route?
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What makes you think the AF has better QOL than the Navy? Do you want to fly helos or cargo aircraft.
 
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Have you considered a civilian job? Because after you are in that choice won’t be available for however long your contract lasts enlisted or officer.
 
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