Week. Just curious if it's more or less a 9-5, or if they're trying to pull 80-100 hours a week out of ya. I'm not talking about deployments or wartime ops. Just a general "week in the life" kind of thing. No special circumstances.
I'm looking at IW, if it matters. I've heard aviation guys put in some pretty long days.
Ok, let me preface with this. If you're worried/concerned about the amount of hours you'll be putting in, do yourself (and your recruiter) a favor and go rip up your application right now. I only say that because the reality is this....you are joining
THE MILITARY. The majority of designators don't have set hours or a 9-5 civilian like schedule...everyday single f-ing day is different.
Now if you already realize that, good on you, ignore the top and continue onwards.
At OCS, you will wake up around 0430/0500 and "hit the rack" at taps. I say that with quotes, because many times you and/or your roommate along with your shipmates will stay up preparing for inspections, the next day, doing homework, etc. If that means you don't sleep or only get 2 hours a night....so be it. You work until you get done.....because once the sun comes up, you won't have time. Your day will be FULL of getting beat by your DI, classes, inspections, drill practice, PT, preparing for inspections, DI fun play time, more DI fun play time, classes, admin, homework, watch, and marching all over the base.
In flight school (and this is probably the case with many other follow on schools), everyday is different. Yes there are days when I get to go home because the schedule is cancelled due to wx or some other reason. Then again, there may be flat out some days where I don't get scheduled. Other times I wake up to go to a class/sim/flight at 0500 and will be on my way home by 1100 or so. And then again, other days I may get up at 0600 and then not come home until 2200. It really depends on whats going on that day. There is no set schedule or hours in the week. You may only fly a total of 3-4 hours that day, but that doesn't include the brief/de-brief times, walk, gear-up, preflight, etc. Do that over the course of a day along w/ in transit to various airports and it turns into a 12-14 maybe even 16 hour day easily.
Also keep in mind that when I do get home, I can't exactly just crack open a beer and relax....well, I do get a beer. But I have an immense amount of studying and/or flight planning to do for the next day and will stay up until it gets done and I'm satisfied.
You're always studying, especially when you're trying to get qualified. Always, always, always, always, always, studying....and you make room for other stuff in your life when you can. Lifting, PT, drinking, women, sex....not necessarily in that order and some can be grouped together. But the point here is that, there are no set days. You come in when you need to or are expected to show up, (sometimes way before that) and you leave when your job is done. If thats a 2 hour day, awesome. If its a 14 hour day....well, pack a couple lunches.
And since I'm not in the fleet, I won't get into having to go out on your mission, come back and study for whatever AND manage a ground job and basically multi-tasking 9 things at once. Someone else can speak to that.
