Getting To Know Your Members Better.

How old are you?

What do you do for a living?

Whats your first name?

21

Retail, for now. trying to get out into the automotive industry since its what im in school for.

Jordan.

-age-born 1 year before Biltmore Madhatters won 1st Memorial Cup

- trade-Welder/Electrician/Photographer

-name-Tom

Is this like a chain letter??

P.S. My name is on my signature block.

Name is, in fact, Larry Roll.

Location is Dover, DE

Age 53

Master Sergeant, USAF (Retired)

In the Air Force I was an Air Transportation Supervisor (AFSC 2T275)

Present occupation: Paratransit bus operator for Delaware Transit Corporation (www.dartfirststate.com)

Hobbies: Amateur Radio, computers, photography, cooking, bicycle riding

Name is, in fact, Larry Roll.

Location is Dover, DE

Age 53

Master Sergeant, USAF (Retired)

In the Air Force I was an Air Transportation Supervisor (AFSC 2T275)

Present occupation: Paratransit bus operator for Delaware Transit Corporation (www.dartfirststate.com)

Hobbies: Amateur Radio, computers, photography, cooking, bicycle riding

You were a "Porter"?

Don't forget "Corolla owner/driver".

Name is, in fact, Larry Roll.

Location is Dover, DE

Age 53

Master Sergeant, USAF (Retired)

In the Air Force I was an Air Transportation Supervisor (AFSC 2T275)

Present occupation: Paratransit bus operator for Delaware Transit Corporation (www.dartfirststate.com)

Hobbies: Amateur Radio, computers, photography, cooking, bicycle riding

You were a "Porter"?

Don't forget "Corolla owner/driver".

Well, only if you include the first syllable "trans" to the term "porter." Yes, I was a "transporter." And, had I had my AF career to do over again, I'd have done anything but. The Air Transportation career field wasn't bad for promotions, assignments, etc. but gave me zero skills to take into civilian life other than general administrative skills and a lot of supervisory experience, which any other career field would have provided me as well. But from a technical standpoint, all I could do is work for an airline, which would have meant relocating to a large, expensive city where airports with adequate hiring opportunities exist, and then enduring the long, painful process of gaining seniority -- all the time while being low paid and highly susceptible to layoffs, downsizings, and my company (airline) simply going out of business on me.

Whenever I get the chance to talk to young people thinking of getting in the Air Force, I tell them to stay as far away from my old career field as possible. They would be much better doing something highly hands-on technical, like aircraft maintenance, or something that is directly translatable to civilian life, like anything medical or computer related. The military air transportation system, while similar to the civilian world's, just doesn't have the same widely available set of civilian opportunities as other more ubiquitous career fields.

My recommended enlisted Air Force Career Fields - in no particular order:

Supply/Logistics (obviously not including Air/Surface Transportation fields)

Medical/Dental

Security Police/Law Enforcement

Aircraft Maintenance - these guys and gals, with an A/P license in hand, can write their own ticket in civilian life

Airfield Management (though still somewhat narrow a field in civilian counterpart)

Air Traffic Control (NOT the Combat Controller shredout)

Pararescue (easily translates to all types of Emergency Operations/Management positions in civilian life)

Computer Programming/Operations

Vehicle Maintenance (NOT vehicle ops, which falls under Surface Transportation)

Communications/Electronics

Civil Engineering

Disaster Preparedness - which now has increasing opportunities in civilian life

Fireman (Fireperson?)

Human Resources - though civilian opportunities will be highly competitive and probably not as high-paying as one would expect. Being a "minority" would be a help here, both in military and civilian life.

Intelligence - particularly if you know a language in addition to English

Legal Specialist (Paralegal)

Weather Specialist

Here are some career fields to aviod -- due to limited civilian opportunity or limited applicability of military training to civilian counterpart:

Administrative Specialist

Public Affairs

Air/Surface Transportation

Services Specialist - unless you want to spend your civilian career in the restaurant/hospility industry or be an undertaker

59

Operations Research Analyst (Civilian employee) US Army

Stephen Tashiro

If I had my career to do over, I wouldn't.

Well, I was aircraft maintenance for 15 1/2 years then switched to operations (Command and Control). Now I can work at airports or for airlines!!

I decide to take the first job that wanted to hire me (partially due to military background) and am now employed by the Union Pacific Railroad. Kind of ironic, going from airplanes to trains, while working on cars.

Would I do my career over - yes, some minor changes in key times, maybe. Overall I was happy (as happy as I decided to be).

I traveled a lot, made some good friends and also had some good times (mentally erased the bad stufff - who needs it).

Such is history.