Zippy

Navy has switched from 6/7/8 (helos/props/jets) to 8 across the board. To the original poster- you'd be foolish not to apply to all of the services you mentioned- checkout the Coast Guard and maybe Army too.

They could just look fatter then normal because they are wearing a vest underneath the blouses.

Yes, living on the island puts you slightly farther away from shopping restaurants etc, but appearently the crime rate is lower, its cooler out here because of the breezes and, always important, any place on the island is only a short venture to the beach, ferrahs, winging parties etc. Its also nice to only have a 10-15 min drive into work for those "0 dark 30" briefs. One downside is the cost of electricity here, and sales tax is a little higher then many people are used to. [ 29. August 2005, 23:10: Message edited by: Zippy ]

As for which branch is easier to fly for... depends on what you mean "easier" I guess. As I understand it, both fly differently. In the Navy we have NATOPS- a thick book that tells us the things we are not allowed to do in the aircraft. Appearently the Air Force has -1 which is a thicker book which tells of everything a pilot is allowed to do in the aircraft. There are pros and cons with each service but, like someone said earlier, apply to both and jump on the first offer you get. Nothing wrong with going with whoever gives you the better deal (You really won't know what your missing out on either way). Flying for either one would be an honor. Heres is opinion of someone who has done both: https://www.tailhook.org/USN%20USAF.html [ 11. August 2005, 23:36: Message edited by: Zippy ]

I've heard in the Army, the WOs do the majority of the flying and pretty much their only job is to fly. Someone else might be able to give you some more accurate info.

Lucky, If your primary motivation is financial then google 2005 military pay chart, aviation career incentive pay etc., and take a look around for yourself (the following links give a pretty good overview of all military pay- and explinations). https://usmilitary.about.com/od/fy2005paych...a/paycharts.htm https://www.military.com/Resources/Resource...4,30821,00.html I've know a lot of military aviators (Pilots, Navs, WSOs etc) who never got rich by being in the military (at least until they retired and made big $$$ on the outside to supliment their retirement)- but they were always pretty comfortable. From what limited exposure to the private sector side of aviation, those guys/girls are like starving artists- struggling to come up with enough hours at shitty pay as a CFI to hopefully qualify for the regionals only for the same cycle repeats itself again and again (at least from what I understand). But, they love it anyways... Family life is going to be tough sometimes either way:In the civilian world, the stress long days scrounging for hrs to make the next big league and $ to pay your bills (seems like the era of cushy airline jobs is over), and the stress of finding a new flying job when the one you have suddenly goes away. Military- family life will not be tough so much because of the $$$, but because of the long hrs at you put in at the squadron, the workups and the deployments (which can be very long, or very often- or both, depending on whats going on in the world). Professional Oppertunities- Civilian side as i understand it, you fly then don't (and maybe if your lucky you'll have some 401k plan to show for it when you retire). Military side, you learn to lead/manage people (always a good skill if you try to get a non-aviation job), can go to grad school and even have uncle sam pickup the tab (or use you G.I. Bill), you can slide into a government or DOD contractor job after you retire and pretty much double your income, you can network with other military guys who have sweet hookups on the outside and make sure you're all set for when you get out. (Sorry, i can't get more specific then that because I'm not all that sure about Air Force career paths) Aditional Pros #1 pro above all- You get to serve your country. - you fly some of the most advanced aircraft in the world. -You get to travel and can be stationed overseas too. -You get to wear a flight suit to work -If you die, you're family will have some survivor benifits. -You can move around to different places -You have the potential to make a difference... -You don't have to spend the rest of your life doing it, and get a good retirement out of it Additional Cons, -Bullets don't discriminate -Sometimes you have to move, and have to travel when you don't want to. -You may miss many birthdays, holidays and other special occasions with the people you love. -You may not come home one day. (Military aviation is hazardous even when not getting shot at.) If money is your primary motivation in life then don't join the military- you can potentially make far more out in the civilian world for doing a lot less. If you need someone to tell you why you SHOULD become a military aviatior then maybe you shouldn't. Anybody can fly on the civilian side, Not everybody can be a military aviator, and it's not right for everyone. You need to find the answer to that question inside of yourself. [ 08. May 2005, 18:45: Message edited by: Zippy ]

I am a Navy Ensign and, I bought a place outside DC while I was stashed waiting to go to flight school (read "casual status"). Right now, the market there is pretty nuts and is predicted be so for a couple more years until it levels off and returns to a more normal level, so I decided to keep it and rent it out. I definately plan on buying another place at my first duty station. I agree what Vistar says about ARMs - not a bad choice if you are planning to keep a place for a few years after you leave. I am a little more hesitant about the Interest Only ARMS that they have out there- they may not be a bad choice if you can have the discipline to put the extra money you saved from going I/O toward the principal anyways. Renting is a gamble- your tenants could be great and really take care of the place, or burn it down because they don't and are stupid... I personally would try to rent to military first, then government employees if possible from people I've talked to, they are a bit better then joe civilian as renter. No matter who you rent to, make sure you max out on your liability insurance- that way, if something really bad happens, you have a good cushion against lawsuits. Actually, I'd max out anways because you never know..... Also, make sure your house isn't under insured in a hot market, "replacement cost" coverage will be nowhere near what you paid originally, and the yearly insured value increases won't keep up with the market. I cannot praise USAA enough when it comes to property insurance and service. They will absolutely hire a good lawyer to battle off any lawsuit that may get thrown your way because of an incident with a renter (my family found this out first hand). You may want to consider putting any property you own into an Limited Liability Company (LLC) if you are going to rent it out and leave the area for a long period of time. I don't mean to scare you, but getting sued by a tenant/ visitor to your home is always a possibility, no matter how remote- so just keep that in the back of your mind.