Air Force Tech School Questions.?

Alright, things are a little different when I went through in 2000 (not for dental school).

1. Ok, for tech school you will go where the training is, there is most likely only one base where a dental assistant can be trained. For your first assignment after tech school, Dental Assistants can get stationed anywhere, and it all depends on the needs of the Air Force.

2. Depends how far home is. Remember, after joining the Air Force, home is where you hang your hat, don't be too infatuated with going back home, after base, it won't feel like home anymore, believe me. Ok, if you don't live in the local area (about 300 miles around the base), you must take leave to go home. Depending on tech school length, you may have a period of time where you can take leave. However, if you have a short tech school, you probably won't get any leave until finish.

3. Yes your parents can come see you, but you'll probably want to dedicated yourself to your studies, so I wouldn't recommend this, unless they are very close or you have that leave time built into tech school.

4. That is true, you can also do it between PCS assignments. I did it myself, you simply have to contact the recruiter and fill out the form when the time comes. You also don't get charged for leave for the time you are helping the recruiter out. It's not something you get automatically, you have to inquire about it.

Ok so that's it. My advice, don't concentrate so much on home, when I was 18 I felt like going home was so important, but when I finally took leave, it was boring as hell, most people had left and ones who hadn't were still doing the same thing they'd always been doing. It was rather depressing, you'll be amazed how much you grow in basic. And don't worry, while you will have to do clean up and work details in tech school, they won't take up all your time. You'll get plenty of chances to socialize, just make sure you take school seriously.

Here's the deal: AFSC 1C1X1 (Air Traffic Controller) is a very difficult career field. The washout rate is over 50%. The Air Force knows how tough it is, so it's no-harm-no-foul if you don't make it. They'll retrain you into something else. Just bear in mind your choices will be limited to AFSCs where the Air Force needs people if you are removed from the course. But hey, let's not even march down that path -- Air Traffic Controller is tough, but if you apply yourself you can make it through. As someone already mentioned, you have block tests. If you fail a block test (score less than 70%), you'll have to stay after class with an instructor on the day of the test to review the questions you missed. You then have to take a different test for that block the next morning. If you fail the block test again, or if you fail another block test, you're removed from the course. Yes, your tech school is at Keesler AFB, on the back bay of Biloxi. The people who say Keesler is not a great base apparently haven't been to some of the Air Force's $h!t-holes. The base and the surrounding area has been undergoing a major overhaul since Hurricane Katrina. There are still a lot of establishments that are being rebuilt (or aren't), but the base and surrounding area are a lot nicer than they used to be. The base just opened a new BX and Commissary (they're both HUGE), and the food court area is much nicer than most bases I've been to. They do have a couple of large malls near the base, and the repair job they did on the beaches was GREAT!!! Nice white sand...well, until Tropical Storm Alex started pushing the oil that way. The good news is they got the cleanup crews out right away. BOTTOM LINE: When you get to Keesler, work hard and do your homework during the week, but once you're allowed to leave the base on the weekends I encourage you to do so. You don't have to spend the entire weekend away from the base, but you need to take a break and have some fun. Remember, DON'T PANIC!!!

1. There is really no way to tell, if you will get stationed at a base on your " Dream Sheet "

Your assignment will be based on which bases need a 3 level dental assistant at the time you graduate Tech School.

If one of the bases on your list need one, then you have a good chance of going there.

2. After your at your first duty station, you can do whatever you want in your off duty hours.

In Tech School, for the first 30 days, you will have a curfew each night and have to be back in the dorm. After 30 days, you can spend the night off base on weekends.

Whether you can go home, depends on how far your home is from Tech School, generally you have a 50 mile travel limit, when in Tech School.

3. Yes, your family can come visit you at Tech School. But remember during the first 15 days, you will be restricted to the base.

4. It is called recruiters assistance. Your recruiter must make a request in writing for you to do recruiters assistance. They can only do so a certain number of times per year.

IE: everyone cannot do it

Of course you will get 14 days of leave after Tech School, to go home if you wish, before you go to your first duty station.

Tech school life depends upon where the tech school is and the type of schooling you get for your field. We marched 3/4 miles to school in the rain, snow and ice. I was at Chanute, IL (now closed) from Aug 66 - May 67. If we weren't in school, we were picking up cigarette buts, pulling weeds, studying, waxing floors, dusting following a dust storm (didn't get any sleep that night).

1. You will be stationed where there is a need for your services and a position for you to fill. Sometimes personnel will over-man a location in anticipation for a reduction later or and increased need. The closest I got to being stationed near my home was 1200 miles away. Almost all military installations have a requirement for dental assistants. It depends upon where the empty positions are as to whether you get your wish list assignment.

2. Depends upon duty requirements. Military life isn't like a civilian job. At the end of the day, you don't always retire to the barracks and sit in front of the TV with a beer.

3. Yes, they can come and see you. But if you have a duty assignment, they may have to wait.

4. It is possible depending upon what the AF needs you to do. You may or may not be given the option. When I went through tech school, ALL students were required to pull 1 week of KP duty in the mess hall - no exceptions.

Of course it may be different now. I went through it in 1966.

1. Your wishlist is second to the needs of the military. You will be sent wherever a need for your AFSC is. No one can tell you which bases are in critical need because it changes all the time, you will find out near your tech grad date.

2. The only way you can go home on weekends is if you're family lives in the area and you complete a form through your military training leader. You also must be the proper phase of training to gain this privledge. Here at my Tech you have to be phase 3 and fill out a 29B then family has to reside within 150 miles of the base. Otherwise you can only go home for verified emergencies through the Red Cross.

3. Yes they can unless base is on lockdown-happens for punishment,emergencies,weather.

4. That is called RAPP recruiters assistance program you have to be recommended by your TI and be active duty not all airman get this option.

James B is right...the other person who went through in 1966....not so much. Things have changed. Recruiter assistance can be done once every 12 calendar months for 12 days. You need to contact your recruiter to get the form, then have it approved by your leadership. Then you send the approved form to your Recruiter's headquarters for Recruiting Squadron approval. There is a reason it is called a "Dream Sheet" and not a "Gaurantee Sheet"....Air Force needs must come first. If one of your listed bases is an Air Force need for your job...there is a chance, if not then you won't get one. They cannot and do not tell recruiters where the needs are. Not his fault. Enjoy your career, and stop trying to stay close to home. I went to Italy as my first assignment and LOVED it. How often do you get the chance to have experiences like that?

1. They will try to match you up but its like a 50/50 shot.

2. You can go home on weekends, I believe you will be at Sheppard AFB where I went to tech school too. They will probably have restrictions on how far you can go but once your in phase 3 you should be able to drive home on the weekends.

3. Sure they can, if they can get on base, then they can def come see you. Even if they didn't you could just get them a visitors pass.

4. It is, I did, its called Recruiters Assistance. Make sure you keep in touch with your recruiter and let them know you intend on doing it.

And Good Luck in the AF, and congrats on getting that job, its a good job in the AF, and sets up for a good job in the civilian world as well.

I have been out of the Air Force for a while now, so I'm just going to try and help you with your first question. When I was at Chanute AFB in 1985, we were able to swap assignments if we could find someone willing to trade with you. Good Luck!

29b Air Force