TheDon -- my advice? Go Guard. I am in the Air Guard and love it... plus, in IL, the GI Bill will pay for Grad School for Guardsmen. Try that with the regular Air Force! I am in aircraft maintenance myself, and our unit is unbelievably talented at keeping those old KC-135E's flying. I have seen jets from other Guard units and active duty alike, and NONE are as sharp as ours. During Gulf War I, all the regular AF pilots were fighting over our jets to fly (everyone shared in a "pool" of sorts).

Anyway, in my unit, the treat us right and I still feel like I am doing something to serve my country. I plan to re-enlist this coming fall and keep at it. I can't say enough about the skills I have learned and the mechanical confidence I have gained thanks to this job, PLUS I have had the opportunity to travel to some VERY interesting places!

When/if you visit a recruiter, just tell them then & there that you are definitely NOT signing anything that day, nor any day soon thereafter. You are just curious, and have plenty of time to mull it over. If they're like the AF Reserve guy I talked to they'll call every day for two months, and tell you that the Guard recruiter is lying when they promise GI Bill to cover Grad School.

Keep us posted, and good luck!

Chris

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1992 300D 2.5T
1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold)
1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy"
1974 Triumph TR6
1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's)