the MH-53 Pave Low

the MH-53 pave low is the most powerful helicopter in the Air Force, capable of carrying up to 38 troops or 14 litters. the
MH-53 is also the most technologically advanced helicopter in the world. used for (CSAR) "combat search and rescue" missions as well as (CAS) "close air support" missions" the MH-53 is often used for low level infiltration missions so it has armour plating to protect it and its occupants from incoming small arms, machine gun, and rocket fire. the offencive capability of the MH-53 is not extensive but effective. capable of mounting any combination of two types of MG, either the 50 cal. or the 7.62mm mini-gun in three different positions. one on either side of the aircraft and another in the rear of the aircraft. the individuals who man these gun are known as Aerial Gunners. this is the career in which i am seeking in the United States Air Force.

to see the MH-53 Pave Low in action follow the link providedbelow

http://youtube.com/watchv=9VduULY40G4

The F-22 Raptor breaking the sound barrier(768mph)
the actual top speed of the aircraft is classified
however based on the airspeed records of other aircraft i would guess that it is upwards of 2,000 mph

the F-22 Raptor

The F-22 Raptor is the primary fighter jet of the U.S. Air Force, it is the F-22's deadly combination of speed, stealth, and agility, combined with its sharp looks that has given it it;s reputation.

• a single F-22 costs 142.6 million dollars and as of december of 2009, 151 have been built by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.

my saturday

not only am i reaserching the air force for school, for about a month i have been actively persueing my future in the United States Air Force .
on saturday i went to ryans steak house to a luncheon i had been invited to for the air force. we got there and the air force payed for our meal and we ate. once we were finished eating my recruiter, Ssgt (E-5) Kevin Galbavy, answerd a few of our questions and began his presentation. he covered alot of basic knowedge, things like the benefits of enlisting, how you earn rank, soe of the different things that can affect your eligibility. then he introduced to us what he called the junior program.
what that is is basically a more rewarding version of the DEP program that is specificly for juniors in high school who want to join the air force. if i sign for the junior program i get all the pre basic training stuff out of the way right now, and then i go to basic training the summer that i graduate. the big bonus to the junior program is that if i sign. once i get to basic training, instead of having to list ten careers that i might like. i only have to list 5, that doubles my chances at getting the career that i want. so basically i have to sign by june 30th or i could spend the first four years of my post highschool life doing something that i do not enjoy. not like im under any pressure or anything...

Air Force Academy

the United States Air Force Academy was founded on April 1, 1954 after the pioneer airmen thought it a good idea to establish an academy to prepare officers especially for the Air Force.

the Air Force Academy is unlike a lot of colleges, it is both a military organization and a university. it is also quite different in that it offers not only courses to help you achieve a degree in any one area, but also teach you important life skills, discipline and motivation.
the cadets are exposed to a balanced curriculum that includes courses like human psychology, computer science, economics, military history, law and political science. the Air Force academy is known for their courses is the fields of science, engineering, social science and humanities.

the academy offers a four year officer training program of instruction and experience designed to provide cadets with the knowledge and character that is required for leadership. as well as the motivation to serve as an officer in the United States Air Force. each cadet graduates from the program with a bachelors degree in the field of science and commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force. officers receive much more responsibility than do the enlisted men, and with this greater responsibility comes a much higher salary.

the United States Air Force Academy is one of the most prestigious universities in the country, brought on by their extreamly high standards and the importance of creating officers for the Air Force. the academy only enrolls those whom they believe are motivated and poses the moral foundation that it takes to be a leader. they also take into consideration any leadership positions that you have had throughout your high school career and civilian life. they look at your academic performance as well as what kind of extra curricular activities you may have participated in, athletic or non athletic. as with any college or university in the country they look at your SAT/ACT scores. just as you must be physically fit and medically healthy to become enlisted you must qualify in these areas to be eligible to become an officer as well.

Military pay

while there are many reasons for considering joining the military, one of the more popular is the militaries competitive pay.
In the Air Force your pay is determined by two factors, your rank and how many years you have been in the service. the starting salary of an enlisted airman is around 18000a year, after youve been in for a year and are awarded the rank of E-2 this number increases to about 20,000 a year and even more significantly at E-3, E-4 etc. you start at the rank of E-1 and work your way up to E-9, once youve reached E9 it might be a good idea either retire or go to school and become an officer. officers get paid more than enlisted, thats a good thing to keep in mind when decideing on which rout to take when first joining the Air Force because you can actualy to school and become an officer without ever being an enlisted. to see the Air Force enlisted pay chart click the link below
www.airforce.com/opportunities/enlisted/pay-chart/


while in the Air Force your military pay is wired directly to your bank account on the 1st and 15th of every month, and on the 1st of every month you recieve what is called a Leave and Earnings Statement (LES), what that is is basicaly the military equivilant of a pay stub only it tells you how much leave you have built up as well as how much cash you have earned.
leave is the amount of vacation time you are allowed to take, in the military you get 30 days paid vacation a year. each month you earn 2.5 days leave and you can only take leave"go home" when the Air Force sais you can. however when you do get the chance to take leave you can volenteer to assist your local recruiter in order to earn an extra week or two of leave. most people do.

the ASVAB

the ASVAB is the basic entrance exam used by all branches of the united states military. the information that it test you on is all general knowledge and critical thinking skilss. whichever branch your enlisting in uses your score on the test to determine which careers you qualify for as well as which careers they think would be best for you according to your scores in each section of the test. the test is broken into different sections, how you score on the different sections of the test affects which careers you are eligible for. for example in the air force if you score high on the mathematical and scientific sections of the test you will have a greater chance at one of the air forces space related careers, and if you score higher on the mechanical and electronic sections of the test you will have better luck with careers involving automotive or aviation repair or in my case, aerial gunner.

you are required to take the ASVAB before you enlist. you can take a pre ASVAB from your recruiter or a less official version online, but the real ASVAB is taken at MEPS (military enlistment prossesing station).