Anyone here Crypto/Airborne Crypto for the USAF?

[Utta]

... My recruiter told me they're undermanned, and my ASVAB scores are good enough for it (95 overall), so they can change my contract if I change.

I'm definitely interested in the job, but I wanted to get some feed back from those who have direct experience.

[Aliphian]

I dont know what it is but I am interested.

[Paytheon]

That's a pretty good AFSC bro. It's a pretty decent job.

[Utta]

See, I'm torn between the following 2:

Airborne Cryptologic Apprentice

And

Air Traffic Controller.

Aliphian:

Originally Posted by USAF Site

Airborne Cryptologic Apprentice
This is a flying specialty. You will operate airborne signals intelligence systems and mission equipment. By using radio receivers, recording, and related equipment, you will translate, evaluate, and report on communications. You will perform and assist in mission planning and developing air-tasking orders. You will also receive, transmit, and relay encoded and decoded messages. Part of your responsibility will be to record special interest mission information. You's maintain the status of mission aircraft, targets, and air tasking order information. As you will be on flying status, you will perform aircrew duties. You'll have to maintain proficiency in emergency equipment usage, and perform pre-flight/post-flight inspections. You'll be maintaining technical aids, logs, and records.

I know the risks involved in each of the 2, and I'm perfectly ok with it. I simply wanted to see if anyone can shed some light on what a linguist is like.

I trust my recruiter, and he doesn't want to push me into something I don't want, so he told me to go do my own research and make my own decision, since some of the publications and opinion he gives me may seem skewed to me.

[LeatherNuts]

What "risks" are you concerned about? The write up sounds like a fancy way of saying you'll be sitting in the intel or the logistics section of your unit planning flight ops and working the crypto for the communications. I have quite of a few of those guys working with me and the only daily risk is trying not to get fat sitting behind the desk. Maybe I'm reading it wrong, not trying to be an ass just confsued. Anyhow, probably not a bad job and chances are it's like Comm or Supply where every unit requires atleast one guy that can do that job so you have unlimited options as far as where you can be stationed. May actually learn a skill you can use on the outside which is always nice.

[tieu112]

I have a buddy who is Airborne Crypto Linguist, he says: the tech school was extremely long and the course has high failure rates; so its pretty tough I hear

The benefits are great re-signing bonuses (if you decide to stay in long) and you get to go through SERE training, which hopefully they'll offer me that some point in my USAF career

[tooshezze]

Utta you will be alright man take the job its a good job, you wont be in any danger at all really. Most AF guys who have been to Iraq for a deployment never go outside the wire. I'm in the AF and have been for a while Im in VO at Kadena and when we deploy, we either do gun trucks in Iraq or Afghan or we do line haul in Iraq. If you have a family make sure you pick the job to where your not going to be gone all the time, actually you have a bike so you definately want to be able to ride and not just have it sit in storage.

[dR1fty]

If your going to do ATC atleast try CCT (Combat controller)

And hit the pool ASAP

[Utta]

Cool. Leather that was taken from the 'airforce.com' website. Risks are simply being overseas and whathaveyou. Again, no biggie. I don't have a family, no dependents.

I did a bit more homework on it last night and although its something I'm real interested in, its actually only for the Cat III Languages (Mandarin, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Tagalog). I guess I should take the DLAB and see how I do and what I qualify for.

Another thing to consider is the amount of schooling. It ranges anywhere from 47-63 weeks at DLI, and another few months out for air crew training, survival training etc. So I'm looking at nearly 1.5 years.

All in all, I guess I'm happy w/ taking either. Service before self so I really don't have a say in what I'll being going in Crypto for.

[LeatherNuts]

I'll tell you other than some late nights at Kadena after picking up drunk Airforce chicks at Fugiyamas, and my current deployed status hanging out on an Army base I haven't spent a lot of time with the other services so I can't tell you what their like. Howevere I can tell you that my ten years in the Marine Corps was the first of this month, I have an ex-wife, no kids, a Dodge truck, three bikes, a nice home, and I couldn't be happier with my descision to join. Once you get through the initial crap and learn how things work, you pick a little rank up and the money and the benefits will allow you to do a lot more than you think. It's not for everyone, but even if you only do your four or five depending on contract it's well worth it. Not sure how old you are, but I would suggest requesting to go over sea's for your first duty station, not Iraq but Okinawa or Germany or something like that. Not sure how old you are but the "trouble" that you can get into when your young in those places is something that you'll never forget and the older you get the harder it is to get away with. Good luck and keep us posted.