Navy/Army/AF - Which one!?

[cessna 182]

---

Members do not see this ad.

For those of you that are going this route... How did you decide which branch to pursue? Which is better or why do you perfer that branch?

 

[DrSmiles12]

I am also interested in this one too... Why do so many people want the Air Force?

 

[toothfairy85]

The people that I know of in my class on military scholarship went the Navy and Air Force route. It seems that most guys tend to go the Navy route, while women tend to go the Air Force route. That's just from the people I know on scholarship in dental and medical school.

 

[BQuad]

I've been active duty Army for over 4 years now and if I had to do it over, if I took the HPSP, I would choose the Air Force.

The Army has treated me horribly despite being one of the best officers it has (as told by commanders, NCOIC's (seargent's in charge of the clinics), and lab techs). I spent a year in Korea, had my active duty obligation unfairly extended by 16 months, been in Iraq for 11 months so far, and been extended here until March.

If the Army can ever get it's deployments down to 6 months, it might be worth considering. If your read my other posts you can see the good and the bad about the Army.

I had a friend in the Navy who hated it, a friend in the Air Force who's staying in. Air Force has the fairest deployment system, from what I've read here their educational programs are better, and they tend to have the nicest facilities and some nice base locations.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Deep Impact]

I like what the Navy has offered so far, but I'm starting to have second thoughts, especially on that whole deployment issue and the way the Navy dental corps is managed right now. Don't get me wrong. We're no way like the Army, but we don't have a fair system like the AF already has either. Navy does offer nice bases around the coastal areas, but if you're deployed or on a ship...it depends on what you like I suppose. You caught me at a tough time...going through some crazy transition at work right now.😡

 

[cessna 182]

Does anyone have any idea how long AF deployments typically are? What are some drawbacks to the AF?

 

[BQuad]

My friend who was in the Navy was on a 4 year HPSP, then went to the GPR at Camp Pendelton. The hospital there is about 45 minutes from the gate and he lived 15 min from there so when he was on call (>100 days that year) he had to sleep at the hospital. Obviously his new wife didn't care for that. They then moved to Yuma where he didn't get along with his clinic commander. He was then deployed to Iraq for a year. So that's why he didn't like it.

As for the Air Force deployments are 4-6 months to my knowledge, compare to 15 months for the Army right now.

The Air Force doesn't have any specific drawbacks I know of, but it does share drawbacks of all the services. You can't choose where you live or work, you can't chose who you work with, you have to put your service before your family, and you are stuck in a long term contract and it can be extended without your consent.

 

[MaxAnn]

My friend who was in the Navy was on a 4 year HPSP, then went to the GPR at Camp Pendelton. The hospital there is about 45 minutes from the gate and he lived 15 min from there so when he was on call (>100 days that year) he had to sleep at the hospital. Obviously his new wife didn't care for that. They then moved to Yuma where he didn't get along with his clinic commander. He was then deployed to Iraq for a year. So that's why he didn't like it.

As for the Air Force deployments are 4-6 months to my knowledge, compare to 15 months for the Army right now.

The Air Force doesn't have any specific drawbacks I know of, but it does share drawbacks of all the services. You can't choose where you live or work, you can't chose who you work with, you have to put your service before your family, and you are stuck in a long term contract and it can be extended without your consent.

Don't most "residents" end up sleeping at a hospital or somewhere near it? Whose to say he will get along with his boss (if an associate) or coworkers?

Any extension of a contract would suck, but those other things are to be expected.

As far as his wife not liking the hours, it always amazes me how many women marry doctors, lawyers, businessmen, ballplayers, politicians and expect these guys to be home by 5pm everyday?

 

[BQuad]

Medical residents definitely spend time at a hospital, but dental residents, unless you are on your Oral Surgery rotation, shouldn't have to sleep at the hospital, there just aren't that many true dental emergencies. The difference in the civilian world is that you are generally much freer to leave and find a place you are happier working.

I know those things are to be expected, but they are often glossed over by recruiters and are serious things if you are considering joining the service.

Lastly, in fairness, his wife wasn't a stay at home wife, she was a dentist who also graduated in our class, neither expected to have that much time taken up by work.

 

[Theo]

Who has decided on which way they are going? What influenced your decision and why? Any information would be helpful!

 

[jmick101]

I say Army because of the all expense paid trip to Iraq! I kid of course. The Army is doing the most of the fighting so its tours are the longest. As far as it being an "unfair" deployment, I ask unfair to whom? Who will be we working on? Soldiers doing 15 month deployments as well. Why should medical officers or anyone else hope to make less of a sacrifice? That would really be "unfair."

 

[BQuad]

Ask yourself how you would feel if you have to spend 80% of your time not treating soldiers on 15 month tours but Iraqi detainees? That's what I'm stuck doing. Hard to justify to your wife that you have to be away for 15 months to take care of the guys trying to kill our soldiers!

 

[jmick101]

Ask yourself how you would feel if you have to spend 80% of your time not treating soldiers on 15 month tours but Iraqi detainees? That's what I'm stuck doing. Hard to justify to your wife that you have to be away for 15 months to take care of the guys trying to kill our soldiers!

Good point, that would suck. No argument there.

 

[UOP_Dentist]

I've been active duty Army for over 4 years now and if I had to do it over, if I took the HPSP, I would choose the Air Force.

The Army has treated me horribly despite being one of the best officers it has (as told by commanders, NCOIC's (seargent's in charge of the clinics), and lab techs). I spent a year in Korea, had my active duty obligation unfairly extended by 16 months, been in Iraq for 11 months so far, and been extended here until March.

If the Army can ever get it's deployments down to 6 months, it might be worth considering. If your read my other posts you can see the good and the bad about the Army.

I had a friend in the Navy who hated it, a friend in the Air Force who's staying in. Air Force has the fairest deployment system, from what I've read here their educational programs are better, and they tend to have the nicest facilities and some nice base locations.

Just my 2 cents.

AF here and loving it. Life is much nicer than my dental school friends down the street at the Army base. The facility is much nicer than other branches, but the drawbacks are the locations. Most bases aren't near a beach and tend to be in remote locations (i.e. Minot, Malmstrom, Offutt etc) however, dentists are treated like 1st class officers. I've received my 1st PCS choice and my 2nd choice when i PCS next year. I haven't been deployed, but if i did it will be for only 4-6 months. Although i wouldn't like it if i were deployed to Iraq/Afghani, i wouldn't mind it much either. In fact, i would like to deploy to Turkey, Germany, South America, or Australia (highly unlikely). Suffice it to say that if you have a chance to do AF, then do it. It is a great experience.

 

[UOP_Dentist]

Ask yourself how you would feel if you have to spend 80% of your time not treating soldiers on 15 month tours but Iraqi detainees? That's what I'm stuck doing. Hard to justify to your wife that you have to be away for 15 months to take care of the guys trying to kill our soldiers!

Hang in there BQuad. It doesn't seem that you have much longer in your committment. And regardless of what you're doing in Iraq, you're doing a very respectable and commendable act, that not many people can relate with. I hope i never get sent there. But there's always that chance and I hope i can get through it, if it happens.

 

[BQuad]

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm hanging in here, just counting the days, 337 days until I'm out of the Army!!! 100 until I'm out of Iraq!

 

[HuyetKiem]

Are things slowing down in Iraq ? My bro, a Navy reserve dentist, has asked for a 7-month tour to Iraq with the Marine unit since August but yet heard any confirmation.

 

[blankguy]

Are things slowing down in Iraq ? My bro, a Navy reserve dentist, has asked for a 7-month tour to Iraq with the Marine unit since August but yet heard any confirmation.

You bring up an interesting point. If things are settling down in Iraq and afghanistan then deployments might not be as crazy as before. I don't want them to go away completely because if it did retention rates improve and people trying to join will have a harder time to get in.

 

[HuyetKiem]

Significant Incentive Increase

The US Army has significantly increased the financial incentives
for fourth year Dental Students. Listed below are few of the updates.

- Dental Students entering both Active Duty and the US Army Reserves are
eligible for a $75,000 Sign On Bonus.

- Dental Students continuing their education in a civilian residency are
eligible for an Annual Grant of $45,000 per year of training plus a
monthly stipend of $1907 under the Financial Assistance Program (FAP).

- Dental Students continuing their education in a civilian residency are
$50,000 in Student Loan Repayment plus a monthly stipend of $1907 under
the Specialized Training Assistance Program (STRAP).

- Up to $191,500 Loan Repayment for Active Duty Dental Corps Officers
and $50,000 for the US Army Reserves Dental Corps Officer.

- Early Commissioning Program for Dental Students in their fourth year.

- Direct eligibility into Residency Training Programs for
non-scholarship Dental Corps Officers. To include but not limited to
Periodontics, Prosthodontics, Advanced Education in General Dentistry,
Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, Endodontics and Public Health.

- Up to $50,000 per year, for four years ($200,000 total) to stay past
your initial service obligation.


Please contact me at 877-659-5726 to find out more details and if one of
these options might be right for you.


Respectfully,



Frank E. Riggle, Jr.
MAJ, MS
Northern Ohio AMEDD Recruiting,
Officer In Charge
7550 Luccerne Drive, Suite 101
Middleburg Heights, OH 44130
Office: 440-891-1800
Cellular: 1-877-659-5726
Email: [email protected]