Navy vs. Air Force

[HickMD]

I was just wondering (and I know many will be biased but that's okay, I would like to hear pros and cons of both) which branch, the Navy or the Air Force, seems to be preferred for HPSP. I understand the Navy has a requirement for a GMO tour, but I also heard that is starting to phase out a bit, and I heard the Air Force has a lot of boring sites for residencies and rotations. However, the Air Force seems to have a better retention rate. Hope you can help me out.

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[trattoria]

Depends on what you want to do. My year group (graduating 2007) required a bunch of us to become flight surgeons/GMO's (I'm Air Force). Right now, the branch producing the fewest GMO's is the Army. You should peruse some of the other forums here. There are plenty of folks from each branch who are relating their experiences in various specialties.

As far as USAF locations, would have to say Ohio would probably be the bottom of my list, but Travis isn't a bad place to be location-wise.

 

[The White Coat Investor]

However, the Air Force seems to have a better retention rate. Hope you can help me out.

I'm pretty sure that isn't true. The GMO thing actually promotes retention in my opinion. Bad for docs and bad for patients, but seems pretty good for retention. The Navy seems to hold onto its emergency docs a lot longer than the AF because by the time they finally get trained they only have a few years left!

 

[Gastrapathy]

I'm pretty sure that isn't true. The GMO thing actually promotes retention in my opinion. Bad for docs and bad for patients, but seems pretty good for retention. The Navy seems to hold onto its emergency docs a lot longer than the AF because by the time they finally get trained they only have a few years left!

Retention is very poor across the board. I made my decision based on the likely places I could homestead and liked the Navy's list a little better.

 

[sethco]

I'm pretty sure that isn't true. The GMO thing actually promotes retention in my opinion. Bad for docs and bad for patients, but seems pretty good for retention.

I will use my flight med office as an example, but sample size is small (n=6). Out of these, 5 have stated that they are not applying to military residencies and will leave when their commitment is up. The last has a longer commitment (from ROTC, in addition to HPSP) and will probably do a military residency. Not to say this is representative of the AF in general, but you get my point. I don't think the GMO pool contributes that significantly to retention rates compared to residency trained docs right out of med school/internship.

For the OP, If it makes any difference the AF has shorter deployments (2-4 months depending on squadron, job title, manning, etc.) than Navy deployments. However, this may change in the near future. GMOs MIGHT be going away for the Navy, but definitely not the AF. Anybody who tells you otherwise is blowing smoke up your...well you know.

 

[The White Coat Investor]

I'm pretty sure that isn't true. The GMO thing actually promotes retention in my opinion. Bad for docs and bad for patients, but seems pretty good for retention.

I will use my flight med office as an example, but sample size is small (n=6). Out of these, 5 have stated that they are not applying to military residencies and will leave when their commitment is up. The last has a longer commitment (from ROTC, in addition to HPSP) and will probably do a military residency. Not to say this is representative of the AF in general, but you get my point. I don't think the GMO pool contributes that significantly to retention rates compared to residency trained docs right out of med school/internship.

For the OP, If it makes any difference the AF has shorter deployments (2-4 months depending on squadron, job title, manning, etc.) than Navy deployments. However, this may change in the near future. GMOs MIGHT be going away for the Navy, but definitely not the AF. Anybody who tells you otherwise is blowing smoke up your...well you know.

You just proved my point. By sending 6 guys to a GMO tour they retained one. That's good retention in the military's opinion.

 

[HickMD]

I'm pretty sure that isn't true. The GMO thing actually promotes retention in my opinion. Bad for docs and bad for patients, but seems pretty good for retention.

I will use my flight med office as an example, but sample size is small (n=6). Out of these, 5 have stated that they are not applying to military residencies and will leave when their commitment is up. The last has a longer commitment (from ROTC, in addition to HPSP) and will probably do a military residency. Not to say this is representative of the AF in general, but you get my point. I don't think the GMO pool contributes that significantly to retention rates compared to residency trained docs right out of med school/internship.

For the OP, If it makes any difference the AF has shorter deployments (2-4 months depending on squadron, job title, manning, etc.) than Navy deployments. However, this may change in the near future. GMOs MIGHT be going away for the Navy, but definitely not the AF. Anybody who tells you otherwise is blowing smoke up your...well you know.

Thanks, this is good stuff. I am trying to make a decision that is not based on anecdotal (spelling?) evidence and it is good to hear it from sources like yourselves rather than recruiters. I am married and my wife isn't too into the idea of being in the military. She also doesn't want to be in any boring or sketchy areas and wonders about the schools systems around military bases. I, however, would enjoy spending a few years as a military doc, gaining experience, then settling down somewhere. Air Force has a reputation for being more family friendly; however, I have heard that more Navy docs are satifisfied with their jobs. Is this true? Any ideas?

 

[DiveMD]

GMO thing actually promotes retention in my opinion.

I completely disagree with this statement. Most physicians leave the navy right after their GMO/DMO/FS tours.

Plus, why would the navy try to minimize/eliminate GMO billets if GMO tours are “good” for retention?

 

[LauraDO]

I chose the air force simply because I hate being on a boat, the thought of being trapped on a boat for long periods of time makes me feel suicidal

 

[trail doc]

I'm pretty sure that isn't true. The GMO thing actually promotes retention in my opinion. Bad for docs and bad for patients, but seems pretty good for retention.

Thanks, this is good stuff. I am trying to make a decision that is not based on anecdotal (spelling?) evidence and it is good to hear it from sources like yourselves rather than recruiters. I am married and my wife isn't too into the idea of being in the military. She also doesn't want to be in any boring or sketchy areas and wonders about the schools systems around military bases. I, however, would enjoy spending a few years as a military doc, gaining experience, then settling down somewhere. Air Force has a reputation for being more family friendly; however, I have heard that more Navy docs are satifisfied with their jobs. Is this true? Any ideas?

There's a small number of realities you have to be prepared for as a military doc. Those include the very real but not certain possibility of deployment, living in areas you would not have otherwise considered- more boring than sketchy, but we have those, too. And willingness to practice in a field that is not exactly what you had in mind when you were a first year student. If you can handle these, other trials (and those you hear the most about on this board) are proclamations that the grass is greener on the civilian side of the fence.
I'll admit that I joined the Navy as a mercinary- needing a way to fund med school. I've made the most of it, and so has my wife who felt the same way yours does. In retrospect we feel it was a good decision. For what it's worth, here's my observation: Docs who are in operational medicine are happy with what they're doing now, but wouldn't want to make a career of it. Docs who are medical community are pretty disatisfied. That being said, civilian attendings I have encountered are no more satisfied.

 

[The White Coat Investor]

I miss the mountains too....much more than I thought I would as a pre-med.

 

[trail doc]

I miss the mountains too....much more than I thought I would as a pre-med.

No kidding..... It wasn't until I surrended my time in the mountains to medical school did I find it was just about all I could think of. Then I joined the military and in a cruel twist of fate, I have the time to enjoy them, but not the access! I find it difficult to hold myself to obligations I made when I was a pre-med.

 

[BomberDoc]

I am married and my wife isn't too into the idea of being in the military. She also doesn't want to be in any boring or sketchy areas and wonders about the schools systems around military bases. I, however, would enjoy spending a few years as a military doc, gaining experience, then settling down somewhere. Air Force has a reputation for being more family friendly; however, I have heard that more Navy docs are satifisfied with their jobs. Is this true? Any ideas?

This is a HUGE red flag. Not only are you setting yourself up for indentured servitude in the military, you are also laying the groundwork for divorce and the destruction of your family. If you care more about your family than a few thousand dollars upfront during your medical education (which isn't family friendly anyway), you will walk away from the military. Period. I can tell you from firsthand experience that the AF is not, repeat not, family friendly. This will drive a wedge between you and your wife as she will resent you for dragging her to some godforsaken s#ithole in the middle of nowhere. If she doesn't want boring or sketchy, avoid the military at all costs. One or both of those words describes the vast majority of military locations. Think long and hard about this one. There is a very common sentiment in the military: If they wanted you to have a family, they would have issued you one. They just plain don't care and won't give a damn when your marriage falls apart. You will still be owned by the government and as such, will do its bidding.

 

[SgtDoc]

This is a HUGE red flag. Not only are you setting yourself up for indentured servitude in the military, you are also laying the groundwork for divorce and the destruction of your family. If you care more about your family than a few thousand dollars upfront during your medical education (which isn't family friendly anyway), you will walk away from the military. Period. I can tell you from firsthand experience that the AF is not, repeat not, family friendly. This will drive a wedge between you and your wife as she will resent you for dragging her to some godforsaken s#ithole in the middle of nowhere. If she doesn't want boring or sketchy, avoid the military at all costs. One or both of those words describes the vast majority of military locations. Think long and hard about this one. There is a very common sentiment in the military: If they wanted you to have a family, they would have issued you one. They just plain don't care and won't give a damn when your marriage falls apart. You will still be owned by the government and as such, will do its bidding.

I have to disagree. I was just discharged from the USMC. While I am not married, most people I worked with are married. Not only are they happy, their spouses are happy with the instant family they became a part of being in the military. There are always family functions which kids, spouses, and military folks all love. Your wife or your kid is sick? No problem, they have free health care. Are there deployments to horrible places? Yes, but you know that going in. There are tons of support services to those family members staying stateside. It seems like too many people just want the government to pay for their education for nothing. Sorry, it doesn't happen like that...we are not a welfare state (yet). I'm sick of people on this thread whining because they are now in the military PAYING BACK the government for funding their education. Does the unexpected happen? Of course, but that's life.

And to answer the other poster's question, yes, I have heard the air force is the most family friendly...mainly because they have short deployments which have less emphasis than some of the other branches.

 

[LauraDO]

I have to disagree. I was just discharged from the USMC. While I am not married, most people I worked with are married. Not only are they happy, their spouses are happy with the instant family they became a part of being in the military. There are always family functions which kids, spouses, and military folks all love. Your wife or your kid is sick? No problem, they have free health care. Are there deployments to horrible places? Yes, but you know that going in. There are tons of support services to those family members staying stateside. It seems like too many people just want the government to pay for their education for nothing. Sorry, it doesn't happen like that...we are not a welfare state (yet). I'm sick of people on this thread whining because they are now in the military PAYING BACK the government for funding their education. Does the unexpected happen? Of course, but that's life.

And to answer the other poster's question, yes, I have heard the air force is the most family friendly...mainly because they have short deployments which have less emphasis than some of the other branches.

I have to agree, I grew up a military brat, lived on bases, moved around, did the whole shabang and I loved it, wouldn't give up a second of it. My parents loved it too and credit the strength of their relationship on my Dad being in the military. If anything the military puts more emphasis on marriage and family than the civilian world.

Albeit...I am not yet a Dr., my father wasn't a Dr and I have no idea what being a dr. is like, but I do know what military life is like, and I can't think of a better atmosphere to raise a family

 

[sethco]

I will agree, but with a caveat...

There is a big difference between a) marrying somebody that is already in the military and b) being married first and then having a SO join the military.

Per the original poster, it sounds like it would be a very bad idea in his case because his "wife isn't too into the idea of being in the military" and "she also doesn't want to be in any boring or sketchy areas". This, IMHO, would build strong resentment when either he did not get the PCS he/she wanted or was deployed to a specific location for ANY given amount of time and leaves their SO alone with the kids. Although support services is a great help, they can't come to your house and change diapers, feed kids, pick them up for daycare, come at the middle of night to take care of the kids so you can sleep, do the grocery shopping, etc. Unfortuantely, nobody can say how an individual will react to being alone, but why take the chance when his wife already feels the way she does about the military. Speaking from personal experience, I married after I had already signed the HPSP contract and she knew about the military lifestyle (i.e. Unfavorable bases, deployments, etc.), but even then I still have to hear pretty often how she wish she met me before I signed the contract so she could slap some sense into me . Oh well, 2 months and counting in the desert until I can get back home to see my wife and kids.

To the OP, do you plan on getting remarried? Do you value family more than money?

BTW, saying the Air Force is more family friendly is like saying I would rather be stabed with a knife in the gut than shot with a gun to the head. I am sure I can come up with a better analogy, but am really mentally exhausted right now.

 

[HickMD]

Wow, there are a lot of split opinions, but I appreciate all your comments, negative or positive because I want to make an educated decision. Just to give more clarity to my situation, I would choose the military for two reasons: first, I am from a family with a rich military history and I currently have a brother who is an active duty officer in the Marines and my younger brother is joining in about a year. I understand that the military can be frustrating but I am willing to deal with that for a few years as I pay them back and possibly have some good experiences abroad in the meantime. Second, I feel not having debt would aliviate a lot of stress and being in the military seems to be a positive alternative in that we could treat soldiers and their families, not have malpractice for a few years, etc. My wife and I are not planning on having kids for another four years (I realize this could change) and we are looking into a med school that has a University nearby where she could get her PA, MS, or PhD. I realize that we will more than likely have kids about the time I start my military commitment; this is a concern for me. However, if I didn't do the military, we would be having kids around the time I was in a civilian residency, which would be stressful too (yet, without chance of deployment). What are your thoughts on my reasoning here? Please feel free to let me have it if I have some misconceived ideas.

 

[SgtDoc]

I realize that we will more than likely have kids about the time I start my military commitment; this is a concern for me. However, if I didn't do the military, we would be having kids around the time I was in a civilian residency, which would be stressful too (yet, without chance of deployment). What are your thoughts on my reasoning here? Please feel free to let me have it if I have some misconceived ideas.

My girlfriend is 27, and my going to med school was an issue for her because by the time I would be done with everything she would be in her late 30s, which is a little late to start having kids. USUHS fixed that problem, since I will make enough money to support a family. It likely won't happen until the end of med school, but if something did happen, at least I wouldn't be a starving, indebted student.

Regarding the deployment with kids, there are worse things. It's not like you're gone from them because you are aren't married to their mom...you are teaching them about sacrifice, patriotism, etc. They know their daddy is gone because he is serving their country. Like I said before, there is a ton of support for those left behind during deployment. And it's not like it used to be- the last time I was deployed we had wireless internet in our rooms (yes, in Iraq), so I could talk to my GF every day. Also, think of the possibility of maybe being stationed in Germany or something, what a great experience for kids.

 

[The White Coat Investor]

I understand that the military can be frustrating but I am willing to deal with that for a few years as I pay them back .

As long as "a few years" equals 15. The frustration isn't only present while you're on active duty, but also the other years. Imagine this scenario:

4 years Med School-They own you for 6 weeks each year and have total control over your match

3-5 years residency-You are either on active duty (not paying off your time debt incidentally) or in a civilian residency knowing that you don't have a choice about what job you take when you get out, about where you will live when you get out, or what job your spouse can take when you get done. You also have a paper or two to fill out per year if on civilian status and MASSIVE PAPERWORK AND PT HEADACHES if in a military residency.

4 years active duty-Read the forum

4 years IRR-Probably won't get called up....but.....you never know especially given the low and dropping retention rate.

Total 15-17 years. A few? Not really. The worst part is that in return for this only your residency time and active duty time count for pay, and only your active duty time counts for retirement. For four years of support, they have control over your life for 4 times that much. Don't discount that.

 

[SF49ers Fan]

I'm sick of people on this thread whining because they are now in the military PAYING BACK the government for funding their education. Does the unexpected happen? Of course, but that's life.

I am right there with you. Sometimes I wish I owned stock in Midol. My favorite response is, (insert b#thcy, high-pitched voice) "You just don't know how hard it can be on deployments because you are just a med student!"

 

[BomberDoc]

Some of you guys want advice and answers but cry when you don't hear what you want. It is getting a little old. Guess what... I can only tell you what I've experienced. I'm not making this stuff up. If you can't handle the truth, don't read it... and if you accidentally read it, don't be so naive to come back with, "It can't be that bad because I really hope it isn't so."

 

[SF49ers Fan]

I am married and my wife isn't too into the idea of being in the military. She also doesn't want to be in any boring or sketchy areas and wonders about the schools systems around military bases. I, however, would enjoy spending a few years as a military doc, gaining experience, then settling down somewhere. Air Force has a reputation for being more family friendly; however, I have heard that more Navy docs are satifisfied with their jobs. Is this true? Any ideas?

I agree with Bomberdoc, this can be a red flag. I am married, and have been for a very long time. We; however, got married when I was already in the military, so by accepting me she had to accept my life in the military. If you are going to do this she needs to be onboard 100% and willing to be flexable. My wife has alot of the same concerns as yours, and they are valid concerns.

I have been stationed at many different locations and safe housing is always an issue with me. The sad truth is that there may not always be good schools for the neighborhoods that are in your price range (at least at first). With this said, I was always able to find a place that I felt safe to have my family living in, but sometimes it took work to find it.

I guess the short answer is, make sure this is her decision as well. A good website that rates public schools is:

http://www.greatschools.net
From my experience the school ratings are accurate for the places I've been.

 

[MaximusD]

I agree with Bomberdoc, this can be a red flag. I am married, and have been for a very long time. We; however, got married when I was already in the military, so by accepting me she had to accept my life in the military. If you are going to do this she needs to be onboard 100% and willing to be flexable. My wife has alot of the same concerns as yours, and they are valid concerns.

I have been stationed at many different locations and safe housing is always an issue with me. The sad truth is that there may not always be good schools for the neighborhoods that are in your price range (at least at first). With this said, I was always able to find a place that I felt safe to have my family living in, but sometimes it took work to find it.

I guess the short answer is, make sure this is her decision as well. A good website that rates public schools is:

http://www.greatschools.net
From my experience the school ratings are accurate for the places I've been.

Out of curiosity what private school is going to be out of a physician's price range? I'm not snob, I just question whether this is a real concern.

 

[SF49ers Fan]

Out of curiosity what private school is going to be out of a physician's price range? I'm not snob, I just question whether this is a real concern.

As a staff physician there is not much of a problem (usually), its the X number of years that it takes to start making money that can be difficult. As an intern or resident you should be making more than the average civilain at your same level. This can be nice when you are single but when you add a family to the equation, things get more difficult.

I admit that I am a snob when it comes to my kids education. I do my best to put them in the best schools. Sometimes a private school isn't the answer to a better education and sometimes it is but it can be expensive, even for someone making over 120K. (There is a nice private school not far from where I live right now and the tuition is $7,000 a year per child, not including uniforms) I do my best to try and find the best public schools available for my duty station. This can take some work. I can only speak for my experiences and the locations that I have been to. The 3 big hospitals available for the navy (San Diego, Portsmouth, and D.C. unless you do a FP residency) happen to be in areas that can be quite expensive. Portsmouth is the cheapest but the cost of living is ALOT more than it was 10 years ago.

 

[sethco]

Regarding the deployment with kids, there are worse things. It's not like you're gone from them because you are aren't married to their mom...you are teaching them about sacrifice, patriotism, etc. They know their daddy is gone because he is serving their country. Like I said before, there is a ton of support for those left behind during deployment. And it's not like it used to be- the last time I was deployed we had wireless internet in our rooms (yes, in Iraq), so I could talk to my GF every day. Also, think of the possibility of maybe being stationed in Germany or something, what a great experience for kids.

Couple issues with this post...

First of all, do you have any kids because it sounds like you don't and are just making assumptions based on what you saw from your friends that do have kids while being deployed? If you don't, this is just another example of people commenting about **** they know absolutely nothing about (much like how priors say they know what it is "like" to be a military doc). I have friends that use to give advice about how to raise my kids, even though they had no kids themselves! They considered the fact that either they have prior babysitting experience more than ample experience to consider themselves experts. I found it even funnier that when they finally had kids of their own, they had the audacity (sp?) to say how annoyed they were that others dare give them advice about how to raise their kids. To this degree, you can't generalize how kids will feel when you return from deployment or how they will act when you are deployed. What the hell does a 6 month old or a 3 year old know about "sacrifice, patriotism, etc."? They just want their parents to be home with them. It gets even worse if both parents are in the military and deploy at the same time. This can, does, and has happened to people I know. To compare being divorced to deployment is absolutely riduculous and doesn't even deserve further comment.

Second of all, regarding the possibility of being stationed in Germany, this is nearly impossible as a first assignment. Most likely, you would need to be in an operational (i.e. Not residency) position for at least 4 years before being given a highly competitive station like this. Make no mistake about it, Germany/Italy/England/Japan are highly sought after assignments and are usually given to people that are PCSing from a "less desirable" base.

 

[SgtDoc]

Couple issues with this post...

First of all, do you have any kids because it sounds like you don't and are just making assumptions based on what you saw from your friends that do have kids while being deployed? If you don't, this is just another example of people commenting about **** they know absolutely nothing about (much like how priors say they know what it is "like" to be a military doc). I have friends that use to give advice about how to raise my kids, even though they had no kids themselves! They considered the fact that either they have prior babysitting experience more than ample experience to consider themselves experts. I found it even funnier that when they finally had kids of their own, they had the audacity (sp?) to say how annoyed they were that others dare give them advice about how to raise their kids. To this degree, you can't generalize how kids will feel when you return from deployment or how they will act when you are deployed. What the hell does a 6 month old or a 3 year old know about "sacrifice, patriotism, etc."? They just want their parents to be home with them. It gets even worse if both parents are in the military and deploy at the same time. This can, does, and has happened to people I know. To compare being divorced to deployment is absolutely riduculous and doesn't even deserve further comment.

Second of all, regarding the possibility of being stationed in Germany, this is nearly impossible as a first assignment. Most likely, you would need to be in an operational (i.e. Not residency) position for at least 4 years before being given a highly competitive station like this. Make no mistake about it, Germany/Italy/England/Japan are highly sought after assignments and are usually given to people that are PCSing from a "less desirable" base.

All I am saying is there are worse things for kids then deployment. That was my entire point. You're right about babies, from their viewpoint their dad is gone, period. I was talking about kids in general. I wasn't comparing divorce to deployment, I was saying how one is much more of a choice than the other, and kids know that. They are completely different.

My entire point in this entire thread is that the military isn't the terrible thing that some posters make it out to be. There are positives and negatives, just like any other situation in life. If you feel the positives outweigh the negatives, go for it; if not, don't. Talk to people who have been in the military, and talk to people who have both opinions, positive and negative. Just make sure your decision is informed.

 

[BigNavyPedsGuy]

Couple issues with this post...

First of all, do you have any kids because it sounds like you don't and are just making assumptions based on what you saw from your friends that do have kids while being deployed? If you don't, this is just another example of people commenting about **** they know absolutely nothing about (much like how priors say they know what it is "like" to be a military doc). I have friends that use to give advice about how to raise my kids, even though they had no kids themselves! They considered the fact that either they have prior babysitting experience more than ample experience to consider themselves experts. I found it even funnier that when they finally had kids of their own, they had the audacity (sp?) to say how annoyed they were that others dare give them advice about how to raise their kids. To this degree, you can't generalize how kids will feel when you return from deployment or how they will act when you are deployed. What the hell does a 6 month old or a 3 year old know about "sacrifice, patriotism, etc."? They just want their parents to be home with them. It gets even worse if both parents are in the military and deploy at the same time. This can, does, and has happened to people I know. To compare being divorced to deployment is absolutely riduculous and doesn't even deserve further comment.

Second of all, regarding the possibility of being stationed in Germany, this is nearly impossible as a first assignment. Most likely, you would need to be in an operational (i.e. Not residency) position for at least 4 years before being given a highly competitive station like this. Make no mistake about it, Germany/Italy/England/Japan are highly sought after assignments and are usually given to people that are PCSing from a "less desirable" base.

Couldn't agree more. I've sat in clinic with a mom who's trying to hold things down with kids that are overwhelming her while dad is deployed. That's THE #1 REASON I don't have kids yet. To gloss over the effect it has on kids is not to list the pros and cons - it's ignoring the cons (not talking to sethco here). Any kid that's really going to understand patriotism, commitment, etc. has to be at least 9-10 years old, more likely a teenager. If someone has a 9 month old and they leave for a 15 month army deployment that kid is a walking, talking, (hopefully) potty training two year old who has no idea who there parent is when they finally come back! Marines deploy for 9 months, take out the potty training and you have the same situation.

If you read my posts here, I'm not a horrible complainer or blind cheerleader. Things are working out for me . . . . to date, despite some unwanted changes in duty. But if you want to list the pros and cons, don't brush them off.

HickMD, this forum is a tough place to have a conversation. I'm happy to reply to PMs about qestions. I got married right before med school and my wife was part of this decision. I can relate a bit.

 

[BOHICA-FIGMO]

I have to disagree. I was just discharged from the USMC. While I am not married, most people I worked with are married. Not only are they happy, their spouses are happy with the instant family they became a part of being in the military. There are always family functions which kids, spouses, and military folks all love. Your wife or your kid is sick? No problem, they have free health care. Are there deployments to horrible places? Yes, but you know that going in. There are tons of support services to those family members staying stateside. It seems like too many people just want the government to pay for their education for nothing. Sorry, it doesn't happen like that...we are not a welfare state (yet). I'm sick of people on this thread whining because they are now in the military PAYING BACK the government for funding their education. Does the unexpected happen? Of course, but that's life.

And to answer the other poster's question, yes, I have heard the air force is the most family friendly...mainly because they have short deployments which have less emphasis than some of the other branches.

If your spouse is a stay at home type, you fit the 1950's social model on which the current military rank and pay system is based and it works great. It may also work better for certain enlisted career fields where there is the ability and expectation to stay in one place.

HOWEVER, most people on this forum are current/past/future officers. Being an officer requires (with exceptions I know) you to move every 2-3 years. On top of this, unless your spouse is also in the same service as you, the military doesn't give one half of one percent of a rat's rectum about the impact of your move on your spouse's life and career. They don't care if your spouse can't find a job in Bozeman, MT or Sumter, SC. They don't care if your spouse has a business or a career that they just can't pick up and leave with 6 moths or less (sometimes MUCH less!) notice.

Yes, most people here get the military to finance there education. But given the number of civilian job opportunities for physicians that offer full loan repayment; and given the average civilian physician's salary is 2, 3, 4, even 5 times the salary offered by the military; it is not unreasonable to expect the military to make some concessions to their medical officers who have AT MINIMUM, five years of training and education (make that 8-10 yrs with residency training) ABOVE AND BEYOND the education and training required of most officers. So forgive us if we don't think free sick call and squadron picnics cut it in terms of "perks".