3. Why I Do the Job I Do
From 17pansies
Why do you do the job you do?
Last time, I went into why I'm in the military, but I didn't really cover what I actually do (besides being an officer). My Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC), or the alphanumeric designator that tells other people what I do is 17D4B. The 17D part means "cyber operations," which is just a fancy way of saying communications. Unlike in the civilian world, though, that goes beyond just computers, networks, phones, etc. It also covers Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems (ATCALS), Navigational Aids (NAVAIDS), the post office, command and control systems, radars, satellite communications, handheld radios, the radios on planes, and network warfare and defense.
When I was at school, we got to create a wishlist of jobs of what we wanted to do when we got "to the real Air Force." I knew going in that I couldn't fly because I'm too short and my vision is absolutely terrible (my optometrist calls it "20/broad side of a barn"). I wanted to be a leader and work with a lot of enlisted people, so I put jobs like personnelist, manpower, finance, comptroller, and intelligence officer. Those were just names to me and meant about as much as I'm sure they do to you.
Luckily, a very smart Technical Sergeant told me that I should consider comm, because she thought I'd be good at it and that I'd enjoy it. And that it was a good opportunity to get leadership opportunities. I trusted her advice, but only enough to put it sixth on my wish list. Which job on your list you got was determined by your standings in your graduating class. So, the #1 person got their #1 pick. Then, if the #2 person's #1 pick was available, they got that. The goal was to "maximize happiness while still meeting the needs of the Air Force."
As I graduated from the Academy with honor but not honors [1], I got my sixth choice. Which turned out to be fortuitous. The next part was choosing which base you wanted to go to. Some jobs can only go to some bases, but comm had 86 options, in literally every part of the world (there was even a slot in Antarctica!). I put mostly European bases with a couple of hedge choices in the States. When assignment night came out, I found out I was not only going to be stationed in England, but I was going there with my best friend! I was excited, to say the least.
Being in comm has been the best thing ever. It's a career field that touches literally everything the military does, and I've had so many fascinating opportunities because of it that I can't imagine doing much else. I loved being in England for four years, I learned a lot from a year in an undisclosed location in the Middle East (probably not where you're thinking), and it's been a wild ride the whole time.
I don't know if that's where you wanted that question to go, so please let me know if there was a part I didn't cover.
Thanks for the question!
Why do you do the job you do?
Last time, I went into why I'm in the military, but I didn't really cover what I actually do (besides being an officer). My Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC), or the alphanumeric designator that tells other people what I do is 17D4B. The 17D part means "cyber operations," which is just a fancy way of saying communications. Unlike in the civilian world, though, that goes beyond just computers, networks, phones, etc. It also covers Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems (ATCALS), Navigational Aids (NAVAIDS), the post office, command and control systems, radars, satellite communications, handheld radios, the radios on planes, and network warfare and defense.
When I was at school, we got to create a wishlist of jobs of what we wanted to do when we got "to the real Air Force." I knew going in that I couldn't fly because I'm too short and my vision is absolutely terrible (my optometrist calls it "20/broad side of a barn"). I wanted to be a leader and work with a lot of enlisted people, so I put jobs like personnelist, manpower, finance, comptroller, and intelligence officer. Those were just names to me and meant about as much as I'm sure they do to you.
Luckily, a very smart Technical Sergeant told me that I should consider comm, because she thought I'd be good at it and that I'd enjoy it. And that it was a good opportunity to get leadership opportunities. I trusted her advice, but only enough to put it sixth on my wish list. Which job on your list you got was determined by your standings in your graduating class. So, the #1 person got their #1 pick. Then, if the #2 person's #1 pick was available, they got that. The goal was to "maximize happiness while still meeting the needs of the Air Force."
As I graduated from the Academy with honor but not honors [1], I got my sixth choice. Which turned out to be fortuitous. The next part was choosing which base you wanted to go to. Some jobs can only go to some bases, but comm had 86 options, in literally every part of the world (there was even a slot in Antarctica!). I put mostly European bases with a couple of hedge choices in the States. When assignment night came out, I found out I was not only going to be stationed in England, but I was going there with my best friend! I was excited, to say the least.
Being in comm has been the best thing ever. It's a career field that touches literally everything the military does, and I've had so many fascinating opportunities because of it that I can't imagine doing much else. I loved being in England for four years, I learned a lot from a year in an undisclosed location in the Middle East (probably not where you're thinking), and it's been a wild ride the whole time.
I don't know if that's where you wanted that question to go, so please let me know if there was a part I didn't cover.
Thanks for the question!