When I join the airforce should I commit to 6 years for the extra pay and E3 promotion? Whats the difference?

Question

I'm going to be going to MEPS soon, but should I commit to four or six years in the air force? I know if you commit to 6 years you will get a pay upgrade to E3, but what other pros/cons go into it? I'm looking to get into a 2E field.

Scored an 88 on my ASVABS, good health, 19, male.

Answer 1

You may not like it, and will have 2 additional years you'll have to get through.  It may sound easy now, but you have not yet served a day.

Answer 2

Well enlisting for 6 years, gets you promoted to E-3 after you graduate basic training.

It will get you promoted to E-4 6 months before those who enlist as an E-1.

The extra money average out to be around 2500 dollars.

On the negative side, if you decide you like the AF and want to reenlist.

It will mean you must wait two more years to reenlist, and alot more jobs pay reenlistment bonus, than initial enlistment bonus's.

But it also gives you a better chance to be an E-5 when you do reenlist, meaning a higher bonus.

It is all up to you, the extra rank is nice, but not all that important.

E-1, E-2 and E-3's are all treated the same in the AF.

But you do have an extra two years yiou have to serve.

Answer 3

You will get E3 for free after some time as passed, most branches E1 - E3 doesn't mean anything until you get enough time in to know what you're doing. It is definitely not worth it and the pay is not much more.

Take the least amount of time. That gives you more options, if you really like it you can re-enlist and do so with all the benefits that come with re-enlisting. They will throw a lot more at you to re-enlist than to enlist.