One of my lead characters in my novel will at least have spent some time in the US Air Force, if he's not still in it. He has a three-year-old daughter and his wife died, so I'm thinking that he might have left. Would he still be able to be in the Air Force as a single parent? Also, what are some good sources about what life in the Air Force is like?
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Oct 3, 2007 - 20 31
Last year, someone posted a good link to a site that gave a realistic look at boot camp. But, I spent over thirty years working as a civilian on an Air Force base, and have a pretty good idea what life is like there. It's like a small city, and most GIs live ordinary lives, doing regular jobs. Mechanics, bus drivers, police, supply clerks, plumbers, electricians, and on and on. If you can think of a civilian job, there is probably a GI in the Air Force doing it, too.
Just last month, I met a young woman, 26, who works in the Air Force in the base dining hall. She has a three-year-old son, and is a single mother. She's on her second enlistment, and was departing the next day for Afghanistan. She was taking her son to Los Angeles to stay with Grandma. This was her third deployment. I asked her if she'd stay in. "Yeah," she replied. "I have to. My son has a heart condition. He's already had a couple surgeries, and will need more. No way could I afford his medical care on the outside."
So, I'd say yes--it's possible for your character to be in the Air Force as a single parent.
80,557 / 50,000
Oct 3, 2007 - 23 39
Your nearest USAF recruiting office
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Oct 4, 2007 - 02 37
http://usmilitary.about.com/index.htm?terms=military
Was where I found a lot of great information on the armed services branches when I was considering joining. There's quite a bit on pay, daily life, benefits, rules, etc.
There are some links off that page about family life, but they seemed to be broken.
Hope that helps.
-Edward Conway
"Hunting Blueberries"
13,231 / 50,000
Oct 4, 2007 - 02 53
I was in the Air Force. Feel free to pelt me with all the questions you want as you write and plan. Also, there are many single parents in the military, so realistically speaking you're fine there.
----------NaNo 2007: The Phantom Time Imbroglio
wordcount widgets
50,057 / 50,000
Oct 4, 2007 - 03 15
Yeah there are tons of them. There's a single army mother in the building I live in. What they do is put in place a Family Care Plan. That specifies what will happen to the child/children on a deployment. Most go to stay with their grandparents, sometimes with their other parent, depending on the situation. It is only when a solider is unable to come up with an appropriate Family Care Plan that they must leave the service. Family Care Plans are required for dual military families and for families where the other primary caretaker is unable to take care of the child/children, perhaps because of disability or illness. Hope that helps. You can google more about Air Force Family Care Plans to find specifics if you need more for your character/story - you can read the straight regs if you want, and I'm sure there are message boards/blogs somewhere by people with first hand single-parent-and-soldier experience.
53,288 / 50,000
Nov 15, 2007 - 15 44
My protagonist was in the Air Force but was approached by another group that was either the CIA or FBI and then moved into an unnamed group. How would the average hacker be able to find out what that group was? It will be a fictional group.
----------Everybody is normal until you get to know them.
58,429 / 50,000
Nov 15, 2007 - 20 44
Same as No. 34, my enlistment with the Air Force just recently ended, so I might be able to answer some questions, too.
----------Seems like the single parent question has been answered enough, though, so I'll leave it alone.
Now hiring minions.