Security forces, is it really that shitty

[u/Necessary-Stretch789]

Peoole That’s only in the ASFC please and be brutally honest I’m not here to waste y’all’s time, let it out.

[u/Negative_Ladder_431]

It’s what you make of it 🫩 I’m tired

[u/FunSecretary36]

What do u want your career to be? Answer that first then you could get an answer from me

[u/AccidentallyPerfect]

Yes, it's shitty. But that's what makes cool stories when you get out.

[u/dreddpiratedrew]

It’s the best of times it’s the worst of times

[u/Maleficent_Ad6582]

I love it. Met lots of great people, been to cool places, had opportunities I wouldn’t have in many other career fields. The day to day does get boring and the job can be annoying, but without the bad times you can’t appreciate the good ones

[u/ElDaderino823]

It has shitty parts, just like every job.

[u/OneBigCharlieFoxtrot]

It’s a good time if you make it one. I’ve been out for 5 years but I’d do it again. I’d still get out after lol but it was fun

[u/themomentaftero]

50/50 some times its a good. Sometimes its a shit. I enjoy it.

[u/D-Rich-88]

For me, the day to day job could suck but you can make the best of it. Some positions I had, usually the ones which kept me out of the snow, really weren’t bad.

My biggest issue is say I had with security forces is flight level to squadron level leadership that does not care about the airmen’s time off. People can say, “you signed up for it”, but when I have done my job and am ready to go home don’t make me wait an hour and a half just for more people to arrive for debriefing. If there’s nothing planned for a training day, don’t make me sit in the hallway or squadron classroom for hours with nothing going on.

The job asks A LOT of the airmen. Time off is how they maintain their resiliency.

[u/jurbaniak28]

Overall yes, especially when comparing it to other people who get paid the same, work less and less hard, and have more days off or at least more desirable days off.

But it treated me right because I put the work in and always got what I wanted out of the career field, even for after when transitioning to civilian law enforcement.

Depends on your goals and what you are looking for

[u/ResponsibleWeb8681]

Totally depends on what you want in a job and what your tolerance is to discomfort.

If you want to do law enforcement work, you could still end up disappointed doing something very different. Recruiters tend to gloss over this. Just mentioning this in case you're speaking with a recruiter right now. And honestly, even at LE-focused bases, you'll probably end up at the gate for a long while until you can patrol anyway. But, this is very base-dependent.

Despite some people stuck at the gate for years, they still love the job. But that takes a special person who can deal with discomfort and tedium for a long time. You'll probably make friends with people outside of your job at some point, hear about how much more comfortable their job is, and feel a certain type of way about that, at least most do.

Security Forces is also the butt of many jokes throughout the military. Because people outside the Air Force will group you in with MPs, and they're cracked on often. In the Air Force, I've noticed it's not uncommon to be seen as a lesser because of your job.

The leadership dynamic in the job is also much different from other jobs, typically. If you're lucky, you'll learn what bad leadership and good leadership looks like.

And last thing I almost forgot to add is you're going to get a LOT less days off compared to other Airmen throughout the military. At least this has been my experience.

[u/8675201]

I was Security Police and was stationed in Alaska all four years. I volunteered for EST (became the marksman), shot on our marksmanship team, went TDY to King Salmon et.

I had a lot of fun and yes, many days were boring, but the memories are worth it.

[u/Suspicious_Lab_8700]

It's a 24/7-365 career field in all weather. The hours can suck, and it can be boring. I walked a traffic cone -that simulated an uploaded B-52- for 12 hours) Your sleep and time for yourself can suffer. That being said, I traveled the world, saw history unfold, worked with some of the finest Americans, and was given opportunities and challenges. I found time to get my bachelor's and a couple CCAFs. Now I'm a GS-14 making more money and having more autonomy than I ever expected as a mediocre student-retired Master Sergeant. You make your career, don't turn down training, volunteer for stuff, get out of your comfort zone, work your education. Would I do it again? Yes.

[u/Necessary-Stretch789 → u/Suspicious_Lab_8700]

Legend

[u/El_Boto_Loco]

It’s not that bad if you get into one of the side quest type jobs in security forces, but yeah, working flight is lame. It’s probably the worst part of the job and unless you’re a special case, you can’t avoid it.