Any former Air Force here?

[Arch Angel]

I was an Air Traffic Controller in the USAF from mid 80's to mid 90's.

Basic Training is very easy.

When you get to Biloxi (Keesler AFB, I was in 03 Squadron), it get's a little tougher depending on which instructors you get. They are usually the washout controllers with a chip on their shoulder. They do a decent job preparing you for the rigors of high stress especially if you got sent to high traffic (Cat III) facilities like Nellis, Davis Monthan, Tyndall, and Ramstein. The traffic patterns used are different than their civilian counterparts. Just pray that you don't get Kirtland, Laughlin, Holloman or Canon, you will go insane as they are the ass-end areas of North America.

It was fun controlling fighters and slow pokes at the same time. It made things interesting calling TAC straight-in, 360 flameout maneuvers, TAC initial and simulating one engine patten work when you got a C-5 or TR-1 coming in. To obtain higher rank, 7110.65 and the AFR 60-5 (might have changed since I have been out a long time now) are a must read from front to back. Along with those books and Air Force general pamphlet, clean uniform, and brown nose mentality, you can have a decent career and good opportunities when you get out.

I thought about making it my career but they took me from the tower atmosphere and stuck me in radar at a civilian NATCF facility. I couldn't handle constant bombardment of military and civilian aircraft, along with all the altitude restrictions therein. It was a nightmare so I decided to quit and go back to something I loved, computers.