I Wish to Go Into the Military as a Firefighter but Which Branch?

I like the action but wanna get out alive w/o having to kill the whole time as firefighter i want to save lives as a milatary personnell i wish to serve and protect my country under all costs whether it be with a gun in my hand or a hose. So i guess its hard to explain but to put it simply i wanna save more than i kill HOORAH!

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Permalink Reply by Steven Fox on December 20, 2009 at 9:54pm

It's really up to where your would like to go. If you want to go overseas, and possible into a combat zone, I would say Army, or Air Force. Especially since most Army & Air Force FD's are a joint task force in an operational zone. If you would like to serve on a vessal, then the Navy would be my choice. Me personally, it was the Air Force. Good luck, and be safe.

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Permalink Reply by Brian Evans on December 20, 2009 at 10:14pm

In the Navy everyone is a firefighter as they put it

I would also say the Air Force/ Air National Guard. I have a friend that is a FF at a non deploy-able F16 training base so she does not have to worry about being deployed over seas and can still pursue a college education

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Permalink Reply by paul michael komandt on December 20, 2009 at 10:43pm

I say Air Force. All brances go to the same fire academy in Texas. You training is the same, but with the Navy you first must serve on a vessel before being trained as a FF. Air Force has the better stuff.

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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on December 20, 2009 at 10:53pm

I'm a former Navy Damage Controlman (Navy's version of FF).

First here is the grim reality you are facing...you are job locked...sounds like you only want to be a FF. If that is the case most recruiters will not work with you. Right now the military is not hurting for people and all branches are meeting their goals.

What dicates what job you get will depend upon your ASVAB score, it will depend if you meet the physical qualifications, and it really depends if a job is even available for you. You will be hard pressed to walk into a recruiter's office and say you want to be a firefighter, it is not that easy. If you are looking to the military to get training to be able to get out and onto a dept, that isn't a guarantee either. Chances are you still will have to get some formal schooling as well. One doesn't have to be a FF in the military to become a career FF, any job description will get vet points.

That said, my advice is to look into a few other jobs you would like to do and something to choose if firefighting isn't available. Whatever you do decide and if you decide to join, take advantage of all the college courses you can that are offered. Knock out as many general study courses as possible, they will transfer and can make obtaining a degree easier and the courses tend to be free (you just pay for a book).

As for branches, I can't speak much for any except the Navy. While you don't do structural FF, you still use and learn much of the same equipment and as a Damage Controlman, you teach others in FF. Yes, the Navy says everyone is a FF, but DC are those who teach it and also are on teams that go directly to an emergency or are in command type of positions.

Air Force may actually have the best FF out there, you go to school and come out with IFSAC certs which can transfer, but not all do (check with the state). However, being a popular job, it may be very tough to get into and there may not be jobs open.

Again, if you want to serve, look into a job you would like to do and a job where the knowledge can help you in the civilian world. Work on college courses and look into schools that offer fire protection, get a degree and you can still use vet points to help obtain a job. If you want a good lead, have you thought about medic? You can obtain your paramedic while serving and if you get National Registered, that does transfer. Many depts look favorably at medic and you can still go to school for a degree.

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Permalink Reply by Marvin Hawk on December 20, 2009 at 10:56pm

As a former active duty Marine it greatly pains me to suggest Air Force if you want to be a Military FF. I also have to admit it was the Air Force FF's at Torrejon AFB in Madrid that put on such a heck of a fire prevention weekend in 1973 that when the opportunity arose a lot of years later for me to become a FF I jumped at it. You may want to throw this question to those that are members of the DOD Firefighters group here at FFN.

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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on December 20, 2009 at 10:57pm

All brances go to the same fire academy in Texas. You training is the same, but with the Navy you first must serve on a vessel before being trained as a FF.

That is incorrect info. All branches do not go through the same fire academy. The Navy, you do not have to serve on a vessel before being trained. In fact those sailors who do go to the DoD fire school are crash rescue folks only, not Damage Control who are the primary FF's on ships.

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Permalink Reply by David Schirado on December 20, 2009 at 11:41pm

I would say Air Force. The last time I talked to the Army recruiter, he said the are using local fire departments more and more.

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Permalink Reply by Doug on December 20, 2009 at 11:43pm

Air Force. Been there, done it, had a wonderful time. And you're actually considered a firefighter first. Army and Marines, you're a grunt before a firefighter. Navy firefighting seems pretty cool, but again, you'll more than likely be on a ship and not do any structural firefighting. The DoD Louis F. Garland Fire Academy at Goodfellow AFB in San Angelo, TX is top notch. It's constantly rated as one of the best fire academies in all the world.

http://www.goodfellow.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123037221

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123048431

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Permalink Reply by ffbam24 on December 21, 2009 at 12:28am

Be Cool. Stay in School.
Learn how to spell big words like "military".

The military is a weaponized bureacracy.
First and foremost you will be sworn to defend these United States from enemies foreign and domestic. That usually means with a weapon. Grasp this concept as a very real possibility.

Yes, you will have a specific job in most any of the branches, but it all falls back to being a soldier, sailor or a Marine. That someone who picks up arms in defense of our freedoms.

Join to serve something bigger than yourself. Not to serve yourself.

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Permalink Reply by cadet 911 on December 30, 2009 at 5:40pm

me to i am going to the army

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Permalink Reply by Ron Ayotte on December 30, 2009 at 6:44pm

Excellent post!

PS: love the Cylon avatar!

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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on December 30, 2009 at 8:34pm

Just an additional note, you will be tested, prior to actually signing the papers and then again once you've actually been enlisted and ship out for boot camp. The results of your tests will determine your MOS (Military Occupational Specialty).

Judging from the spectacular examples of public education gone awry, many will end up at the bottom of the ladder. That means that you will become quite adept at peeling potatoes, picking up trash, cleaning the heads, washing vehicles in the motor pool and most importantly, you WILL become fodder for the military machine, from which you will be thrown head first at whichever enemy we happen to be fighting against. Not surprisingly, THAT is why it's called the Military (and not summer camp).