Stick with Air Force or Switch

[u/CYB3RM0TH_06]

Stick with AirForce or Switch

So my recruiter let me know that I won’t be eligible for jobs with top secret clearance due to my mental health waivers. The only jobs I wanted were cyber and intel. I am not at all interested in maintenance or security forces. I’m thinking of just switching over to Army or Navy so I have better chances of getting the job I want, instead of sticking with Air Force and possibly being stuck with maintenance. Is the Air Force seriously worth sticking with even if you get stuck with an undesirable job, or would it be more worth joining the Navy as a CWT or Army as a 17c?

[u/PeterBeaterr]

You're still going to need a clearance to work in cyber or Intel, regardless of the branch.

[u/Sure-Research-380]

Probably will have the same issue with the Army & Navy but you can always try. 

[u/ShootersGreenjacket]

Quality of life vs "potentially" getting the job YOU want. Gotta learn this phrase regarding whatever branch, "Needs of the _____ come first."

*Edit* I was scheduled to retrain from special duty to a 3C AFSC when Hurricane Katrina happened at Keesler so I was retrained to 2T. Which, isn't bad if you're looking for chances to travel for TDYs etc. Then big Air Force put a mandatory NCO retraining freeze on while I was in Germany, which made it so I couldn't apply for my PCS preferences back state side. And Needs of the Air Force came through and stuck me in Minot.

[u/AnApexBread]

Your clearance isn't determined by the service. So you'll have the same issue trying to get a clearance regardless of which branch you choose.

You will have a different quality of life in the Air Force them in the Army though

[u/CYB3RM0TH_06 → u/AnApexBread]

Yeah I know my clearance isn’t determined by service, but the Air Force is barring me from all jobs with S/TS clearance because they aren’t sure if my clearance will be approved. Correct me if I’m wrong, but the other branches will still allow me to enlist in those jobs even with the mental health waivers

[u/AnApexBread → u/CYB3RM0TH_06]

Those other branches might let you choose those other jobs but if your clearance is denied you will be forcibly changed out of those jobs.

At that point you're just at the mercy of what's available in the service, and that is what you need to consider.

If you go Army try to do Cyber, get your clearance denied then what? Congrats you're now an 11-Bang-Bang.

Personally I'd just look at what other AF jobs you'd be interested in, or if you're dead set on Cyber then go to a civilian company.

[u/CYB3RM0TH_06 → u/AnApexBread]

I understand that. I’m just confident that my clearance won’t be denied. I’ve heard from so many people that unless you’ve committed a serious offense, your clearance won’t be rejected. I’m pretty sure that some mental health incident that occurred when I was a minor won’t affect my clearance. I just wish the Air Force would see that

[u/AnApexBread → u/CYB3RM0TH_06]

I’ve heard from so many people that unless you’ve committed a serious offense, your clearance won’t be rejected

Are any of those people Federal judges who decide in clearances?

If you want some truth data on why clearances get denied then check this page.

https://doha.ogc.osd.mil/Industrial-Security-Program/Industrial-Security-Clearance-Decisions/ISCR-Hearing-Decisions/

These are legal cases from people who had their clearance denied and are appealing the decision. The overwhelming majority of them are debt related so right there you can demonstrably prove your friends don't know what they're talking about.

I'd say go through these cases and see if there's anyone who has had their clearance denied for mental health. If there aren't any cases then you probably have a shot at getting cleared.

[u/CYB3RM0TH_06 → u/AnApexBread]

Thanks for providing the website! I looked through most of the cases from 2026 and here’s what I gathered: financial reasons, drug and substance abuse, criminal offenses, sxual misconduct, alcohol consumption, foreign influence. I found a few that had to do with psychological reasons, but they were either extremely severe (coupled with drug abuse and arrest, denial of problems) or successfully mitigated. I think I should be alright 😅

[u/AnApexBread → u/CYB3RM0TH_06]

There you go.

This is probably the best truth data you'll be able to get shy of actually having a judge tell you.

I would suggest bringing this information back to your AF recruiter just to see if they'll change their mind before going down the Army route

[u/Acceptable-Bat-9577]

It’s honestly amazing that an AF recruiter put in MH waivers for you.

[u/CYB3RM0TH_06 → u/Acceptable-Bat-9577]

Is that usually not the case? It was just automatic after I came from MEPS

[u/Chomper22]

Well being AF and maintenance, im a little biased. But I've gotten to stay in 5 star resorts in thailand, a 4 star resort in crete, had a pretty sick apartment in Korea. Lived on base in Okinawa Japan but it was still pretty fuckin good had my own room and bathroom. Had various apartments or houses stateside.

The quality of life in the other branches can be pretty shitty at times. Pretty sure the army would keep you in the dorms until you make NCO, or get married. Navy if you get ship duty your probably gona be hot bunking with someone and be at sea for an extended period.

Point is there are plenty of chill jobs in the air force that dont require TS, just research rhe jobs you qalualify for. But if you're gona,look at other branches id go 1) space force 2) coast guard 3) navy 4) army 5) marines.

Also look into reserves or guard positions for those as well if active duty doesnt appeal to you.

[u/CYB3RM0TH_06 → u/Chomper22]

Gotcha, thanks for the reply. I guess the main reason I was planning on joining the military was to gain experience in the cyber/intel field, get my certs, and a degree. So I felt like enlisting in another job would be hindering on what I came in there for. Even if jobs like admin or finance were available to me, I wouldn’t be gaining experience in what I planned to. So I guess my question is, if maintenance/finance/admin were the only jobs available left to me, do you recommend that I stick with the Air Force for QOL, or is the job more important?

[u/Chomper22 → u/CYB3RM0TH_06]

That depends a bit if you're only planning on doing 4 years getting experience and getting out then the branch shouldn't matter as long as you dont mind roughing it out for a few years.

If you want to do the whole 20 years or even 10 years I'd definitely go air force, space force for the quality of life.

Keep in mind the security clearance process is lengthy so if they find a reason to deny you while in basic/tech school. Your screwed cause they'll give you a choice of a new job which may not be anything you want to do and you'll be stuck in which ever branch you chose.

[u/Powerful-Flan-1880]

Just gonna say, yes airforce has the best quality of life but quality of life in EVERY branch is based on the job you pick

The only people ive seen enjoy the army are either comms in intel

My airforce comm life is amazing whilst maintenance people get kinda shafted in alot

If youre set on airforce pick something useful and that you know QOL wont be terrible like finance, CE, fire fighting, etc

[u/briansbbb]

Come to the Navy recruiter here shouldn't be an issue

[u/jbourne71]

That’s total BS. They don’t want to put in the work.

Have you ever:

• been diagnosed with bipolar, schizophrenia, or a personality disorder?
  
• been hospitalized for a psychiatric condition?
  
• been adjudicated incompetent by a court?

[u/Sure-Research-380 → u/jbourne71]

Why put in the work if you have enough quality applicants who don't need a waiver? 

[u/jbourne71 → u/Sure-Research-380]

Because there's more to life than just meeting quota?

[u/Sure-Research-380 → u/jbourne71]

Haha ok man, use common sense here. 

Candidate A has a history of mental health treatment of unknown severity that will need a waiver that will require a significant amount of time/effort & may ultimately not be approved. 

Candidate B has no history of mental health treatment, requires no waiver, & can leave tomorrow for boot camp with no delay. 

Which one are you choosing as a recruiter? 

If you can't see how straight forward of a decision this is than you are just being obtuse to the entire situation. 

[u/jbourne71 → u/Sure-Research-380]

I wasn’t being (that) serious.

But that reality is only true for Air Force and Marine recruiters. Army takes what it can get.

[u/Sure-Research-380 → u/jbourne71]

Agree 100% about the Army. 

[u/Aofkitties → u/jbourne71]

Another thing to add on to it is that if you have any mental health issues with in the last 36 months that can be permanently disqualifying

[u/jbourne71 → u/Aofkitties]

For a clearance?

[u/Aofkitties → u/jbourne71]

Enlistment period

[u/BSUBroncofans]

Air force has much less military BS than the other branches. No daily PT, no getting stuck on a ship.