Air Force is an aerial warfare unit of a military, whose basic task is to defend the aerial territory of a country. Air Force is a glamorous service and organization which remains alerted every single minute, day and night, good weather and bad, protecting the nation from unexpected attacks.
The growth of any unit demands hard work, tireless struggle and sacrifice. The fighting spirit, devotion, and dedication of its men directly affect its outcomes. Despite restrictions and limitations, the presence of indigenization and integral strength is necessary to maintain its strength for preserving a country’s freedom.
Quality is of fundamental importance for any force which includes, quality of equipment, quality of training and above all the quality of its men. Air Forces have always been selective in choosing the right type of men for the right job and ensure that each man must be physically, mentally, and morally qualified enough to perform all the given tasks and assigned duties. For the better grooming and training, it has to play its role effectively and efficiently, because men play a pivotal role in upholding and enhancing the operational efficiency and readiness. They should be responsible and mature enough to respond adaptively to a variety of tasks, scenarios, and situations.
The promotion system provides an opportunity to improve and excel. It is a transparent system, and honest and timely feedbacks are provided to the men. It is a rewarding as well as responsible profession, which is both physically and mentally demanding. It has very talented and competent men who are ready to take orders and implement those. Those without leadership qualities will not be able to survive longer in this profession.
The military is not meant for everyone. It requires sacrifice and dedication to put service before self. Military training is quite a big obstacle and turns people away before even joining it. People get annoyed by the idea of being yelled at and find physical and mental training painful, but completing it is an unbelievable feeling of accomplishment.
Second big hurdle is taking orders from others(seniors). It is not like that seniors will be constantly asking you to do push-ups and exercises etc. But you are supposed to respect them and obey their orders, which generally are logical.
Job schedule is the third big challenge in the military. It may demand long hours hard work, and will not even pay you overtime. You may also be expected to work in the day as well as night shifts, leaving in a state of flux with sleep and domestic schedules.
The fourth big problem is salary. The monthly salary in the armed forces is low if you compare it to the civilian jobs in most cases. However, if all of the other benefits are taken into consideration like free healthcare and free medicines, which generally costs a lot to a civilian, you will remain contented. The second benefit is career progression and after a few years, you can be promoted and start earning much more. And the other are respect, recognition, and links which help you everywhere.
Postings and Deployments can be a big issue for a lot of people, which are expected a lot in this service. For some families, this can be a hassle as the spouse has to go for numerous new jobs and the children have to switch multiple schools. However, moving expenditures are totally covered by the organization, so that is an edge.
Some people think that there is no concept of holidays in this field, which is totally wrong. Leaves for the special events like birthdays, anniversaries, family reunions etc. can be taken. You have to plan for these in advance. You can take casual leaves if you wish, but it may not be as flexible as some other jobs.
Forces want its men to be a “whole person”, who involves himself in multiple tasks outside of work with no extra pay in return such as, being good at the job, be in shape, be involved in sports, be involved in extracurricular activities, active in the society etc.
In the military, men are expected to accept extra duties in addition to their actual job, which comes with no additional pay and sometimes causes hindrance in doing their actual job. So, to sum up you are required to be a good leader, a good manager, and a good person.
This profession involves much more life risks than normal so sometimes difficult decisions, steps, and measures are taken and tough choices are made for the greater good of the country and nation. It might not feel justified to everyone but most of the public would agree to it.