wildblueamn
11-27-2004, 02:50 AM
The first question I ask a new Airman is: Was Services (SVS) your 1st choice and invariably it wasnt. (I've met 1 of 30 new Amn who said it was one of their top 2 choices) Why isnt it more popular?
Services is unique as we're 'cradle to grave' We have 25 facilities from the Children's day care to the mortuary, from food to bowling, from Lodging to library.
As a 3M (enlisted SVS) many active duty enlisted outside of SVS and new recruits who dont know better label it the 'flunky' career field where other newbies go when they fail at pararescue or something of that nature. However many people dont know about SVS.
As a 3M you'll enter into a career field with many areas to learn in. The core areas of SVS are: lodging, food service, fitness and readiness/deployments. You must have worked in 2 core areas prior to earning your 5/7-levels.
Once you get to your base, like any new Amn you'll be given your CDCs to complete. Once that happens you'll start your OJT in your duty section. Most Amn go to food as that is the main core area however every squadron is different, but thats how we do it.
Food Service: dining hall or flight kitchen. It's a hard, thankless job. We dont have enough enlisted to do it 'ideally' however its a good job with good skills. I serve dinner or lunch after a particularly hard day.
Fitness: work at the Fitness Center and go to 2 different types of fitness training classes. You should be utilized to maintain equipment as well as assist customers with their workouts... not always something you do with the multitudes of other things that you're dedicated to (like the darn towel program!) Fitness is big now w/ the new PT program so expect it to be busy in the am and pm's
Lodging: Basically checkin/checkout and reservations for incoming active duty, reservists, guards on training and retirees. REALLY important to have this job in the field when you're doing tent lodging and identifications.
Readiness: reserved for SSgts once they're done with the other 2 sections. Spin up/spin down for deployments, home station training and TDY's.
34M's (officers) We're currently 520% overmanned (as there was a need for Capts thus they flushed the AFSC w/ Lt's hoping they'll stay to O-3) and so its not going to be as easy to get into 34M but its there for a few.
Usually you'll start off as an OIC of a facility (lodging, fitness or food) and maybe make it to Readiness as an OIC. A good command will change you around 8-12 mos into a new section. You're also in the chain of command to be a Flight Commander when necessary (as I am now) By Capt you'll be a Flight Commander (oversee food, fitness, lodging, readiness and library - civilians) and move to a MAJCOM (major command) slot as a Sr. Capt and then squadron Commander as a Major.
Protocol is also in the 34M realm and you could be assigned to the Wing King to do 'party planning/events" dealing with DV's and visitors etc. Interesting job I guess.
The one thing about SVS is that we touch everyones life in some way.. without us the base would be dead/boring. We never do a good enough job because someone always thinks they can do our job better, however if we closed all the SVS facilities for a day- there'd be a riot. We are the core to supporting families during deployments and assuring the military member is at ease when they're at their job home/away because their family is taken care of. We're everything.... they know it but they wont give us the kudos for it. That's ok- we know it anyways :lol:
Services is unique as we're 'cradle to grave' We have 25 facilities from the Children's day care to the mortuary, from food to bowling, from Lodging to library.
As a 3M (enlisted SVS) many active duty enlisted outside of SVS and new recruits who dont know better label it the 'flunky' career field where other newbies go when they fail at pararescue or something of that nature. However many people dont know about SVS.
As a 3M you'll enter into a career field with many areas to learn in. The core areas of SVS are: lodging, food service, fitness and readiness/deployments. You must have worked in 2 core areas prior to earning your 5/7-levels.
Once you get to your base, like any new Amn you'll be given your CDCs to complete. Once that happens you'll start your OJT in your duty section. Most Amn go to food as that is the main core area however every squadron is different, but thats how we do it.
Food Service: dining hall or flight kitchen. It's a hard, thankless job. We dont have enough enlisted to do it 'ideally' however its a good job with good skills. I serve dinner or lunch after a particularly hard day.
Fitness: work at the Fitness Center and go to 2 different types of fitness training classes. You should be utilized to maintain equipment as well as assist customers with their workouts... not always something you do with the multitudes of other things that you're dedicated to (like the darn towel program!) Fitness is big now w/ the new PT program so expect it to be busy in the am and pm's
Lodging: Basically checkin/checkout and reservations for incoming active duty, reservists, guards on training and retirees. REALLY important to have this job in the field when you're doing tent lodging and identifications.
Readiness: reserved for SSgts once they're done with the other 2 sections. Spin up/spin down for deployments, home station training and TDY's.
34M's (officers) We're currently 520% overmanned (as there was a need for Capts thus they flushed the AFSC w/ Lt's hoping they'll stay to O-3) and so its not going to be as easy to get into 34M but its there for a few.
Usually you'll start off as an OIC of a facility (lodging, fitness or food) and maybe make it to Readiness as an OIC. A good command will change you around 8-12 mos into a new section. You're also in the chain of command to be a Flight Commander when necessary (as I am now) By Capt you'll be a Flight Commander (oversee food, fitness, lodging, readiness and library - civilians) and move to a MAJCOM (major command) slot as a Sr. Capt and then squadron Commander as a Major.
Protocol is also in the 34M realm and you could be assigned to the Wing King to do 'party planning/events" dealing with DV's and visitors etc. Interesting job I guess.
The one thing about SVS is that we touch everyones life in some way.. without us the base would be dead/boring. We never do a good enough job because someone always thinks they can do our job better, however if we closed all the SVS facilities for a day- there'd be a riot. We are the core to supporting families during deployments and assuring the military member is at ease when they're at their job home/away because their family is taken care of. We're everything.... they know it but they wont give us the kudos for it. That's ok- we know it anyways :lol: