Welcome back! I am glad to have you here again.
Last week, I talked about the Advantages of being a Raven in the Air Force, so it’s only fair to highlight a few of the “Disadvantages” that come with the job as well. This way, you’ll get a balanced perspective—understanding both the highs and the not-so-bad aspects of the career.
Having served as a Raven for nearly 5 years, I can honestly say that I never saw or experienced anything I’d consider truly bad about the job. When you’re passionate about what you do, the challenges don’t feel like downsides—they’re just part of the experience. And like any career, the Raven field has its own unique set of difficulties, but nothing that ever made me question my commitment to the mission.
Today, I want to break down 3 key disadvantages I personally encountered during my time as a Raven in the Air Force. Keep reading, and let’s dive in!
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Not being able to plan ahead.
The U.S. Air Force conducts airlift missions every single day, and as a Raven, you’re constantly on the move, ensuring aircraft security in some of the most unpredictable environments. One of the biggest challenges of the job is the lack of a stable schedule—you never truly know what the next few weeks or even days will look like.
Last-minute missions come up all the time, often with little to no notice at all, and when they do, Ravens must be ready to respond immediately. This made taking leave a gamble; I could put it on the schedule, but whether I’d actually get time off depended entirely on missions. There have been times when I was not able to attend family events, vacations, or personal plans because I was either on a mission or the mission was already planned out.
This unpredictability isn’t just a Raven issue—it affects the entire U.S. military, particularly during global conflicts or crises. The Air Force plays a crucial role in worldwide operations, whether it’s delivering humanitarian aid, transporting troops, or responding to an international crisis. Whenever a conflict arises, the U.S. military is involved in some capacity, and the Air Force is often the first to respond, moving supplies, personnel, and equipment where they’re needed most.
For Ravens, this means constantly being on standby, always prepared to deploy at a moment’s notice. The high operational tempo keeps you sharp, but it also makes long-term planning nearly impossible. While this lifestyle can be exciting and rewarding, it also requires a high level of adaptability and personal sacrifice—something every Raven has to come to terms with.
Long days during missions
On a day-to-day basis, Raven’s schedule is pretty much straightforward—Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM. But once you’re on a mission, everything changes.
Mission departures are never consistent they leave at all hours, and there’s no set routine. I’ve had missions take off at 3 AM and some in the afternoon, completely throwing off any sense of a normal schedule. If you like a sleep routine, you can forget about it once you’re on the mission. Different time zones, long flights, and unpredictable mission challenges make it nearly impossible to maintain regular sleep patterns.
The real challenge comes when we’re staying somewhere where Ravens have to work for a long period of time. That’s when the long hours truly kick in. As Ravens, it’s our job to secure the aircraft for as long as it’s on the ground, no matter how long that takes. Sometimes we’d have a six-person team, we could rotate shifts and manage some downtime. But most of the time, we flew with just three Ravens, which meant limited rest, longer shifts, and little opportunity to recover.
After a few days on a mission, time starts to blur together, and it feels like one long, never-ending day. The constant cycle of flights, working shifts, and unpredictable schedules makes it hard to keep track of what day it actually is. For those who are used to it, it’s just part of the job—you adapt. But for newer Ravens, it can be a real challenge at first.
It’s not forever!
Unfortunately, being a full-time Raven isn’t a permanent assignment. While the official commitment is typically 2 years, the reality is that due to the understaffed Raven community, many Airmen end up staying in the role for up to 4 years until the Air Force decides to move them. It’s a bittersweet situation—on the one hand, you get to continue doing a job you love, but on the other, the inevitability of change is always there.
For many Ravens, leaving the section is tough. The adrenaline, camaraderie, and sense of purpose that comes with securing aircraft around the world is hard to replicate in other roles. But, at the end of the day, Security Forces is the primary career field, and no matter how much you love being a Raven, you’ll eventually return to standard gate and patrol duties.
Thank you for tuning in and reading this week’s blog. I hope I provided useful information that you can use for your own benefit.
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Thank you all for being part of this journey—you’re the best!
Very Respectfully,
Vlad Kalinin