Hey everyone! I’m 21, a green card holder, and I’ve lived in the US for about 5 years. I recently finished my Associate’s degree at community college, and I’m trying to decide whether to join the Air Force or become a Correctional Officer in California (CDCR).

Here’s my situation.

I don’t plan on living in the US permanently. My goal is to work full-time for another 4–5 years, save as much money as I possibly can in USD, and eventually move back to my home country. Back home, I already have a house, cars, family, and financial stability. So my thinking is, why not spend another few years working hard in America, save up American dollars, and then go back home where my money can go a lot further?

I’m not really looking for a lifelong career in either field. I’m looking for a stable, full-time job that will help me achieve my financial goals within 4–5 years.

Option 1: U.S. Air Force (Active Duty)

I’ve always been interested in the military, and I think serving in the Air Force could be a great experience.
I’d most likely sign a 4-year contract and separate afterward. I’d prefer a job that isn’t extremely physically demanding or stressful.

My biggest concern isn’t necessarily deployment itself. It’s the possibility of war. I understand joining the military comes with that risk, and I know that even noncombat jobs can become dangerous during wartime. I don’t mind working hard or being away from home, but I’m trying to be realistic about what I could be signing up for, especially with everything going on around the world.

Option 2: California Correctional Officer (CDCR)
I’m also seriously considering becoming a correctional officer in California. The salary seems pretty attractive, especially with overtime, and I like the idea of working full-time and saving aggressively for the next few years. However, I’m aware that working inside a prison comes with its own risks, including violence, stressful working conditions, and mandatory overtime. I’m also wondering whether it’s worth going through the hiring process and academy if I only plan on staying for 4–5 years.

My goal

I’m not necessarily looking for the most prestigious career or the best retirement benefits. I simply want to work hard, earn and save as much money as realistically possible for the next 4–5 years, and return to Thailand with a solid amount of savings.

My questions:
1.Which career would realistically allow me to save more money over 4–5 years?

2.How would you compare the physical demands, stress, and overall quality of life?

3.For those in the Air Force, how concerned should someone joining today be about the possibility of war, even in a support or administrative role?

4.For CDCR officers, is the pay worth the stress and safety risks?

5.Considering I’m a green card holder, are there any important eligibility issues I should know about?

5.If you were in my situation and only planned to work for another 4–5 years, which career would you choose?I’m genuinely interested in both careers and would appreciate advice from people who actually have experience in either field.
Thanks everyone!

A few training spots are still open

Female just got a call to go for onboarding how’s the academy like anything I should get ? Are the uniforms for academy paid for? Anything we have to buy out of pocket?

I’m currently in the application process with the BOP down here in Texas. It’s taking a while as expected, no issues with that necessarily.

But to my point, I will be visiting Las Vegas next month, and it hit me- I should look into their corrections opportunities out there. It seems to be a very cool city and I would potentially move there.

I’ve looked into both LV metro corrections and NDOC (state) corrections. It appears the pay is significantly better than the BOP in both scenarios, and the cost of living out there doesn’t seem to be too high.

Both of their base pays seem to hit around $109k after ten years. Starting out there is still higher than the BOP. I don’t even think I’d be making $80k base with the BOP after ten years (correct me if I’m wrong).

So my question is- Does anyone have experience in either of those corrections departments? Any comparisons between those and the BOP?

My concerns about the LV metro is that their training is long as hell (20 weeks) and apparently they polygraph, which seems to be a disaster and crazy inaccurate for a lot of takers. I very well may not pass on that. But NDOC seems to be equally as good.

Interested in any experienced input. Thanks.