<p>I just stumbled across Pararescue (PJ’s), and I was surprised at the amount of people that don’t make it through “the pipeline” (their training). I know they started taking officers in 2002. Have you guys heard of any grads that have gone through, or current cadets that are trying to become one? </p>
<p>I know that USNA rounds up all those plebes that want to be SEALS and puts them through some hard physical training to see if they have what it takes to succeed at BUD/S (95% pass rate for USNA grads). Does USAFA have a similar program for those who want to become PJ’s?</p>
<p>Look into Sandhurst, the super hooah club for those interested in this kind of thing. Also, special operators show up at the Academy every once in a while to administer the PAST, the physical entrance exam to the pipeline. Having seen last year's AFSC targets, expect for about five people to get CRO and five to get STO in a given class at USAFA. It's a rough road, but those who do it wouldn't trade it for the world, I'm sure.</p>
<p>There is currently a move underway to add an AFSC (a job) for officers in the Combat Control career for TACP's. Currently the AF tasks officers to be ALO's (same acronym different job). </p>
<p>TACP's are the lone AF enlisted guys you see running around with Green Beret's and other SF fighters. They have the ability to guide aircraft in and provide target information to the pilots. They have become one of the most valuable assets a ground commander can have available. In many revent cases they have been the difference between success and failure.</p>
<p>As for PJ's they are very special guys too. There is a large group of PJ's here at Nellis. They have there own special place at area II called "The Gunslinger Saloon". In most cases PJ's are the last people in the room you would expect. Not the super buff, macho attitude guys. Instead they tend to be very quiet cerebral types. Always studying everything around them and assessing it. </p>
<p>The physical portion is one of the first things they do to weed out people. You really have to want it bad. Just like the SEAL's you can see them running around Lackland doing insane physical things. The CRO's are subjected to the same kind of rigor's in their training. Most of the initial officers came from their own enlisted ranks. As I understand it the Cadets who want to try this can be regularly seen in the wee hours at the pool. You really do have to be a Beast to do this.</p>
<p>If they do create an officer career for TACP's that will mean the Fire Department will be one of the last AF Careers with no Officers. EOD went first, then PJ's leaving Fire and TACP's.</p>
<p>EOD has officer slots now!?!
Does anyone have any more info on that. I'm from a military family and have been the the Air Guard base my dad works at a lot and I always loved talking to the EOD guys. Up until last year when I decided to go academy route, I was buku gung-ho about EOD and going enlisted for that.</p>
<p>Not only do they have them, but Duckphreak the current Cadet/Comm for CS4 is a prior EOD from my last AF Squadron and she will be returning as an EOD Officer on graduation.</p>
<p>DS-Do you know what duties an EOD officer would have. I'm assuming suiting up to manually disable one is out of the question because of how much money has been invested into them. Please tell me they still get to play with Andros?</p>
<p>EOD is a branch in the Civil Engineering Squadrons. (Where I spent most of my AF career). They will have a flight of EOD specialists. This flight will be made up of tasking units called (UTC's). Each UTC will have a company grade officer O-1 to O-3, a senior NCO E-7 to E-9 MSgt to CMSgt, usually 2 TSgt's, 2 SSgt's, and about six airmen.</p>
<p>A large Flight will have three or more UTC's or three Officer slots. These UTC's are for deployment and training cycles. The Officers manage their portion of the flight. They have to be qualified to use all the equipment an EOD Specialist does, but their primary function is to lead the team.</p>
<p>You should know it isn't all the bomb squad glory stuff too. Here at Nellis there is a very large range. EOD has to clear all the UXO's (unexploded ordinance) and destroy it. Meaning they have to go out on the range on ATV's locate and mark the UXO's, recover them and take them to the demolition site. Once there the strap large quantities of C-4 to them and make a very impressive fireworks display out of it. I still have a set of DBU's potterfan wore when she went out to the range with Nellis EOD and blew stuff up. I am afraid to mail it becuase of the nitrate residue (They had her pack brick of C-4) in the side pockets while they prepped the UXO's for demolition.</p>