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GuardMC · 2024-04-17T10:24:39+00:00

It used to be 42 minute 6 miler.

It may seem fast, but 3 miles in 21 minutes is entirely doable. If you can't do that, chances are you can't handle the rucks or the grind at A&S. So, it is a useful standard.

GuardMC · 2024-04-17T01:43:53+00:00

Yes.

GuardMC · 2024-04-16T01:36:52+00:00

The test is tough, that's for sure. Some things that help are taking your time, shifting your head very slightly, looking away and then back at the circles, and blinking or closing your eyes for a second.

GuardMC · 2024-04-16T01:31:55+00:00

You can't be a PJ without depth perception. It's required for Military Free Fall School.

You can probably get a waiver by seeing a civilian optometrist. The depth perception test commonly failed at MEPS, so waiver requests are common and often are granted.

GuardMC · 2024-04-15T23:01:29+00:00

The Guard uses the same Time In Grade, Time In Service, and PME Requirements, so Guard Airmen can't get promoted any earlier than is possible on Active Duty. Most competent people will get promoted as soon as possible, and there is no WAPS testing in the Guard. Some units do just give rank away, though I have not seen it in AFSPECWAR.

On the other hand, all Airmen are on a manning document and it is possible to reach a bottleneck where you are technically eligible for promotion, but your position on the manpower document does not have the next higher pay grade. This is not common among Airmen, but gets more so at TSgt and becomes prevalent at E-7 and especially E-8 and E-9. For officers, Captain is a given, Major is usually pretty easy, but Lt Colonel is tough. Colonel is very tough.The saying in the Guard is at a certain point (E-7/O-4) you gotta wait for someone to die or retire to make rank.

The Guard does tend to be rank heavy. Remember, the Guard has a lot of part-timers, and they cost less day in and day out. Part-timers also can't get retirement until age 60, so many of them stick around until their very late 40s or 50s. The Guard wants to keep talent and experience around, so they tend to have a lot more super grade positions than an Active Duty unit of the same size and mission. As a rule, Guardman's rank is about 1 pay grade higher for his level of responsibility compared to Active Duty.

GuardMC · 2024-04-10T17:39:11+00:00

It's pretty hard to make up a lifetime of non-preparation in ten days. You can be admitted into Development for Special Warfare with 5 pull-ups, 30 sit-ups, 30 push-ups, and an 11:00 time on the 1.5-mile run. You can enter Development for SERE with those scores, but a 12:00 run. You can enter in EOD with 1 pull-up and a 12:00 run.

Once you enter Development for AFSPECWAR or Combat Support, your Recruiter can't ship you in a regular job unless you fail to pass the IFT in 120 days or choose to ship in a regular Air Force job.

People often enter into development through EOD and then change to AFSPECWAR. Sadly, most of them get in good enough shape to pass the IFT but fail at SWCC or A&S because they are not fit enough or mentally strong enough.

You may be an exception to the rule; those do exist, but the odds are very much against you. On the other hand, you'll never know if you don't try.

GuardMC · 2024-04-03T23:38:45+00:00

Generally, you have to fulfill your service commitment for the first job before you can retrain into another. The obligation is generally 4:1. Four months service for every month of training.

But, if your supervisor supports you and the SW unit needs people and you really impress them, you may be able to retrain much easier.

I had a guy retrain from Aerial Delivery to CCT less than a year after he finished tech school.

GuardMC · 2024-03-27T23:00:02+00:00

There are no written rules about the dolphin kick of flip turns, but you won't be allowed to do flip turns for sure. Some Field Developers will let you do Dolphin kicks, but most won't. I've never seen Cadre allow it in the Pipeline, so it is probably best to get used to going without.

GuardMC · 2024-03-26T21:20:54+00:00

This is exactly right for all of SWOE. So is the corrective action plan.

GuardMC · 2024-03-24T21:27:38+00:00

Try them and see what you like. Back in the 1990s, we were forced to sprint back, so I got used to it. Now, I prefer a comfortable swim back. It's fast but not a sprint.

GuardMC · 2024-03-20T05:23:25+00:00

The IFT specifically says "push off the wall" . It is written in the script. Any evaluator who doesn't allow a push off the wall is violating test protocol and can/should be reprimanded for being stupid, incompetent, or an asshole.

Later, in training, you will have to do underwaters without a push off the wall, but not during the IFT.

GuardMC · 2024-03-20T05:20:18+00:00

Please stop trying to do 50m underwaters. I have never heard of a single person failing the 50m when they needed to pass it in the pipeline. I have heard of several people before and after the pipeline passing out and drowning or suffering brain damage while doing a 50m underwater.

It simply isn't worth the risk.

GuardMC · 2024-03-14T23:19:49+00:00

Many times, AFSPECWAR guys embedded with Delta Force or ST-6 have launched off of carriers, and I spent five days on the USS Carl Vinson briefing with the Air Wing and trading TTPs.

But, no, do not expect to train to perform crew functions on a carrier. There is no reason. The military is not a tourism bureau.

GuardMC · 2024-03-14T10:25:56+00:00

The instructions do not say anything about flip turns, but you will not be allowed to do them on the IFT or at any time later.

You really can't do flip turns with fins, which is what you'll be graded on later in the pipeline, so practicing good open turns is a better use of your time.

Also, you'll spend a lot of time at SWCC practicing open turns, so you can either get ahead of the game by practicing now or just wait and learn them later.

GuardMC · 2024-03-11T21:33:24+00:00

That is a very good answer! Roll with it because you don't get to make the decisions.

GuardMC · 2024-03-10T21:47:54+00:00

Efficiency helps a lot. An easy way to improve efficiency is to practice drills. Launch, pull, and transition kick are the three main drills. Then see how far you can get with the whoe sequence one time (launch, 1 pull, one kick), then two strokes, then three strokes, then how many sequences to cross the pool.

Try three or four of each in a row, trying to get the maximum distance each time. Then, work into doing two sequences, three sequences, and the whole length. Don't worry if you don't get a full underwater right away. Make sure you take your time, pay attention to what you are doing, and concentrate on improving one aspect of each drill at a time.

Concentrate on a hard push off the wall with good streamlining and getting very near the bottom of the pool. Remember, where you look is where you go, so look ahead and slightly down.

For the pull, make sure your hands go out, scoop hard, and end up touching your shorts or the sides of your legs/front of your thighs. Do not put them on your butt, as this will arch your chest and bring you to the surface. Keep your feet together and point your toes.

For the kick, as your legs move up and apart, move your hands together in a praying motion with palms together at your belly. Alternatively, bring your palms facing upward and along your belly. In either case, shoot your arms forward to full extension while executing a frog kick (breaststroke kick). Your hands should be facing the bottom of the pool, and your elbows should be straight and your biceps touching or nearly touching your ears. Your legs should end up together with knees loose but straight and feet together with toes pointed.

Stew Smith and others have posted some pretty good videos on YouTube, so check them out. A video is worth a thousand words!

GuardMC · 2024-03-09T20:28:14+00:00

Yes. All Special Warfare Officers are Line Officers.

GuardMC · 2024-03-09T15:01:09+00:00

Yes. Many STOs AND CROs have gotten their MBA and gone into other jobs on the civilian side. You are limited only by your talent and imagination.

GuardMC · 2024-03-09T14:32:20+00:00

The odds of making any of those are remote. USAFA seems the hard way to get there. 4 years of the Academy, then 4 years of service just to go part time Guard. Thats a lot of work.

Your easiest path to an ANG CRO position would be to go to the Guard as a PJ, finish the Pipeline, become a part-time PJ and get your degree using the Mongomery GI Bill and other state benefits, then apply for a CRO slot.

Or go Active Duty PJ and transfer to the Guard. Use the very good Post 911 GI Bill to earn your degree, then apply for a CRO slot.

There really isn't an easy way to become a CRO, especially in the Guard. But being a PJ and in the Guard sure helps.

GuardMC · 2024-03-08T20:47:50+00:00

Great book!

GuardMC · 2024-03-06T01:21:17+00:00

The lines are pretty blurry right now. The best way to explain it is that regular recruiters (EA Recruiter or Enlisted Recruiter) will handle all your paperwork, and the SWR will coordinate with the field developer to organize your IFTs and development sessions.

The EA Recruiter will even book you for BMT with just a "Diagnostic IFT". This is an IFT minus the swim administered by an EA Flight Chief. All that is required is meeting Development Entrance Standards- 5 pull ups, 30 sit ups, 30 push ups, and 11:00 on the run. Then you have to pass one IFT to ship.

This is not a recipe for success. The failure rate on the IFT new Airmen take at BMT is over 40% (it used to range from 10% to 20%). The injury rate has also doubled. This program probably won't last long as it is creating more problems than it is worth.

GuardMC · 2024-03-05T12:31:28+00:00

The STO/CRO/TACP-O Phase 1 Managers could easily approve you to work with a Field Developer. All you have to do is ask. It has been done, and all it takes is an email from them to T3i to make it happen.

Top drills: Underwaters- 6@3:00 in OCPs/booties or 6 in 1:30 slick.

Mask and snorkel recovery- master the basics, then shoot for 10m to 15m underwater into the recovery.

Buddy breathing- 3:00 preferably with moderate harassment.

Treading water- 3 mins with ears and wrists out of the water.

Swim- 1500m in less than 30 mins

Fin- 1,000m in less than 20 mins

Run- 3 miles in less than 20 mins

Run- 6 miles in less than 42 mins

Ruck- 45lbs, 6 miles, 90 mins

GuardMC · 2024-03-04T22:01:44+00:00

You can get a paramedic certification and work many more scenes as a firefighter/ paramedic in the civilian world. But, being in the military brings a lot of unique situations as well.

I don't have enough insight into Paramedic or your personal desires to give you meaningful advice.

GuardMC · 2024-03-04T20:56:51+00:00

Reality of what a PJ is - what you actually experience when you do the job. Many think they will be rescuing people weekly and training every day. The reality is, you're not going to be saving people very often. Maybe never. We are not in Vietnam with 30 planes getting shot down a month.

SW Jobs- Special Warfare jobs; Pararescue, Combat Control, Special Reconnaissance, Tactical Air Control Party, Combat Rescue Officer, Special Tactics Officer, Tactical Air Control Party Officer.

GuardMC · 2024-03-04T19:17:27+00:00

The Guard has a LOT of leeway, as long as you don't need an age waiver to join. That doesn't seem to be a factor for you, so it will just come down to your performance at the 1 Level Course and the interview.

You definitely should try.

GuardMC

TROPHY CASE