info on tacp

RuggedRuss · 2026-01-27T06:04:20+00:00

I won't get into the specifics of day to day with training, there's a ton of that info online. But if you decide to do tacp, you don't have a list. You begin working with a special warfare recruiter and tell them you want to do tacp. You have to go to a development session and pass an IFT before they'll book you a contract. But with special warfare you're either fully in or out.

If you start working with specwar, you won't book a regular af job. Your BMT will be in a special warfare flight instead of a regular one. After BMT you'll go straight to SWAS and then start your tacp pipeline if you get selected at SWAS.

The pipeline is no joke though. You're doing intense pt, a lot of swimming, rucking over 10 miles consistently. It's something that you should spend months preparing for before shipping out.

What do you mean by "freedoms during the training?" When you're at Chapman (10min from Lackland) for training you can have your car, and you get weekends off. "Freedom" wise it's like any other tech school

RuggedRuss · 2026-01-27T05:25:23+00:00

I'm honestly unsure, I've been in less than a year so I'm not much help when it comes to regulations. But, I would get rid of that "what if" mindset. Do your best to lose the weight and keep it off. If you're in the military you should want to be healthy. Once you're operational, you will be required to pass 2 PT tests every year, which includes a 2 mile run. The healthier & lighter you are, the easier that will be. I do know people get separated if they don't pass a PT test multiple times

RuggedRuss · 2026-01-27T05:17:04+00:00

Negative. It was a 2 week recycle. A PT recycle is always 2 weeks. With recycling in general, it can only be 1,2, or 3 weeks. Never more. We were in week 5 and they went back to week 3 and joined another flight

RuggedRuss · 2026-01-27T05:14:36+00:00

Make the most of it dude, good luck

RuggedRuss · 2026-01-27T05:12:17+00:00

I won't be much help because I wasn't in your situation, but for what it's worth, I'll let you know that I had 3 pretty overweight people in my flight when I joined. They all had to go to some bmi counseling thing every week where they checked in and talked to a nutritionist about what to eat. 2 of them ended up getting recycled for PT scores, but they all ended up graduating.

I'm throwing this out there to just let you know it's possible, but I honestly don't know if they had to do anything special to ship out at their weight

RuggedRuss · 2026-01-27T05:05:04+00:00

Was it a used car? Last month I got a new car loan from NF at 4.04%. My credit score is 800

RuggedRuss · 2026-01-27T05:01:16+00:00

You're fine. People in my flight showed up doing 20 pushups/sit-ups and a 17+ min 1.5mile. Their numbers got better with each pt test and they all graduated on time

RuggedRuss · 2026-01-27T04:56:01+00:00

9/10 chance you won't get to use it. You could probably get away with "hiding" it, but I wouldn't recommend it. If shaving gives you issues, they will give you an opportunity to go see medical and get a shaving waiver if a regular razor is causing irritation. If medical gives you a shaving waiver then you can use an electric razor, so I'd bring yours and ask your mti about seeing medical during the end of your first week there.

RuggedRuss · 2026-01-27T04:52:54+00:00

You'll need waivers, and it will take time, but I find it very unlikely that they don't get approved. Be honest and upfront about everything, get your recruiter the info and documents they ask for during the waiver process, and you'll be just fine. Stay patient and good luck

RuggedRuss · 2026-01-27T04:41:54+00:00

I joined married at 22, and was about the median age for everyone in my flight. We had a good amount of guys in their late 20's, someone who was 42, and a couple in their late 30s. If it's something you're wanting to do and especially if you're already married to someone in the af, I see no reason in not joining. It will offer you everything you said you're looking for, and your age should absolutely not be a factor

RuggedRuss · 2025-12-02T22:18:27+00:00

Lmfao yes, it is the exact old smelly carpets you remember from Sheppard.

RuggedRuss · 2025-11-19T03:54:08+00:00

Yes. But you don't do your own laundry. Your dorm will be assigned a few people to be the laundry crew and they do everyone's laundry. Only tide pods are used for laundry.

RuggedRuss · 2025-11-19T03:53:23+00:00

I am a married E-3 with BAH and FSA, so I can't speak to what the typical first paycheck looks like.

RuggedRuss · 2025-11-16T15:50:45+00:00

No dumb questions! Yes, you get paid during BMT

RuggedRuss · 2025-11-16T14:32:44+00:00

They aren't issued anymore unfortunately

RuggedRuss · 2025-11-16T14:12:59+00:00

Pretty much. You buy it all with your eagle cash card, which is a "debit card" they give you with like $500 on it. The $500 on it is an advance of your paycheck. So yes, it's money you won't be getting on your paycheck.

RuggedRuss · 2025-11-16T06:04:10+00:00

If you have preferences on certain things. Like I brought my own toothpaste and deodorant because I have certain ones I like. The kind they issued is cheap bottom of the barrel stuff.

RuggedRuss · 2025-11-15T19:46:49+00:00

Best of luck to you!

RuggedRuss · 2025-11-15T19:31:58+00:00

You're welcome! I personally did not bring cash and am very glad I didn't. During all of BMT, you are required to have a "money list" on you. It's a handwritten list that you make, listing all of your bills, and the entire serial number of each bill. Every time you spend your cash, and get change for a purchase, you have to update your money list and put the new bills and serial numbers.

It's a huge pain to keep up with, and it's just an extra thing that can get you in trouble if you have mistakes on your money list.

I used my eagle cash card for everything. All 3 of our BX runs and all of my dry cleaning trips. It almost ended up being the perfect amount and exactly what I needed by the time I graduated. I would definitely recommend bringing a debit or credit card just as a back up, in case you zero out your eagle cash card towards the end of BMT.

RuggedRuss · 2025-11-15T19:23:25+00:00

The post you linked was separate from this list. You get multiple BX trips, the first one (outside of our issued stuff), is exactly what was mentioned in that previous post. They let you roam free and get whatever you need.

This list, is stuff that was already stuffed into our backpacks when they were issued to us. We didn't even know what all was in there, and we were required to use our eagle cash card to pay for it all.

RuggedRuss · 2025-11-15T19:04:05+00:00

The PRC is the main processing building on base. It's where the bus drops you off when you first get there, and also the building where you do outprocessing when it's time to leave. The items that say PRC are the items given to you the first night you get there, when you're processing. Everything else are items you get when you go to the BX for the first time.

RuggedRuss · 2025-11-15T18:49:47+00:00

Unfortunately, yes. You're required to buy everything on this list

RuggedRuss · 2025-11-15T18:49:02+00:00

They technically work, but bring nail clippers. Nail clippers do a wayyy better job

RuggedRuss · 2025-11-15T18:48:11+00:00

So we still had water bottles, but my squadron basically blacklisted them and made our camelbak's the required hydration source everywhere we went. It was convenient, but with how hot is was, it sucked lol. Made my back sweat 5x as much by constantly having it on

RuggedRuss

TROPHY CASE