Pararescue Advice
09-10-2008, 09:56 PM
#41
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Dont know about the USAF but in the Army the NG can have combat MOS's and the reserves only support combat MOS's. Like you may find a cav scout in the NG (although theyre making all cav scouts active slots now I think) but you wont find one in the reserves
09-11-2008, 08:20 AM
#42
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sry i came in late. ive talked to some instructors and if you want to be a PJ pick a job that will keep you in shape then cross train into it. the pj instructors dont want brand new people in the career field. they all say that if you cross train into it you will have a much better chance to make it through the training. ive been looking to doing the same, but im still questioning re enlistment.
09-11-2008, 11:11 AM
#44
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Organized PT is for sheep. If I did organized PT I would probably fail my PT test with how half assed every squadron outside of the Big Five (CCT, PJ, TACP, SERE, and CW) operate. I've watched the FSS ppl do their "PT" and I laugh at it.
09-11-2008, 12:11 PM
#45
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seriously, i was out on the base PT track doing some rucking and when i got done rucking i put my pack down and ran in boots faster than an entire PT formation.
if you are fortunate you can find someone who is wanting to be "high speed" as well and you can train together, that way you have someone helping push you harder when you want to quit.
if you are fortunate you can find someone who is wanting to be "high speed" as well and you can train together, that way you have someone helping push you harder when you want to quit.
09-11-2008, 04:16 PM
#46
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One of the PJ schools is here at Kirtland, right down the street from where I work. There is one Airman that got washed out and is now in my career field. He got washed out with only a handful of weeks to go. They were going through a week-long massive test (minimal food, sleep, etc.), and he said personally it wasn't the physical aspect of it for him - it was the mental part that got to him. I also used to work w/ a SSgt that was 7-8 months into the PJ school and got washed out due to a knee injury. Tough stuff.
Any of the special forces' home bases are on paper, and that's it. Otherwise, they're gone most of the time like has already been said. This isn't a job for a married guy or one with kids IMO.
I went to the NCO Academy with one of the local PJ Instructors and he had all kinds of stories. Once in a while I'll see the PJ recruits carrying one of two different-sized telephone poles (a smaller one and one big fat one) with rucksacks on. They don't carry this pole on their shoulders, they gotta carry it over their heads. I get exhausted just watching THEM do it.
My Instructor buddy said they use the telephone poles when the guys screw up. The PJ school here is broken up into several buildings -- the recruits NEVER walk between those buildings.
Any of the special forces' home bases are on paper, and that's it. Otherwise, they're gone most of the time like has already been said. This isn't a job for a married guy or one with kids IMO.
I went to the NCO Academy with one of the local PJ Instructors and he had all kinds of stories. Once in a while I'll see the PJ recruits carrying one of two different-sized telephone poles (a smaller one and one big fat one) with rucksacks on. They don't carry this pole on their shoulders, they gotta carry it over their heads. I get exhausted just watching THEM do it.
My Instructor buddy said they use the telephone poles when the guys screw up. The PJ school here is broken up into several buildings -- the recruits NEVER walk between those buildings. 
09-12-2008, 06:02 AM
#48
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seriously, i was out on the base PT track doing some rucking and when i got done rucking i put my pack down and ran in boots faster than an entire PT formation.
if you are fortunate you can find someone who is wanting to be "high speed" as well and you can train together, that way you have someone helping push you harder when you want to quit.
if you are fortunate you can find someone who is wanting to be "high speed" as well and you can train together, that way you have someone helping push you harder when you want to quit.
09-12-2008, 06:06 AM
#49
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One of the PJ schools is here at Kirtland, right down the street from where I work. There is one Airman that got washed out and is now in my career field. He got washed out with only a handful of weeks to go. They were going through a week-long massive test (minimal food, sleep, etc.), and he said personally it wasn't the physical aspect of it for him - it was the mental part that got to him. I also used to work w/ a SSgt that was 7-8 months into the PJ school and got washed out due to a knee injury. Tough stuff.
Any of the special forces' home bases are on paper, and that's it. Otherwise, they're gone most of the time like has already been said. This isn't a job for a married guy or one with kids IMO.
I went to the NCO Academy with one of the local PJ Instructors and he had all kinds of stories. Once in a while I'll see the PJ recruits carrying one of two different-sized telephone poles (a smaller one and one big fat one) with rucksacks on. They don't carry this pole on their shoulders, they gotta carry it over their heads. I get exhausted just watching THEM do it. My Instructor buddy said they use the telephone poles when the guys screw up. The PJ school here is broken up into several buildings -- the recruits NEVER walk between those buildings.
Any of the special forces' home bases are on paper, and that's it. Otherwise, they're gone most of the time like has already been said. This isn't a job for a married guy or one with kids IMO.
I went to the NCO Academy with one of the local PJ Instructors and he had all kinds of stories. Once in a while I'll see the PJ recruits carrying one of two different-sized telephone poles (a smaller one and one big fat one) with rucksacks on. They don't carry this pole on their shoulders, they gotta carry it over their heads. I get exhausted just watching THEM do it.
My Instructor buddy said they use the telephone poles when the guys screw up. The PJ school here is broken up into several buildings -- the recruits NEVER walk between those buildings.Like that for the CCT guys I know. I felt bad for two of my ROMAD buddies who got washed out of CCT because they broke a bone. Just sucks. Most don't give up though and keep pushing for it. You HAVE to be prepared in so many ways to do these jobs its not even fair to even compare it to something else.
Just remember what your going for...and how many have had the honor to wear the maroon beret. What makes them better than you? Thats the mentality I would go in with.
09-14-2008, 10:17 PM
#50
i would go for it if you want it. I went security forces ang for illinois and i like it but i always wanted to go to Pj of cct. but now i have a family. the cool thing now is that i got to go through the cpec course for the air force. It's the counter sniper job for the air force. My unit also set me up with the army major at the same base and i went through bravo 4 ( army sniper course) didn't have **** on the airforce course. but this march we have pre ranger slots coming up and raven. so do what you want man but there are plenty of opportunities out there. just get good at swimming
09-15-2008, 11:09 AM
#51
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i would go for it if you want it. I went security forces ang for illinois and i like it but i always wanted to go to Pj of cct. but now i have a family. the cool thing now is that i got to go through the cpec course for the air force. It's the counter sniper job for the air force. My unit also set me up with the army major at the same base and i went through bravo 4 ( army sniper course) didn't have **** on the airforce course. but this march we have pre ranger slots coming up and raven. so do what you want man but there are plenty of opportunities out there. just get good at swimming
09-15-2008, 12:23 PM
#52
Here is some good info,
Back when I was Civil Air Patrol (before it took a nose dive and was still run pretty hardcore, at least from the SAR ground teams).
We had and still have PJOC or Pararescue orientation cource.
If you were 18 or younger you went to Kirtland for a few weeks and you went threw a mini INDOC class. All run by instructors or former instructors.
TONS of running, swiming, hiking, ect ect.
THEN you had advanced PJOC (APJOC), you had to be a basic grad and you went to the land nav school or the mountainering school if I remember.
I met a guy at one of the National SAR school I went to that went advanced and he said they had to put a guy on a strecher (pretty sure it was an instructor), they all had to squat down and cary it up a hill that was pretty much a mountian and then back down again SQUATED! He said by the time the school is over your legs are HUGE!
I talked to a few insturctors on special tactics and they said that APJOC is so good that if you go and graduate and DON'T go AF PJ that they will come get you and drag you down to PJ school.
To this day 7 years later I regret not going. A friend went who is now a Scout and he just did the basic class and said it was a kick in the ***** and thats not even the real PJ school class.
With pretty much any SF type school you run any place you go,, get cought walking and bad news.
I knew one guy that got washed out of Ranger school then went back and got washed for a leg injury (broke it if I remember). Its about trying not to get hurt while you are trying not to quit or fail.
Back when I was Civil Air Patrol (before it took a nose dive and was still run pretty hardcore, at least from the SAR ground teams).
We had and still have PJOC or Pararescue orientation cource.
If you were 18 or younger you went to Kirtland for a few weeks and you went threw a mini INDOC class. All run by instructors or former instructors.
TONS of running, swiming, hiking, ect ect.
THEN you had advanced PJOC (APJOC), you had to be a basic grad and you went to the land nav school or the mountainering school if I remember.
I met a guy at one of the National SAR school I went to that went advanced and he said they had to put a guy on a strecher (pretty sure it was an instructor), they all had to squat down and cary it up a hill that was pretty much a mountian and then back down again SQUATED! He said by the time the school is over your legs are HUGE!
I talked to a few insturctors on special tactics and they said that APJOC is so good that if you go and graduate and DON'T go AF PJ that they will come get you and drag you down to PJ school.
To this day 7 years later I regret not going. A friend went who is now a Scout and he just did the basic class and said it was a kick in the ***** and thats not even the real PJ school class.
With pretty much any SF type school you run any place you go,, get cought walking and bad news.
I knew one guy that got washed out of Ranger school then went back and got washed for a leg injury (broke it if I remember). Its about trying not to get hurt while you are trying not to quit or fail.
