Taking the ASVAb to be a Firefighter in the Air Force Reserve?
1. a 26 wont get you into any branch. Not even the army or marines. 2. You cannot be a firefighter in the Air Force reserve as it is an active duty job. 3. Being a firefighter is hard to get into in the Airforce, an ASVAB is not the only thing that is require. Firefighters in the military tend to already have been civilian firefighters. Your best bet if you want to be a firefighter is to do some research on the nearest collegiate fire program. For me it is at Mesa Community College, so I would look around at you community colleges first. 4. If the Air Force does offer a full training program on being a firefighter it is probably in a pipeline system, meaning you will be going from school to school to get different certifications. You should also be looking at around a 75 ASVAB to get a this job Look up how to be an air force firefighter on google and see where it gets you talk to your nearest recruiter, and dont let him lie to you. Do your research and back up what he says. The air force works in a system where you swear in and then you get your specialty job if you qualify for it. IDK if a firefighter is a specialy job or not, but I know to be Air Force Pararescue, TACP, CCT, Combat Weather, and Security Forces you have to enlist first. Firefighter may or may not be the same so do your research.
Becoming an Air Force PJ or SERE?
PJ and SERE careers are night and day. You may want to decide which you want to do. PJs are Special Operations, the training pipeline is very intense and incredibly long. If you make it through indoc and the pipeline, you will spend most of your time away from home, TDY or deployed. SERE is a support career, it has no operational role. The pipeline isn't that intense due to that (though you do need to be in fairly good physical condition) and you will spend most of your career at Fairchild AFB. If you wish to become a PJ, you will need to take the PJ/CCT PAST and secure a GTEP (guaranteed contract) before leaving for BMT. If you do not have this contract, you will not be able to try out for Pararescue. We no longer take volunteers during basic training. SERE also has its own PAST, though the standards are much lower than the PJ/CCT PAST. Same thing applies, however, you need to get a GTEP for it if you go that route. You need to do more research. For Pararescue go to www.specialtactics.com For SERE go to www.gosere.com
Is it possible to become a firefighter & then while being a firefighter try to become a pararescue man?
You would need to join the Air National Guard or Air Force Reserves in order to serve "part-time." Anytime you are activated for military service, your civilian job is required to hold your position so that would not be an issue. It is not as simple as simply "joining" Pararescue however. You will need to contact a squadron, find out their own indoc (most Guard/Reserve units hold their own personal indoc) dates, attend .. pass and get selected. After that, they will be willing to send you to the real Pararescue indoc. The attrition rate is around 90% so Guard/Reserve units want to ensure their people are prepared. The training pipeline itself can take up to two years. So active duty, guard, or reserves those that make it through indoc will be busy for awhile. If a PJ trainee makes it through the pipeline, he will return to his unit and begin earning his 5 level. Basically another 18 months of OJT so that he can become operational. In the Guard/Reserves, Pararescue requires more of a commitment than simply two days a month, two weeks a year. But every guy keeps a job. We have a lot of firefighters, rescue members, some PAs, even some Drs. The operational tempo of a Guard/Reserve PJ is greatly dependent upon himself (ie, what he wants to do) and the needs of the Air Force. You will deploy, but you won't be away from home as much as the active duty PJs. Unless you want to be. There are always advanced training schools, TDYs and deployments you can go on if you wish. Some aren't voluntary but many are. Go over to www.specialtactics.com. Read through the site, read EVERYTHING on Pararescue .. then join the forums and search through the posts about Guard/Reserves. You will find plenty of information provided to you by PJs.
AirForce pararescue??
You want to go through 'Superman School' do ya? The pipeline is about 2 years. You need to be a PT stud, swimming stud, running stud, etc. Pretty sure you'll be a qualified paramedic. Fire Protection will give you points towards becoming a firefighter in the civilian sector. Former military personnel are given precedence over non-military, especially with experience in firefighting.
Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer or Air Force Pararescue Jumper?
Your comparing apples to oranges. Your comparison is like comparing a high school football team ( navy swimmer ) to the NFL ( para rescue ) The level of training, level of physical fitness, level of medical training and skill are not comparable. Para rescue is spec ops with one of the hardest training programs in the military. Your looking at 2 1/2 years of training before you are qualified. You will be certified as an EMT, then you will go to the SOCOM medics course where you are certified as a paramedic. Compared to just a 4 weeks of training for a navy rescue swimmer. Rescue swimmers do not recieve any specialized fire fighting training, just the same training as everyone in the navy under go. Aviation rescue swimmers are not EMT certified. They are taught basic first aid and must be CPR certified.
What are some of the best jobs in the Air Force that help when you are out of the Air Force?
If you join and then separate at some point the Air Force will give a file that tell you how your skill transfer to the civilian sector. I am 100% sure that all the job in the USAF have a counterpart in the civilian sector. and Unlike some other branches, any certification you earn in the Air Force is accepted in the civilian world.I was a USAF 3E371 Structural Craftsman for 15 years. I am a rough & finish carpenter, mason, welder, sheet metal fabricator, painter , roofer, planner, estimator, and heavy equipment operator (from time to time) when needed to be. It wasn't what I enlisted for but I'm glad I got reclassified into it as the skills of the jobs compliment my artistic skills and my education levels.So I always tell people that 3E3 is the way to go.
Is training to go into SERE for the Air Force really hard? easier than becoming a PJ?
Hey man i saw some of your other post. First of all thanks for concidering joining the world's most elite Air Force! I joined this summer and i leave for basic teaining on October 7th. Anyway, man if i could give you some advice, i would not be securiy forces; especially if you are looking for something exciting to do. SF you just sit around on patrol checking ids all day...not what i call interesting. Plus with this job you will be sent places like Iroq tree times as much as other jobs. Firefighter would be a sick job! You live at a house with guys you get really close to. I think the hours are somothing like 1 day on 1 day off (dont quote me on that). And how many fires do you think actually happen on an Air Force base?? Not so many. So they basically do school work, work out, mess around. The only problem is this is a VERY hard job to get into. There are not very many openings and unless you know someone who has an inside, you will have a VERY VERY hard time getting this job. The guys that have it, love it and stay till they are forced to leave, so it does not open up very often. As far as SERE (survival, evasion, resistance, escape) goes, this i hear is a pretty sweet job. They guys that are in it also love it. Basically after you complete the SERE program, you become an instructor to teach anyone that has a chance of being caught in war (pow), or really anything dangerous where these skills will come in handy, its your job to teach them these skills. This means that you as well will need to be taught these things, so you will have to go through the SERE program. This can be pretty intense and is not an easy thing. You will be tested physically and mentally. And yes they are aloud to touch you, meaning you can be roughed up, put in hot boxes, etc. Dont let that scare you, you cant die lol just be tested, and it will be very rewarding when you get done. Hope this helps you out, if you have any other questions, email me at Hirtle22@yahoo.com i will do my best to answer, thanks and good luck! H
Do you get to see your family during Tech school for Air Force?
USAFBrat, let's not mix Security Forces and PJ in the same sentence, two completely different worlds and PJs have a far higher ops tempo than Security Forces. I wouldn't worry about what happens during tech school with PJ, you have to actually make it through indoc before it even becomes a concern. CCT no longer uses our indoc but they have a 2 week orientation course that's not a laughing matter either. The pipelines for both of these careers is long and family time will come second to actually learning the skills one will need to survive in the careerfield. Yes, one gets to see his family during the training pipeline .. there is always leave and downtime between schools. TACP has a selection process, but it's not Special Operations as CCT/PJ are so it isn't that intense. If you can pass the Army PT test and manage to do what you're told, you'll be fine. There is time during the training to see ones family. SERE also has a small selection, but if you're in shape and just try, you'll be fine. Security Forces tech school isn't that long, so it shouldn't even matter, same for firefighters. Honestly, if you're worried about not seeing your wife and kid for a few months .. you need to stay away from PJ/CCT completely. Deployments are frequent and when we aren't deployed we're TDY or off training. Rarely home. SERE and TACP, while not Special Operations, also have requirements that keep them busy. TACPs are assigned to conventional Army units. They will deploy when they do, rotate guys about halfway through the Army deployment. TACPs, much like infantry, spend a lot of time in the field getting to know their Army counterparts and keeping current on their ratings. SERE has no operational role, but they are instructors and because of that have to be out in the field teaching for long periods of time. Security Forces can go either way. As far as non-combat arms jobs (support jobs) go in the Air Force, they have a pretty high ops tempo. Deployments are a little longer but not as frequent. Firefighter would probably give you the most stabilization, but there aren't a lot of positions in the careerfield and people tend to spend a lot of time waiting for a slot to open up.