Usaf pj

Don't get me wrong...they are solid warriors.

I have a ton of respect for Coast Guard Swimmers...there is NO WELL IN HELL I would do that! They do some stuff that should garner a chest full of ribbons...not all heroes are in combat!

 

so when did this become a comp between career fields?

everybody in the military has a specific job. a PJ's job is not to go around kicking in doors looking for haji... although they could do it if they had to.

they have a very specific job and thats to go behind enemy lines and rescue down and injured crew members in austere and non permissive environments. thats their job, their specialty

often times PJ's do it in a 2-4 man team... some of them have done it solo and for days on end. it's a very uniqe career field, like i said everybody's job is specific and vital.

not trying to start any shit or an argument, i dont want people to have a bad picture of the Pararescue community

 

In today's world, you will not see a J go anywhere alone...or any other SOF type group.

How do you think those J's get where they are going???

 

i'm talking when they are on the ground they operate in small teams.

but your right, today a PJ will not operate alone, however many times in Vietnam and prior conflicts PJ's haved worked alone on the ground. Thomas Newman (a cadre member while i was in indoc) was awarded the AF cross for his actions in Vietnam saving 2 downed pilots, by himself. he fought off the enemy for days waiting for an extraction and covered the injured pilots with his body during their ride up to the helo on the hoist, for each pilot. pretty cool shit


off topic: how you like your job? i'm looking to join the 129th guard rescue wing in san jose, CA as an aerial gunner.

 

Those dudes in Vietnam were a unique breed! I have no doubts that in today's environment, a J would put himself out there for the mission...fortunately, we have not lost a crew that needed rescued. If we did, we would do what we do best...go in a pick them up!

Our Motto: "You dick up, we pick up!"

Being a gunner is a great job!! I was a Loadmaster for 12 years and there are times that I miss it. A lot more comfortable and you travel a lot more. I really miss that part.

Being in helo's is NOT comfortable, they are slow as hell and it takes too damn long to get anywhere...even to the range! They are a bit dangerous too...keep that in mind. I wish we shot the guns more...that is an assload of fun. In fact, we are shooting this weekend!! The rest of the time, you are doing terminal work...working LZ's, AIE (Alternate Insertion and Extraction) and my beloved PJ's. It is a VERY rewarding job...but it has risk. You might be having fun one day on the range and next thing you know, you are deployed getting shot at.

Good gig...and the 129th is a good unit. I know some dudes from there.

You do know what happened to them not too long ago right?

 

right on, i'm pretty familiar w/ the whole deal and not worried about the danger part... i enlisted wanting to be a PJ so i'm more than willing to go into harms way...i figure if i cant be a PJ, might as well work with them.

a guy i was in the pipeline with was from the 129th, i've heard they are a great unit

i dont know what heppend to them not long ago... please enlighten me

 

http://www.pacaf.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123205297

 

Nice little dig their Rotorhead.... Maybe you should spend a couple of days talking to AFSF before you throw out statements that they are not up to your muster in a firefight. I guess my 22 years of training as a AFSF member were for naught. I wasted my time attending jungle warfare school. arctic warfare school, desert warfare school, Airbase Ground Defense school, Level two ABGD, pre Ranger at Silver Flag Alpha, Army and Marine Corp Rappel Master, oh and lets not forget Mesa PD SWAT school. And the topper was the time I took a squad out to Torii Station to train with Charlie Co. of the 1st/1st SFG, look them guys up.... that was a fun week of HRT/CQB shooting over 1500 rounds a day per man, but hey Me and my brothers are not good enough for a flyboy stud like you. Last maybe you should look at the AF Pentagon studies that are projecting the forming of PJ/SF teams to mirror how the Marines do rescue... TRAP teams are the future whether you elitists like it or not. Rant Over, you can go back to Security Forces bashing

 

Damn.......are you that quick with the trigger too..do you just start blasting without knowing all the facts? If that's the case, then hell yeah I would not want you and your resume anywhere near me or my elitist crew.

Dude...you seriously need to relax....my point was that I did now want to confuse anyone by using "SF".... I meant Special Forces. Clear?

Rant over...I need to go starch my flight suit, count my ribbons, and add up my hours in combat.

 

By the way;

Thank you for your service in the uniform you wore and the uniform you wear.

 

We are all good... I just get bent a little when guys bash my brothers and sisters. I now understand that you were only clarifying an acronym. Stay strong and safe out there.
P.S. Like you guys even know how to iron a hefty bag ( Flightsuit)....

 

My flightsuit is beat to hell! The back of a helicopter does not do uniform appearance any favors! Only fighter pukes iron their bags....

 

very cool, thanks for the link

 

For anyone with knowledge on this, do you guys have any training recommendations/workouts? Ive already checked the ones over at specialtactics, and i know about crossfit and rescue athelete. Just curious if you guys have any other info.

 

are you looking to prep for indoc?

if so: run, swim, run, swim, run, swim, run, swim...

crossfit is a great training program that will help build strength, endurance, and power while keeping yourself light and lean. thats what you want. muscle dont float in the pool and thats where you spend ALOT of time while in indoc. also, your gonna have a ruck sack on your back most the time and by week 4 it's gonna be well over 50 pounds with all your gear.

some weight training will be very benificial but dont do too much. practice body weight excercises... push ups, pull up, sit ups, flutter kicks, squats, bear crawl.... an weight vest would be very benificial in the prep for indoc

you will be running everywhere you go...period. the only exception is when you have a training aid: railroad rail, telephone pole, zodiac raft...

you "run" with you ruck sack alot, it's called the PJ shuffle. when you run w/ cadre you wont have your ruck but you run at their pace and have to sing jodies the whole time so you are sucking wind the whole time.

run, run, run.

get in the pool and start to get comfortable being underwater with no air and your lungs feeling like they are on fire. seriously. you wont be normal freestyle swimming much, if at all in indoc. what you'll be doing is "finning"

you'll swim on your side w/ fins on, have one arm in front of you and the other at your side...and you just "fin" for hours (this is where the flutter kick workouts come into play) in the begining you'll fin with just your t-shirt and spedo but then they will make you do it in your uniform, w/ a weight belt, sometimes with your boots and full tac gear... it's fun...not.

what else you want to know?

 

Did we ever get the OP's question about getting a commission and being a PJ answered?

 

Sure...

if you get a commission, you ARE NOT really a PJ, you are a CRO (Combat Rescue Officer)...there is a difference.

http://www.pararescue.com/

http://www.specialtactics.com/

 

If you do swim, make sure you wear a really small Speedo! PJ's LOVE THAT!!

 

Go Pedro, and to those amazing people that run that race all I can say is "good lookin' out."

 

sorry for the revival heh..

I was also looking into that career field after 6 years in the Guard. Its fun and all, but I don't think i'm ready for the "guard lifestyle" at least here for another 10 years.

I'm 6 weeks out from finishing college myself in the process of getting back into shape...starting work at balls-early 0530 wrenching jets all day and taking my college for 4hrs each night never left me with much time for me.

Kinda glad I had the oppurtunity to meet a part-timer here who was a J for ~10 years to give me his expierences. My older bro was a SEAL back in the 90s so i've been thinking its genetic heh...

Just hope my body can survive the punishment.