PJs are the heart and soul of the US Air Force Guardian Angel Weapon System which consists of Combat Rescue Officers, Pararescumen, and Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape Specialists. Here is a a quick snapshot of Pararescue kit. There will be minor differences based on Squadron but the capabilities remain the same.
A little bit about Combat Control for ya…
Finally last November, after five years, the Air Force approved a lighter weight fabric for the Airman Battle Uniform. Previously, ABUs were manufactured from a 50/50 Nylon and Cotton twill. You old timers can think winter or heavy weight BDUs and you younger guys need to know that even the original BDUs weren’t as hot as the ABU.
But now everything has changed. ABUs will now be made from the same ripstop 50/50 blend of Nylon and Cotton used by the Army and they are beginning to roll of the production line at Propper. This newer fabric was first introduced in the early 1990s on the Enhanced Hot Weather Battle Dress Uniform. Why it took so long we will never know.
Something to remember, the ABU is not intended to be worn outside of the wire in combat environments.
New Air Force recruits will begin to receive the new version of the ABU at BMTS. But militarygear.com wanted us to pass this along.
“If you just can’t stand the heat anymore, you can pre-order the nylon-cotton ripstop ABU coats (MSRP $59.99) and ABU pants (MSRP $59.99) at MilitaryGear.com. The first orders are expected to ship around April 16, 2012.”
Men’s
militarygear.com/mens-propper-nylon-cotton-ripstop-abu-coats
militarygear.com/mens-propper-nylon-cotton-ripstop-abu-pants
Women’s
militarygear.com/womens-propper-nylon-cotton-ripstop-abu-coats
militarygear.com/womens-propper-nylon-cotton-ripstop-abu-pants
Air Force Specialty Code 3E9 (Emergency Management) has been known By other names over the years. For example, when I was a kid, I remember they were called Disaster Preparedness. Interestingly, they are kind of like EOD in that they are part of Civil Engineering even though it isn’t a good fit and this is recognized with a special careerfield badge that reveals their true focus, bugs and gas. They are the CBRNE specialists of the USAF.
Specifically the careerfield, “Prepares, plans, trains, educates, and equips Air Force personnel to respond to, maintain mission capability, and recover from the full spectrum of physical threat events including major accidents, natural disasters, weapons of mass destruction, and wartime chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosive (CBRNE) attacks. Provides technical expertise to commanders during full spectrum threat response operations. Performs detection, monitoring, warning, and reporting of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear (CBRN) events.”
If you were in the Air Force prior to the current conflict you were probably pretty familiar with them. We regularly trained in MOPP 4 conditions (even in SOF) and Ability to Survive and Operate (ATSO) was an important part of Operational Readiness Inspections. Maybe it was all institutional momentum from the Cold War, but it was drilled into Airmen enough that they could do it.
Now, NRA’s Life of Duty has prepared a report focusing on this small community of specialists and why they are more relevant now than ever. Here is a teaser.
If you are into bomber jacket art then do yourself a favor and visit this flickr. Too bad our modern military can’t honor traditions like these.
Recently, the USAF Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) careerfield (AFSC 3E8X1) asked for a distinctive beret. Specifically, they selected Tan, which as most of us know was chosen for wear by US Army Rangers after their Black beret was given to Big Army. Probably not the best choice of beret but it isn’t already an AF beret color. Additionally, they requested recognition of a distinctive flash featuring the Red Bomb emblem first used by EOD in World War Two.
In October their request was denied by Air Force leadership. Specifically, the Air Force’s top Civil Engineer, Maj Gen Timothy Byers rejected the idea and he was understandably supported by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen Norty Schwartz. In a statement to EOD, Byers stated, “Ultimately, their superior training, absolute professionalism, unwavering dedication and joint EOD badge are the hallmarks which definitely set them apart.”
Currently, several careerfields wear berets.
CCT/STO – Scarlet
PJ/CRO – Maroon
TACP/ALO – Black
Weather Parachutists – Grey
Security Force – Blue
SERE Techs – Sage Green
It’s really been a helter skelter smattering of who has a beret and who doesn’t with more and more added over the years. In some cases the beret is worn by actual combat oriented AFSCs and in others only by certain members of careerfields. Additionally, the entire AF Security Forces careerfield wears a beret. Berets have often been considered a mark of the elite (despite the US Army’s decision to institutionalize the Black beret for all Soldiers). When you look at the list, the Air Force’s policy really doesn’t make much sense. For instance Air Force parachutists in careerfields other than those above do not wear a beret (although in many joint billets they do in spite of AF uniform regs) while non-parachutists in some AFSCs do wear them.
This is why the decision to deny an EOD beret makes no sense and there has been much gnashing of teeth on the internet over EOD and why they do or do not rate a beret. There are non-combat AFSCs in the mix already so that argument doesn’t hold water. Granted, a beret does not make the man, but by that argument no one should be wearing them. EOD is being asked to go above and beyond the call and on a regular basis.
USAF Photo
This is the second setback for a careerfield that has recently had to align themselves more as a combat force, based on actual deployed taskings, than the institutional force they have traditionally been. Last year, EOD asked to be declared part of the Battlefield Airman community along with Combat Control, Guardian Angel (PJ/CRO/SERE), TACP, and Combat Weather. Their bid was unsuccessful although they got a partial win.
EOD now has an enhanced indoc course for candidates and they will be required to pass a new EOD-specific PAST (Physical Ability and Stamina Test) test. Additionally, they will now be equipped through the Battlefield Airman Management System, a menu based supply program which was created in 2004 to consolidate and standardize the fielding of personal equipment for those in the Battlefield Airman community.
Both of these decisions are indicative of an Air Force leadership that continues to look at the world as they wish it was rather than how it actually is. Ten years into our nation’s longest conflict, it’s as if the Corporate Air Force refuses to accept that we are actually at war. EOD is completing combat taskings, embedded with Army units and this reality has touched virtually every facet of EOD. While bomb ranges are still supported, EOD Airmen have to learn a whole new set of tasks to survive under fire and neutralize IEDs. Some of EOD’s issues may be that they are part of CE (Civil Engineering) and the CE leadership may well prefer to have their EOD troops pulling range support rather than deployed, dealing with IEDs in a war zone. Wishing won’t make it go away. But then again, where do you put them if not CE?
USAF Photo
An additional issue for EOD may well be that they do not have any career officers. CE officers attend EOD school and command a flight but due to the structure of EOD there are no Squadrons or Groups to command. Officers move on to other CE duties. Other careerfields have opened up to officers such as CRO and career ALO and they are seeing a new emphasis. Perhaps EOD could do with the same.
Don’t get me wrong, EOD enjoys special pays, generous bonuses (due to low manning), higher physical fitness requirements, and access to BAMS. But, with all of this, it seems like they’ve got all of the responsibility of being “special” and none of the recognition. Maybe they don’t need a beret, but like we said earlier, decisions by Air Force leadership regarding EOD seem to display a lack of acceptance of reality. The war is going on. If anything, the IED threat will only increase and there will be more demands on EOD.
Survival Straps has introduced a line of licensed US Air Force products. Items include several models of survival bracelets (including a ladies model), key fob, luggage tag, and neck ID lanyard. As with all Survival Straps bracelets, you can choose the size and configure the type of buckle. Additionally, all of the USAF licensed products feature an ID tag emblazoned with the new Air Force logo.
Air Force civilian PT testers are on the way out. Not because the Air Force has restored faith in Blue Suiters. No, it’s because they can’t afford them. As you may recall, the Air Force instituted civilian PT testers in the Summer of 2010 amid low test scores. A new emphasis on “physical fitness” came as PT testing criteria were tightened. Unfortunately, evidence suggested that some testers were less than stringent in their duties and allowed some substandard performers a pass. Naturally, rather than dealing with the problem in a case-by-case basis, the Air Force decided to slap everyone in the face and hire civilian test proctors. Initially, they tested every Airmen but after time wore on, they monitored testing of Airmen counting others repetitions on some installations.
Why civilians? Who knows. It seems that it would have made more sense to have Stan Eval peek their heads in every once in awhile to ensure that the test was being properly administered but a wholesale solution was over the top. If there’s truly an integrity problem in the Air Force, this solution won’t make it go away. What will truly be telling is if standards once again slip now that Airmen will be back in charge.
While the Air Force is being forced to once again rely on NCOs to do what NCOs are paid to do; train and assess their subordinates, the service has yet to get a grip on reality and adapt the PT test itself to reward performance over looks. The waist measurement remains a part of the test and with looming personnel cutbacks, I doubt they will do away with it. It’s too easy to let the old, chubby guys go. Perhaps at some point they’ll get a Chief of Staff who values execution and doesn’t want a service that sports that heroin chic look.
