New USAF Special Warfare Symbol

[Kraut783]

Interesting that the Key West Agreement is still strong (look at end of article).

"This is the symbol for the new Air Force Special Warfare careerfield (Enlisted is 1Z and Officer is 19). It’s surrounded by the latest versions of the enlisted beret badges, including the new Special ReconnaissanceAFSC, which replaces Special Operations Weather Team*. "

 

[DA SWO]

Gag

 

[AWP]

The same beret for everyone? Is this an out-of-season April Fool's Day joke?

 

[Gunz]

What would we do without those natty berets? The day Marines get berets is the day I check out.

 

[digrar]

Looks nifty.

 

[amlove21]

Gag

Lol!

The same beret for everyone? Is this an out-of-season April Fool's Day joke?

Alright, here is one dude's take on this one.

I love being a PJ. Nothing in my life has ever been more fulfilling on a basic human level than this job. The worst parts of my job are better than the best parts of some other peoples' job, hands down. I am proud of the tradition, our legacy as one of the most decorated career fields in any service, and the mission. Nothing will ever take the PJ out of who I am as a person.

That being said- unless we evolve, grow and move forward, Pararescue and AF Special Operations as a whole is not going to stay relevant. Period. We already saw it with Special Reconnaissance. Some of those moves/changes are going to be uncomfortable, I get it.

I get that everyone wants to be distinct and there are a lot (and I mean a fucking lot) of feelings involved when you start talking about "taking a beret away"; but the bottom line is unless we start looking, acting and using the same language, we are always going to be those "AF dudes". Blending the career fields is going to make everyone better- a rising tide raises all ships.

Yeah the career fields lose some flair. Yes, that piece of history will be retired and we will move on. But you know what we have already gotten out of this move? A new training wing. A Directorate. More freedom not only as an entity but a combined entity that contains more O-6/E-9 billets across the board, and a deliberate plan to actually grow some of our own Stars. Imagine that- a command of operators led by an operator with 2 or 3 stars, and not a pilot. The roadmap to integrated squadrons all under AFSOC's flag is already happening. My position at the squadron is real-time proof.

Unity of command, increased efficiency from scout and recruit to elongating the life span of every operator in the force from our Human Performance Optimization staff all the way down to the way we equip/employ/deploy more lethal teams. That's what this merger gets us.

I'll always be a proud Pararescueman. Taking my hat ain't changing shit. But I will let you give me a new one if that means relevancy in the next 50 years.

/rant

 

[Raksasa Kotor]

I'll always be a proud Pararescueman. Taking my hat ain't changing shit. But I will let you give me a new one if that means relevancy in the next 50 years.

But what if - stick with me here - your beret was...dookie brown?

 

[amlove21]

But what if - stick with me here - your beret was...dookie brown?

Already taken by some nerds, thankfully. I'll take the gunmetal.

 

[Raksasa Kotor]

Already taken by some nerds, thankfully. I'll take the gunmetal.

Gasp! You wound me good sir!

 

[amlove21]

Gasp! You wound me good sir!

Haahahahahahaha.

 

[Kraut783]

"Imagine that- a command of operators led by an operator with 2 or 3 stars, and not a pilot"

That would be huge.

 

[amlove21]

"Imagine that- a command of operators led by an operator with 2 or 3 stars, and not a pilot"

That would be huge.

We are moving that way. Col Matt Allen just took over the 24 SOW- he's a STO by trade. And, I might add, one hell of a leader.

You can now go 2 levels up from the 2-series STS's and your boss still wears a beret. That's a really big deal.

Now imagine when the commander of AFSOC is a born and bred AF ground combatant, and what rocks we can turn over then. However, to get there, we have to take some bold moves.

 

[DA SWO]

"Imagine that- a command of operators led by an operator with 2 or 3 stars, and not a pilot"

That would be huge.

Seriously doubt it would happen, it's happened once(Female 4-star) but she was still a flyer(AWACS).
Give STO's aircrew duties and it could happen.

 

[AWP]

Seriously doubt it would happen, it's happened once(Female 4-star) but she was still a flyer(AWACS).

And not well-liked within her own community...

 

[DA SWO]

And not well-liked within her own community...

They started managing her career as a 2/1Lt.

 

[amlove21]

Seriously doubt it would happen, it's happened once(Female 4-star) but she was still a flyer(AWACS).
Give STO's aircrew duties and it could happen.

Not with that attitude it won’t!

 

[Braz]

So would this replace AFSC badges as well for those within BFA AFSCs?

 

[SOSTCRNA]

Lol!

Alright, here is one dude's take on this one.

I love being a PJ. Nothing in my life has ever been more fulfilling on a basic human level than this job. The worst parts of my job are better than the best parts of some other peoples' job, hands down. I am proud of the tradition, our legacy as one of the most decorated career fields in any service, and the mission. Nothing will ever take the PJ out of who I am as a person.

That being said- unless we evolve, grow and move forward, Pararescue and AF Special Operations as a whole is not going to stay relevant. Period. We already saw it with Special Reconnaissance. Some of those moves/changes are going to be uncomfortable, I get it.

I get that everyone wants to be distinct and there are a lot (and I mean a fucking lot) of feelings involved when you start talking about "taking a beret away"; but the bottom line is unless we start looking, acting and using the same language, we are always going to be those "AF dudes". Blending the career fields is going to make everyone better- a rising tide raises all ships.

Yeah the career fields lose some flair. Yes, that piece of history will be retired and we will move on. But you know what we have already gotten out of this move? A new training wing. A Directorate. More freedom not only as an entity but a combined entity that contains more O-6/E-9 billets across the board, and a deliberate plan to actually grow some of our own Stars. Imagine that- a command of operators led by an operator with 2 or 3 stars, and not a pilot. The roadmap to integrated squadrons all under AFSOC's flag is already happening. My position at the squadron is real-time proof.

Unity of command, increased efficiency from scout and recruit to elongating the life span of every operator in the force from our Human Performance Optimization staff all the way down to the way we equip/employ/deploy more lethal teams. That's what this merger gets us.

I'll always be a proud Pararescueman. Taking my hat ain't changing shit. But I will let you give me a new one if that means relevancy in the next 50 years.

/rant

This post says a lot about you. Mission/big picture before ego. A tip of my very old, Paratrooper Maroon Beret to you Sir.

 

[DA SWO]

Not with that attitude it won’t!

Just being a realist.
Pilots think you have to be a pilot to be in charge.

This is one of those times I hope I am wrong.

And not well-liked within her own community...

AWACS Community?

 

[amlove21]

This post says a lot about you. Mission/big picture before ego. A tip of my very old, Paratrooper Maroon Beret to you Sir.

I appreciate you saying that- but I just like to think I care about the next 50 years of Pararescue much more than I care about the last 50.

We have a rich and storied history- but we have more history to write.