AIRR Rates

[July]

The Navy advertises AIRR as a “Special Operations” position, but from what I read online, it looks like only the AWS rate has an occasional SOF mission set.

Can anyone offer some insight on this? My recruiter told me there’s 2 AIRR rates that are available to reservists, and if it is a SOF position, I might pursue it just for the resume builder. (AWS specifically is not available for Reservists).

I noticed that this site does not have a sub thread for AIRR, and I did not find any AIRR related threads.

 

[Ooh-Rah]

AIRR

* Aviation Rescue Swimmer

 

[Devildoc]

The Navy differentiates Naval Special Warfare (SEALs, SWCC), and Naval Special Operations (EOD, AIRR, and divers). Special operations can attach to NSW. AIRR school is hard as hell. They have a high attrition rate.

 

[AWP]

"Special operations" isn't always SOF. Adding the phrase "special operations" to a job description doesn't mean one is doing SEAL/ SF/ PJ/ whatever missions.

What the Navy defines as Special Operations:

Aviation Rescue Swimmer
Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician
Navy Diver
Navy SEAL
Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewman

 

[July]

Thanks for the clarification guys, I did not realize there was a difference between Special Operations and SOF.

 

[Devildoc]

Thanks for the clarification guys, I did not realize there was a difference between Special Operations and SOF.

The Navy made the distinction some years ago, maybe 10, because those other jobs (EOD, diver, rescue swimmer) aren't special warfare but they also aren't 'regular' Navy either. They all have their own insulated community and pipelines with high attrition rates.

To confound things there is also a third nebulous category (I think it's called 'special programs,' but don't quote me on that), rates with specific jobs that are more challenging. Example, I was a HM (corpsman), so you have generalists, radiology techs, PT/OT tech, lab techs, etc. But you also have field corpsman (multiple 'levels') assigned to Marine forces, SAR corpsmen, and Independent Duty Corpsmen (think 'PA' level of care), and these corpsmen fall into special programs.

 

[Marauder06]

Thanks for the clarification guys, I did not realize there was a difference between Special Operations and SOF.

There are units with special missions (Special Mission Units, SMUs) that are not Special Operations. People assume all SMUs are SOF, but they're not. Example: Asymmetric Warfare Unit. I've never heard of the unit you mentioned, but it may be something similar.

 

[Intel Nerd]

There are units with special missions (Special Mission Units, SMUs) that are not Special Operations. People assume all SMUs are SOF, but they're not. Example: Asymmetric Warfare Unit. I've never heard of the unit you mentioned, but it may be something similar.

RIP AWG

 

[chaarsadobeest]

RIP AWG

I thought it was crazy how AWG’s closure was announced on the exact same day that the public summary of the Irregular Warfare Annex to the NDS was released.

Irregular Warfare Annex to National Defense Strategy Made Public

The Army is shutting down its highly praised Asymmetric Warfare Group

 

[Intel Nerd]

I thought it was crazy how AWG’s closure was announced on the exact same day that the public summary of the Irregular Warfare Annex to the NDS was released.

Irregular Warfare Annex to National Defense Strategy Made Public

The Army is shutting down its highly praised Asymmetric Warfare Group

Big Army gives approximately zero f***s for fighting irregular warfare. Once certain senior officers realized they could go back to training for LSCO, the real, long term, persistent threats we regularly face, became bottom of the barrel for support.

Doesn't surprise me though. The people making these decisions are also the the ones that think cutting CT support to allies helps with GPC, because they can't look at complex problem sets that require a deep understanding of DIME and they just look through a very narrow lens only to be surprised when changes to the OE occur they didn't predict.

I'll stop before I rant.

 

[Gunz]

Big Army gives approximately zero f***s for fighting irregular warfare.

Hard to get cool combat bling in the non-kinetic battle space.

 

[Marauder06]

I was never a fan of AWG, I think I posted about it on the site a couple of times in the past. I was confused about their mission and thought they were largely redundant given the number of organizations already competing in the irregular / asymmetric warfare space. IMO as an organization they were a non-SOF organization trying to see themselves (and act like) SOF in a military that didn't need another SOF-like organization. They also offered some highly questionable tactical advice that backfired pretty severely downrange.

There were a lot of good people in AWG, but I think their talents are better used elsewhere and I didn't mourn AWG's passing.

 

[DA SWO]

"Special operations" isn't always SOF. Adding the phrase "special operations" to a job description doesn't mean one is doing SEAL/ SF/ PJ/ whatever missions.

What the Navy defines as Special Operations:

Aviation Rescue Swimmer
Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician
Navy Diver
Navy SEAL
Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewman

I thought SWCC was part of NavSpecWarCom?

 

[Devildoc]

I thought SWCC was part of NavSpecWarCom?

It is. Everything else aside from SEAL and SWCC is Navy Special Operations. Even the navy gets confused. To quote Bill Shakespeare, "what's in a name?"