SF Surgical Teams

No problem, send me a Pm and I can elaborate some more. I still have a few folks to respond to once I get back to a computer.
 
No problem, send me a Pm and I can elaborate some more. I still have a few folks to respond to once I get back to a computer.

If I may....

Part is what makes ShadowSpear “work” are the conversations between members that may be of interest (now or in the future) to other members.

Obviously there are conversions that need to happen behind the veil of PM’s, but whenever possible everyone is encouraged to share their conversations so they others might benefit or chime in if within their lane.
 
I'd be interested to hear that SOST is taking Or RNs instead of ER/CC RNs. Not sure what their function would be.
 
Currently we have no OR nurses on the teams. As far as I know we are only recruiting RN’s with ER/ICU experience preferably both.
 
I am a CRNA and recently retired SOST and JMAU (JSOC) team member, 4 and 7 years respectively. Both teams have pipelines that constantly evolve and get harder and more selection, like if that makes sense. In SOST you can be a member as a Critical Care/ER RN but for JMAU it's CRNAs only. It is desirable to have a deployment with a "regular" unit before applying.

If you are thinking about CRNA school, do yourself a favor and consider the DOD programs. They are excellent schools and you get a paycheck while training and a DNP upon graduation.

I don't post much but I'm always happy to help anyone who is interested in a military career as a CRNA and/or SOST/JMAU. I absolutely loved my time with these units.

Thank you for your service! I am a former Army Ranger with four deployments as an infantry teamleader, and now current SRNA. Quick question... What is the likelihood/pathway for getting back to a forward special operations environment, only to provide anesthesia this time? I am also curious about pay as compared to civilian pursuits, though I imagine you would prefer that information private and do I can PM you if need be. I again thank you, kindly, for your service.
 
Thank you for your service! I am a former Army Ranger with four deployments as an infantry teamleader, and now current SRNA. Quick question... What is the likelihood/pathway for getting back to a forward special operations environment, only to provide anesthesia this time? I am also curious about pay as compared to civilian pursuits, though I imagine you would prefer that information private and do I can PM you if need be. I again thank you, kindly, for your service.

2/75RangerSRNA

Welcome and thank you for YOUR service! I am assuming you are in a civilian program so you would have to come back on active duty. From there you would need some CRNA experience but you would be a great candidate for JMAU if you went army. I had the privilege of supporting your former Regiment many times. SOST would also be an option if you joined the AF and there may be some opportunities through the Reserves also-if you can get a civilian CRNA job that will grant you the extra time away. I think either unit would benefit having a CRNA with your background in their ranks.

As far as pay, you should get enough constructive credit as an RN to come in as an 03 or 02 with a year towards 03 at worst. If you have 4 years and 1 day enlisted then you would come back in as an 02/03E which means you will be paid more. Plus, of course, you will have the step raises for years of service. Check the latest military pay scales to see where you would be. I'm having a hard time finding the latest military CRNA compensation packages. The max Special pay used to be $50,000 per year for a 4-year commitment but I saw an article somewhere talking about $250,000 over four years. Plus you get board certified pay but I'm not sure of the exact amount as it was changing when I retired. Also you get you BAS etc tax free and most importantly you get a lifetime pension when you retire. My wife and I are both CRNAs with pensions and I can tell you, it is very nice. The military also provides a great practice environment for CRNAs

Civilian CRNA salaries average about $170,000/ year but vary greatly depending on location and practice environment, the nicer places pay less and the more rural, independent places pay much more. You also have 1099 contracts with higher pay and no benefits vs W2 with benefits and usually lower salaries.

You may be able to make a bit more as a civilian but the pay gap isn't terrible. If you still have the urge to serve I don't think you could go wrong coming back onto active duty.

Hope this helps.
 
2/75RangerSRNA

Welcome and thank you for YOUR service! I am assuming you are in a civilian program so you would have to come back on active duty. From there you would need some CRNA experience but you would be a great candidate for JMAU if you went army. I had the privilege of supporting your former Regiment many times. SOST would also be an option if you joined the AF and there may be some opportunities through the Reserves also-if you can get a civilian CRNA job that will grant you the extra time away. I think either unit would benefit having a CRNA with your background in their ranks.

As far as pay, you should get enough constructive credit as an RN to come in as an 03 or 02 with a year towards 03 at worst. If you have 4 years and 1 day enlisted then you would come back in as an 02/03E which means you will be paid more. Plus, of course, you will have the step raises for years of service. Check the latest military pay scales to see where you would be. I'm having a hard time finding the latest military CRNA compensation packages. The max Special pay used to be $50,000 per year for a 4-year commitment but I saw an article somewhere talking about $250,000 over four years. Plus you get board certified pay but I'm not sure of the exact amount as it was changing when I retired. Also you get you BAS etc tax free and most importantly you get a lifetime pension when you retire. My wife and I are both CRNAs with pensions and I can tell you, it is very nice. The military also provides a great practice environment for CRNAs

Civilian CRNA salaries average about $170,000/ year but vary greatly depending on location and practice environment, the nicer places pay less and the more rural, independent places pay much more. You also have 1099 contracts with higher pay and no benefits vs W2 with benefits and usually lower salaries.

You may be able to make a bit more as a civilian but the pay gap isn't terrible. If you still have the urge to serve I don't think you could go wrong coming back onto active duty.

Hope this helps.

This was a very substantive reply, much more than I was expecting in fact. I do thank you very kindly for your time! This all raises legitimate considerations for me. Which is odd considering the mindset I was in during ETS and departure from Ranger Batt, I was convinced that never in 1 million years would I reenter the service haha. But truth be told, and as you know I’m sure from working with JSOC and all of it’s entities, there is a lot to miss.

Again I thank you, and I may be reaching out in the future for more information if you don’t mind. God bless-
 
This was a very substantive reply, much more than I was expecting in fact. I do thank you very kindly for your time! This all raises legitimate considerations for me. Which is odd considering the mindset I was in during ETS and departure from Ranger Batt, I was convinced that never in 1 million years would I reenter the service haha. But truth be told, and as you know I’m sure from working with JSOC and all of it’s entities, there is a lot to miss.

Again I thank you, and I may be reaching out in the future for more information if you don’t mind. God bless-

I understand completely, when I finished my 4 years in the 82nd I was DONE but ended up coming back for another 21. Please feel free to hit me up whenever and I'll help where I can. Where are you going to school?
 
Hey everyone,

Was wondering if anyone could share some general information about special operations surgical teams i.e. Airforce SOST and other service equivalents. Currently a civilian Flight / Critical Care Nurse that is interested in the military either in the near future as a Nurse or farther down the road as a CRNA. Have a few prior SF friends and like the idea of directly supporting that mission.

Physical requirements?
What does the pipeline consist of?
How long do most people spend in regular FSTs before moving up to SF?

Any info would be appreciated.
The basic physical requirement to be considered is to be able to do well (>90 pts) on the AF fitness assessment and be able to to swim 250m. The selection has recently gotten much more physically demanding and you can expect to be pushed to physical failure multiple times a day.
 
Currently in touch with AFSOC recruitment regarding the civillian to SOST route. Will report back. Eligibility for rank may be an issue so also looking into Reserve and applying down the road
 
Currently in touch with AFSOC recruitment regarding the civillian to SOST route. Will report back. Eligibility for rank may be an issue so also looking into Reserve and applying down the road
I'm currently in the SOST pipeline. One of the CRNAs with me was a civilian who commissioned after being selected. Would you like me to put you in contact with him?
 
Looks like I hit a road block. In order to apply for SOST selection you must be eligible for O-3. Currently with the maximum allowed constructive credit I would be an O-2. Apparently the maximum years allowed changes year to year but from the sound of it you can no longer get O-3 without a masters degree.

So I guess my options are to complete a Masters degree and/or wait to see if it changes next year or go Reserve (maybe AD) and apply once I rank up.

Thank you everyone for all the information and help
 
Looks like I hit a road block. In order to apply for SOST selection you must be eligible for O-3. Currently with the maximum allowed constructive credit I would be an O-2. Apparently the maximum years allowed changes year to year but from the sound of it you can no longer get O-3 without a masters degree.

So I guess my options are to complete a Masters degree and/or wait to see if it changes next year or go Reserve (maybe AD) and apply once I rank up.

Thank you everyone for all the information and help

Who did you talk to? Someone with AFSOC?
 
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