The Future of CAA

[Stretcher Jockey]

If your career can wait, maybe there will be an answer in October? I’m sorry there isn’t more info.

They are also up in the air with their future, last I heard.

I genuinely appreciated your input here! It's good to hear more than heresay from someone who is currently in the unit. And I'm assigned here until early next year so I've got all the time I need. Hope you guys figure out what's going on next so you aren't left high and dry.

 

[JedisonsDad]

Further information for anyone interested.

Air Force will shut down program that trains foreign pilots

 

[Johca]

All this to say, any advising by those personnel in the future is all but certain to occur on the ground, and not in the cockpit with a partner pilot; this arrangement will nullify entirely the ability to achieve proficiency in training by partner forces.

This same concern somewhat surfaced during SEA conflicts (dominantly Laos/Cambodia). Archived documents from that era mentioned a few times that rather than advising and training the mission had shifted too much from Air Force personnel being provided to train and advise shifting to flying combat missions rather than training and advising the foreign military in country. Also, much debate on remaining proficiency of US trained and advised air force capability once US combat forces left in unstable political regions as what was built crumbled away as regimes changed and US dollars disappeared.

 

[JedisonsDad]

The end of the brown beret: Air Force special ops squadron shuts down after 28 years advising allied aviators

 

[DA SWO]

The end of the brown beret: Air Force special ops squadron shuts down after 28 years advising allied aviators

Got to pay for floatplanes somehow.

 

[jdmusaf]

Is anyone aware if the reserve component is going away? I was looking to apply for the 711th SOS this year.

 

[amlove21]

Is anyone aware if the reserve component is going away? I was looking to apply for the 711th SOS this year.

Yup.

 

[JedisonsDad]

Is anyone aware if the reserve component is going away? I was looking to apply for the 711th SOS this year.

I’m currently out of state, but I can reach back and see what the new mission will be (if there is one) for the 711th, and I can let you know.

 

[jdmusaf]

I’m currently out of state, but I can reach back and see what the new mission will be (if there is one) for the 711th, and I can let you know.

I would greatly appreciate that. I just made SSgt and have been wanting to apply when I heard about the special duty from Ones Ready in 2021.

 

[talonlm]

I would greatly appreciate that. I just made SSgt and have been wanting to apply when I heard about the special duty from Ones Ready in 2021.

BLUF: The 711 SOS is currently only hiring previously qualified CAAs.

Without getting too far into the subject, there is a not-insignificant amount of thrash regarding the future of the CAAs in general. RUMINT is all over the place and significant changes may yet occur. The 711 SOS itself is not (currently) going away but it's absolutely anyone's guess as to what's coming next. If you're not a current CAA, I'd encourage you to look for a slot elsewhere. If your heart is set on coming to northwest Florida there are options--just not as a CAA.

If you are a previous CAA, PM me and I will get you a PoC you can reach out to.

 

[amlove21]

BLUF: The 711 SOS is currently only hiring previously qualified CAAs.

Without getting too far into the subject, there is a not-insignificant amount of thrash regarding the future of the CAAs in general. RUMINT is all over the place and significant changes may yet occur. The 711 SOS itself is not (currently) going away but it's absolutely anyone's guess as to what's coming next. If you're not a current CAA, I'd encourage you to look for a slot elsewhere. If your heart is set on coming to northwest Florida there are options--just not as a CAA.

If you are a previous CAA, PM me and I will get you a PoC you can reach out to.

Great input here. Thanks for the knowledge.

 

[jdmusaf]

BLUF: The 711 SOS is currently only hiring previously qualified CAAs.

Without getting too far into the subject, there is a not-insignificant amount of thrash regarding the future of the CAAs in general. RUMINT is all over the place and significant changes may yet occur. The 711 SOS itself is not (currently) going away but it's absolutely anyone's guess as to what's coming next. If you're not a current CAA, I'd encourage you to look for a slot elsewhere. If your heart is set on coming to northwest Florida there are options--just not as a CAA.

If you are a previous CAA, PM me and I will get you a PoC you can reach out to.

Thank you very much for the information. I had my heart set on being a CAA but timing was not on my side.

 

[DA SWO]

Thank you very much for the information. I had my heart set on being a CAA but timing was not on my side.

What's plan B?

 

[jdmusaf]

What's plan B?

Definitely now I have to re-focus goals and re-structure pt. The main goal has been to become an operator so that hasn't changed. I'll have to focus more specifically on getting ready for AFSPECWAR. The reason why I've been getting things knocked out to apply to CAA was because I genuinely love being a maintainer. So the opportunity to train other nation's, learn a language, problem solve and learn SOF skills that apply in the maintainer space was super exciting. Who knows maybe later on CAA's will be needed again.

 

[DA SWO]

Definitely now I have to re-focus goals and re-structure pt. The main goal has been to become an operator so that hasn't changed. I'll have to focus more specifically on getting ready for AFSPECWAR. The reason why I've been getting things knocked out to apply to CAA was because I genuinely love being a maintainer. So the opportunity to train other nation's, learn a language, problem solve and learn SOF skills that apply in the maintainer space was super exciting. Who knows maybe later on CAA's will be needed again.

Good luck.

I would say consider Aircrew (Special Mission Aviator) if AFSPECWAR doesn't give you a chance.

 

[jdmusaf]

Good luck.

I would say consider Aircrew (Special Mission Aviator) if AFSPECWAR doesn't give you a chance.

Thank you very much. I will take a look. I don't know much about it.

 

[JedisonsDad]

Thank you very much. I will take a look. I don't know much about it.

I will try and update about CAA (or whatever we become) as much as possible.

For SMA, I can pass info as well, if you want to hit me up privately so as not to get this off topic.

 

[DA SWO]

Thank you very much. I will take a look. I don't know much about it.

There is a thread from another member here. He documented his training. Now at Nellis.

 

[b_sav]

@JedisonsDad @DA SWO @jdmusaf @talonlm anyone hearing any good rumors about the CAA program, or the next most similar thing within AFSOC? Found this but: Ready, FIRE, Aim: Great Power Competition without Combat Aviation Advisors | Small Wars Journal

 

[talonlm]

Well, the article is not without merit. In theory, the CAAs just changed names and moved into the new Theatre-Aligned Operations Squadrons. We'll just have to wait and see how that works out.