Time for a switch..

[DoctaJ]

Hey all,

Looking for some guidance here. The ARNG has thoroughly frustrated me. As some of you know I'm a NG 68W with a paramedic certification. I've scheduled an appointment with an AF recruiter tomorrow at 1500 to discuss pararescue, eligibility, conditional release, etc., but I figured I'd ask the PJ's and not the recruiter.

I have a couple general questions (conditional on my decision, of course):

Should I expect a rank reduction?
Does my EMT-P certification benefit me at all? (fast track?)
What does a CONUS PJ do?
NG vs. AD? (vague, I know)
Training length?
Average deployment cycle?
What are the educational benefits really like?

I'm sure more questions ensue. I have done some research, but I don't believe everything I read on the internet. Any input or guidance is much appreciated. While I am certain I have a passion for emergency medicine, I still have to figure out if I'm passionate about pararescue. Again, thanks.

DoctaJ

 

[ZmanTX]

Doc,

I had similar questions and was referred to specialtactics.com some of your questions have been asked and answered there. It's a great source for AFSOF info. And its run by legit people.

As far as specific questions for Pararescue... amlove is the guy you want to talk to.
ZM

 

[pardus]

Hey all,

I know several ARNG guys that are in the process or are applying for a transfer to the ANG. The biggest obstacle has been getting the Army to sign off on them breaking their contract to transfer to the AF.
The transfer process itself isn't too hard as the AF and ARNG are both state assests, same organization, different uniform kind of thing, once the Army releases you.

How much time do you have left on your contract and did you get a bonus?

 

[DoctaJ]

I know several ARNG guys that are in the process or are applying for a transfer to the ANG. The biggest obstacle has been getting the Army to sign off on them breaking their contract to transfer to the AF.
The transfer process itself isn't too hard as the AF and ARNG are both state assests, same organization, different uniform kind of thing, once the Army releases you.

How much time do you have left on your contract and did you get a bonus?

I'm thinking active is gonna be the way to go. Whether it's Army or AF.

I have about three years of M-Day left and I didn't get a bonus. I'll probably talk to both AR and AF recruiters tomorrow. If its the Army, I'll have to figure out how to negotiate a flight medic spot.

 

[pardus]

Active will be a lot more difficult, now your state is loosing you. Even if your unit releases you I think someone wearing stars on his chest has to sign off on you.

I'm not saying don't try it, go for it, I would put the feelers out to your unit first, they are going to be the ones who will stop it dead in it's tracks or pass it up with a recommendation to release you, you need them on board.

If you want flight medic, find a flight medic unit and go say hello to them, tell them what you want, get them on board so they will give you a slot.

 

[TLDR20]

I'm thinking active is gonna be the way to go. Whether it's Army or AF.

I have about three years of M-Day left and I didn't get a bonus. I'll probably talk to both AR and AF recruiters tomorrow. If its the Army, I'll have to figure out how to negotiate a flight medic spot.

I just tried to do this. It is very very difficult to get a flight medic job on the guard.

 

[DoctaJ]

I just tried to do this. It is very very difficult to get a flight medic job on the guard.

We just had a dust off unit stand up in Ohio, but I'm not high enough on EPS unfortunately. I'm done with the guard. I should have gone active in the first place. It was a high school rush-through-life decision.

Any thoughts on getting a slot if I go from guard to active? Flight medic that is..

 

[policemedic]

Hey all,

Looking for some guidance here. The ARNG has thoroughly frustrated me. As some of you know I'm a NG 68W with a paramedic certification.

The NG generally has no clue how to handle paramedics.

 

[TLDR20]

We just had a dust off unit stand up in Ohio, but I'm not high enough on EPS unfortunately. I'm done with the guard. I should have gone active in the first place. It was a high school rush-through-life decision.

Any thoughts on getting a slot if I go from guard to active? Flight medic that is..

If you go active, you need to be an E-4 through E-6, and be a medic. Drop a 4187 and have a flight physical. If you were to go active though you should try and go the 160th route, they may even have a recruiter from the guard to the 160th. Then you could go to SOCM a d actually know what you are doing.

 

[AWP]

I just tried to do this. It is very very difficult to get a flight medic job on the guard.

Aviation slots as a whole tend to be very difficult to acquire. Politics plays a role.

@DoctaJ Another option to consider (if the Army will allow you to go Blue) is Aeromed Evac. The Reserves have them as well as AD. I'm not sure if the Air Guard has Aeromed Evac squadrons.

 

[DA SWO]

We just had a dust off unit stand up in Ohio, but I'm not high enough on EPS unfortunately. I'm done with the guard. I should have gone active in the first place. It was a high school rush-through-life decision.

Any thoughts on getting a slot if I go from guard to active? Flight medic that is..

Air Guard has Flight Medic slots, have you considered those?

 

[pardus]

I just tried to do this. It is very very difficult to get a flight medic job on the guard.

You were turned down for this? W.T.F!?

 

[AWP]

You were turned down for this? W.T.F!?

C'mon, you know a resume/ 201 file doesn't always matter in the Guard. Some staes are better than others about it, but when it comes to limited slots in certain units...

 

[pardus]

C'mon, you know a resume/ 201 file doesn't always matter in the Guard. Some staes are better than others about it, but when it comes to limited slots in certain units...

Yeah... , the Guard is so fucking corrupt its disgusting.

 

[TLDR20]

Air Guard has Flight Medic slots, have you considered those?

Do they?

 

[TLDR20]

Aviation slots as a whole tend to be very difficult to acquire. Politics plays a role.

@DoctaJ Another option to consider (if the Army will allow you to go Blue) is Aeromed Evac. The Reserves have them as well as AD. I'm not sure if the Air Guard has Aeromed Evac squadrons.

That was going to be my ticket into the aviation unit. Hoping to go warrant once there.

 

[pardus]

That was going to be my ticket into the aviation unit. Hoping to go warrant once there.

I don't know shit about it, but have you spoken to a Guard recruiter about re-enlisting as a Warrant for aviation? (I don't even know if that's possible).

I know a Guard recruiter in NYS who is trustworthy, they would probably speak to you regardless if you were signing with them or not, if I set it up. You would at least get a no BS rundown on how things are and what could be done.

I also have a mate who is a 1st SGT in the AF Guard who was a flight medic, or something medical while transferring PTs around the country. I could probably get him to talk to you too.

 

[amlove21]

Hey all,

Looking for some guidance here. The ARNG has thoroughly frustrated me. As some of you know I'm a NG 68W with a paramedic certification. I've scheduled an appointment with an AF recruiter tomorrow at 1500 to discuss pararescue, eligibility, conditional release, etc., but I figured I'd ask the PJ's and not the recruiter.

I have a couple general questions (conditional on my decision, of course):

Should I expect a rank reduction?
Does my EMT-P certification benefit me at all? (fast track?)
What does a CONUS PJ do?
NG vs. AD? (vague, I know)
Training length?
Average deployment cycle?
What are the educational benefits really like?

I'm sure more questions ensue. I have done some research, but I don't believe everything I read on the internet. Any input or guidance is much appreciated. While I am certain I have a passion for emergency medicine, I still have to figure out if I'm passionate about pararescue. Again, thanks.

DoctaJ

*Pararescue. It's a proper noun. I am a Pararescueman.

1- Yes. Most times a reduction in rank happens.
2- Yes, being a Paramedic gets you out of 6 months (ish) of pipeline. But those 6 months are spending time with nearly a tenth of the career field. I wouldnt call that a benefit. But yes, you'll be done sooner.
3- Kick ass. Next question. (We train to deploy. Extensively.)
4- Too vague. Too many factors to consider which are specific to you.
5- Your entire career. People screw this stuff all the time- the pipeline is the easiest part. Cause when you graduate, you do it "for real", and you could kill yourself or a team mate. You are evaluated every single day of your career and you can never be found wanting. If that's the case, we can take you out of the career field. The pipeline is anywhere between 18-24 months long.
6- Deployment cycle is fluid. There is a generality that the AEF mobilizes for normalised 4 month deployments. We often don't fit into this cycle, as we are coded differently than the regular force.
7- Depends what you mean. Can you finish your 4 year degree for free? Yes. Can that degree be in medicine, CRNA, microbiology? Not so much. But there are differences here between AD and NG.

 

[pardus]

I have a couple general questions (conditional on my decision, of course):

Should I expect a rank reduction?
DoctaJ

Ahh, at your rank, I don't think it maters too much does it?

 

[DoctaJ]

Aviation slots as a whole tend to be very difficult to acquire. Politics plays a role.

@DoctaJ Another option to consider (The Reserves...Air Guard.

I'm trying to avoid the Reserves/NG all together.

Air Guard has Flight Medic slots, have you considered those?

To be short, no.

*Pararescue. It's a proper noun. I am a Pararescueman.

1- Yes. Most times a reduction in rank happens.
2- Yes, being a Paramedic gets you out of 6 months (ish) of pipeline. But those 6 months are spending time with nearly a tenth of the career field. I wouldnt call that a benefit. But yes, you'll be done sooner.
3- Kick ass. Next question. (We train to deploy. Extensively.)
4- Too vague. Too many factors to consider which are specific to you.
5- Your entire career. People screw this stuff all the time- the pipeline is the easiest part. Cause when you graduate, you do it "for real", and you could kill yourself or a team mate. You are evaluated every single day of your career and you can never be found wanting. If that's the case, we can take you out of the career field. The pipeline is anywhere between 18-24 months long.
6- Deployment cycle is fluid. There is a generality that the AEF mobilizes for normalised 4 month deployments. We often don't fit into this cycle, as we are coded differently than the regular force.
7- Depends what you mean. Can you finish your 4 year degree for free? Yes. Can that degree be in medicine, CRNA, microbiology? Not so much. But there are differences here between AD and NG.

I don't mind a reduction in rank, but considering I'm an E-4, it doesn't much matter. Thanks for the correction grammar. I should have phrased the training length question better, but I wouldn't expect to graduate and then be done training. The big issue right now is that we don't train...at all. It's like hiring someone one weekend a month and two weeks a year to work on cars. How proficient will they be at their job versus someone who does it every day of the year? Shit performance. Also, I don't really care what the deployment length is either...just curious. Also doesn't matter at this point considering I'm still a NG soldier that can't even get pulled for a deployment after volunteering.

Anyways, I went and talked with the recruiter today but didn't ask much about what being a Pararescueman entails considering he made bombs when working in his specialty. He told me the only slots they had available to prior servicemen looking to enlist or transfer to the AF were PJ/CCT: which is what I wanted to hear. He explained the PAST. And finally, he set me up with a release form to push up my command chain. I gave my Platoon Sgt. a call and he said the commander will sign is barring a passing PT test. So now I'm in the preparation phase. I also stopped in to the AD Army recruiter and asked him about the Flight Medic slots and he told me the only way he can do that is if I'm Airborne...which I'm not. Got some work to do.