EricB.
Unverified
As said in title. I wanna know the requirements so I can get ready for it while im still in high school. Im willing to push myself to be one of them. Anything will help! Thanks!
Molinaro
Verified Military
- Joined
- May 20, 2015
- Messages
- 22
Just a friendly heads up, but TACP requirements are something you can easily find on your own by using google or the ever elusive "Search" function provided by this site. Military life requires a lot of initiative and work, might as well start getting used to that idea now and do a little research on your own before asking people to hand feed you the info you're after. Best of luck to you!
policemedic
Verified SWAT
I suspect some tips will be offered.
I am in your shoes. Seriously, just search this site all over, you will find answers to most of your questions. I don't have any interest in TACP nor do I know the requirements, but they are probably out there. Search the site, make a plan, use these folks to refine your plans/areas of focus once you've formed a plan. I've gotten a lot of little tips along the way pertaining to the medical or preparation side of things and 2/3rds of those I didn't even have to ask.
If you want some good things to read, just look around for things related to TACP and learn about the job and its requirements. If you want preparation advice, check out what x SF med has written in the past. He has come up quite frequently in my searches and has offered some of the simplest and most honest advice you could ever ask for that applies to pretty much anything. I can honestly say I use advice I have read here every single day now that I am in medic school and it definitely keeps things in perspective, especially when I hit those long stretches of early mornings, late nights, and little sleep. So advice of someone who lurks here for many of the same reasons as you? Abuse the shit out of that search bar.
If you want some good things to read, just look around for things related to TACP and learn about the job and its requirements. If you want preparation advice, check out what x SF med has written in the past. He has come up quite frequently in my searches and has offered some of the simplest and most honest advice you could ever ask for that applies to pretty much anything. I can honestly say I use advice I have read here every single day now that I am in medic school and it definitely keeps things in perspective, especially when I hit those long stretches of early mornings, late nights, and little sleep. So advice of someone who lurks here for many of the same reasons as you? Abuse the shit out of that search bar.
EricB.
Unverified
Thank you so much for this. I really do appreciate it!
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2010
- Messages
- 2,186
I'm not a TACP but I have a friend in the Air Force who puts gas in the trucks that drive out to the planes and he saw a TACP once and he said that they can run for hundreds of miles and lift thousands of pounds and that becoming one is an unattainable feat...
I wish this was reddit sometimes.
I wish this was reddit sometimes.
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2013
- Messages
- 86
Had to like a comment about Reddit
True story.
Atombomb
Verified Military
I'll just add, that the AF has a lot more SF/SO types of jobs than I ever imagined when I thought I was a know it all cadet. The best advice I can give, is take a deep look at what drives you, and what are you capable of. If you're not studious, athletic, and able to deal well with wounds, and a host of other medical training... PJ would not be a good choice, and so forth for combat weather, TACP, JTAC.... There are a ton of support positions where you could get into a great unit, learn a great deal, then go through the pipelines or schools and be successful. My problem was a lack of maturity and patience. I bit off more than I could chew, couldn't understand why I was no longer special, and thought I showed them by taking my honorable to go be a real world ATC. What I have is 20+ years of regret.... I would have benefitted greatly from a site like this had they existed, because I knew no one in the SF world. Listen!!! sometimes it's incredibly hard to hear the truth, but more times than not, the "real deal" guys here will do anything to get quality guys into that most unique brotherhood in the world..... but they will stop at nothing to keep those not worthy out...
Brill
SOF Support
Self Reliance and the ability to find answers.100% acuracy.
Brill
SOF Support
You did get that I misspelled it?
Shhhhhhhhhhhh.... I wasn't saying anything, I was waiting for the OP to catch that.....
:-"
policemedic
Verified SWAT
Since that particular cat is out of the bag, I'll point out that proper grammar and spelling are much more important than most people think. Words matter, and the way you express yourself in writing may be the deciding factor in whether a door opens for you.
This applies throughout the military, but especially so in a field that requires exactitude.
This applies throughout the military, but especially so in a field that requires exactitude.
To add on to this, and this is light years away for you right now but still a valuable lesson, think about how grammar could keep you from going on missions. As a TACP you may be the only USAF dude with a particular unit. You'll have officers and NCOs somewhere over you, but maybe they're back at the Brigade TOC and you're the lone motherfucker at an infantry company. It's your responsibility to come up with certain briefings and parts of OPORDs and CONOPs. How do you think a seasoned infantry officer is going to perceive a brief full of spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors? That's the level of professionalism and attention to detail you're presenting, yet you want him to trust you to employ combat aircraft loaded with thousands of pounds of ordnance in close proximity to friendly troops. Not just friendly troops even, his men. Men he's already fought and bled beside. Friends that have shared in hardship, loss, and privation. And here's some Air Force fuck who can't even make a couple of PowerPoint slides, yet wants to drop bombs around his dudes. Something to think about.
People have no idea how many poorly written or spoken briefs, mIRC chats, and meetings I've witnessed down range. People may forgive one or two, but when your portion is peppered with inaccuracies? At best it detracts from your message and at worst your credibility is shot. People being people they'll spend more time thinking about your presentation than your message.
Atombomb
Verified Military
Some of the best classes or lessons I've learned... a typing class, incredible how much time I save preparing reports or scripting out briefings... take a communication or public speaking class... even a toastmasters group near you can provide you with solid skills that will pay off. Writing, and technical writing classes. You would be surprised how much technical skills can overlap with tactical breakdowns and AARs. I've given briefings to Congressmen/Senators, high level members of the FAA and military, all the way down to school grade kids at STEM programs. Kids are definitely the hardest to engage and get your point across too. Just like any training, the more you do it, the easier it gets, and you develop a system that you can apply to any situation that comes up. Standing up in front of a crowd, or sitting in a small group and presenting a well thought out, well presented discussion of any kind, is a very powerful tool. It's a foundation of being a leader.
