Sunday, August 7, 2011 at 09:14PM by Greg Fellin Get in Shape
To become member of the Air Force Special Tactics Team - Pararescueman, Combat Control Technician, or Special Ops Weatherman - you must be male, a proficient swimmer, and meet the physical standards of at least 100 points on the Physical Ability and Stamina Test (PAST). This job is open to officer and enlisted airmen. Here are the specific minimums to becoming a PJ and Combat Control tech:
- Swim 20m underwater (pass / fail)
- Swim 500m - within 16:00 (sidestroke or freestyle) (sub 9:00)
- 1.5 mile run - within 10:30 (sub 9:00)
- Pullups - 8 (20+)
- Flutterkicks - 50 in 2:00 (100)
- Situps - 50 in 2:00 (100)
- Pushups - 50 in 2:00 (100)
Once again - these are the minimum scores for the PAST - to be accepted into any Special Force it takes a higher score to be competitive. I would recommend being able to the numbers in parenthesis next to the minimum scores or shoot for a perfect score of 300. See scoring chart below:
Points Scale for Pararescue PAST
Note: You must receive a combined total of 270 points and complete the 20 meter underwater to successfully pass the PAST
Once in the PJ/CCT Candidate Course, you will be challenged physically for ten weeks in Lackland AFB, Texas. The first phase is known as Team Training and is 8 weeks long. It consists of extensive physical training with swimming, running, weight training, calisthenics and obstacle courses. Educational training such as medical and diving terminology, CPR, weapons qualifications, and dive physics are also part of the Candidate Course. Once a candidate finishes this phase of the training, he will have undergone some of the most challenging water survival training in the U.S. military.
Visit Military.com's SpecOps Center
After the Candidate Course there are two different pipelines to follow depending on if you want to be a PJ, CCT, or SOW. Here is the Special Tactics Team pipeline of training:
- US Army Airborne School - 3 weeks
- US Army Combat Divers School - 4 weeks
- US Navy Underwater Egress Training - 1 day
- US Air Force Basic Survival School - 2.5 weeks
- US Army Free-fall Parachutist School - 5 weeks
Para-Rescue Pipeline Schools
- Special Operations Combat Medic Course - 22 weeks
- Para-rescue Recovery Specialist Course - 20 weeks
CCT Pipeline Schools
- Combat Control Operator Course - 15.5 weeks.
- Combat Control School - 12 weeks
Spec Ops Weatherman Pipeline Schools
- Initial Skills Training, Hurlburt Field - six weeks.
- Air Force Special Operations Command Advanced Skills Training - six months.
Training is extremely challenging both physically and mentally, but if you graduate and wear the maroon beret (PJ) or the scarlet beret (CCT), you will be one of the most highly trained combat medics in the world, able to handle the most stressful situations with ease. Hats off to those who risk their lives so "That Others May Live."
