Expert: Rod Powers - 11/1/2009

Question
Hello,
My name is Jonathan von Nieda. For a little background on me I'm currently 18 years old and I'm a US foreign exchange student living in Germany right now as a result of receiving the Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange program. I scored a 53 on the ASVAB and have a 3.6 GPA and will be taking my ACT's when I get back. My plan is to go to serve an LDS mission for 2 years and afterwards attend Brigham Young University on the AFROTC scholarship in a non technical field to study Archaeology and Business Management with an emphasis in Strategy as a double major. My questions regardin Pararescue are these:

1) I realize that Pararescue training is a little over 1 year but I was wondering if I can still do Pararescue training even after I've received my Second Lieutenants commission and graduate from college?

2) Will I have to do Air Force BMT at Lackland AFB BEFORE I do Pararescue training?

3) I found out that if I do get accepted into the Pararescue Program I will train with the 342nd training squadron at Lackland AFB but I love dogs and I heard that the DoD has training for dog handlers of all armed services to train the MWD's and I was wondering if it would be possible to train with BOTH squadrons?

4) Would I have to take a year off of college to complete either Pararescue OR AFBMT?

If you could answer these questions as SOON as possiblee it would be EXTREMELY helpful to me.

Thanks,

Jon von Nieda

Answer
Hi Jon,

There are no pararescue commissioned officers, but there are "Control and Recovery" officers in the Air Force (see: http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/afoffjobs/bl13dx.htm). These officers are used to supervise personnel in both the Pararescue (http://usmilitary.about.com/od/airforceenlistedjobs/a/afjob1t2x1.htm), and Combat Controllers (http://usmilitary.about.com/od/airforceenlistedjobs/a/afjob1c2x1.htm).

If selected for this AFSC, you will be either trained as an "A" (Pararescue) or a "B" (Controller). The decision is made during the common skills training, based on your preferences, qualifications, course scores, and most of all, the "needs of the Air Force."

Air Force commissioned officers do not go through AFBMT. Instead, they go through an officer version of basic training while in ROTC, OTS, or the Air Force Academy.

You would not enter job training as a commissioned officer, until after you've graduated from college and have received your commission as a second lieutenant. If you take ROTC in college, the "basic training" portion is conducted during the Summer of your Junior or Senior year.

For more information about the United States Military, feel free to visit my US Military information site at: http://usmilitary.about.com

Hope this helps!

Rod Powers
About.com US Military Guide
http://usmilitary.about.com