by Stew Smith

Have you ever thought about getting little more out of your Air Force career? Or have you ever thought about risking your life to save another? This is the mission of the Air Force Special Forces -- the men of the Para-Rescue and CCT or Combat Control Technician. These men are responsible for providing emergency and lifesaving services to airmen, soldiers and civilians in both peacetime and combat environments. When a plane goes down in the jungle or ocean, it is the PJs who are there to find and save the pilots and crew. With extensive medical and combat training, Para-rescuemen truly live up to their motto,"That Others May Live."

To become a PJ or CCT 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 troops. Here are the specific minimums to becoming a PJ and Combat Control tech:

- 1.5 mile run - within 10:30 (9:00)
- Swim 1000m - within 26:00 (CSS, sidestroke or freestyle) (20:00)
- Swim 25m underwater
- Pullups - 8 (20)
- Situps - 50 in 2:00 (100)
- Pushups - 50 in 2:00 (100)
- Flutterkicks - 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.

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 or CCT. Here is the PJ and CCT 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 Different Schools
- Special Operations Combat Medic Course - 22 weeks
- Pararescue Recovery Specialist Course - 20 weeks

- CCT Pipeline Different Schools   
- Combat Control Operator Course - 15.5 weeks   
- Combat Control School - 12 weeks

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."

*Refer to Navy SEAL article for workouts to prepare - This training is very close to BUD/S training.

More Air Force Special Forces Articles:

- Air Force Special Tactics Fitness Training
- Helicopter Rescue Swimmer Training
- Swimming With Fins
- SpecOps: Who's Toughest?
- All Air Force Special Forces Articles

With any download you buy you get over 40 hours of training personally designed for future students of the group AND access to Stew Smith (the author) for any answers to your training questions!

If you would like to buy the AF PJ Workout E-book that has worked for several clients of the StewSmith.com PT Club please visit the Military.com eBook Fitness Store.

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Learn more about available Special Operations opportunities.

Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and fitness author certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. If you are interested in starting a workout program to create a healthy lifestyle - check out the Military.com Fitness eBook store and the Stew Smith article archive at Military.com. To contact Stew with your comments and questions, e-mail him at stew@stewsmith.com.

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