Air Force According to Their

Air Force

According to their Web site, only 4% of United States Air Force personnel are pilots. This leaves dozens upon dozens of opportunities to apply academic and professional skills to a service-oriented profession with the Air Force. In fact, a career with the Air Force is in many ways similar to a career in the civilian sector. Skills can easily translate between the two environments, which expands the job seekers opportunities for career advancement. As with any organization, the Air Force requires specific academic and personal achievements as a prerequisite for pursuing a position. Those prerequisites vary considerably. Enlisted jobs with the Air Force are referred to as Air Force Specialty Code positions or AFSCs (Powers).

Careers in aircraft maintenance, safety, and flight equipment offer multiple cross-over opportunities within the Air Force as well as in the civilian sectors. Aircrew Flight Equipment Specialists work as enlisted officers of the Air Force. The Air Force created a special AFSC entitled Aircrew Flight Equipment Specialist by combining life support and survival equipment areas of specialization (Powers). This AFSC is officially coded 1POX1. Aircrew Flight Equipment positions (1POX1) and Aircrew Life Support positions (1T1X1) depend on similar training and therefore, officers can easily transfer their skills between related jobs. In fact, Air University offers a degree program that specifically combines training for both Aircrew Flight Equipment positions (1POX1) and Aircrew Life Support positions (1T1X1). The degree program is entitled "Aircrew Safety Systems Technology."

Air University is one of the Air Force's official education and professional development institution ("Air University Facts Sheet"). However, the Air force can provide the necessary training and education at various bases around the country. The Sheppard Air Force Base is one of the primary spots where officers can train for a position in aircrew flight equipment and/or life support. Collectively, the Air Force professional development programs are known as the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF). The CCAF provides the official federally-funded training programs for officers. Degrees issued are generally in the applied sciences, which allows significant job flexibility.

Training requirements for aircrew flight equipment apprentices and specialists begins with CCAF, Air Force school. The Air Force requires a two-year Applied Sciences degree in Flight Equipment or Aircrew Safety Systems Technology. Further education, such as an undergraduate degree, is not required.

In addition to the Applied Sciences degree, apprenticeship is required. After basic military training, a residence course can provide the officer with the necessary 3-level apprenticeship (Powers). The 3-level apprentice may also be awarded after technical school graduation (Powers). In this case, training in school takes about 65 academic days (Powers). Thus, skills development takes place first in formal training setting. Aircrew life support falls under the same career umbrella. These skills are similarly addressed via Community College of the Air Force training. Gyokeres notes that cross-utilization training takes about two months. Air University already combines the training for aircrew flight equipment and aircrew life support into one course, Aircrew Safety Systems Technology.

The objective of the Aircrew Flight Equipment positions is ultimately safety. The officer is expected to "inspect, maintain, pack, and adjust aircrew flight equipment" ranging from helmets and parachutes to chemical biological protective oxygen masks (United States Air Force, "Aircrew Flight Equipment Apprentice"). The officer also learns about how in-flight and field conditions such as temperature, pressure, and humidity affect the performance of aircrew flight equipment. Parachute construction and contamination control are also some of the core skills acquired during CCAF training for this field (Powers). The officer learns about why equipment is designed the way it is, with an eye for managing safety issues. Generally the officer ranks as Airman First Class during this phase of the apprenticeship.

Next, the officer undergoes the journeyman phase of the career. The journeyman phase involves more hands-on experience and on-the-job training than the apprentice level. Officially, this stage is referred to as 5-skill level and be achieved once the officer has been promoted to the rank of Senior Airman. In order to progress in the career, the officer must also enroll in a career development course (CDC) (Powers). Training at this stage lasts about fifteen months on average. After this, the officer is certified to perform the duties of the job without supervision (Powers).

After five years as Senior Airman Aircrew Flight Equipment Journeyman, the officer may be promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant and can commence work as a 7-level craftsman (Powers). As craftsman, the officer may supervise teams of apprentices and journeymen, becoming a leader and specialist in the field of aircrew safety equipment.

Finally, when the officer has been promoted to Senior Master Sergeant he or she can fill senior managerial positions such as flight chief and then classified as superintendent. This is at the 9-skill level. By this time, the officer can and should develop leadership skills that can easily be transferred to a number of different personnel settings. The officer is expected to continually upgrade skills via familiarity with new and emerging technologies related to aircrew safety.

Because a career as an aircrew equipment specialist combines skills from multiple sectors including life support and survival equipment, the officer will enjoy numerous opportunities. Within the United States Air Force, the officer can receive further training if desired to transfer those skills towards aircraft maintenance or aircrew training. Of course, any career shift within the Air Force may require new training even for a high ranking officer. If the officer wished to pursue a more technical career such as one in aircraft maintenance, a four-year degree may be required.