A total of 37 enlisted accession recruiters and 50 gold bar recruiters from across the country attended the immersion to gain an understanding of the Air Force Special Warfare community and what it takes to graduate from the various AFSPECWAR pipelines. The recruiters stayed in the same barracks and ate at the same dining facility as trainees, observed training, were introduced to the Initial Fitness Test and had the opportunity to interact with active duty AFSPECWAR operators in the SWTW formation.
“These recruiters have a critical role in identifying successful candidates and are on the front lines of ensuring career field sustainability for the Air Force,” said Col. Nathan Colunga, SWTW commander. “My desire is for them to fully understand and experience first-hand the grit and determination required from trainees in our pipelines to graduate and earn their berets.”
During the current fiscal year, the USAF has hit 57% of its goal for AFSPECWAR career fields, an all-time low in the previous 20 years. Since 2018, the job of finding AFSPECWAR recruits belonged exclusively to Special Warfare recruiters at the 330th Recruiting Squadron but in 2023, Air Force Recruiting Service tasked traditional enlisted accession recruiters with finding AFSPECWAR candidates as well to boost recruiting numbers.
“I knew a little about Air Force Special Warfare [before coming to the immersion] but not much,” said 2nd Lt. Kenyaz Boston, a recruiter with the 351st Recruiting Squadron. “The immersion gave me a better understanding of how the initial pipeline begins. Seeing the facilities and the candidates conducting training to pursue their goal was a new experience I did not realize would have such an impact on my visit.”
The immersion began with an orientation to the Initial Fitness Test that candidates must pass prior to entering the SWTW pipeline, comprised of a 1.5-mile run, push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups and a 500-meter swim, a new experience for most of the recruiters present. The recruiters also had the opportunity to observe candidate training and interact with coaches from the Human Performance Support Group and learn how they create training programs for candidates to become stronger and more resilient.
“I learned that the IFT is just allowing recruits to try out,” said Staff Sgt. Caleb Vila, a recruiter with the 349th Recruiting Squadron. “I was under the impression that passing the IFT was essentially passage into [AFSPECWAR], but seeing how recruits have to attend the [course of initial entry] and pass a significantly harder [physical fitness] test before being selected into their career fields was news to me.”
The recruiters then toured SWTW facilities, including the new Maltz Special Warfare Aquatic Training Center, and interacted with SWTW cadre and instructors from a variety of AFSPECWAR career fields to learn about what it takes for a candidate to graduate and earn a beret.
“During a question-and-answer section with one of the instructors…I asked ‘what would you ask to gauge whether or not an applicant is Special Warfare material?’,” said Vila. “The instructor replied, ‘ask them their why…if your why isn’t strong enough, you’re not built for this.’”
At the conclusion of the immersion, many recruiters stated the event provided more insight to help prospective AFSPECWAR candidates and that they would recommend their peers attend future immersions at the SWTW.
“The key lesson [for me] from this event is the importance of the right mindset for those entering Special Warfare,” said Technical Sgt. Joseph Lindgren, a recruiter at the 349th Recruiting Squadron. “The standards, while exceedingly high, appear attainable with the training and guidance provided by the cadre and coaches. However, success is unlikely without the proper mindset.”
If you are interested in pursuing a career in AFSPECWAR, please visit https://www.specialwarfaretw.af.mil/Potential-Candidates/
If you are looking for a training program to prepare you for AFSPECWAR, please visit https://www.specialwarfaretw.af.mil/Portals/69/Pre-accessions%20manual_1.pdf
- Published
- By Special Warfare Training Wing Public Affairs
- Special Warfare Training Wing
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