Air Force Careers

Random question in the middle of the talk about airplanes, but does the Air Force have any careers for chemical engineering majors?
 
Of course they do. You can work with logistics studying fuels. The medical service corps in the labs. Rocket propellants are always being handled, tested, and analyzed (Think NASA, or Missiles). Point is they have needs for every kind of engineering degree you can think of.
 
The most prominent AF Spec Op's career currently is the CRO or Combat Rescue Officer. It is restricted to men, and was created to provide the Pararescue community with commisioned officers. They must complete rigirous training similar to their PJ's including swimming, parachuting, communications, and the use of specilized weapons.

The AF is considering adding officers to the TACP community. They are the group that call in close quarter munitions strikes, and guide the flyers on their approaches for bombing runs. They typically work side by side with RANGERS, and Green Berets.

The flying crews of the AC-130 Spectre and Commander Solo aircraft are also a big part of the Special Operations community. They provide very violent and deadly accurate close air support in the AC130's case. The Commander Solo aircraft provide communications capabilities.

The members of the ARS community or rescue helicopter squadrons are also a part of the Spec Ops community.
 
I hope the AF adds officers to TACP when I read enlisted only I was saddened. That would be so cool if this happened
 
Tactical Air Control Party. Think Air Traffic Control but they make sure bombs drop on target (up close and personal like). Making bad guys dead one bomb at a time.
 
The AF does have something equivalent to a TACP...it is called an ALO (not the ALO for the AFA). How do you become one...you need to be a flyer, You are in charge of them and it is not something that guys willing apply for...typically you do it to xtrain into another jet. Bullet was an ALO with the 82nd AB and jumped out of perfectly good airplanes. You need the flying experience to direct the pilots that will be coming in for the air strike.

They are not anything like the Seals or Rangers you are confusing them with PJs. Also you don't want to go that route b/c the old adage out of sight out of mind comes true. You will be working directly with the Army and your squadron/det will be on an Army base, which means no direct contact with the AF heirarchy, making promotions harder to come by. They are always the redheaded cousins, not fitting in with the Army b/c they make a million plus flight pay :wink:, and not fitting in with the AF because they work with the Army. Finally, jumping out of perfectly good airplanes brings the risk that you will hurt yourself and lose flight status...knew a guy who broke his leg and had to get pins, than had to go up on a Med board to keep his wings, the $125/mo. jump pay is not worth losing the hundreds in flight pay. While Bullet was an ALO he sent several of his guys through Ranger school, but he fought hard to get the money to send them.

The true TACP job is to go in as a small cadre with an Army Brigade and call in the strike. In other words, you will be one of the few AF guys on the ground instead of the sky. You will live life more like the Army than the AF. Brigades have blanket leave b/c they rotate who is on call. When the brigade deploys you go with them, no if and or buts! Quick ex. when Bullet was with the 82nd I was 9 mos pregnant, and he was sent in the field on my due date, what did the Army say...too bad, so sad Bullet, but you're going, compare that to when I went into labor with our DD and he was at the end of the runway taxing for a flight, they called him over the mic and said return to the squadron your wife has armed a bomb (code for labor...pickling is code for delivering)
 
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USAFA hopeful said:
Random question in the middle of the talk about airplanes, but does the Air Force have any careers for chemical engineering majors?
Click to expand...

The AF doesn't need nor actively seek ChemE per say. I think that's why my ROTC application was denied because I would have been a ChemE at a civilian university. Keep in mind, ChemE is NOT offered at USAFA, otherwise that would be my major (I'm BioChemistry now). My father is a ChemE, probably why I'm so Chem inclined!

So, if you did get a ChemE degree, you would most likely use it in Chemistry applications like the AFRL (AF Research Labs), which, from what I hear, is a glorified desk job where the officers do mostly admin and oversea lab techs. The other option could be using the MechE side with fluid dynamics, but you'd still most likely be in the labs.
 
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