T
hat is the headline on a recruiting pitch from the 720th Special Tactics Group at Hurlburt Field, Fla., for airmen to consider jumping into the world of special tactics. The lead paragraph reads like a plug for a James Bond movie, describing the ways a special tactics airman may get to work—everything from freefall parachuting to amphibious infiltration to traveling cross country on a motorcycle or a pair of skis. The pitch notes that Combat Controllers, Pararescue Jumpers, and Special Operations Weathermen are in “great demand” and “cannot be mass produced.” Interested? The 720th has a recruiting briefing and physical stamina test lined up for next week.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.