Pararescuemen Hitting the Streets: Air Force Reserve Command MSgt. Jim Johnston from Florida has been making calls with the Tucson Fire Department’s paramedics since February, treating patients ranging from the elderly to alcoholics on the streets of the Arizona city. Johnston is one of approximately 12 pararescuemen from across the US that is working with the TFD to improve their emergency response skills, reports the Arizona Daily Star. The training is conducted through Pima Community College, which won a $60,000 contract let by Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., to offer such classes to USAF rescue personnel. “In the military you’re mainly working on young, healthy people,” Johnston told the Star, saying the new environment is definitely putting his responder skills to the test.
Trainees in Basic Military Training and technical school no longer have the option to try alternate PT drills if they fail an initial assessment, according to a policy change the Air Force made in April. The move is part of a larger shift out of the classroom and into hands-on,…