Originally Posted by Bluemonday
Originally Posted by jorgeI
The training track and time, attrition rate, training costs to mention a few, should clue you in....


It takes three years to train a "junior" SF Medic. He still needs his hand held for a while.

I'd wager the ASVAB/GT/IQ range of the avg flyboy and the avg SOF medic are comparable.


Snork. After a 4 year degree and then Aviation physiology, it's basically 3 years for an Aviator to make it to the fleet and then another 2 years of on the job quals (section lead, division lead, weapons quals, PMCF, MC) to be considered basically qualified. The road to that has so many opportunities to fail that if you're not way to the right of the bell curve the odds are stacked very much against you.

Your assertion is bunk. Not saying that there are not some intelligent medics, and MANY other non-aviator folks in the enlisted ranks, there are and many have my respect and frankly I owe them my life for doing their job right for the couple plus thousand hours I flew "their" jets off boats. It was my pleasure to endorse several for commissioning and they went on to flight school.

I have also spent some time with active duty SOF sorts. They are without a doubt motivated and bright. Some of that time has been down range doing technical work in my post Navy career. While they often go on to contractor jobs afterwards, none of them would call a civilian contractor an "Operator" (note that none of the guys I worked with, USN and USA, called themselves "Operators". Their job in uniform is infinitely more complicated than a contractors support job.

I find it amusing that so many military now feel the urge to be grandiose and say they were "special forces" or "SEALS" or "Sniper Qualed" or something other than what they were which is someone who served honorably in whatever job they did, even if they were the tail more than the teeth. I blame hollywood and the myriad of "there I was books" from people who should really keep their mouths shut about what they did. grin

I flew as an Naval Flight Officer (ECMO) in the EA-6B and it was nearly the least sexy carrier based jet out there. We did electronic attack, one of the least tangible missions. I was not a fighter pilot. I was just a damn good ECMO.

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