Hello all!

Just a silly question. I am aware that the responsibilities and duties of CROs and PJs are different but was wondering if Combat Rescue Officers consider themselves as part of the Pararescue career field? Or are both PJs and CRO part of the Combat Rescue career filed. I am sorry if the question seems pointless, I am just curious.

Thanks!

No, they do not consider themselves PJs, and vice-versa. PJ and CRO are different AFSCs, and enlisted/commissioned respectively. The CRO was created to advocate for both PJ and SERE and the overall Personnel Recovery mission.

There are lots of discussions on the forum regarding the PR triad and different aspects of the mission and the capabilities that each AFSC brings to the fight.

TE,

I know that the two positions are different in many ways and that "they do not consider themselves PJs, and vice-versa". I guess I should've worded my question a little bit better. I am curious what the name of the career field that CROs and PJs fall into (Pararescue, Combat Rescue, etc) or is there no over-arching career field title connecting them? I apologize for the confusion and thank you anyway!

The predominant demarcation and connection between enlisted and commissioned AFSCs is the enlisted AFSCs produce drawings (vocational and are rude and crude barbarians) and the commissioned AFSCs produce art (professional and are honorable* ladies and gentlemen). The simile is an overstatement in modern high technology military operations, but there are two chains of command in the United States Armed Forces. The first is functional in each military department having purpose to ensure capabilities and readiness exits and the other is operational/combat having purpose that when approval is given to unleash the dogs of war, the dogs of war are under control and supervision doing the intent of national command authority and not raiding to rape and pillage with unrestraint.

The connection consequently can be seen by comparing the general career area description of the enlisted and commissioned AFSCs.

The Pararescue enlisted AFSC falls under the AIRCREW PROTECTION CAREER FIELD (1T).--- The Aircrew Protection Career Field encompasses the functions involved in instructing aircrew and other designated personnel on the principles, procedures, and techniques of global survival; and locating and penetrating incident areas to provide emergency medical treatment, survival, and evacuation of survivors. Included is the impact of survival and recovery related life support equipment; recovery, evasion, captivity, resistance to exploitation, and escape; instructing aircrew on environmental physiology and use and care of aircrew life support equipment; and issuing, fitting, inspecting, and minor repairing of aircrew life support equipment.

The CRO and STO commissioned officer AFSC falls under SPACE, MISSILE, and COMMAND and CONTROL (C2) UTILIZATION FIELD (13XX)-- The Operations Career Area encompasses utilization fields that directly employ weapon and supporting systems to accomplish the primary operational mission of the Air Force. Included are Operations Commander, Pilot, Navigator, Astronaut, Command and Control, Space and Missile, Intelligence, Weather, and Operations Support. Use AFSC 10C0 to identify Operations Group Commanders. Use prefix C with pilot and navigator AFSCs 11X3 and 12X3 to identify commanders of squadrons with flying missions. Use prefix C with AFSCs 13X3, 14N3, 15N3, and 16X3 to identify commanders of appropriate units. Use the pilot or navigator AFSC appropriate to the type of mission and weapon system flown to identify commanders and operations officers of all squadrons with flying as their primary mission, and to identify primary duty instructor pilots and navigators in operational units. Commensurate with grade and experience, duties as squadron commander, squadron operations officer, and instructor pilot or navigator are an inherent responsibility of rated officer specialties. The Operations Commander coordinates and directs the efforts and resources of Operations units to meet mission goals and objectives.

The Air Force military commissioned rank hierarchy is inherited from the US Army which has considerable focus on combat chain of command. Flag, Field and company grade officer designates the span of command of units or elements of an army maneuvering on the battlefield. This is simplistic linear non-specific line chain of command associated with the dark side of waging war. In the Army, company-grade officers are typically assigned to a company as a platoon leader or executive officer (lieutenants) or as a commander (captains). Field officers, also called "field-grade officers" or "senior officers," are officers who typically command units that can be expected to operate independently for short periods of time (i.e., infantry battalions, cavalry or artillery regiments, warships, air squadrons). Field officers also commonly fill staff positions of functional (Air Staff) or combat commands (typically joint).

Although the Air Force recognizes the three levels of combat command requirements within its officer corps much in the practice of acquiring highly complex technology weapon systems and sustaining this equipment in ready to use conditions has diversified many commissioned AFSCs into being functional and support oriented at the expense of military commission being the profession that determine strategies to win the fight and getting assets and capabilities where they are needed to win the fight.

On the dark side of waging the boots on the ground war, the line NCO is the lowest level of the combat chain of command. Very little of the Air Force is boots on the ground relevant to squad, platoon, company, regiment combat operations. Thus the PJ NCO team leader gets the objectives accomplished and the CRO makes sure the team leader and the team gets there and is supported from mission start to mission end. This is not meant to imply or suggest the CRO cannot and/or will not participate at the being there tactical capability responder level, but it is meant to confirm CRO career development and duty assignments is professionally oriented towards a level of responsibility differently than the enlisted and NCO PJ career development is.

*Honorable imposed by US Code TITLE 10, Subtitle A, PART II, CHAPTER 33, § 532 which stipulates qualifications for original appointment as a commissioned officer can only be given to a person of good moral conduct and Article 133—Conduct unbecoming an officer and gentleman which states—“ Any commissioned officer, cadet, or midshipman who is convicted of conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.”