Specialty Summary. Performs, plans, leads, supervises, instructs, and evaluates pararescue activities. Performs as the essential surface, air link in Personnel Recovery (PR) and materiel recovery by functioning as the rescue and recovery specialist on flying status as mission crew or as surface elements. Provides rapid response capability and operates in the six geographic disciplines: mountain, desert, arctic, urban, jungle and water, day or night, to include friendly, denied, hostile, or sensitive areas. Provides assistance in and performs survival, evasion, resistance, and escape (SERE). Provides emergency trauma and field medical care, and security. Moves recovered personnel and materiel to safety or friendly control when recovery by aircraft is not possible. Related DoD Occupational Subgroup: 105000.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Performs mission planning and preparation. Studies operation mission requirements. Studies terrain and situation. Organizes and selects personnel, equipment, and weapons. Rehearses mission plan, makes reconnaissance, conducts back brief, safeguards information, and loads and configures aircraft. Issues warning order and provides mission plan objective brief.
Supervises and performs insertion, infiltration, exfiltration, and extraction functions. Conducts flight following, and confirms waypoint passage. Provides enroute emergency trauma and medical care. Provides and performs SERE. Provides recovery zone security and aircraft reception. Performs aerial and surface deployment methods to reach objective area. Uses aerial and surface methods to load and assist in loading objectives. Off-loads and transfers personnel and materiel. Prepares and dons mission and personal equipment. Performs inflight duties (if on flying status) to avoid and suppress air and surface threats through scanning, navigation assistance, and aerial gunnery operations. Performs nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) warfare defense. Provides guidance and input to aircraft commander for on-scene operations and confirms insertion and extraction points and infiltration and exfiltration methods.
Performs, supervises, and evaluates surface movement. Navigates on land or water. Performs overt, low visibility, or clandestine movement in friendly, hostile, denied, or sensitive land and water areas. Conducts surface search, contact, and on-scene authentication. Designates rally points. Selects bivouac sites. Conducts discrete surface-to-air and surface electronic and visual communications and signaling activities. Uses firearms and munitions to provide movement security and perform immediate action drills. Directs emergency close air support (ECAS). Provides reception for resupply operations. Conducts scuba, adverse terrain, and mountain rescue and recovery operations. Provides on-scene triage and survivor handling. Provides survival and evasion assistance. Provides photographic documentation. Recovers priority aerospace personnel and material.
Provides intelligence and operations information in debriefings and mission reports.
Supports the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in recovery of aerospace personnel and materiel. Guides recovery of priority NASA space materiel.
Specialty Qualifications:
Knowledge. Knowledge is mandatory of: mission planning and preparation; aircraft and load characteristics; infiltration and exfiltration; insertion and extraction; surface movement; objective area actions; debriefing and reporting; team leader actions; emergency trauma and field medical care; basic and advance parachuting; adverse terrain and mountain operations; scuba and water operations; NBC warfare defense; SERE; night vision devices; firearms and munitions; communications and signaling; photographic documentation; legal responsibilities and ethics; vehicle operations; security, occupational safety and health, administration, and publications; individual fitness; and equipment qualification, inspection, maintenance, and accountability.
Education. For entry into this specialty, completion of high school is desirable. Also, completion of a certified emergency medical technician or paramedic course is desirable.
Training. For award of AFSC 1T231, completion of the following courses is mandatory:
Pararescue Indoctrination.
Airborne (Parachutist).
Special Forces Combat Diver Qualification.
Combat Survival Training.
United States Navy Underwater Egress Training.
Military Freefall Parachutist.
Special Operations Combat Medic Course.
Pararescue and Recovery Apprentice.
Experience. The following experience is mandatory for award of the AFSC indicated:
1T251. Qualification in and possession of AFSC 1T231. Also, experience performing pararescue duties.
1T271. Qualification in and possession of AFSC 1T251. Also, experience performing or supervising pararescue duties.
1T291. Qualification in and possession of AFSC 1T271. Also, experience performing or managing pararescue functions as a pararescue team leader.
Other. The following are mandatory as indicated: For entry into this specialty: Successful completion of the physical ability and stamina test (PAST). For entry, award, and retention of these AFSCs, physical qualification for aircrew, parachute, and marine diving duty according to AFI 48-123, Medical Examination and Standards. For award and retention of AFSCs 1T231/51/71/91: Qualification, currency, and proficiency as a static line and military freefall parachutist, and as a military scuba diver. Certification from the National Registry (or State) for Emergency Medical Technicians as an emergency medical technician. After initial certification, continued certification is mandatory. Physical qualification and maintenance of personal physical standards as defined in AFI 16-1203, Pararescue Training and Evaluation Program.
Specialty requires routine access to Secret material or similar environment. For award and retention of AFSCs 1T2XX, completion of a current National Agency Check, Local Agency Checks and Credit (NACLC) according to AFI 31‑501, Personnel Security Program Management. NOTE: Award of the 3-skill level without a completed NACLC is authorized provided an interim Secret clearance has been granted according to AFI 31-501.
