The TRUTH About Air Force Assessment and Selection
If you want to be a PJ, Combat Controller, or Special Reconnaissance Airmen, you need to make it through four grueling weeks at Air Force Assessment and Selection.
Recent times have seen an evolution in the Air Force Special Warfare Division. They’ve made significant investments in state-of-the-art facilities, research and development, and a complete overhaul of the training pipeline. All of these changes have brought Air Force Special Warfare a lot of new attention.
As a coach training civilians and active and reserve personnel for SOF careers, I’ve seen firsthand many guys now open or even shifting their original plans to pursue careers in the Air Force.
But all of this new attention has left four damaging myths you need to know about.
1. How Hard is Air Force Assessment & Selection (A&S)?
One of the most damaging myths about Assessment and Selection (A&S) is the idea that it’s the ‘easy route’ simply because it’s the Air Force. Here’s where this misconception comes from and why it’s wrong.
Misleading Entrance Standards
At first glance, the entry standards for an Air Force Special Warfare (AFSW) contract are not competitive:
| 1.5 Mile Run | 10:20 |
| 500m Swim | 15:00 |
| Push Up | 40 |
| Pull Up | 8 |
| Sit Up | 50 |
| 2 x 25m UW Swim | Pass |
But remember, these are the minimums to get your foot in the door.
High Attrition Rate
The data consistently shows a high attrition rate at Air Force Assessment and Selection. While the 4-week course might sound short, a small percentage of candidates complete it.
Highly Competitive Candidates
Comparing the fitness levels of candidates from Air Force A&S with those emerging from the Navy’s BUD/S or Army’s SFAS, it becomes clear that Air Force candidates are just as fit, if not fitter.
The top 25% of those signing a PJ contract, before the AFSW contracting system recently changed, clocked a 9-minute 1.5-mile run and an impressive 8:11 500m swim.
But even with those great times, that candidate in the top 25% of his class would only have a 15% chance of getting selected.
The top 5% of candidates in terms of fitness have a 38% selection rate
For those pushing their limits and landing in the top 5%, with a lightning-fast 1.5-mile run at 8:31 and a 7:12 500m swim, the odds are still less than 50% – a mere 38% selection chance.
Air Force Money & Training
Many civilians see that the Air Force is pumping money into state-of-the-art facilities, new technology, and coaching in their Special Warfare Candidate Course. But they are not doing this for a relaxed training environment. The numbers prove this, and anyone who goes in with the expectation they will coast through is thoroughly misguided.
2. The Air Force Is Like the Army or Navy
One common myth surrounding the Air Force is the perception of its size, with many believing it’s as vast as the Army.
Let’s break this down:
How Big Is Air Force Special Warfare?
Air Force Special Warfare is substantially smaller than its Army counterpart. The Navy’s NSW boasts approximately 2,450 active-duty SEALs.
And the Army dwarfs this with well over 10,000 Special Operations Forces (SOF) personnel, dispersed across various groups and specialized units.
Air Force Special Warfare is a Small Community
In a smaller community like Air Force Special Warfare, every action and decision you make is magnified. Your behavior, performance, and reputation can have lasting implications. In such a close setting, you’re not just another face in the crowd. Remember, your reputation will follow you everywhere, starting from day 1.
3. AFSW Prep School is the Golden Ticket
Myth number three ties back to the additional funding put into the new Air Force Special Warfare Prep Course. A prevalent myth has been circulating: this course alone is the golden ticket, equipping candidates with every tool and skill set they’d need to excel.
At first glance, the course is comprehensive. You’ll be split into groups based on fitness benchmarks, with a regimented training schedule, and taught by elite performance coaches on every aspect of fitness from running, rucking, mobility, weightlifting, water confidence, swimming, and more.
You’ll be split into groups based on fitness benchmarks, with a regimented training schedule, and taught by elite performance coaches
But here’s the misconception. While the prep course is undeniably valuable and designed to improve a recruit’s physical capabilities, it is not a miracle worker. If you’re starting at the bare minimum requirements barely passing the initial fitness test, and expecting to leap to top-tier, competitive scores solely based on these 8 weeks is unrealistic.
As a coach, I recommend my athletes view the prep course as icing on the cake. We already know you’re going to detrain during basic training, so I make sure you’re well exceeding the standards before then.
By the time you reach AFSW prep, some of your fitness has atrophied, but you can use that as a time to sharpen and refine your skills. You should not be counting on the prep course to get you fitter.
4. The Instructors Are Out To Get You
Myth #4 is that the instructors are waiting for candidates to make a mistake and hungry for any opportunity to wash them out. But let’s dissect this myth with some facts.
Investment in Candidates
The Air Force makes significant financial and resource investments in the training and preparation of its candidates. The introduction of the Air Force Special Warfare Prep Course is a testament to this commitment. Why would they want to spend time, energy, and money, only to then wish for candidates to fail?
If they wanted you to fail, they would not be spending tens of thousands of dollars to go through the prep course
RAND Corporation Studies:
Second, the Air Force, in collaboration with the RAND Corporation, has conducted multiple studies to optimize training and selection processes. The objective is clear: develop more efficient and effective training protocols to maximize candidate potential and develop candidates that will be successful. This indicates a desire to fine-tune the process to ensure the right candidates succeed rather than looking for reasons to fail them.
Recruitment & Retention Challenges
The Air Force has had major challenges recruiting and retaining top-tier talent. Given the rigor and demands of these special operations roles, the pool of suitable candidates is very small and the public knowledge of Air Force Special Warfare is also very low – which has led to additional investments per the recommendation of RAND to increase awareness of AFSW.
Conclusion
Since the Air Force is such a smaller community, and they’ve been putting so much new investment into their pipeline it is changing very quickly from month to month and year to year.
This has led to many misconceptions, and I hope this article helped to clear them up.
If you enjoyed this article, I know you will be interested in How To Run a Faster 5 Mile in 5 Weeks (Free Program).
