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Meet Special Reconnaissance, a new career field in Air Force Special Operations

Meet Special Reconnaissance, a new career field in Air Force Special Operations

Soldiers with 2-20th Special Forces Group (Airborne) as well as other members of the special operations community prepare to conduct a mock-nighttime assault on the Grenada Dam in Grenada, Mississippi January 20, 2019. The exercise involved a simultaneous assault from multiple points, with the intent of gaining control over an insurgent-held dam.
Southern Strike 2019 is a large-scale, joint multinational combat exercise that provides tactical level training for the full spectrum of conflict. It emphasizes air dominance, maritime operations, maritime air support, precision engagement, close air support, command and control, personnel recovery, aero medical evacuation, and combat medical support.
Air National Guard Photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher S. Muncy. DVIDS.

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In a major development, the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) changed the Special Operations Weather Technician (SOWT) career field to Special Reconnaissance (SR).

The Air Force has debated the future of its battlefield airmen for some time. SOWTs were seen as unnecessary with the advent of weather forecasting technology. Earlier in 2018, the service released a memorandum describing the current challenges and explored possible improvement opportunities to become more effective. “Bottom line, a fully leveraged Air Force ground maneuver element eliminates the need to ask another service to do what the Air Force should do ourselves,” the memo states. This conclusion indicates a desire for more independence. The document was signed by the Air Force’s Vice Chief of Staff, Gen. Stephen Wilson.

As of now, the battlefield airmen designation includes:

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  • Avatar
    Stavros Atlamazoglou

    Samuel,
    The 75th RRC is attached to JSOC. For SR missions, SOCOM has a plethora of units (SEALs, SF, and soon the SR). My best guess is that the new unit will either follow the current pattern of AFSOC, that is, attach individual operators to other units, or deploy small teams to conduct environmental or close-target recons.

  • Avatar
    Stavros Atlamazoglou

    Samuel,
    The 75th RRC is attached to JSOC. For SR missions, SOCOM has a plethora of units (SEALs, SF, and soon the SR). My best guess is that the new unit will either follow the current pattern of AFSOC, that is, attach individual operators to other units, or deploy small teams to conduct environmental or close-target recons.

  • Avatar
    Samuel B

    Any insight/guesses on to how this unit is going to be different from the only other dedicated SOCOM Reconnaissance Unit I can think of the 75th Rangers RRC?

  • Avatar
    Skip M

    I wish I was 17 again, I would be training up if I knew about the unit then.