Navy or Air Force? Aviation Rescue Swimmer or Pararescueman/Combat Control?

Question

Forgive me if this is a little long, I'm trying to look at it from every angle. I'm set on joining the military but can't decide which branch. I want to help people, I like being very hands on, enjoy learning as much as possible (about any field), welcome new experiences, and would not mind if I had to face combat or dangerous situations. I'm 24 yo, in good shape, have a bachelors degree, love to travel, am very tech savvy, and just all around very diverse in interests. Pretty simple guy, don't need to be pampered with lavish life styles; no family, no kids or wife/gf.

Currently I do not have a steady job. No, before you even question, that is not why I have resolved to military. Notice I said steady, not "no job". I've been interested in the military ever since I was in grade school. After tremendous amounts of soul searching and thought, this is where I want, and feel I am supposed to be. 

I did great on the ASVAB and was told by both branches I could basically have any job I wanted, long as it was available. I'm going to go enlisted, not officer, and currently I'm not looking to make the military a life career. I would like to serve my yrs, 6 as is mandatory for all spec ops, and if I really like it, perhaps then I'll make it a life career. That being said though, I am also interested in which branch has the faster advancement rate.

My top three MOS pics were:
Navy - Aviation Rescue Swimmer
Air Force - Pararescue or Combat Control. 

Below I've tried listing the pros and cons to each position as from what I could tell through research, recruiters, and the limited known first hand experience contacts in the military. 

(AIRR) Rescue Swimmer Pros:

 - Get to travel a lot

 - Known as a shore based job, so you're not stuck on ship for months at a time

 - More diversified job training
           ~ Meaning you learn more than just rescue swimmer techniques, also learn a lot of AW duties pertaining to your type of helicopter.
           ~ Also can and do regularly assist in fire rescue and even at times combat support or enemy detainment

 - Helps with a lot of aid and relief; Katrina, Haiti.

 - Although very elite and physically demanding position, training seems to be easier than that of PJ or CCT (in terms of physicality).
            ~ I can currently pass the "in" PAST test with ease.

 - Even if I would fall out in the rescue swimmer pipeline somewhere, AW still seems pretty interesting. 

 - $25,000 sign on bonus upon course completion. 

Rescue Swimmer Cons:

 - Heard there's not a lot of rescuing.
            ~ Most seems to be done by the coast guards.
            ~ The Navy recently posted something about advanced rescue swimmer school on their site. If anyone has info on this that would be great.

 - Enlistment process to become an AIRR is still a mystery to me. Recruiters continually change the process while my friend who is an AIRR tells me another completely different process from anything the recruiters said, but he's been in for a few yrs, so dunno if the process has changed.

 - Upon enlisting, my DOE to basic would be between 8 - 12 months.
           ~ "Could" get bumped up earlier for spec ops, but even IF that happens, still between 4 - 6.


Pararescue Pros:

 - Upon enlistment, could leave for Basic within 3 weeks to a month after passing the "in" PAST test

 - Get to do pretty much all extreme sports; rock climb, scuba, parajump, etc.

 - Also help in relief efforts; Haiti, Katrina

 - Dude ...it's pararescue, that's just bad ***. 

 - $17,000 sign on bonus upon completion of training.

Pararescue Cons:

 - While in good shape, I'm not quite in PJ shape yet.
          ~ Am working on my distance run times, should see a significant improvement within 2, 3 months tops; at which point I'll be able to compete for PJ competitively.

 - Sole job is as a combat medic. Search and rescue.

 - Advancement in the Air Force seems slower compared to Navy. 
          ~ Would be 36 months, possibly 30 until I would advance to E - 4. 
          ~ Navy I would be an E - 4 after air crewman school, so about 6 months.

 - $17,000 sign on bonus compared to 25

 - Besides Pararescue or Combat Control, there's not really any other job I would like in the AF. If I fall out somewhere along the pipeline ...?


Combat control Pros:

 - Am trained on multiple vehicular transportation.

 - While I like team work, and am good with team structure, always worked better alone or in very small groups.

 - Other pros same as pararescue.

Combat Control Cons:

 - Don't really save or help ppl. much, not that I'm aware of anyways.

 - Others same as pararescue cons.

All three jobs seem really cool, and I feel strong pulls to all of them which is making it hard to select one over the other. While I am trying to leave asap, I also want to make sure, or at least "feel" as if I am ready for the challenge that awaits. Anyone who has inpu

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

You need to go back and do research because you clearly have NO clue as to what Pararescue is about.  PJs are NOT combat medics, not even close.  They are personnel recovery specialists. Combat medics sole job is combat medicine. PJs have a far more broad job and that is why they are trained in a wide variety of skills from rescue tactics to combat tactics to trauma medicine. These are tools to do the job. 

Pararescue is a Special Operations careerfield, that means one could be out on a CSAR mission or one could be spending his days attached to a SEAL team or SF team. The training for a PJ is far more indepth and advanced than for either Navy rescue swimmers or Coast Guard rescue swimmers. Also, Pararescue handles ALL rescues out to sea beyond 200 miles as the CG doesn't have the capability to reach that far. 

Navy Rescue swimmers are NOT combat arms nor are they Special Operations. Pararescue is. Navy Rescue swimmers do not get the advanced training PJs do and will not go on the same missions PJs do.  They do not attend airborne school or military free fall, nor are they combat divers. They do not recieve tactical training beyond basic familiarization and they will not go on any actual CSAR operations, regardless of what they may tell you, they won't. It's not their job. And that's okay.

Understand, it doesn't make PJs better .. but they are two completely different jobs that cannot be compared. 

If you are interested in a Special Operations careerfield that lives by the motto "that others may live," then look into Pararescue. The training is very long and hard, there is an incredibly high attrition rate and you will be put into combat situations. You will deploy often and train when you're not deployed. You will need to be physically fit BEYOND the standards of the PAST test before shipping to basic training .. if you are not, you will wash out of indoc, I promise. The PAST should be easy for you .. you should be able to take it twice in a row with passing scores. If not .. you're not ready. 

Go over to www.specialtactics.com to get more information on Pararescue and Combat Control

Tony · Answer

I am an air rescue swimmer in the Navy and have been doing the job for 7 years, and I recommend  PJ's. The advancement thing in the Navy is a bonus because you do get E-4 after "A" school and you can take the test for E-5 within a year, and it's pretty easy to pick up, but it bottlenecks shortly after that. If you are worried about advancement, you can be an officer instead with your Bachelor's.  You can't be an officer and a swimmer in the Navy, whereas I think you can be a PJ and an officer in the Air Force.  The advanced rescue swimmer school is available in the Navy, but is a Coast Guard school so it is very difficult (especially when you first come in) to get a billet. They have about 4 navy seats a year.  The training is alot easier for the navy-side.  Unless you are extremely lucky, YOU WILL BE ON A SHIP FOR 6 MONTHS!!!!!!  don't believe what you've been told. As for the amount of rescues,  It  depends where you are stationed. My first command was in Whidbey Island and my current command is in Guam and I have over 10 rescues and 60 Medical evacuations (some MEDEVAC's were more physically demanding than my rescues) ,but I've also been lucky. If the Air Force recruiters would have been in their office 8 years ago, i would have been a PJ, But this job is probably the best in the navy.

Anonymous · Answer

Aviation Rescue Swimmer

delsignore · Answer

Navy Rescue Swimmer

Tammy · Answer

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Navy or Air Force? Aviation Rescue Swimmer or Pararescueman/Combat Control?
Forgive me if this is a little long, I&#39;m trying to look at it from every angle. I&#39;m set on joining the military but can&#39;t decide which branch. I want to help people, I like being very hands on, enjoy learning as much as possible (about any field), welcome new experiences, and would not...

Anonymous · Answer

For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/avC6c

Your comparing apples to oranges. Your comparison is like comparing a high school football team ( navy swimmer ) to the NFL ( para rescue ) The level of training, level of physical fitness, level of medical training and skill are not comparable. Para rescue is spec ops with one of the hardest training programs in the military. Your looking at 2 1/2 years of training before you are qualified. You will be certified as an EMT, then you will go to the SOCOM medics course where you are certified as a paramedic. Compared to just a 4 weeks of training for a navy rescue swimmer. Rescue swimmers do not recieve any specialized fire fighting training, just the same training as everyone in the navy under go. Aviation rescue swimmers are not EMT certified. They are taught basic first aid and must be CPR certified.

Greco · Answer

Sorry I can't really help with your choices. But here are a few pros and cons. BTW I was married to a Seabee at one time and also made a 20 year career in the Air Force.

Con: The Navy has more acronyms to learn. LOL
Con: You may get promoted quicker in the Navy, but you could also get demoted quicker. 
Pro: The Air Force has better living quarters.
Pro: The Navy has better food.

Anyway here's a job you may be interested in. It's not a regular one and it may not be exactly what you want to do, but it's a challenge 

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/airforceenlistedjobs/a/afjob9s100.htm

Good luck.

angeliquedesjardins · Answer

You want to know why rescue swimmers don't rescue many people in the Navy, it's because we the Coast Guard do it for them.  You want to be a rescue swimmer and actually rescue people you should set your sites on the Coast Guard.  It is hard to get in right now but you could always give it a try.

Anonymous · Answer

Rescue Swimmer was (in my opinion), the best enlisted job in the Navy.  I had a great time with it, so I'm going to be biased.  More than likely, you will be in an HS squadron, which flies plane-guard during carrier flight ops. The only actual rescues tend to be pilot ejections, man-overboard, or picking up the occasional boatload of refugees.  During my enlistment, I had one actual rescue.  You will probably also train in  Combat Search & Rescue, conducting SEAL insertions and extractions, and (of course) be a door-gunner.  I had a great time as a SAR swimmer!  Good luck!  

Pros: -Small community- everyone knows everyone! 
         -More diversified job training
         -Travel, join the Navy see the world...absolutely true.
         -It's just a cool job! 
         -Navy has much better duty-stations than other services. West-coast SAR swimmers can pretty much remain in San Diego!!

Cons: Small community- everyone knows everyone!
         -More diversified job training=Jack of all trades, master of few
         --Travel, you can count on 1 year of training plus 2-3 cruises during your first enlistment...but then there will be shore duty, mostlikely as an instructor.

Don't be discouraged by recruiters.  When I was joining, I got the run-around about guaranteed aircrew..."aviation machinists mate is great, and you can get picked up for aircrew later" or words to that effect.  After refusing to sign, they magically found an aircrew availability.

Anonymous · Answer

i would say coast guard for rescue swimmer and saving people or air force pararescue for adventure and helping people very dangeruous though but look at their mottos 
Coast Guard rescue swimmer- so others may live
air force pararescue- that others may live 
yes they are very similar but their responsibiliteis are similar

Trending News

Navy or Air Force? Aviation Rescue Swimmer or Pararescueman/Combat Control?

11 Answers