Delteme

So of it's really that bad Do they offer any incentives to go AFSOC? There's obviously people doing it, so is it voluntary only or is it possible to end up there against your wishes?

Again I'm coming in as a civilian so can you please elaborate on why morale would be lower? I would have thought being part of a "core group" like that would boost morale? And how is quality of life differnt from any other base?

Just started reading about this yesterday.... And there's not much out there about it. Can anyone please shed some light on this field and what's different (if any) from a regular RPA pilot vs AFSOC RPA pilot? What's the difference in their missions etc? I read so far that there are 2 Special Ops squadrons currently active with RPAs: the 3rd and 33rd SOS. Both based out of Canon AFB in New Mexico, flying Predators and Reapers. I'm a civilian RPA select so please excuse my lack of info.... What are the pros/cons to being AFSOC RPA pilot? How do you get in? Is day to day life any different? Any incentives? I was interested in AFSOC (enlisted) after not getting selected for OTS my first time around so please tell me more!

I like that. Good point. Thank you!

Thanks for the Info, I'll make note of that. So if you're only doing take off and landing, what do you do while the guys back home are flying the mission? And maybe not "being in the action" is the best way to describe it but I'd rather be out there than going back to regular civilian life then switching back to military everyday....sounds mentally and emotionally exhausting. I'd rather be mentally in it for extended periods of time.

Thanks so much My main concerns were LRE and MCE. So like I said, I'm going into the RPA career, mid 20's, single, no children.... By the sounds of some people, this may be a boring black hole of a career for my situation. I'll admit it was my last choice of all the rated jobs but i was given the opportunity and I'll take it. It sounds like I won't have any time to study to go for a masters degree? Someone earlier mentioned a broadening opportunity.... What is that exactly? And as for volunteering for deployments... since I'm single with no dependents, I think I will be volunteering a lot.... Is there a limit to how often you can volunteer? I think id rather be out there close to the action. (Sorry maybe I should have started my own thread)

Howdy I've been selected for OTS with an RPA career path and have been doing as much reading as possible about the field but can anyone help me with all the acronyms the field uses? A lot I'm seeing on here I've never heard....