KnifeBomber
BANNED
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2000
- Messages
- 745
Maurice,
I was a loader before becoming an aerial gunner. It used to be that only loaders could be gunners, but that changed a little over a year ago. To start out, you would go to Enlisted Aircrew Undergraduate Course at Sheppard AFB, TX. This is a 3 week academic course that is sort of a weed out course to see who really wants to be a flyer. Then you go to Underwater Egress (helicopter dunker) Training at one of several locations. This is a one day class with a swim test as well. After that, you go to Water Survival in Pensacola, FL. This is a week long paid vacation at the beach. Parasailing and some other fun stuff takes place here. Then you go to Land Survival/SERE Training at Fairchild AFB, WA. This is 2 1/2 weeks of learining to survive and return from captivity with honor. Pretty hard stuff. From there you go to Kirtland AFB, NM for Basic Aerial Gunner Class where you learn all the academic stuff of being a gunner. After the BAG, you then are split up to the different airframes you might be assigned to: MH-53J PaveLow, HH-60G PaveHawk, or the AC-130 Spectre. The helo guys get their initial flight training at Kirtland whilst the Spectre guys go to Hurlburt Field in FL. Upon completing your Initial Qualification training, you then go to your assigned unit for your mission qual training. Then you are a full up Mission Gunner. The AFSC is 1A7X1 if you are interested. All the recruiters should have some information and if you want, email me at ryan.renuart@nellis.af.mil and I'll send you a "gunner recruiting commercial" via email. Then I'll be happy to answer any more questions. Also a Class III flight physical is required.
I was a loader before becoming an aerial gunner. It used to be that only loaders could be gunners, but that changed a little over a year ago. To start out, you would go to Enlisted Aircrew Undergraduate Course at Sheppard AFB, TX. This is a 3 week academic course that is sort of a weed out course to see who really wants to be a flyer. Then you go to Underwater Egress (helicopter dunker) Training at one of several locations. This is a one day class with a swim test as well. After that, you go to Water Survival in Pensacola, FL. This is a week long paid vacation at the beach. Parasailing and some other fun stuff takes place here. Then you go to Land Survival/SERE Training at Fairchild AFB, WA. This is 2 1/2 weeks of learining to survive and return from captivity with honor. Pretty hard stuff. From there you go to Kirtland AFB, NM for Basic Aerial Gunner Class where you learn all the academic stuff of being a gunner. After the BAG, you then are split up to the different airframes you might be assigned to: MH-53J PaveLow, HH-60G PaveHawk, or the AC-130 Spectre. The helo guys get their initial flight training at Kirtland whilst the Spectre guys go to Hurlburt Field in FL. Upon completing your Initial Qualification training, you then go to your assigned unit for your mission qual training. Then you are a full up Mission Gunner. The AFSC is 1A7X1 if you are interested. All the recruiters should have some information and if you want, email me at ryan.renuart@nellis.af.mil and I'll send you a "gunner recruiting commercial" via email. Then I'll be happy to answer any more questions. Also a Class III flight physical is required.
