Revamping PJ Training

The Air Force is revamping the way it trains its pararescue personnel in the hopes of reducing attrition rates in this training pipeline, said Gen. Edward Rice, head of Air Education and Training Command, Friday. Improvement initiatives include: better preparing candidates before they arrive, standardizing the physical ability stamina test, and testing candidates’ psychological state to make sure they are tough enough to succeed. “We tried to put more through in the front end, but that wasn’t the answer, so we broke down the pipeline . . . to ensure that those who raised their hand and said, ‘I want to do this,’ really know what they are getting into and really want to do it,” Rice told attendees of AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla. The command also is requiring that every candidate stay in the program for at least five days or risk getting kicked out of the Air Force altogether.