I got my first choice of ground radio communications, and I leave for Lackland on May 12. I was wondering if you had any say in tech school on what assignment you received? Also can you trade with others there?
I read all the topics from the last few years and read about comms guys in an ASOS unit, I'm guessing Air Support Operations Squad. Any insight as to what a comm role in this unit entails?
I would want to get into a combat comm unit asap, but know that might not happen.
How do assignments work in tech school? Do airmen get split into different specialties while there or does everyone learn the same thing?
you will fill out a dream sheet for assignments and list your choices. Then it just depends on the needs of the AF. I would assume that if you put Tinker or Robins you would probably get Combat Comm. You will attend EP (Electronic Principles) first with other career fields and then go to speciality training blocks. Since the Ground Radio field is merging with Satcomm/Wideband this year to become RF Transmissions systems it is probably up in the air still on exactly what you will be learning. I think the LAST pure Ground Radio course is starting in a couple of months.
Ground Radio is a *VERY* diverse AFSC. You'll work on everything from LMRs (like police radios), VHF/UHF satcom/LOS, VHF/UHF Air-to-Ground, TV/Radio broadcast, PA systems, guitar amps, XBoxes..... Think I'm kidding? I worked on all that stuff over the summer in Iraq. I love it!! Started out as Wideband, went SATCOM, now Ground Radio.
When I was down in New Orleans after Katrina hit, I worked on anything with an antenna. Even cobbled together an antenna out of copper pipe for an O-5 that was trying to talk into the city on a rubber-duck. I built him a VHF-Low antenna and he was good to go...
In this field, you never know what you're going to see. Makes it fun!!
Thanks for the responses. I'm looking forward to getting started in a few weeks. Looking forward to the TX and MS summer. I've been taking a few electronics classes in college to get a step ahead on the fundies. 13088429 what type of unit are you in now?
Originally posted by Taco66: Thanks for the responses. I'm looking forward to getting started in a few weeks. Looking forward to the TX and MS summer. I've been taking a few electronics classes in college to get a step ahead on the fundies. 13088429 what type of unit are you in now?
I'm in a Combat Comm unit. I was Active Duty Army -- worked at fixed Tropo/LOS/Satcom sites in Italy. That was '88-'92. When I got out, I thought I was DONE with the military, but it gets ingrained in who you are. I went into an Air Force Combat Comm unit in FL in 1995 (114th CBCS on Patrick AFB, FL) and have been doing that ever since. I'm now in the Dallas area where I went into another very similar unit in 2000 when I moved here (221st CBCS). Just recently, I moved into a position in our Group (254th Combat Comm Group). I'm basically the eyes & ears of our Commander (in terms of squadron operations) in this role, but we also support the squadrons when they need it as evaluators for OREs (Operational Readiness Exercises) as they prep for ORIs (the official inspection).
I'm currently a MSgt, and still enjoying the hell out of what I'm doing. You either love Combat Comm or hate it -- it's hard to explain, and I had no idea when I started that I'd stay with it for so long. I did it in the Guard for 13 years with several deployments (Bosnia, Saudi, Iraq), and lots of State-side stuff, some real like Katrina, most training exercise support (like Red Flag at Nellis or Roving Sands in the White Sands area).
It's good that you got a jump on the electronics -- learn as much as you can now. It will make tech school a breeze! Let me know if I can answer anything else for you!
