Revised CSO training scheme

[JimNtexas]

https://www.12ftw.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1724030/back-to-basics-for-csos-running-long-deep-fast/fbclid/IwAR2mfhtYeJRXRh2XaVLYMQ9UWxYjJ6-EuyxN5JWtXT5O9ZSeBkUHqeLjS7g/

 

[YoungnDumb]

Interesting article, I'm curious about the early track select and its long term ramifications.

[08Dawg]

A step in the right direction!  The CSO concept was good on paper, but the career field is far too diverse for a jack of all trades, master of none approach. 

[JimNtexas]

I suppose that EWOs going to Growlers and some F-15E's must do both courses.  

I hope anyway.

[ATIS]

"The school rearranged training in order to identify students with the best aptitude for typical CSO missions. To do that, they inserted portions of formerly advanced phases of training into the primary phase using simulators. Cadre are now evaluating each student's potential to function as a WSO, sensor operator, navigator, or EWO before assignment in one of four new specialized advanced tracks."

 

Interesting....that's how we did it in the Navy when I was winged back in the 90's.  I am assuming the Navy still does it that way.  Build the basics of a NFO, then track them to their community (in my day is was RIO training track, Over water Nav, and Attack A-6-EA-6B types).  We all had core Air and low level nav fundementals we all had to do in advanced training, but with a trend toward your speciality.  

 

ATIS

[JimNtexas]

I'm old enough to have graduated from 'Universal Nav Training', which basically was about a nine month course in table navigation with a little bit of radar and low level thrown in.   After UNT I went to EWO school which was about four or five months and then to F-4s.

[YoungnDumb]

The more things change...

[pawnman]

This sounds a lot like the scheme when I went through JSUNT with the Navy.

[VigilanteNav]

Thread revival, any CSOs who just completed CSO school or in school now have the current gouge on the school as it currently exists?   I'm an AFROTC Det CC with a CSO select who is about to commission and head to P'Cola this summer.  And, I'm an ol' school Panel Nav (slick 130's) who went through P'cola in '96 so very interested in what the school looks like now.  

[Bode]

What are you looking for exactly? In T6s they all fly a contact sortie then 5 high alt (16k) nav rides. EWOs track off to their nerdy corner. From there the non-EWOs fly four advanced instrument rides and four low levels with a check ride at the end. From there they track Nav, SO, or WSO. They all head off to T1 land in their specific tracks. The WSOs who get Strike Eagles or Growlers come back for a 5 ride formation spin up.

 

Can’t speak for what the nerd land teaches them.

 

 

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[fect]

After getting to Pcola, expect to be there a few weeks on casual before going off to Doss for IFT for about 3-4 weeks, then back in Pensacola for a few weeks before heading off to Fairchild for SERE and Water Survival. Should be classed up soon after that, and start with academics. Currently the Primary Syllabus flows through:

• Basic Nav
• Enroute Nav and Enroute Nav sims
• EW fundamentals, ADS, Combat Nav, and a few simple Combat Nav sims
• T-6 Systems, 3 T-6 Contact sims
• T-6 Instruments, 3 T-6 Instrument sims
• 1 T-6 Contact dollar ride
• 5 T-6 Instrument nav flights

Then EWOs track, and non-EWOs stay in T-6s for advanced instruments and low levels before tracking and heading off to more academics, sims, and T-1s. DM me if you want more in depth info, I'm there right now. 

[WeatherLion]

I’m wondering what metrics they identify to determine who is best at what when it comes to CSO tracks. For combat stuff or bombs I’m guessing being able to identify structures and features and a high level of spatial awareness is key to putting bombs on target.

[YoungnDumb]

That's a surprisingly fast/short syllabus to track kids.  What's the feedback been so far?

[Bode]

I’m wondering what metrics they identify to determine who is best at what when it comes to CSO tracks. For combat stuff or bombs I’m guessing being able to identify structures and features and a high level of spatial awareness is key to putting bombs on target.

I believe you are overthinking it. Just like pilot training it’s based on mass from graded events, test scores, and flight commanders ranking.


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[YoungnDumb]

11 graded events (T-6 sims/flights) is not a lot of data to pull from and judge someone with though.  I mean I've flown with dudes who took that long to completely get over airsickness so they could really start performing in the jet.

[fect]

On 2/12/2020 at 5:55 AM, YoungnDumb said:

11 graded events (T-6 sims/flights) is not a lot of data to pull from and judge someone with though.  I mean I've flown with dudes who took that long to completely get over airsickness so they could really start performing in the jet.

MASS for the initial EWO track also includes about 3 months of sims and tests before T-6s. EWOs don't need to be good at reading approach plates and nailing fix to fixes, so the decision was made to start them on specific beeps and squeaks training earlier instead of wasting time on something they'll never touch in their MWS. 

The rest of the students will have another 10 flights and 4 sims before tracking Nav/WSO/SO so they can build up those skills much more before T-1s and beyond. There's always going to be those that say it isn't enough and it's too short, but here we are 🤷‍♂️

[Stills]

Hey I will be attending CSO training in FY21. Do you have any say in what track to want? Or do the instructors do the deciding for you? 

[fect]

On 2/19/2020 at 7:57 PM, Stills said:

Hey I will be attending CSO training in FY21. Do you have any say in what track to want? Or do the instructors do the deciding for you? 

You absolutely have a say in what track you want. You'll have some time to learn from instructors from each of the CSO platforms over the course of a few months of Primary and get a better idea of what you might like and what you don't think you'll like, then you'll put in your preferences to your flight commander. Then, depending on your rank in your class (based on tests, flights, and a flight commander ranking), and how many of each track are given to your class from AFPC, you'll be assigned a track.

[nsplayr]

On 2/9/2020 at 12:38 AM, YoungnDumb said:

That's a surprisingly fast/short syllabus to track kids.  What's the feedback been so far?

When I went through back in The Good Ole Days, "strike nav" training at P-cola was separated from "heavy nav/CSO" training at Randolph. And that tracking was based on "data" from your commissioning source. So kids were chosen to fly the strike eagle or bone based on...marching?

Again...the more things change the more they stay the same. Hope it's working out well for all involved and producing a good product for the FTUs and combat squadrons.