I am currently a welder. I make pressure vessels of all sorts of sizes. I was a non union iron worker for 10 years before that. Structural steel.
In another life... ?
AirForce Combat Controller. They are AFSOC (Air Force Special Operations Command) and are the AirForce component of USSOCOM. The Combat Controllers came about from the Army Pathfinders of WWII but became their own entity with the formation of the Air Force and were initially "Air Force Pathfinders". They are often deployed with or attached to special forces such as Army Rangers or Navy Seals and were on the ground in small numbers during The Battle of Somalia with Seal Team 6 and Delta Force operators. Their unit patch (if thatsd the right word for it) reads
"CCT" for Combat Controller.
They provide support as "pathfinders" but are also specialist in, what else! Air traffic control! They set up air strips, and aid in directing close fire support from the like of the amzing AC130! Combat Controller school is 15 weeks, then there is 3 weeks in Fort Benning, yep, Army Airborne!!! (That was the part I was most interested in!) So its initially a 35 weeks unique mission skills, then the advance course is another 12 to 15 months in places such as Fort Bragg, Yuma Proving Ground, and the Navy Diving and Salvage Training Center in Panama City! They are specialist in all-terrain and amphibious deployment, air traffic control, combat search and rescue, counter terrorism, demolitions. Their mission is to deploy undetected into combat and hostile environments to conduct special reconnaissance, establish assault zones or airfields, while simultaneously conducting air traffic control, fire support, command, control, and communications and forward air control. (I copied and pasted that last part!
)
The CCT Motto; "First There"
reaffirms the Combat Controller's commitment to undertaking the most dangerous missions behind enemy lines by leading the way for other forces to follow.
Copied and pasted that part too!
So thats what I wanted to do but was told I was unable to serve by Uncle Sams recruiters...