CRO candidates fight for elite positions

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- Twenty-two men reported to Fairchild in late October planning on becoming part of an elite group of officers. Eleven went home disappointed.

The 11 that remained heard those magic words, "You've got a career now that you're going to love!"

That career is as a Combat Rescue Officer. Currently there are 61 Air Force active duty CROs, pronounced "crows." Another 27 serve in the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserves. And if percentages hold true, all but one of the 11 chosen will complete the 12 to 18 months of training required to wear the beret.

What makes the career field so elite and demanding is the caliber of the men they command. A CRO will lead a team made of pararescuemen -- battlefield Airmen specifically trained and equipped to conduct conventional or unconventional rescue operations - and SERE specialists, who are experts in Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape.

The CRO and his men are the first human/equipment weapons system in the Air Force, said Maj. Scott Shepard, a member of the selection cadre. "They are called the Guardian Angel Weapons System.

"Their purpose is to train Air Force personnel to survive, go get them when they are in harm's way, bring them safely home and get them ready to go back to work," said Major Shepard.

None of that is easy. And that is why the selection process, conducted at Fairchild for the first time last week, is so hard.

Candidates go through two phases of selection. The first is completing an application package. "We need to know they have the right basic qualifications for the job and are medically fit," Major Shepard said.

Phase II is a one-week job interview. An interview that includes a physical fitness test, an endurance run of at least six miles, a four-mile road march with 40-pound rucksack and two field exercises - one during the day and the other at night.

The major hurdle, the task that weeds out most candidates, said Major Shepard, is the water confidence event. "We're looking for men who can handle rough water, high wind, driving rain and extreme cold without losing the ability to lead the rescue mission."

The candidates that remain face a totally different challenge. "After four days of physically showing us they have the capability, adaptability, teamwork, situational awareness and attention to detail required, we completely change the environment," said Major Shepard.

They put on a starched and pressed uniform and gave a 5-minute presentation to a board consisting of two chiefs, four majors and a colonel, all listening to every word, and all judging whether this is the end of the line.

"We're looking for men who can maintain a presence and speak to a subject coherently in a very hostile environment. We're giving them a new type of stress, and watching how they handle it," said Major Shepard.

The physical part of the selection process is to see if they have what it takes to lead their team. The presentation and a psychological evaluation are to determine if they can be effective advocates for the career field.

The CRO program began in 2002. The chief of staff of the Air Force decided he needed a subject matter expert on personal recovery. He wanted someone to advocate for the mission that also knew how to perform the mission. He wanted someone who could parachute, scuba dive, and who knew why you needed to spend five days learning to resist exploitation in captivity.

Last week was the 12th time Major Shepard has participated in a CRO selection process. He has a sense from the first day who will make it. "It's how they hold themselves. They have a command presence."

He knows what it takes because he's been there. His first 10 years in the Air Force were as a pararescueman. The next 10 years were spent as a physician assistant. Then, just as he figured retirement was pending, he was offered a job with the Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field, Fla.

His next assignment will be as the first CRO commander of Detachment 2, 66th Training Squadron at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.

"We've received great support from Fairchild during this selection process," said Major Shepard, "especially from the 92nd Services Squadron. They went above and beyond with hospitality and by maximizing selection and use of lodging, the pool and the SERE dining facility."