U.S. Air Force Special Warfare (AFSPECWAR) careers are among the most physically and mentally demanding jobs in the military, and finding potential recruits who are both qualified and motivated makes AFSPECWAR's recruiting mission particularly challenging. AFSPECWAR also has an arduous selection and training pipeline, which impacts recruiting goals and objectives. The report authors identify ways to improve AFSPECWAR recruiting practices.

Recruiting for U.S. Air Force Special Warfare

A Review of Practices and Recommended Courses of Action

Sean Robson, Tracy C. Krueger, Grace Falgoust, Alvin Moon, Jessie Wang, Lewis Schneider, Ryan Johnson, Beverly A. Weidmer, Anthony Atler, Barbara Bicksler

ResearchPublished Sep 26, 2024

U.S. Air Force Special Warfare (AFSPECWAR) career fields are among the most physically and mentally challenging jobs in the U.S. military. Thus, finding potential recruits who are both qualified and motivated to pursue such demanding career fields makes AFSPECWAR's recruiting mission particularly challenging. Individuals pursuing AFSPECWAR undergo an arduous, multiyear selection and training pipeline, with graduation rates well below the U.S. Department of the Air Force (DAF) enlisted specialties. High attrition, a long-standing problem that leadership has been aware of, nonetheless has implications for recruiting goals and operational readiness. The goal of this report's authors is to identify ways for the DAF to improve AFSPECWAR recruiting practices.

The authors focus on enlisted Regular Air Force recruits and the 330th Recruiting Squadron, which is responsible for the following Special Warfare (SW) enlisted specialties: Combat Control, Pararescue, Special Reconnaissance, and the Tactical Air Control Party. Their project approach included reviewing the literature, collecting stakeholder perceptions (from recruits, SW recruiters, and leadership), and analyzing existing personnel data. The authors present their findings and make recommendations for future courses of action to improve AFSPECWAR recruiting.

Key Findings

  • Eighty-two percent of the American public has limited to no familiarity with AFSPECWAR; lack of a clear and compelling brand is a key challenge to recruiting.
  • Most candidates first learned about AFSPECWAR by word of mouth but continue to gain valuable information from YouTube and podcasts.
  • Characteristics that draw recruits to AFSPECWAR include those that are unique compared with Regular Air Force specialties and those unique among other special operation entities.
  • Compared with Regular Air Force Air Force duties, AFSPECWAR offers recruits especially meaningful and challenging work and the opportunity to work with very high performers.
  • Compared with other special operations entities, AFSPECWAR offers distinct missions, quiet professionalism (getting the job done without self-promotion), and higher quality of life.
  • Geographic areas with proximity to a recruiting office, a military presence (particularly a higher number of veterans), a higher number of 18- to 24-year-old males, and better health outcomes are associated with improved recruiting outcomes.
  • Until recently, historical patterns suggest that retrainees and prior-service candidates appear to have similar or slightly better graduation rates compared with candidates without prior service experience. These groups represent potential applicant pools, but AFSPECWAR lacks a standardized process for recruiting from these groups.
  • Field developers (similar to strength and conditioning coaches) are important resources to develop and prepare recruits for AFSPECWAR qualification and initial training.
  • Recruiters note challenges in finding qualified recruits due to lack of physical fitness, lack of motivation, and barriers and delays in processing due to medical conditions.

Recommendations

  • Define and deconflict the AFSPECWAR recruiting enterprise; the 330th Recruiting Squadron (RCS) should assume responsibility for leading the AFSPECWAR recruiting enterprise, to include identifying and maintaining current contact information for all entities and key stakeholders involved in AFSPECWAR recruiting.
  • Identify and more clearly delineate roles for all SW recruiting stakeholders.
  • Further engage candidates who are in field development or first-term airmen, and prioritize ongoing engagement with recruits using frequent and responsive communication from SW recruiters.
  • Identify strategies for developing recruits in geographically separated areas.
  • Expand efforts to recruit from within the Air Force (retrainees).
  • Encourage internal brand alignment where appropriate; while differences in roles, responsibilities, and mission sets can be embraced, there is merit in reinforcing values shared across the specialties, such as meaningful work, excellence, and quiet professionalism.
  • Gather input from each community to determine which aspects of AFSPECWAR's organizational identity resonate across all career fields.
  • Strategically enhance brand awareness among outsiders; the AFSPECWAR brand is relatively unknown among the general public, requiring deliberate and strategic interventions.
  • Generate awareness of AFSPECWAR opportunities through engaging opportunities and creative marketing.
  • Once a potential recruit is interested, provide organized, detailed, and comprehensive information to promote the brand.
  • Consider population characteristics when locating future 330th RCS offices, as well as areas with characteristics associated with positive recruiting outcomes: higher numbers of veterans, higher numbers of 18- to 24-year-old males, and better health outcomes.

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  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Available
  • Year: 2024
  • Print Format: Paperback
  • Paperback Pages: 132
  • Paperback Price: $72.00
  • Paperback ISBN/EAN: 1-9774-1410-9
  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.7249/RRA2420-1
  • Document Number: RR-A2420-1

Citation

RAND Style Manual
Robson, Sean, Tracy C. Krueger, Grace Falgoust, Alvin Moon, Jessie Wang, Lewis Schneider, Ryan Johnson, Beverly A. Weidmer, Anthony Atler, and Barbara Bicksler, Recruiting for U.S. Air Force Special Warfare: A Review of Practices and Recommended Courses of Action, RAND Corporation, RR-A2420-1, 2024. As of October 10, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA2420-1.html
Chicago Manual of Style
Robson, Sean, Tracy C. Krueger, Grace Falgoust, Alvin Moon, Jessie Wang, Lewis Schneider, Ryan Johnson, Beverly A. Weidmer, Anthony Atler, and Barbara Bicksler, Recruiting for U.S. Air Force Special Warfare: A Review of Practices and Recommended Courses of Action. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2024. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA2420-1.html. Also available in print form.
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