Rated Air Force Career Fields

[SAR-EMT1]

Was talking to a blue suit recently and it was mentioned that Missile Operations are no longer a rated career field. Was wondering if this is true and if so, when the change ?

[PHall]

Missiles has never been "rated".

[NCRblues]

The massive fall out of the Minot incident, and the major command shake up with global strike command has changed many of the "terms" we have been used to.

I don't think he meant "rated" as you thought it was.

Feel free to PM and we can talk about the new terms. Don't want to put some of them out here.

[flyboy53]

The massive fall out of the Minot incident, and the major command shake up with global strike command has changed many of the "terms" we have been used to.

I don’t think he meant "rated" as you thought it was.

Feel free to PM and we can talk about the new terms. Don’t want to put some of them out here.

They're different, but both are operational.

Rated generally refers to aviators...to include navigators, observers, weapons system officers, and flight surgeons. The new Remotely Piloted Aircraft (badge) is considered rated. Officer Aircrew Badge recipients generally are not.

There are two missile badges: the basic badge with three grades that is worn now mostly by maintence guys and the other with three grades that has a wreath or "operations designator" for those who are in launch ops.

Missileers go through a flight physical just like aviators, but that physical is specifically for missile ops. The ICBM launch people are more of a subset of space operations. Some qualfiy for the space operations badge at the same time they are doing missile operations.

It's because of the "operational" aspect that veteran missileers have the same status for career purposes that aviators enjoy.

Another way to look at it is that more missile launch and maintenance officers/enlisted qualify for the Combat Readiness Medal than aviators and I think they get a bigger kick out of really launching something than some pilots do flying...

[PHall]

The massive fall out of the Minot incident, and the major command shake up with global strike command has changed many of the "terms" we have been used to.

I don't think he meant "rated" as you thought it was.

Feel free to PM and we can talk about the new terms. Don't want to put some of them out here.

They're different, but both are operational.

Rated generally refers to aviators...to include navigators, observers, weapons system officers, and flight surgeons. The new Remotely Piloted Aircraft (badge) is considered rated. Officer Aircrew Badge recipients generally are not.

There are two missile badges: the basic badge with three grades that is worn now mostly by maintence guys and the other with three grades that has a wreath or "operations designator" for those who are in launch ops.

Missileers go through a flight physical just like aviators, but that physical is specifically for missile ops. The ICBM launch people are more of a subset of space operations. Some qualfiy for the space operations badge at the same time they are doing missile operations.

It's because of the "operational" aspect that veteran missileers have the same status for career purposes that aviators enjoy.

Another way to look at it is that more missile launch and maintenance officers/enlisted qualify for the Combat Readiness Medal than aviators and I think they get a bigger kick out of really launching something than some pilots do flying...

Yeah, when we used to do a "Glory Trip" out to Vandenberg to launch a missile from the aircraft (EC-135C Looking Glass) to test the ALCS there would be some major hooting and hollering from the back when the keys were turned and the missile left the silo. 
If the winds were below 10 knots or so the missile would fly through the smoke ring as it left the silo. Pretty cool to watch.

[coudano]

Air Battle Managers on E3 and J8 are also rated

Cyber Ops is also 'operational' but is not rated

[AlphaSigOU]

The massive fall out of the Minot incident, and the major command shake up with global strike command has changed many of the "terms" we have been used to.

I don't think he meant "rated" as you thought it was.

Feel free to PM and we can talk about the new terms. Don't want to put some of them out here.

They're different, but both are operational.

Rated generally refers to aviators...to include navigators, observers, weapons system officers, and flight surgeons. The new Remotely Piloted Aircraft (badge) is considered rated. Officer Aircrew Badge recipients generally are not.

There are two missile badges: the basic badge with three grades that is worn now mostly by maintence guys and the other with three grades that has a wreath or "operations designator" for those who are in launch ops.

Missileers go through a flight physical just like aviators, but that physical is specifically for missile ops. The ICBM launch people are more of a subset of space operations. Some qualfiy for the space operations badge at the same time they are doing missile operations.

It's because of the "operational" aspect that veteran missileers have the same status for career purposes that aviators enjoy.

Another way to look at it is that more missile launch and maintenance officers/enlisted qualify for the Combat Readiness Medal than aviators and I think they get a bigger kick out of really launching something than some pilots do flying...

Yeah, when we used to do a "Glory Trip" out to Vandenberg to launch a missile from the aircraft (EC-135C Looking Glass) to test the ALCS there would be some major hooting and hollering from the back when the keys were turned and the missile left the silo. 
If the winds were below 10 knots or so the missile would fly through the smoke ring as it left the silo. Pretty cool to watch.

And the light show at the other end (on Kwajalein) was spectacular... until one realizes that if the RVs - if they were armed with nukes (which they are not)-  the light show would be the last thing anyone would see before getting vaporized.

[PHall]

The massive fall out of the Minot incident, and the major command shake up with global strike command has changed many of the "terms" we have been used to.

I don't think he meant "rated" as you thought it was.

Feel free to PM and we can talk about the new terms. Don't want to put some of them out here.

They're different, but both are operational.

Rated generally refers to aviators...to include navigators, observers, weapons system officers, and flight surgeons. The new Remotely Piloted Aircraft (badge) is considered rated. Officer Aircrew Badge recipients generally are not.

There are two missile badges: the basic badge with three grades that is worn now mostly by maintence guys and the other with three grades that has a wreath or "operations designator" for those who are in launch ops.

Missileers go through a flight physical just like aviators, but that physical is specifically for missile ops. The ICBM launch people are more of a subset of space operations. Some qualfiy for the space operations badge at the same time they are doing missile operations.

It's because of the "operational" aspect that veteran missileers have the same status for career purposes that aviators enjoy.

Another way to look at it is that more missile launch and maintenance officers/enlisted qualify for the Combat Readiness Medal than aviators and I think they get a bigger kick out of really launching something than some pilots do flying...

Yeah, when we used to do a "Glory Trip" out to Vandenberg to launch a missile from the aircraft (EC-135C Looking Glass) to test the ALCS there would be some major hooting and hollering from the back when the keys were turned and the missile left the silo. 
If the winds were below 10 knots or so the missile would fly through the smoke ring as it left the silo. Pretty cool to watch.

And the light show at the other end (on Kwajalein) was spectacular... until one realizes that if the RVs - if they were armed with nukes (which they are not)-  the light show would be the last thing anyone would see before getting vaporized.

But it would be a dry heat!

[bosshawk]

Slightly off topic, but I got to see a MM III launch one night at VAFB: I was in the Ballistic Missile Staff Officers Course and we got an up close and personal view.  Spectacular!!!!!  Saw it through third stage ignition.

Would like to have seen a Titan IIID, 34D or Titan IV launch, but only on film.

[LGM30GMCC]

The massive fall out of the Minot incident, and the major command shake up with global strike command has changed many of the "terms" we have been used to.

I don't think he meant "rated" as you thought it was.

Feel free to PM and we can talk about the new terms. Don't want to put some of them out here.

The ICBM launch people are more of a subset of space operations. Some qualfiy for the space operations badge at the same time they are doing missile operations.

It's because of the "operational" aspect that veteran missileers have the same status for career purposes that aviators enjoy.

Another way to look at it is that more missile launch and maintenance officers/enlisted qualify for the Combat Readiness Medal than aviators and I think they get a bigger kick out of really launching something than some pilots do flying...

There are a couple things here that are not quite accurate. Not a huge deal really, but just want to make sure the right info is out there.

1 - ICBM 'launch people' (known as Missileers) are not a subset of space operations. At one point we were under Air Force Space Command, we have now moved under Air Force Global Strike Command. Space Operations consists of Space Warning, Space Control, and Space Lift. Space ops launches and oversees the satellite systems and provides warning of inbound stuff. Missile Operations is dedicated to putting things that go bang very far downrange from us.

2 - Missileers used to earn the Space Operations Badge and the Missile Badge (Under AFSPC), then the Missile Badge with Operations Designator was suspended for a time and all 13S officers earned the 'Spings'. During this time only Missile MX had a missile badge. Then the missile badge with Operations Designator returned and missileers earned the Spings at the end of IQT and the Missile Badge when they became Combat Mission Ready (CMR). Since that time, Missile Combat Crew Members have stopped attending Space 100 and no longer earn the Spings.

3 - Missileers qualify for the Combat Readiness Medal. To my knowledge, our MX folks do not.

4 - Many missileers hate being missileers. I don't know many pilots that hate what they do. It is unfortunate so many MCCMs have such a negative attitude toward the job itself.  There are different reasons but some are that very few 13S will ever throw anything downrange, or do a simulated launch in the field. MCC duty is hours of training, very exacting standards, and very much a job where we are ready to fight, but have not, and most likely (and hopefully) will not employ our weapon system for what it is designed to do. A number of folks do not see this as really being what they are in the military to do. (They joined to kill people or break their stuff. Or for the cheap/free education they got...or whatever other reasons.)

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

I had a "mustang" supervisor who went up to MSgt and then got a commission, retired as a Captain.

When I saw his service dress for the first time, I noticed the "pocket rocket" and said "I didn't know you were in missile operations."



He laughed and said, "I wasn't...but I got this for hanging Sidewinders, Sparrows and Bullpups on Phantoms and Thuds at Korat RTAFB."

[Short Field]

And some Generals wonder why Missileers often feel they are not appreciated.  It was the worse career field for "eating your young" an officer could enter.   

[G+10]

4 - Many missileers hate being missileers. I don't know many pilots that hate what they do. It is unfortunate so many MCCMs have such a negative attitude toward the job itself.  There are different reasons but some are that very few 13S will ever throw anything downrange, or do a simulated launch in the field. MCC duty is hours of training, very exacting standards, and very much a job where we are ready to fight, but have not, and most likely (and hopefully) will not employ our weapon system for what it is designed to do. A number of folks do not see this as really being what they are in the military to do. (They joined to kill people or break their stuff. Or for the cheap/free education they got...or whatever other reasons.)

I was stationed and flew F and N-models at F.E. Warren from '85-'90 and I suppose it was just a different time. Most of the missileers I knew didn't hate the career field (and this was back in the day where they word the blue outfits!) This was the time of SAC (Peace was their Profession!) and the LGM-118 (Peacekeeper) was just deployed. There was also a similar strategically-equipped enemy who we could keep our sights on.

My guess is that the changes in the world and the organization of the AF has made it difficult for some to serve in this new environment.