58th SOW shares mission with UPT students

  • Published
  • By Jim Fisher
  • Kirtland Public Affairs
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  Aircrew members at the 58th Special Operations Wing tend to fly under the radar, literally and figuratively.

The special operations and combat rescue Airmen regarded by some as "quiet professionals" don't garner the kind of acclaim that some of the Air Force's more glamorous weapons systems do, according to Maj. Matt Shrull of the 58th Special Operations Wing. But for people who like to be close to the fight, the special ops community is the place to be.

"I like to be at the pointy end of the spear. I want to be as close to the fight as I can, and as a CV-22 pilot, I have that opportunity," he said.

Shrull recently spent time sharing this message with students in undergraduate pilot training. As part of a UPT road show, the 58th sent Air Force Special Operations Command aircraft and combat search and rescue crews to Columbus Air Force Base, Miss., Laughlin AFB, Texas, Vance AFB, Okla., and Sheppard AFB, Texas. The team acquainted students with the special ops lifestyle, its weapon systems and missions.

As the pilots in UPT prepare to select a career track (which aircraft they want to fly), Shrull said it's necessary to expose them to the special ops community within the Air Force.

"We wanted to make sure they have an understanding of what we do, which is something a lot of people don't know much about," he said. "You see C-17s and F-22s all over the news, but we are the quiet professionals, not so well known. So we wanted to sit down with students and have a discussion about what we do."

Students were primarily interested in the lifestyle of special operators, including deployment cycles and circumstances and the rewards of the mission, Shrull said.

"'How does (this mission) treat a family? How often are we gone? Is this a rewarding lifestyle for you?' So it gave us the opportunity to discuss the rewarding individual experiences we've had," Shrull said. "This is not a mission we have to recruit for. All we have to do is provide information. This is a mission that speaks to certain people."

The roadshow, the first full effort by the 58th to visit UPT bases, also included a stop at NAS Pensacola, Fla., where Combat Systems Officers train.

Shrull said the 58th would like to make it an annual endeavor. He's already received follow-up calls from students.

"We gave out our contact info, and I have personally had a handful of students and first-assignment instructor pilots contact me asking for help, an opportunity and any way they can get into this community. Now that they have seen it up close, they are all on board," Shrull said.