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8 Air Commandos make next cut for enlisted RPA pilot selection

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Melanie Holochwost
  • Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  As part of a deliberate approach to enhance the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission, Air Force officials chose eight Air Commandos for phase two of the Enlisted Remotely Piloted Aircraft Pilot selection process.

One of them, Staff Sgt. Dallas Malone, 352nd Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance electronic warfare systems craftsman, said he would be honored to serve as one of the first enlisted pilots since World War II.

“I’ve wanted to be a pilot since I was 7-years-old,” he said. “After leaving college early due to a lack of money, it no longer seemed like a possibility until just a few months ago.”

Also moving on is Master Sgt. Pierre Lopez-Ramirez, section chief of maintenance management analysis at the 1st Special Operations Maintenance Group. He said he applied for the program because he’s always had a fascination with aircraft and flying.

“When I saw the Air Force was offering enlisted Airmen an opportunity to fly RPAs, I thought it was a big deal. I wanted to be a part of this historic program,” he said.

Lopez-Ramirez said there are two phases total. The first is an initial screening, which involved taking the Enlisted Pilot Qualifying Test and the Test of Basic Aviation Skills. The second phase requires a commander’s recommendation letter, retainablity letter and flight physicals.

According to MyPers, candidates selected to become RPA pilots can be sent to training as early as May 2017. Training takes about a year to complete.

“We have an incredibly talented pool of enlisted Airmen, and we're confident that this rigorous selection process will yield excellent enlisted aircrew who will continue to provide combatant commanders with the ISR they need to win today's fight,” said Senior Master Sgt. Rebecca Guthrie, Air Force Personnel Center career enlisted aviator assignments manager.

Lopez-Ramirez said the process has been fairly easy for him so far.

“The only stressful parts were the tests,” he said. “I think the most difficult part of the application process will be waiting for the final results.”

AFPC received more than 800 applicants. Of those, 305 made it to phase two. The selection board meets Feb. 6-9, 2017, with results to be released later that month.

The following Air Commandos were also selected for phase two:

Senior Airman Michael Glisson, 27th Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
Staff Sgt. Matthew Cartwright, 4th Special Operations Squadron
Staff Sgt. Peter Keys, 4th Special Operations Squadron
Tech. Sgt. Megan Graf, 27th Special Operations Maintenance Squadron
Tech. Sgt. Christian Soto, 27th Special Operations Air Operations Squadron
Tech. Sgt. Drew Selten, 27th Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron