Ep 488: Updates to the Updates for AFSW Pipeline!

Aaron rolls solo to drop a grenade on your expectations and walk you through the jaw-dropping overhaul of the Air Force Special Warfare pipeline. New names. New timelines. New chaos. Is dive school back? Is SWOE-V dead? Will your career implode before it starts? Aaron breaks it all down with brutal honesty and zero fluff. No sarcasm (seriously)—just straight facts and insider updates from the front lines of AFSPECWAR’s Frankenstein pipeline rewrite. If you’re anywhere near the door to this career field, buckle up. You’re not ready for what’s coming—but you will be after this.

🔥 Key Takeaways:

SWOE-V is (probably) toast. Guaranteed contracts are coming back.
New 3-week land-based selection starts October.
"Zulu Course" = 16-week common skills crucible for all 1Z AFSCs.
No more job selection at SWAS—now happens after Zulu.
Pre-dive follows Zulu. Dive school may be resurrected (again).
PJs still get hosed with 18–20 month pipelines due to paramedic training.
Everyone else? Aim is 12 months to team placement.
Apprentice courses will be cut down—no repeating Zulu content.
Already in the pipeline but not in an apprentice course? You're going to Zulu anyway. Sorry.
This is either brilliant efficiency or a flaming disaster. TBD.
Aaron wants to be wrong… but probably isn’t.
⏱️ Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome to Aaron’s solo mission
01:20 – The “no sarcasm” promise (mostly)
02:30 – Why is the pipeline changing?
04:15 – Should you still join? Short answer: Yes.
06:00 – Death of SWOE-V? Long live GTAP
08:45 – PJ bottleneck: no slots, no mercy
10:30 – Guaranteed contract vs “hope and cope”
11:40 – Zulu Course: What it is, how long, and why it matters
13:50 – Should you stop swimming? (Hard no)
16:00 – What common skills are covered in Zulu
17:30 – Dive school might be coming back—again
21:00 – Pre-dive’s weird limbo and fairness concerns
24:00 – Lack of standards = morale hits = suck it up
26:30 – 12-month pipeline push—is it even possible?
29:00 – Cutting apprentice course length (but keeping the suck)
31:45 – Already in the pipeline? You're still not safe
34:00 – Zulu seats are limited. Delays are coming.
36:30 – Why this might still be a good thing
38:30 – Ones Ready’s mission: info, advocacy, and calling babies ugly
39:45 – Final thoughts: Service > Complaining

🎯 Call-to-Actions:

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