A vast majority of Americans know little or nothing at all about the Air Force's special warfare jobs, an issue highlighted in a new think tank study as the service has struggled to recruit for those tough jobs.
The Rand Corp., a federally funded think tank focused on military issues, released a study last week detailing the issues the Air Force has faced in getting recruits to join Special Warfare careers, known as AFSPECWAR, such as combat control, pararescue, special reconnaissance, and the Tactical Air Control Party fields.
And while other service branches have widespread public and cultural recognition for their special operators -- such as Navy SEALs, Army Green Berets and Marine Raiders -- data from the report shows many are unfamiliar with those similar Air Force jobs.