Air Force AFSC · Combat & Infantry

1Z1X1 Pararescue

Overview

Pararescue specialists rescue and medically treat downed military personnel in hostile or otherwise unreachable areas around the world. They use parachuting, scuba diving, rock climbing, and arctic training to reach people in varied environments.

Minimum clearance: Secret

Minimum ASVAB: G 49

See if you would hit this score: free ASVAB practice test

Skill levels: 1Z111 helper · 1Z131 apprentice · 1Z151 journeyman · 1Z171 craftsman

Core Skills

  • Mission planning and execution
  • Tactical communications procedures
  • Use of GPS and navigation systems
  • Risk assessment and mitigation
  • Incident response and crisis management
  • Team leadership in high-risk environments
  • Cross-functional coordination with joint units
  • Medical documentation and data collection
  • Situational awareness and decision making
  • After-action review and lessons learned capture

Civilian Software & Tools

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • ESRI ArcGIS software
  • Microsoft SharePoint
  • Microsoft Word
  • Alert Technologies OpsCenter

Civilian Career Paths

  • Emergency Management
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Physical Security
  • Training and Education

Training & Development

Getting Started

  • Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
  • Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC)
  • Physical Security Professional (PSP)

Career Growth

  • National Registry Paramedic (NRP)
  • Flight Paramedic Certification (FP-C)
  • Tactical Paramedic Certification (TP-C)
  • Certified Protection Professional (CPP)
  • Master Parachute Rigger

Also Common

  • Diving Medical Technician (DMT)

What the Work Involves

  • Consult with officials of local and area governments, schools, hospitals, and other institutions to determine their needs and capabilities in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency.
  • Develop and maintain liaisons with municipalities, county departments, and similar entities to facilitate plan development, response effort coordination, and exchanges of personnel and equipment.
  • Coordinate disaster response or crisis management activities, such as ordering evacuations, opening public shelters, and implementing special needs plans and programs.
  • Maintain and update all resource materials associated with emergency preparedness plans.
  • Prepare emergency situation status reports that describe response and recovery efforts, needs, and preliminary damage assessments.

Related Occupations

  • Security Managers
  • Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors
  • Digital Forensics Analysts
  • Compliance Managers

Typical preparation for these civilian roles: a four-year degree or equivalent experience.

Defense contractor jobs for 1Z1X1

Formerly Known As (Legacy)

Retired codes that converted into 1Z1X1. Each legacy page documents the cited history.

Descriptions may be summarized for clarity. Verify all information with your branch career counselor or official military documentation before making career decisions.

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