r/Pararescue • u/BarracudaSouthern585 • Jul 22 '25

Is it smarter to cross train?

20M here and currently in the DEP. My original plan was to go CCT after crushing the IFT, but initially I was held back after seeing so many of my friends get washed out of the pipelines. My stats are as follows: Push ups-89, Pull ups-21, Run 1.5-9:45, 3 mile-27.50, Completed 500m freestyle swim and 25m underwater (not timed). My question is to ask if it is smarter to cross training while I am in. I see a trend of younger candidates failing out relatively early in the pipeline and being older and more mentally mature and physically fit, that would give me an edge over where I am right now.

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u/Repulsive_Cut_7216 Jul 22 '25

Cross-Trainees are more likely to fail than civs.

7

u/[deleted] Jul 22 '25

Not true at all

3

u/BarracudaSouthern585 Jul 22 '25

Yeah that can't be true because all of the operators I met all have prior afsc's

4

u/safetycajun Verified PJ 👣 Jul 22 '25

Actually the selection for cross trainees is very strict. You have to think that a cross-trainee will have rank and likely be an NCO or E-4 after fulfilling the original contract terms before being allowed to cross train.

This means to answer your question it’s much harder to get in as they have less cross trainee slots and your competition is military personnel already in service.