Comment from Thane Norman
Thane NormanSupportIndividual
Summary: The commenter, a former military pilot and flight instructor, supports the proposed action regarding SCT (Specialized Combat Training) credits. They argue that the duties of a Weapon Systems Officer (WSO) in an FA-18 are comparable to co-pilot duties and should count toward requirements for those who have transitioned to certified aircraft commanders.
Absolutely concur! As a former FA-18D WSO with 1k hours in TMS, I had the unique opportunity to serve as a Fire Control Officer on KC-130J Harvest HAWK that shot AGMs in support of OEF during one of my B-billets/shore tours. During my additional 1k+ hours in a KC-130J, I observed the duties of a KC-130J 3P/2P co-pilot at length. The duties of a WSO in an FA-18 are easily comparable to co-pilot duties, and I would argue more in depth and harder. To further back this argument, later in my career, I transitioned to a T-6/T-45 flight instructor. To get my pilot wings, I went through the T-44 multi-engine syllabus. Now that I have over 1,400 pilot hours and 1k+ aircraft commander hours, I can say with 100% confidence, I contributed just as much as a WSO as I do in the back seat observing flight students or working as a co-pilot running checklists and setting bugs in a T-44. SCT should absolutely count as long as the individual has transitioned to be a certified aircraft commander/pilot.