Posted on Jul 15, 2020
Air Force veteran MJ Hegar wins the Texas Democratic Senate primary
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State of Texas
Election 2020
United States Senate
Democrats
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 5
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Definitely an outstanding combat Veteran, but I have a problem with how someone described why she moved on from active duty and how it's being used in reporting. According to Wiki (yes, I'm am aware of Wiki's issues with facts but other reports use this information as a premise to her exit from the military):
"Shortly after the 2009 mission where Hegar was wounded in Afghanistan, due to the military's Combat Exclusion Policy, while she had not been previously barred from air combat as a pilot, she was medically disqualified from flying. She was automatically excluded from applying for combat positions that would have moved her military career forward.[23] She was barred from cross-training for a ground combat position (like a special tactics officer) despite her expertise as a pilot, which had it not been for her gender would have been a next step."
I'm sorry but cross training from pilot to special tactics (One of the AF's Special Ops positions) is NOT a typical next step in one's AF career, regardless of the experience as a pilot. with her medical issues from injuries sustained from combat, I highly doubt she would have even succeeded through the ~two years of initial and advanced combat skills training. The fact she is a woman may have had something to do with denying her the chance to cross train, but I highly doubt it was the primary consideration. The fact is, she was medically disqualified from flying due to her injuries. Those same injuries also affect one's desire to become a special tactics operator.
"Shortly after the 2009 mission where Hegar was wounded in Afghanistan, due to the military's Combat Exclusion Policy, while she had not been previously barred from air combat as a pilot, she was medically disqualified from flying. She was automatically excluded from applying for combat positions that would have moved her military career forward.[23] She was barred from cross-training for a ground combat position (like a special tactics officer) despite her expertise as a pilot, which had it not been for her gender would have been a next step."
I'm sorry but cross training from pilot to special tactics (One of the AF's Special Ops positions) is NOT a typical next step in one's AF career, regardless of the experience as a pilot. with her medical issues from injuries sustained from combat, I highly doubt she would have even succeeded through the ~two years of initial and advanced combat skills training. The fact she is a woman may have had something to do with denying her the chance to cross train, but I highly doubt it was the primary consideration. The fact is, she was medically disqualified from flying due to her injuries. Those same injuries also affect one's desire to become a special tactics operator.
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Maj Kevin "Mac" McLaughlin
I was referring to Special Tactics not TACPs and and from what I've read, she wasn't trying to apply for a TACP position. TACPs can be assigned to Special Tactics squadrons but I would imagine they would in turn be required to go through the additional training and they do not by default go through the same training as Combat Controllers, Pararescue, etc (whom Special Tactics operators lead). Regardless, even if Hegar applied for a TACP position and the traditional training required, I highly doubt she would have been accepted there too because of her medical disqualification. Gender may have made the decision that much easier, but it was also a moot point due to the fact that had she been male, she would not have been approved either.
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Maj Kevin "Mac" McLaughlin
I know what they are and what the rules were with regards to women and I also stated that. I've also worked closely with TACPs, ST Operators, and Special Ops Weather Techs throughout my career and I know what's required to become one of them. Hegar's descriptions specifically named Special Tactics as her desired follow on career after being medically disqualified from flying. ST Operators are NOT TACPs (However, TACPs can be embedded into Special Tactics units as I stated). Getting back to my point... Her medical disqualification would have obviously been a factor in denying her approval to crosstrain into Special Tactics which makes her gender irrelevant. As an example, if I were to apply for a pilot AFSC as a retiree, obviously my status as a retiree would prevent me from from doing so, but the fact that I have my own back issues (resulting in a VA rating) and I'm too old makes my retired status a moot point.
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