Hey Sharky, just saw this and regret missing the day you were monitoring the BD feed. Really appreciate you putting that out there, and I wanted to reach out regardless!

I had a question about the diversity of mission sets, especially things like airdrop versus specialized ops like MAFFS or the insect spraying you posted about. Are those treated as entirely separate mission qualifications with distinct training pipelines, or does one build on the other? For example, I know airdrop has its own MQ, but is something like MAFFS considered a standalone mission set with its own internal upgrade track, even if it’s flown by airdrop-qualified units?

Just trying to get a clearer picture of how units structure those broader capabilities and the different paths available within mobility and airlift. Thanks again!

Hi Eric–Great question! Generally, yes…each of these have their own distinct mission qualification, though the complexity of the qualification varies widely. Some, like airdrop, must be taught at the “schoolhouse” (Formal Training Unit, in AF-speak), while others are considered a “local upgrade”, i.e. taught by local instructors at each base. MAFFS and Spray I believe are “local upgrades” taught at the respective units that do that mission, while larger, longer duration courses like airdrop are taught at the FTU. And to your point…let’s use a CA C-130 MAFFS unit as an example….they would receive the airdrop training at Little Rock AFB (C-130 FTU), and then additional MAFFS training at their home station. So, they are a complement to the original airdrop training. Hope this helps!

All the Best,

Sharky