Update: The Air Force just released the results of the most recent selection board, indicating more than 300 enlisted troops had been chosen to begin the process to become RPA pilots.

Two Air Force Master Sergeants recently became the first enlisted Airmen in decades to solo during Air Force flight training:

Both soloed in a DA-20 Katana at Pueblo Memorial Airport as part of the Air Force’s IFT program, which is mandatory for all manned aircraft pilots, combat systems officers and remotely piloted aircraft pilots.

The Air Force announced on Dec. 17, 2015, the initiative to train enlisted RPA pilots for RQ-4 Global Hawk flying operations. As a result, the Enlisted Pilot Initial Class began Oct. 12 with four students training alongside 20 recently commissioned officers.

The Secretary of the Air Force described the cleverly abbreviated “EPIC” — a renewal of the enlisted pilot program — as part of an effort to “meet the continual RPA demands” of combat commanders.

The Air Force identified the two only by their first names, Alex and Mike, under the belief that being a keyboard commando (no offense intended) in California is somehow a higher risk mission than the other career fields in which the Air Force does identify its Airmen.

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