Army SF Guys -- Need Guidance

[Booseman]

gooseman hit most of the points.

The enlistment MOS you'd talk to a recruiter about would be 18X. I know that like any out of the ordinary enlistment options it opens and closes so you would have to talk to a recruiter about it. I haven't heard the exact numbers but I've heard good and bad about going straight in with 18X. Bad, there's a LOT of room to fail. The flip side to that coin is it is all the same steps as if you went a slower route so at least you find out up front where you fail at. The best thing I've heard about the program from teams is that those that do get through it may not be the most experienced, but they also don't have all the bad habits that a lot of those who were enlisted in other MOS's have.

If you know what you want to do, go for it, don't let anyone discourage you.

Who is this GOOSEMAN you speak of??

 

[jms]

You said Army but there is a Navy Seal prepareness school in Virginia .If interested in that do the google search.

 

[troy_mclure]

Just go to the recruitment office and sign up for regular service. Do the best you can. If your superiors feel you're qualified, they'll recommend you to SF.

Wrong! You have to fight to get to go. Your unit doesn't want to loose any personel.
I went to sfas(special forces assessment and selection) twice. First time I Wes med dropped, the second time I just failed. Lol
It takes a batalion commander to cancel your orders once you get them, but your unit may do everything in their power to keep you from passing, like sending you on a 2 month guard duty deployment so you have no opputunity to work outt, and bringing you back to base with 1 day before you fly out to sfas, this masking you buy $400 of equipment.

 

[troy_mclure]

Really honestly your best bet would be to sign up for an infantry unit or some other heavy combat unit. From there go airbourne, air assault, all the schools you can do. And you have to keep everything in order, your pt scores, keepin out of trouble, etc. They only take the top notch soldiers to go SF.

Another horrible idea! You want a job with plenty of off time, like clerk or finance. If you go combat mos you will be working many hours and have little time of your own to work out and train. A very large percentage of sf guys are clerks and stuff because they have the time to train.

 

[ABNsurveyor]

That gave me a good chuckle. Thank you for that, I needed that this morning.

You are ok, it is just some others here.

Here are just a few bullet points.

Be a male, age 20-30 (Special Forces positions are not open to women)
Be a U.S. citizen
Have a high school diploma
Achieve a General Technical score of 110 or higher and a combat operation score of 98 on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery.
Qualify for a secret level security clearance.
Qualify and volunteer for Airborne training
Take Defense Language Aptitude Battery or Defense Language Proficiency Test
Achieve an overall minimum score of 229 on the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT)

You can enlist in the SF straight from the street. You used to have to be at least an E-4 back in my day, I guess they really need people. You will go infantry if you sign an SF contract. Once you complete Basic training you will attend the following courses in order: AIT (Advanced Individual Training), Airborne School, SOPC (Special Operations Preparation Course), SFAS (Special Forces Assessment and Selection), SFQC (Special Forces Qualification Course), Individual Skills, MOSQ (this is for your specific field in the SF), Language training, Collective training, SERE (Survival Escape Resistance Evasion).

After all that training you are about 2yrs or so in to your contract and should get assigned to a group/team at that time. Remember, if you go this route and fail out at anytime you may and stress may be recycled but you could get booted to the regular army to a line. My suggestion is to get a Ranger contract and do that for a few years and learn all that you need and get some real life experience and a tab then go SF.

Just my 2¢

I was a recruiter 2000-2003. Things might have changed since then. All of the above +: You must pass an interview with the local Recruiting Company Commander then the local Battalion Commander to be selected for the program, Pass the APFT, and compete a Pre-Basic Training Checklist of Common Tasks (Your Recruiter will have to be willing to train you on these tasks). All prior to enlisting for 18X. One course was missed in the 2 year training regimen.
You will go infantry if you sign an SF contract. Once you complete Basic training you will attend the following courses in order: AIT (Advanced Individual Training), Airborne School, SOPC (Special Operations Preparation Course), SFAS (Special Forces Assessment and Selection), Warrior Leader Course, Promoted to E-4, SFQC (Special Forces Qualification Course),….

 

[troy_mclure]

Another thing, the sfas evaluators look harder and require more of infantry and especially ranger tabbed candidates. They don't have such high expectations of non combat mos guys.

 

[ltranger14]

Not true SFAS instructors could care less if you are tabbed/ infantry or a clerk. Standards are standards.

 

[troy_mclure]

In the final assessment a ranger or infantry is going to be evaluated Tighter to the standards that a clerk or mechanic.

The exact words from the sfas "evaluator" to a ranger canidate that barely made the first run were: "we expect more from rangers". And these guys rarely speak to you.

 

[lilshaunsdad]

Another horrible idea! You want a job with plenty of off time, like clerk or finance. If you go combat mos you will be working many hours and have little time of your own to work out and train. A very large percentage of sf guys are clerks and stuff because they have the time to train.

So your saying go sign up as a clerk? So if he doesnt obtain his dream of becoming sf he could always go back to being a pencil pusher right? I think if I was trying to go special forces and I happen to not make I would atleast like to go tp a combat heavy unit, like a sapper or ranger, not a desk jockey. This is just my 2 cents.

 

[Booseman]

Can we please kill this thread? The OP has gotten way more than he ever bargained for and or needed. It is now turning into a pissing match of "I know more than you"!!

 

[troy_mclure]

So your saying go sign up as a clerk? So if he doesnt obtain his dream of becoming sf he could always go back to being a pencil pusher right? I think if I was trying to go special forces and I happen to not make I would atleast like to go tp a combat heavy unit, like a sapper or ranger, not a desk jockey. This is just my 2 cents.

I spent 6 years 7 months as a Sapper, worked more hours a day than I do offshore. I rarely had any time to train or time for school.

 

[13f3p]

go to the px and buy a beret.

 

[cajunranger]

If you really want to go to group, join on a ranger contract. Spend a couple of years in the Regt. And then make the step. Find out if you do have the mental metal to become an operator.

 

[Booseman]

If you really want to go to group, join on a ranger contract. Spend a couple of years in the Regt. And then make the step. Find out if you do have the mental metal to become an operator.

This is my suggestion as well. This is about as close as you will get to group tactics. Plus if you do it right you will end up with a triple canopy!! If you can make it through Ranger school you should be ok at SFAS.

 

[Hitman]

This is my suggestion as well. This is about as close as you will get to group tactics. Plus if you do it right you will end up with a triple canopy!! If you can make it through Ranger school you should be ok at SFAS.

and like most, you might end up NOT wanting to go anywhere else.

We've seen it all before. Motivator Micky wants to be a Recon Sniper. After a couple years in the Fleet Infantry he realizes the Infantry actually gets more trigger time and decides to stay Infantry.

Some won't rest until they get that Special MOS, and some realize it's not what they initially thought it was.

I like the Ranger-Up idea first. You might find out that being a Ranger is about all you are willing to handle mentally and physically.

Make no mistake, you are a young man, but you are not 17/18 yrs old like most folks you'll see in Boot. You might not feel old at all, but again, you’re not 18 years old. The competition will be fierce. However, mentally you should have the edge.

I was 21 when I joined. Working those few years after High School and gaining some real life experience and leadership put me ahead of the game when it came to Bootcamp. I was put as a Squad Leader in the first week and remained held that position until graduation. Even got a promotion out of it. The other Squad Leaders were also in their mid 20's and the Guide was 30. Not saying those teens couldn't have stepped up, but there is a difference in being FRESH out of high school, and being 21 or older. You'll see it.

 

[Rakkasan]

go to the px and buy a beret.

Chairborne!!!!

 

[lilshaunsdad]

Chairborne!!!!

We had a drill sergeant that would change the cadence and instead of saying airbourne rangers he would say airbourne truckers lead the way. It was hilarious!

 

[dmurph]

"Most of my info comes from guys who refused to see the light and join the cavalry. Instead they chose ground pounding apes. Sadly, when my friends got back from Benning all they could say was "Uhg! Bug!" so some few things might have been lost in translation, even with my superior Scout's intellect and tracking skills.
Naturally, being infantry, it's possible they forgot even their own training while they were off boozing and suffering from Stetson Envy, so you can't fault them."

LOL, well let me just interject my ape opinion.... I have several years in the infantry with the majority of them being a non commisioned officer and I can personally attest to the fact that mini tankers are mostly women who didnt have enough sack to join THE real mos. with that being said, to the op my suggestion is to join on an 18x contract, you will train as an infantryman and go through airborne school, then if you dont pass selection or the q you will simply be given the option to go to another specialty school (i.e. EOD) or go into the armys "needs pool". worse case scenario... you end up at an infantry unit with more knowledge and experience than your peers with the option of going back to the q at a later date. My .02 (p.s. infantry life is amazing (shout out to richard...), i have more time under nightvision in an overwatch then most have in the army)

 

[Vanilla Gorilla]

Starting in The Regiment is the exact same thing I recommended to the OP. Preferably in God's Own 1st Batt. Who, on the eighth day, he created to own the night, seize all of the Devil's Airfields, Hit the hardest of Hard Targets, and raid so audaciously that the rest of the world would be envious. But hey maybe I'm biased...

 

[Emperor]

The OP never came back to this thread?????? I am starting to think he may have been FOS!

Good discussion military guys!