# How does your language specialty affect your career?



## Deleted member 14679 (Feb 10, 2020)

I suppose the crux of this question is about where special forces are deployed throughout the world. Let's say, for example, that I specialize in Chinese or Russian. We aren't currently in a violent conflict with these nations, so would I mostly be doing FID in Ukraine or SE Asia or something? Or could I still be in Afghanistan? 



Note: I'm looking at National Guard (19th) if that has any bearing.


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## x SF med (Feb 10, 2020)

Worry about your language when you do the language portion, you need to focus on where you are and the next step, not 30 steps down the path.  You'll get a language that is within your ability, per the DLAB, and for your AO, determined by Group/Team.  You may have to go back through language at a later date.


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## Deleted member 14679 (Feb 10, 2020)

I know I am on step 1, but I am asking because I like to have an idea of what drivers will influence how my career plays out. It's an important part of deciding which SOF group to work towards. I'm trying to make an educated decision is all


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## Gunz (Feb 10, 2020)

Username said:


> Note: I'm looking at National Guard (19th) if that has any bearing.



I thought you were looking at 4th Force Recon MCB Hawaii. What happened with that?


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## Deleted member 14679 (Feb 10, 2020)

@Gunz Yup, I'm looking at both. Obviously they differ in a lot of important ways, so it's useufl to get a clear sense of what actually being a part of each entails.

Ultimately it comes down to a balance between which one I would get the most of and which I'd be best at


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## Arf (Feb 10, 2020)




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## x SF med (Feb 11, 2020)

Username said:


> ...Ultimately it comes down to a balance between *which one I would get the most of *and which I'd be best at


The bold shows selfishness and only looking out for you, you need a healthy ego, but you need to put Team/mission first.  
You make yourself the best depending on your choices and what's thrown at you.

Special Operations is a complete change to virtually everything you know, it sounds like you need to find another career path.


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## Deleted member 14679 (Feb 11, 2020)

Well, it would certainly be of full interest to the team/mission for me to be on the team I'm best suited for, the team I'd be best at. When I say "get the most out of" I obviously don't mean it in a transactional sense

Everyone involved in SOF gets something out of it, it would be absurd to imagine not, otherwise no one would do it. I don't mean money, I don't mean glory or any of that nonsense. I'm talking about exactly those things you list in your post about "Why do we do this?". 

Right now, at this point in my life, I am thinking about where is the best place for me to go to find "Humility, maturity, emotional/spiritual/psychological toughness, self sacrifice, intelligence, self control, ability to negotiate, Team work, self reliance, physical fitness and the abilty to lead or follow as required"

Of course you can find these at any SOF unit, but really the ideal situation is to find myself at a unit where I can best align in terms of values, character, mission set, and world view. I happen to be of the opinion that it is important for me to understand a unit to the best of my abilities before pulling the trigger and enlisting or attending selection or whatever. That includes both basic things like understanding how your career evolves and is evaluated and more nuanced ideas like the culture of the unit or the vision its commanders have for its place in the military. This is especially relevant because I am looking at two units with pretty substantially different mission profiles.

Sure, I can never know everything I need to know about a unit until I'm there, but I can definitely make an effort to learn what I can, so I can avoid wasting anyone's time when I show up and ask them to try out


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## DZ (Feb 12, 2020)

Don't you guys know, @Username has it figured out. When given criticism from a guy who has lived the life he aspires to be a part of, he doesn't internalize it, and realize he is being given a gift that will help him achieve his goal. No he educates us on the nuances of SOF, drawing on his vast wealth of knowledge in the subject. Let me be the first to thank you!

If you want to be successful, you should try listening to advice from guys who have walked the walk. It's not a personal attack. When @x SF med said you're showing selfishness in your motivations, listen to him, and maybe try and change for the better.. Or don't, you can get all the way to Team Week and find out he was right.

I'm just trying to save you from having to post on your social media that the Cadre "fucked you". But do what you want, it's a free country or something like that.


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## AWP (Feb 12, 2020)

Me: Oh boy, this is going to be fun!

Admin Me: God fucking damnit. If I lock all of the threads I don't have to admin...


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## x SF med (Feb 12, 2020)

Ok, I guess I'm done here.  Good Luck, you know everything, why bother with any of the selection processes?  I hate the interwebz at times like this, all you need is a packing list, report date, equipment you're issued and a desire to excel - too much open source info makes everybody think they've got it dicked.


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## bb08 (Feb 12, 2020)

Username said:


> Well, it would certainly be of full interest to the team/mission for me to be on the team I'm best suited for, the team I'd be best at. When I say "get the most out of" I obviously don't mean it in a transactional sense
> 
> Everyone involved in SOF gets something out of it, it would be absurd to imagine not, otherwise no one would do it. I don't mean money, I don't mean glory or any of that nonsense. I'm talking about exactly those things you list in your post about "Why do we do this?".
> 
> ...



From a fellow nobody on this site, your post pretty much sums up why I scour this forum. Measure twice and cut once. Sometimes you aren't able to make it past the first measurement so you just keep moving and measuring. I am sure you probably found your answer in the responses....so just keep moving on and measuring. This site will eventually lead you to where you want to be like it has me.


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## Steve1839 (Feb 12, 2020)

Short answer....I was rated in French, German and registered a pulse in Italian and could get my face slapped in Czech (once upon a long time ago)...real useful in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Somalia...the Army sent my happy ass where they needed me to go....


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## Grunt (Feb 12, 2020)

Steve1839 said:


> ...the Army sent my happy ass where they needed me to go....



They always know better....


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## Kaldak (Feb 12, 2020)

Vagabond said:


> They always know better....



Needs of the Army folks...even SF is subjected to it.


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## Arf (Feb 12, 2020)

Damn, NSW rarely forces us to a station we don’t want to be at.


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## Steve1839 (Feb 12, 2020)

Arf said:


> Damn, NSW rarely forces us to a station we don’t want to be at.


The Army expects folks to bloom where they're planted....


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## Arf (Feb 12, 2020)

I understand the need to spread knowledge, however I’m a firm believer that staying put and allowing the operator to be where he wants to be makes your family more stable, therefore making the operator more stable.

When you are putting your family through the stress of relocating all of the time, it either makes guys get out a lot of times, or that stress may show through in his demeanor and work.

The location I’m at is within driving distance of my family, and that was a significant reason why I chose SWCC over other SOF jobs.



I feel for you guys, I didn’t realize you didn’t have a say in it...


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## “The Old Man” (Feb 12, 2020)

If you’re planted under a cow pie. Do you bloom out as a magic mushroom?


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## bb08 (Feb 13, 2020)

Arf said:


> I understand the need to spread knowledge, however I’m a firm believer that staying put and allowing the operator to be where he wants to be makes your family more stable, therefore making the operator more stable.
> 
> When you are putting your family through the stress of relocating all of the time, it either makes guys get out a lot of times, or that stress may show through in his demeanor and work.
> 
> ...



I hear MARSOC is moving to the east coast. That would be rough on the family.


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## Arf (Feb 13, 2020)

I thought they already had a unit on the east coast?

I am not sure if that was directed toward me or not but just in case, SWCC is Navy Special Warfare(NSW).



bb08 said:


> I hear MARSOC is moving to the east coast. That would be rough on the family.


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## Ooh-Rah (Feb 13, 2020)

Re:  MARSOC moving to the East Coast.

Yep, there is a story online about that, anyone can feel free to post that in a MARSOC thread or begin a fresh one.

Let’s please be keep on topic with this current thread.

_”How does your language specialty affect your career?”_


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