# "The Typical Special Operator"



## Boon (Jan 22, 2012)

I asked this on the ShadowSpear Facebook page and had a pretty good response. This image was released by USSOCOM. Would you remove, add, or alter anything in the below image?


​


----------



## TLDR20 (Jan 22, 2012)

Can grow an awesome beard.


----------



## reed11b (Jan 22, 2012)

The word operator.
Reed


----------



## Coyote (Jan 22, 2012)

Has thousands of people pretending to be him so they don't have to buy a drink.


----------



## Dame (Jan 22, 2012)

Loves alcohol, pork, and putting his hands in his pockets.


----------



## goon175 (Jan 22, 2012)

Has extensive ink on one or more area's of the body.


----------



## CDG (Jan 22, 2012)

cback0220 said:


> Can grow an awesome beard.


 
Lol.... I get asked fairly frequently if I'm SOF.  Invariably, after I answer in the negative, they always make some comment about how they thought for sure I was because of my beard.


----------



## mike_cos (Jan 22, 2012)

40 Kg of Backpack...

http://www.operazionispeciali.com/res/site28430/res562914_CIMG2515.JPG


----------



## JJ sloan (Jan 22, 2012)

Extensive porn collection


----------



## Marauder06 (Jan 22, 2012)

That guy's not an operator, his sleeves aren't cuffed, his pants are bloused, every buckle/zipper/button is appropriately fashioned, he's got his headgear on but no facial hair, nothing's dirty/torn/used, there is no gratuitous glint tape or "local-manufacture" highspeed patches, I see no bloodtype displayed, the hand not on his weapon is not shoved deeply into a pocket, and he doesn't have a practiced look of disdain on his face.  Oh, and there is no big-ass knife to be seen.  Clearly, this guy is an enabler, not an operator ;)


----------



## Brill (Jan 22, 2012)

...finds any and all situations dealing with poo extremely hillarious, able to eat anything, able to drink anything, can find or make alcohol from anything, able to repair any/all equipment or at least able to blow it up beyond repair, able to BS their way out of any situation or find a way to blame a support guy, and finally, extremely loyal until you fall into poo and then #1 applies.  Oh and never forgets "Remember back in '09 when X did..."


----------



## goon175 (Jan 22, 2012)

Can break any and all items issued that were labeled "unbreakable"


----------



## Brill (Jan 22, 2012)

goon175 said:


> Can break any and all items issued that were labeled "unbreakable"



Or signed out by someone else!


----------



## x SF med (Jan 22, 2012)

hates hand receipts and the items that are on them.... except his weapons, radios, blasting kit and durable med gear...


----------



## Hitman2/3 (Jan 22, 2012)

Has a following of women known as groupies who can't resist his Alpha male charm and smell of testosterone.


----------



## AWP (Jan 22, 2012)

I love that "general purpose" is the new "conventional."

I'm surprised there isn't a bullet on physical size...but like a Barbie we wouldn't want to give anyone a body issue complex.

I would add, "Can't find his Class A uniform."


----------



## Etype (Jan 22, 2012)

Don't forget, "Possesses at least one 'man skill', like electrician, carpenter, brewer, farrier, blacksmith, mechanic, etc..."


----------



## goon175 (Jan 22, 2012)

> "Possesses at least one 'man skill'


 
Shit....


----------



## goon175 (Jan 22, 2012)

Has more footwear than his wife


----------



## JohnnyBoyUSMC (Jan 22, 2012)

goon175 said:


> Can break any and all items issued that were labeled "unbreakable"


 
doesn't that generally apply for all combat MOS? I distinctly recall being told over and over "this is why you can't have nice things" by higher up's in regards to that lol!


----------



## Etype (Jan 22, 2012)

goon175 said:


> Can break any and all items issued that were labeled "unbreakable"


This, in my experience, applies mostly to 18Ds with 18Es being a close second.  Bs and Cs just seem better at handling equipment.  As would break a lot of stuff too if they touched it more often- it most have something to do with the supposed "intellectual" MOSs not being as skilled with their hands.  As for the intellectual part, the only non-B on my team who's his mortar gunnery and sniper math down is a C- so antenna theory, MDMP, and basic surgery doesn't make you smart, it's all a scam.


----------



## goon175 (Jan 22, 2012)

I think the most shining example I have is when our company was issued the SCAR's, and before we took them out to the range for the first time, the FN rep's swore to us that we needn't be concerned about the but stocks being plastic, that they had tested them up and down and there is nothing to be worried about. sure as shit, we had 4 broken butt stocks that first day.


----------



## QC (Jan 22, 2012)

Tap Dance, speak Spanish. 



BTW, making kit digger proof is damned hard.


----------



## Etype (Jan 22, 2012)

goon175 said:


> I think the most shining example I have is when our company was issued the SCAR's, and before we took them out to the range for the first time, the FN rep's swore to us that we needn't be concerned about the but stocks being plastic, that they had tested them up and down and there is nothing to be worried about. sure as shit, we had 4 broken butt stocks that first day.


I had to jump through my rectum at 0300 in the morning to get a buttstock on a tactical resupply that was going out in an hour because one was broken while IMT'ing. At least if you break the plastic portion of the buttstock on an M4, you can still use what's left of it and the buff tube to shoulder the weapon- when it happens on a SCAR, you've got a long and heavy pistol.


----------



## Brill (Jan 22, 2012)

Freefalling said:


> I would add, "Can't find his Class A uniform."



Or a barber!!!


----------



## dknob (Jan 22, 2012)

Boon said:


> I asked this on the ShadowSpear Facebook page and had a pretty good response. This image was released by USSOCOM. Would you remove, add, or alter anything in the below image?
> 
> 
> View attachment 5564​


 
I disagree with a lot of it. 
Very few enlisted guys in the Regiment had college degrees. I knew 3.

8 years general purposes forces?? Again.. bs in the 75th.

All that may apply to guys in the SMUs. But I don't see it in the 75th. And most on here with the proper background will say they didn't see it commonly enough in the SF world to call it "average"


----------



## goon175 (Jan 22, 2012)

Since you can go directly into the 75th, SF, SEAL teams, PJ, CCT, etc. I would say the general purpose number is off as well.

Looking at a company photo from right before I left, I counted about 10% had a bachelors degree, and about another 20% had either an associates, or an equivelant amount of college credit under their belt.


----------



## DasBoot (Jan 22, 2012)

dknob said:


> I disagree with a lot of it.
> Very few enlisted guys in the Regiment had college degrees. I knew 3.
> 
> 8 years general purposes forces?? Again.. bs in the 75th.
> ...


I do recall reading that something like 1/2 of all SEALs enlist with a degree. I can't find any link right now but I'll see if I can't pull that up.


----------



## goon175 (Jan 23, 2012)

Without having any statistics, I would guess that SF has the highest percentage of educated enlisted guys.


----------



## surgicalcric (Jan 23, 2012)

DasBoot said:


> I do recall reading that something like 1/2 of all SEALs enlist with a degree. I can't find any link right now but I'll see if I can't pull that up.


 
There is no way that is accurate. I know quite a few of them and only one of the 8-9 enlisted guys that I know had degrees when they enlisted.

However of the 10 guys on my ODA 7 of us have degrees and two of those are masters.  That isnt the norm, but I would venture to agree with Goon about who has more degrees in the enlisted side of the house. 

Crip


----------



## Mac_NZ (Jan 23, 2012)

It should be is divorced and is shelling out for at least 2 kids.


----------



## Brill (Jan 23, 2012)

goon175 said:


> Without having any statistics, I would guess that SF has the highest percentage of educated enlisted guys.



35-series has a very high rate especially Papa (helps that DLI is now granting AA degrees).


----------



## TLDR20 (Jan 23, 2012)

Lots of guys in my Co had degrees many having masters. 8 years GP forces? I don't know many guys not including X-Rays that have that much time. Most are just done with first enlistment. I will do a small case study at work today.


----------



## goon175 (Jan 23, 2012)

> Most are just done with first enlistment


 
Thats the impression I always got from SF'ers I have been around (damn few), most were either 18x or did just enough time on the conventional side to figure out that thats not where they wanted to be, and dropped an SFAS packet.

Most guys in Regiment are home grown (and thats how we like them), but there has been a bigger push in recent years to recruit in-service guys. Very few 11B's can import succesfully, but I would say over half of our FISTers were imports, a few of our medics, half our commo, and a large portion of CSS guys were imports.


----------



## Etype (Jan 23, 2012)

goon175 said:


> Without having any statistics, I would guess that SF has the highest percentage of educated enlisted guys.


I'd say it's between 10-20% of SF guys I know have an associates or above.  I would assume that the National Guard teams have a MUCH higher percentage since they are all carrying on an additional profession.


----------



## CDG (Jan 23, 2012)

DasBoot said:


> I do recall reading that something like 1/2 of all SEALs enlist with a degree. I can't find any link right now but I'll see if I can't pull that up.


 
No way.  Out of over 300+ people that started with my class, I believe we had around 20 officers.  Outside of them, I didn't know ANYONE that had a degree already.


----------



## CDG (Jan 23, 2012)

goon175 said:


> Very few 11B's can import succesfully, .


 
Interesting. I would have thought the 11B's would have had the easiest time getting in, because of the experience with tactics, patrolling, etc.  Why is this?


----------



## dknob (Jan 23, 2012)

CDG said:


> Interesting. I would have thought the 11B's would have had the easiest time getting in, because of the experience with tactics, patrolling, etc. Why is this?


Different SOPs and TTPs.

Theory is, you can take an 11B from the 101st and put him in the 10th MTN where he will do just fine with all the TTPs.  I don't think you could do the same with taking an 11B from the 75th to other infantry units.


----------



## Brian1/75 (Jan 23, 2012)

Part of it is leadership too. An 11b e-5 is in charge of 4 guys. E-6 is in charge of 9. It doesn't quite work out this way because you're always short on guys, but an E-5 medic isn't really in charge of anything. At least not in the field. He's attached to the platoon and pretty much at the whim of the PSG. An E-6 senior medic is in charge of the shop and 3 more medics, but even in the field he's not directing some attachment of medics. They've got time to figure out their job and get into their element. An E-5 11b is thrust into being a new guy, learning a new job, and having to lead guys that probably know more about that job. On top of that, he has to fit into the personality of the platoon and try to build rapport. The combat support guys are pretty much independent entities except for specific training events and deployments.


----------



## goon175 (Jan 23, 2012)

Night and day difference between an 11B in Regiment and an 11B anywhere else. Same goes for the other MOS's (68W, 13F mainly), but for some reason they have an easier time integrating.


----------



## DA SWO (Jan 23, 2012)

Freefalling said:


> I love that "general purpose" is the new "conventional."
> 
> I'm surprised there isn't a bullet on physical size...but like a Barbie we wouldn't want to give anyone a body issue complex.
> 
> I would add, "Can't find his Class A uniform."


I'd like to know where that fact came from (the 8 years in general purpose")?

My guess is enablers/support folks being added in allowed that "Politically Correct" statement to be generated.


----------



## Marauder06 (Jan 23, 2012)

Eight years GPF seems a bit long, that's very senior captain for the officer ranks, and could be E7 for enlisted.  It was my experience that most folks have broken into SOF before that.  I think it was six or seven years for me, most of my peers had gone SOF before that.  The only time I saw people with more experience than that in the GPF before going SOF was some of the pilots, particularly the warrants, in the 160th.


----------



## goon175 (Jan 23, 2012)

> Enjoys games which require problem solving, like chess


 
lol, or call of duty and halo haha


----------



## Marauder06 (Jan 23, 2012)

My first exposure to CoD came when I was in Afghanistan with the 160th (and has continued ever since :-/)


----------



## Boon (Jan 23, 2012)

"Has read Gates of Fire"


----------



## TLDR20 (Jan 23, 2012)

Boon said:


> "Has read Gates of Fire"



And wants to kill Persians!


----------



## SpitfireV (Jan 23, 2012)

Who doesn't. They're mostly cunts!


----------



## Loki (Apr 5, 2012)

You can trust him with your life, but not your money or your wife...


----------



## TLDR20 (Apr 5, 2012)

IMTT said:


> You can trust him with your life, but not your money or your wife...



I don't want a teammate like that.


----------



## Ranger Psych (Apr 5, 2012)

dknob said:


> Different SOPs and TTPs.
> 
> Theory is, you can take an 11B from the 101st and put him in the 10th MTN where he will do just fine with all the TTPs. I don't think you could do the same with taking an 11B from the 75th to other infantry units.


 
The basics are the basics and you can transition from the 75th, but that's more applicable due to typically being an NCO when the shift is required. More specifically, the outbound Ranger is more likely to be in a position to pull an _Abrams Charter_ style deal and teach the general forces what really works well.

Most 11B's that are inbound from Regular army to Regiment, don't always do well specifically because they're used to the lower standards... not the intensity and quality of soldier from E-1 to E-9 never mind the officer corps, that reside within Regiment.

RIP/RASP is intended to weed out those that shouldn't get into Regiment, but at the same time it's a teacup taste of the kind of variable mission profile. Sometimes people pass, but can't handle things once they actually get to their respective positions.  It can be attributed from not letting go of previously trained retarded shit from "legland", to just not being used to being held to standards nonstop.

They might not be used to CSM's that'll threaten a full unit training event for stupid occurrences, and once another occurred... hold true to the threat and lead it to boot...


----------



## goon175 (Apr 5, 2012)

> The basics are the basics and you can transition from the 75th, but that's more applicable due to typically being an NCO when the shift is required. More specifically, the outbound Ranger is more likely to be in a position to pull an _Abrams Charter_ style deal and teach the general forces what really works well.


 
I don't know, I mean in theory that should work, and probably has in the past, but in practice more recently I have heard from more than  a few guys who try to teach things how they learned them in batt., but commanders or higher NCO's don't want to hear that stuff. Apparently its common to hear 'well that may be how Rangers do it, but we do it like this here'.


----------



## policemedic (Apr 6, 2012)

goon175 said:


> I don't know, I mean in theory that should work, and probably has in the past, but in practice more recently I have heard from more than a few guys who try to teach things how they learned them in batt., but commanders or higher NCO's don't want to hear that stuff. Apparently its common to hear 'well that may be how Rangers do it, but we do it like this here'.


 
Institutional inertia and unchecked ego at work.


----------



## Ranger Psych (Apr 6, 2012)

goon175 said:


> I don't know, I mean in theory that should work, and probably has in the past, but in practice more recently I have heard from more than a few guys who try to teach things how they learned them in batt., but commanders or higher NCO's don't want to hear that stuff. Apparently its common to hear 'well that may be how Rangers do it, but we do it like this here'.


 

Maybe I was lucky then... I PCS'ed and..

my PSG was from 6th RTB & 2/75
 my CO was former 1/75
My first task as a team leader was CQM training
Second task was class A's for company event bigger "rack" than most of the leadership, subsequent 5w description of awards _*Why you have extra presidential citation on uniform Sergeant? Because I earned it, Sir*_
*and my nuclear option trump card if necessary was the USARAK CSM (my first CSM @ 3/75)*

Another focal point might have been that the whole Stryker concept was new to everyone as well because it was a newly formed stryker brigade, and basically from the platoon level up, we had latitude to take best practices from mechanized infantry where it was warranted (long mounted movements, best ways to unass the truck), take best practices from motorized infantry *hmm wonder if Aco RSOV experience counts, yep sure did*, combine those with dismounted infantry best practices *kaching RAGNAR* and couple them together with pulling some new tricks out of our hat... or at least concepts that seemed like a good idea given we've got a multi-ten-thousand pound armored truck with a heavy MG up top. Fuck your gate, we'll take the wall; fuck your stairs, we'll take the 2nd story off the top of the truck; fuck your couch, etc.

At least at the platoon level, what we thought of them was that they were:

Light armored squad transportation that at provided
A) THIS IS NOT A BRAD THIS IS NOT A TANK DO NOT USE IT AS SUCH YOU WILL GET KILLED! _for the right mindset repeat after me, armored FMTV armored FMTV _
B) A heavy weapons SBF capability
C) a good amount of increased SA with the electronics
D) Shelter from weather during transport, WITH a fucking heater *shivers thinking of some RSOV rides*
E) a ride to close to the fight so we showed up better rested and in a jolly mood to go kill shit vs pissed at our kidney pad or what have you
F) Your own perimeter security via 4 big f'ing gun trucks w/ crews

We knew the tires would burn. We knew the fuel tanks would burn. We knew it could roll over. We knew all these things and trained on them (thanks to the mech elements we had as NCO's) on getting the bailout hatches open under all circumstances (and keeping your gear combat effective yet slick enough to not hang up). Manually dropping ramp. Getting the driver out and taking over if he was hit. What to do for a fire. All the different NEW battle drills inherent to not only vehicular operation but THAT vehicle's operation.

Not to mention that basically every NCO in the unit had combat experience of some sort at that point, the other PSG's in the company as well (one had been an RI at 5th RTB, and one was with 10th Mountain.....in somalia) and there was a huge amount of crosstalk regarding "we KNOW we are going to combat and we WILL train right, hard, and the right way, to give best probability of 100% return" so further/faster/harder was the order of the day, every day.

Anyway, basically I would have to surmise that it's situational dependent with regards to being able to apply knowledge from Regiment. I probably had a perfect storm to be totally honest, but all my friends who have PCS'ed as well also have found good niches where their knowledge is applicable and have few complaints. At a minimum, their guys are squared the fuck away even if the institution above them is in full retard mode.


----------



## goon175 (Apr 6, 2012)

> At a minimum, their guys are squared the fuck away even if the institution above them is in full retard mode.


Absolutely. And I will also add, that regardless of your best circumstance scenario and my worst circumstance scenario, the former batt. boy can always at a bare minimum effect attitudes and morale. One thing I have noticed...morale goes up and nobody wants to look like a dirtbag in front of "that Ranger guy".


----------



## Loki (Apr 6, 2012)

cback0220 said:


> I don't want a teammate like that.


Neither do I, but it happens...


----------



## Brill (Apr 6, 2012)

goon175 said:


> Absolutely. And I will also add, that regardless of your best circumstance scenario and my worst circumstance scenario, the former batt. boy can always at a bare minimum effect attitudes and morale. One thing I have noticed...morale goes up and nobody wants to look like a dirtbag in front of "that Ranger guy".



Because he will be the first one to say publicly "WTF are you doing retard?"


----------



## Ranger Psych (Apr 6, 2012)

lindy said:


> Because he will be the first one to say publicly "WTF are you doing retard?"


 
Yeah, I think my brain to mouth filter was reduced significantly if not physically extracted upon completion of RIP...


----------



## Brill (Apr 6, 2012)

Ranger Psych said:


> Yeah, I think my brain to mouth filter was reduced significantly if not physically extracted upon completion of RIP...


 
I have a Ranger on my team and he's pretty much my litmus test for the BS meter...usually predicated by me saying something like "hey, watch this shit.."


----------



## BearW (Apr 9, 2012)

Has a fleet of multipurpose outer-garments for a wide variety of outdoor activities and seasons. He may own one of more camouflage ball caps in RealTree/MossyOak etc.....


----------



## rlowery60 (May 29, 2012)

What is that yellow thingie near his waist, a pull to inflate cord?


----------



## goon175 (May 29, 2012)

safety lanyard/line, for snapping in to aircraft


----------



## FatGrat (May 31, 2012)

Always has a "Smartass" remark for whatever is being said


----------



## Loki (May 31, 2012)

We call that Wit! ;)


----------



## Marauder06 (May 31, 2012)

...knows why intervening on the ground in Somalia is a very bad idea.


----------



## RackMaster (Jun 1, 2012)

Has his "hair stylist" on speed dial for emergencies involving sideburns or 'gasp' a perm.  LOL


----------



## Sandbagger (Aug 24, 2012)

There should be one for operator in civilian attire.  5.11 pants, some kind of tactical color hat with velcro, a flanel shirt and some sweet merrils or 5-fingers.


----------



## Sandbagger (Aug 24, 2012)

Sandbagger said:


> There should be one for operator in civilian attire. 5.11 pants, some kind of tactical color hat with velcro, a flanel shirt and some sweet merrils or 5-fingers.


 
I kid I kid =)


----------



## Viper1 (Aug 24, 2012)

Can cuss, swear, and act tough....but god forbid if you ever steal his "snookie", "woobie", or "smoking jacket" :)


----------



## Etype (Aug 24, 2012)

Viper1 said:


> Can cuss, swear, and act tough....but god forbid if you ever steal his "snookie", "woobie", or "smoking jacket"


Or he ever gets his feet wet outside of a school.


----------



## goon175 (Aug 24, 2012)

has thousands of dollars of miscelaneous gear sitting in his basement/garage.
-14 pairs of random oakleys, with an assortment of lenses
-17 outdated IR strobes
-32 wrist compasses
-47 camalbak bladders
-143 pieces of snivel gear
-182 gerber tools

You get the point...


----------



## Sandbagger (Aug 24, 2012)

goon175 said:


> has thousands of dollars of miscelaneous gear sitting in his basement/garage.
> -14 pairs of random oakleys, with an assortment of lenses
> -17 outdated IR strobes
> -32 wrist compasses
> ...


 
Oh man that reminds me I have to organize the garage =/


----------



## Brian1/75 (Aug 25, 2012)

goon175 said:


> has thousands of dollars of miscelaneous gear sitting in his basement/garage.
> -14 pairs of random oakleys, with an assortment of lenses
> -17 outdated IR strobes
> -32 wrist compasses
> ...


I've been meaning to Ebay this shit. Could really use the scrap these days.


----------



## Etype (Aug 25, 2012)

The SOF guy loves Waffle House.


*Message posted from my phone while at Waffle House.


----------



## Loki (Sep 10, 2012)

Etype said:


> The SOF guy loves Waffle House.
> 
> 
> *Message posted from my phone while at Waffle House.


Yea after 0200hrs, too many beers and when it becomes a target rich environment...


----------



## x SF med (Sep 10, 2012)

Etype said:


> The SOF guy loves Waffle House.
> 
> 
> *Message posted from my phone while at Waffle House.


 
Except when Waffle House is out of Waffles......  yes, it's happened.


----------



## Marauder06 (Sep 10, 2012)

Viper1 said:


> Can cuss, swear, and act tough....but god forbid if you ever steal his "snookie", "woobie", or "smoking jacket"


 
I LOVE my smoking jacket.  Especially after they got smart and started making them with buttons pre-sewn so you can wear it as outerwear.  Flipflops, black shorts, and the smoking jacket was what I wore back and forth to the shower during the winter in Iraq and Afghanistan.


----------



## demo18c (Oct 28, 2012)

Avg guy coming thru SFAS have 6 years in Army
42% percent of SF have degrees after 1st enlistment on ODA


----------



## Future_Leader (Oct 28, 2012)

I would add "is not necessarily the guy in picture here."


----------



## Rabid Badger (Oct 29, 2012)

cback0220 said:


> Can grow an awesome beard.


 
I LOL'ed​


----------



## Future_Leader (Oct 29, 2012)

RB said:


> I LOL'ed
> View attachment 7018​


Much better. Lol.


----------



## Muddergoose (Nov 29, 2012)

lindy said:


> ...finds any and all situations dealing with poo extremely hillarious, able to eat anything, able to drink anything, can find or make alcohol from anything, able to repair any/all equipment or at least able to blow it up beyond repair, able to BS their way out of any situation or find a way to blame a support guy, and finally, extremely loyal until you fall into poo and then #1 applies. Oh and never forgets "Remember back in '09 when X did..."


 
Holy crap, I'm Special Ed, or Special Needs at best, but this totally sounds like me at work!!


----------

