# Need help from experienced SOF personnel.



## Drisus14 (Jul 16, 2012)

For a while now I've known that I want to serve in the military, specifically in a special operations force. Through extensive amounts of research I've narrowed my choices to becoming either a Ranger or SEAL.

One of the issues I've run into as someone with no military or special operations experience is knowing which factors should matter and how much weight they should hold when deciding on a SOF. I could come up with a list of reasons as to why I would want to be a Ranger over a SEAL or vice versa, but as someone with no experience in anything I'm talking about I don't know if what I'm talking about even matters.

For example I could say I want to be a SEAL over a Ranger because they have a more broad range of mission sets, an individual SEAL could do VBSS/GOPLAT missions, hydrographic reconnaissance, special reconnaissance, and HVT direct action raids all in one deployment. It all looks good on paper but how do I know as someone looking from the outside in if I really want to do that? How do I know that if I were to become a Ranger I would look at "having a broad range of mission sets" and laugh at it? How do I know I won't want to be a Ranger and live strictly in the direct action realm, be in QRFs, and do Ranger things? How do I know if I can be bold enough to take the SEAL Challenge because "I'd rather be a SEAL because garrison life in the 75th is tougher."? Or if I should decide to enlist with a Ranger contract because "If I were to fail selection for whatever reason I can fall back on Airborne instead of being an undesignated seaman."

I'm asking you SOF personnel as people with experience what should be on my list of priorities and how should I rank them? For example I was just on Yahoo Answers and read someone wanted to be a Marine infantryman simply because they want to see as much combat as possible. In their mind (as someone with no experience in what they're talking about) that could be a perfectly valid reason to become an infantryman, but in hindsight that could be absolutely foolish. Or someone wanting to become a Pararescueman over X because PJs receive their EMT-P and they could be easily employed after their enlistment. I want to ensure that I avoid making mistakes like the person on Yahoo Answers. What do you wish you would've taken into consideration more prior to enlisting in the SOF you're in? What really matters?

Thanks in advance.


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## TLDR20 (Jul 16, 2012)

Can you swim?


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## SkrewzLoose (Jul 16, 2012)

Drisus14 said:


> ~snip
> instead of being an undesignated seaman."


I just got my rating 3 months ago and my first set of crows 1 month ago...  
There's no "magical bullet".  Just like with any job (military or civilian), nothing is going to be perfect.  You're going to have to make sacrifices/compromise no matter what you choose to do.  YOU have to decide where those are made, no one can tell you.  
Just my non-SOF $.02


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## RackMaster (Jul 16, 2012)

You are making this more complicated than it needs to be.  Work on finishing High School the best you can and then worry about what "path" to go when you enlist.


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## Drisus14 (Jul 16, 2012)

cback0220 said:


> Can you swim?


 
Latest PST:
104 pushups in 2:00
96 situps in 2:00
21 pullups
4 mile - 26:05
500 yard swim - 8:18

I'm still trying to get consistant with the CSS, once I do that I see my swim time decreasing significantly. I wouldn't go to BUD/S with my current swim time and ability but I still have junior and senior year to train. If for some reason my swimming ability isn't where I want it to be then avoiding the non-Army SOF pipelines would be wise of me.



SkrewzLoose said:


> I just got my rating 3 months ago and my first set of crows 1 month ago...
> There's no "magical bullet". Just like with any job (military or civilian), nothing is going to be perfect. You're going to have to make sacrifices/compromise no matter what you choose to do. YOU have to decide where those are made, no one can tell you.
> Just my non-SOF $.02


 
Were you undesignated at one point?



RackMaster said:


> You are making this more complicated than it needs to be. Work on finishing High School the best you can and then worry about what "path" to go when you enlist.


 
Acknowledged, part of the reason I'm asking though is I refuse to show up to any SOF pipeline less than overly prepared physically (if that's possible). If I were to somehow come to the conlusion that I want to be a SEAL over Ranger then I would adjust my training to compensate for the swim requirements of BUD/S, if I were to decide on the 75th then I would use the time I spend every day in the pool for running, PT, rucking, etc.


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## RackMaster (Jul 16, 2012)

You don't get it, you are still a kid in probably some of the most important years of your life.  It's great that you want to serve your country among its elite but enjoy life a little.  Things change day by day and don't focus so much on the long term. 

Do a little more research on the types of training/missions all SOF units currently do. You should be doing all of that training, fit in the pool time, running, rucking, weights training, etc. into your schedule. Be as fit as you can and the rest will work itself out.


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## TLDR20 (Jul 16, 2012)

Wait you are in high school? If that is the case you need to go out and get laid(safely), and go be a damn teenager. That is where your focus should be. You should be doing PT to get more chicks, not to make it in a SOF unit.


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## is friday (Jul 16, 2012)

Your main focus before you enlist should be to understand that you may fall short or decide you just plain "don't wanna do it" even after all of this prep. You haven't seen the elephant. Look at 25m target like staying in good shape. Chances are, no matter which pipeline you go through, you're probably not even going to be doing what you think you're going to do--or what anyone else thinks you will, either. A lot of your experiences will be based upon chance/luck if you make it through and the needs of the community.

Everything changes constantly and your primary goal should not be to do certain kinds of cool missions, but to be the man prepared to do whatever is necessary when the time comes. To be honest, I think the only real question you should have when deciding between trying out in BUDS or Ranger School is "Do I want to swim for hours a day or ruck for hours a day?" That's all that it's going to matter to you. By the time you're actually doing some "cool stuff" your mind will be so numb from the day-in day-out grind of getting in the pool/patrolling for weeks/months/years on end that it won't matter.


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## 0699 (Jul 16, 2012)

My son is a junior in HS.  This is what I tell him...

1) Stay physically fit
2) Do well in school
3) Stay away from drugs & alcohol
4) Don't do anything you know is wrong
5) Don't let anyone talk you into anything

Everything else will come with adulthood.  Don't be in too big a hurry to grow up; it isn't everything it's cracked up to be.


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## Drisus14 (Jul 16, 2012)

RackMaster said:


> You don't get it, you are still a kid in probably some of the most important years of your life. It's great that you want to serve your country among its elite but enjoy life a little. Things change day by day and don't focus so much on the long term.
> 
> Do a little more research on the types of training/missions all SOF units currently do. You should be doing all of that training, fit in the pool time, running, rucking, weights training, etc. into your schedule. Be as fit as you can and the rest will work itself out.


 
Understood.



cback0220 said:


> Wait you are in high school? If that is the case you need to go out and get laid(safely), and go be a damn teenager. That is where your focus should be. You should be doing PT to get more chicks, not to make it in a SOF unit.


 
Trust me man I do plently of that. More than most people do in a lifetime.

Last week I was kicked out of my house for throwing a house party, the next day my mom found a bottle of Captain Morgan in my cats litter box and a broken bong and 12 pack in the bushes. I moved in with my best friend, his mom doesn't care about what we do, he is all about partying and selling marijuana, and his 2 sisters are crazy. We threw 5 consecutive house parties, last night was the first night since I've been living here that we haven't, and that's only because we were asleep when everyone was blowing up our phones asking to come over. My girlfriend has been very "kind" to me since I've been kicked out, and my friends 15 year old sister has been curiously flirty with me since day 1. I don't want to have sex with her for a multitude of reasons, but it's tempting simply because even though that would complicate so many things it would be awesome to live in a house where I could have sex with someone at any time. My friend buys an ounce of marijuana, sells it in an average of 3 days, re-ups, and repeats. He profits 4 grams of marijuana each re-up so that can be either personal or he can sell it off for personal money (which he usually spends on alcohol anyway). My living situation has gotten crazy. It's been nothing but money, intoxicants, freedom, my girlfriend, and fighting the urge to fuck my friends little sister who has made it clear she's DTF any time we're alone. At one of the parties someone told me they made a kick ass drink, turns out they secretly put DXM in it. For 12 hours I was tripping balls. I was convinced I was the internet, at one point I was telling everyone that my forehead was the Google search bar, when I went to lay down I "was" sofrep.com, I cannot explain to you how much I was convinced I was sofrep.com or what that even feels like. I was a giant at one point, I felt like an octopus, I couldn't walk or speak, I took a shit and the moment it came out the room turned frosty, etc.

Also not once in that entire post did I say I did any illegal substances. When I tripped on DXM that is technically legal because it's described as a cough syrup overdose.



is friday said:


> Your main focus before you enlist should be to understand that you may fall short or decide you just plain "don't wanna do it" even after all of this prep. You haven't seen the elephant. Look at 25m target like staying in good shape. Chances are, no matter which pipeline you go through, you're probably not even going to be doing what you think you're going to do--or what anyone else thinks you will, either. A lot of your experiences will be based upon chance/luck if you make it through and the needs of the community.
> 
> Everything changes constantly and your primary goal should not be to do certain kinds of cool missions, but to be the man prepared to do whatever is necessary when the time comes. To be honest, I think the only real question you should have when deciding between trying out in BUDS or Ranger School is "Do I want to swim for hours a day or ruck for hours a day?" That's all that it's going to matter to you. By the time you're actually doing some "cool stuff" your mind will be so numb from the day-in day-out grind of getting in the pool/patrolling for weeks/months/years on end that it won't matter.


 
That's along the lines of what I was thinking. Thank you.


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## SkrewzLoose (Jul 16, 2012)

Drisus14 said:


> Were you undesignated at one point?


Never.
However, judging by your last post, you shouldn't be allowed anywhere near paint.


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## 0699 (Jul 16, 2012)

Drisus14 said:


> Understood.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
There goes your clearance...

I'm out; I think this is a put up.


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## SkrewzLoose (Jul 16, 2012)

0699 said:


> There goes your clearance...
> 
> I'm out; I think this is a put up.


 
Agreed, troll...


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## Drisus14 (Jul 16, 2012)

SkrewzLoose said:


> Never.
> However, judging by your last post, you shouldn't be allowed anywhere near paint.


 
Lol



0699 said:


> There goes your clearance...
> 
> I'm out; I think this is a put up.


 
I don't think I can lose my clearance over hosting a party where others did illegal activities, living in a house where others do illegal activities, sexual intercourse, or unintentionally overdosing on a perfectly legal off the shelf cough syrup.


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## JBS (Jul 16, 2012)

There is another way:

You can do all of the above by training to be so well rounded that you could pass SEAL or Ranger screening.  To do so, you'd need to be extremely tough.

Step 1: dip your balls in honey
Step 2: squat over a red ant hill.

If you can make it past 20 minutes without moving, you can make it into any unit in the military.


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## SkrewzLoose (Jul 16, 2012)

Nevermind...I'm out too.


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## surgicalcric (Jul 16, 2012)

Drisus14 said:


> I don't think...


 
You could have stopped there; you don't know what the hell you are talking about. You are making guesses and showing your age and im/maturity level with each following post.

You are quickly drawing [negative] attention from those you were initially seeking advice from.  Stop while you are ahead and can still post. Continue to post like you have in this thread and I can guarantee you will be reading posts from the outside of this community.  

As my father once told me, "Son when you find yourself in a hole put down the shovel."  Wise advice - you should consider it.

Crip


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## Marauder06 (Jul 16, 2012)

Drisus14 said:


> Understood.
> 
> ...


 
You are a complete dumbass.  If I knew what your name was and where you lived, I'd report you and your roommate to both Social Services and the cops.  More importantly, I'd never want someone with that kind of poor judgment in my unit or on my team.

There is plenty of stuff that is *still technically "legal," but will get you booted *out of the military and/or ensure you never get a clearance.  But we're going to set that aside for now.

Do you know who we (SOF writ large) spend most of our time going after and defending ourselves against?  Non-state actors.  You know what *one of their major funding streams is*?  Illegal drugs.  For many terrorist groups, illegal drugs are by far their most lucrative source of funding.  It's what keeps the financially solvent, which is what allows them to continue to be a threat.  People like you and your little drug dealing buddy, and all your little shithead druggie friends are putting money into the hands of people who are actively trying to kill us.  Not to mention contributing to the chaos south of our border... which is spilling over into the USA.

Consuming illegal drugs is one of the most selfish thing you can do, ever, because of the economic and *social costs*.  All you care about is how it makes you feel; you don't care about what it does to the lives and dreams of others.

If this is really the kind of life you lead, and you think what you said was OK, I hope you never earn the right to serve in the military, much less in SOF.

Put THAT in your pipe and smoke it.


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## Drisus14 (Jul 16, 2012)

I appologize for my unnecessary and stupid responses, I did not intend for this thread to get out of hand.


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## CDG (Jul 16, 2012)

Drisus14 said:


> I appologize for my unnecessary and stupid responses, I did not intend for this thread to get out of hand.


 

Sure you did.  You were trying to impress us with your little fucking drug stories.  I hope you never make it into the military.  We don't need pieces of shit like you.  Maybe one day one of us will have the joy of locking you and your buddies up.


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## pardus (Jul 17, 2012)

Drisus14 said:


> I appologize for my unnecessary and stupid responses, I did not intend for this thread to get out of hand.


 
We don't need nor want cunts like you in the Military.


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## Muppet (Jul 17, 2012)

Wow on what I just read. You know what kid...I just got finished scrapping up a kid your age from the road way that was high / drunk and driving illeaglly and was lucky to still be alive with lots of injuries. Your heading to that point. You know what else. You may think it's cool to experiment or have friends that sling dope but those friends will bring you down. Nevermind Special Operations. You should be preparing for a life in prison. A 12 by 12 cell is what is awaiting you kid. Oh! That last kid I had "trip" on DXM or dexamorpthan needed to be sedated by me and the E.D. doctor with 3 times the amount of sedation drugs and ended up going into kidney failure. I can talk all day about this stuff but I am sure it will go in one ear and out the other. Have a nice life down there in Raleigh kid. I have a friend that runs E.M.S. down there and I am sure sometime in your life, you will meet him, either O.D.'d or massive injuries from doing something retarded.

F.M.


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## Salt USMC (Jul 17, 2012)

Im gonna be the contrarian here and say that this guy should probably enlist, but in the conventional forces first before even considering a SOF position.  A lot of enlistees come from broken homes and otherwise bad scenes, or just may not have their head screwed on straight at that point in time.  Boot camp can do a lot to change people, and maybe having a regimented lifestyle is what this guy needs in order to do some growing and maturing.  I am not a SOF guy, but I've spent enough time around enlisted Marines to see plenty of guys who were fuckups in civilian life who have gone on to become stellar Marines.  All they needed was a nudge in the right direction.

Drisus, you need to extricate yourself from your situation in any way you can.  Call your mom.  Patch things up.  Get a job.  Call a recruiter and talk about what you can do to serve your country.  It'll suck at first and you'll miss the freedoms and the fun you had but ultimately it will be better for you down the road.  You want to be in SOF?  You'll never get there if you can't get a clearance, and you'll never get a clearance if you post about your (even accidental) drug usage and underage drinking.  Don't risk it.


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## pardus (Jul 17, 2012)

Deathy McDeath said:


> *Boot camp can do a lot to change people*


 
Maybe in the Marines, you won't get that in the Army from what I've seen.


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## is friday (Jul 17, 2012)

If he enlists in the Marines he's going to cry in boot camp and if he makes it through to the Fleet he's going to get beat up by his senior Lance Corporal until he stops acting like a dumbass. So go Marines, kid!


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## SkrewzLoose (Jul 17, 2012)

pardus said:


> Maybe in the Marines, you won't get that in the Army from what I've seen.


Navy either...


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## Chopstick (Jul 17, 2012)

is friday said:


> If he enlists in the Marines he's going to cry in boot camp and if he makes it through to the Fleet he's going to get beat up by his senior Lance Corporal until he stops acting like a dumbass. So go Marines, kid!


Granted I am not a Marine myself, but Ive been exposed to the point that I would tend to agree with this statement. 
And as far Marine Mom talking, I sure as hell dont want the likes of you serving with my son or his brothers.  But I dont have any illusions about you even setting foot in a USMC recruiting office.  You wont do it.


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## Marauder06 (Jul 17, 2012)

Drisus14 said:


> Understood.....


 
As a group, the staff decided to ban Drisus14, effective immediately.  He has demonstrated immaturity, bad judgment, very poor situational awareness, and a contempt for the laws of our country.  His values, lifestyle, and claimed conduct are not in keeping with that which is expected of the SOF community, or of our community here on ShadowSpear.  

Moreover, we're not even convinced that he is a teenage boy; we have had a spate of people recently who have for some reason tried to pass themselves off as teenagers.  I don't get it, but it's kind of weird.

That said, there is a small chance that he is what he claims to be, and his life is in as much shambles as he would have us believe.  If that is so, then there is a chance that having a goal such as joining the military and a resource such as this site might be what he needs to get himself straight in life.  So, we're banning him by username only, which means if he gets his act together he can give the site another try.  But if he screws it up again, perma-ban.  We all have too much going on to waste time with stupid shit like this.


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## SkrewzLoose (Jul 17, 2012)

Shit, I have to apologize.  The title here says "experienced SOF personnel".  I've stepped way out of my lane by posting anything in this thread.  I apologize on my own behalf.


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## Chopstick (Jul 17, 2012)

SkrewzLoose said:


> Shit, I have to apologize. The title here says "experienced SOF personnel". I've stepped way out of my lane by posting anything in this thread. I apologize on my own behalf.


Well, true(me too) but IMHO that went off the rails at post #10;)


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## SkrewzLoose (Jul 17, 2012)

Geez, should have put a smiley.  There might have been just a touch of sarcasm in there.


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## TheSiatonist (Jul 18, 2012)

is friday said:


> If he enlists in the Marines he's going to cry in boot camp and if he makes it through to the Fleet he's going to get beat up by his senior Lance Corporal until he stops acting like a dumbass. So go Marines, kid!


Well he kinda did... in a way.  

http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/member.php?96243-drisus14


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## RackMaster (Jul 18, 2012)

Locked.  Nothing really being learned here.


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## pardus (Jul 18, 2012)

TheSiatonist said:


> Well he kinda did... in a way.
> 
> http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/member.php?96243-drisus14


 

Not too smart...


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## Marauder06 (Jul 18, 2012)

TheSiatonist said:


> Well he kinda did... in a way.
> 
> http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/member.php?96243-drisus14


 
Now I know his name.  If I get his address, the authorities in Raleigh are going to get a phone call.


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## RackMaster (Jul 18, 2012)

Marauder06 said:


> Now I know his name. If I get his address, the authorities in Raleigh are going to get a phone call.


 
This could be it... ;) 

****** Storemont Way
Apex, NC 27539


> Adrian Levon Parks was born in 1979. Adrian currently lives in Apex, North Carolina. Before that, Adrian lived in Cornelius, NC from 2007 to 2007. Before that, Adrian lived in Pineville, NC from 2005 to 2010.
> Adrian Levon Parks is related to Thomas Parks, who is 39 years old and lives in Raleigh, NC. Adrian Levon Parks is also related to Linda Fisher, who is 69 years old and lives in Goldsboro, NC. Adrian Levon Parks is also related to Tiara Parks, who is 29 years old and lives in Cornelius, NC. Adrian Levon Parks is also related to Laquisha Parks, who is 39 years old and lives in Raleigh, NC. Adrian Levon Parks is also related to Pearlie Davis, who is 50 years old and lives in Winston Salem, NC.
> 
> Adrian's Friends & Family
> *Thomas Parks* Raleigh, NC 39   *Linda Fisher* Goldsboro, NC 69   *Tiara Parks* Cornelius, NC 29   *Laquisha Parks* Raleigh, NC 39   *Pearlie Davis* Winston Salem, NC 50   *Michael Parks* Lakewood, WA 50   *Loucindy Blount* Jonesboro, GA 48   *Thomas Parks* 72


 

http://www.spokeo.com/search?q=Adrian+Parks&sns2=t30&global=true#North+Carolina:4480385591

http://www.mylife.com/c-1918961800

And potentially this one.

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/adrian-park/0/b50/b95


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## pardus (Jul 19, 2012)

RackMaster said:


> This could be it...


 


> was *born in 1979*


 
Not with that birthdate.


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## RackMaster (Jul 19, 2012)

pardus said:


> Not with that birthdate.


 
I don't know if he's really a kid of just some dude fucking with us.


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