18x enlistment criteria

goon175

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This is the most current 18x USAREC message, laying out the qualifications for MOS 18x.

SUBJECT: Special Forces (SF) Enlistment Program. (Updated)
1. This message is valid for 2 years from date of publication, unless rescinded
or superseded.
2. The purpose of this message is to announce changes to the Army Physical
Fitness requirement and Advanced Promotion for the Special Forces Enlistment
Program.
3. Effective 1 April 2013, Special Forces enlistment program will change as
indicated below.
4. Soldiers who want to volunteer for Special Forces may enlist under Program
9A, U.S. Army Training Enlistment Program, Option 3 (U.S. Army Training of Choice
Enlistment Option), Surrogate Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) of 18X
(SF Recruit). Individuals, both non-prior (NPS) and prior service (PS) must be
eligible to enlist and meet all additional prerequisites listed below:
a. Must be 20 years of age by graduation of CMF 11 One Station Unit Training
(OSUT) and have not reached their 30th birthday prior to ship date.
b. Qualified for, and volunteer for airborne training (must have airborne
stamp on physical or approved SF 600).
c. Must have 20/20 or corrected to 20/20 in both near and distant vision in
both eyes. Must meet vision requirements in accordance with AR 40-501,
paragraph 5-6.
d. Must be a U.S. Citizen.
e. Minimum scores of 107 GT and 98 CO. No Line score exceptions are
authorized.
f. High School Diploma Graduate (Tier 1).
(1) Tier 1 graduates are defined as education code 12L, 128, 12B, 127
and 12H.
(2) Exceptions to policy can be submitted and will be reviewed on a
case by case base.
g. One year of college is preferred, but is not mandatory for enlistment.
h. Must be eligible for a SECRET clearance.
i. All NPS Future Soldiers (FS) must successfully complete the Pre-Basic
Training Task List (USAREC Form 1137).
j. ALL NPS, DOS (Days of Service) and PS FS must take and pass the Army
Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA).
(1) The PFA must be administered within 30 days prior to ship date.
(2) NO exceptions to policy will be authorized to ship without passing
or taking a PFA.
k. Promotion will be based solely on AR 601-210, 2-18 and 3-17. The SF
Recruiting Initiative to PFC/E-3 is no longer authorized. All Soldiers
who enlist as 18X prior to the date of this message are grandfathered.
5. PS/DOS:
a. Prior to entering Delayed Status all PS/DOS applicants must be asked the
following questions:
(1) Have you attended an Army Special Operations Forces (ARSOF),
Assessment and Selection (A&S) or Qualification Course (QC)?
(2) Were you relieved from the course for any reason?
b. Applicants who did not complete the SF Qualification Course (SFQC) for
any reason are required to submit a re-admittance packet to the SF
Proponent for acceptance prior to contracting for MOS 18X.
c. Submit re-admittance packets via email using Microsoft Outlook to the G3
RCRO-PP mailbox. Packets will be forwarded to the Proponent for review.
(Re-admittance packets located on span website G-3/EEPD/Policy.)
6. All 18X applicants, to include those that require retraining (PS/DOS) will
enlist under Option 3 (U.S. Army Training of Choice Enlistment Option) and ship
to Fort Benning, GA. Follow the training path listed below:
a. In-processing through the Reception Battalion.
b. OSUT for MOS 11X. (Soldiers must achieve an APFT score of 240 with a
minimum of 60 points in each event upon completion of OSUT.)
c. Airborne training.
d. Special Operations Preparatory & Conditioning (SOPC) Course (Fort Bragg,
NC).
(1) This course is two weeks in duration, consisting of physical
conditioning, land navigation and small unit team building.
(2) Individuals will be required to meet SF selection and eligibility
criteria as outlined in AR 614-200, Chapter 5.5. Individuals must
obtain an electrocardiogram (EKG) prior to their arrival at SOPC
Course.
7. Guidance Counselors must contact the ROC for assistance for applicants
holding primary MOS of 11B (DOS/PS) who are not airborne qualified.
8. Applicants already MOS qualified as 11B and airborne qualified, will enlist
under Option 03 (U.S. Army Training of Choice Enlistment Option) with
reclassification into 18X. Those individuals must be eligible for a SECRET
clearance. The Soldiers will ship to Ft. Benning, GA and complete in processing
and then at that time will take the SF Physical. Must contact the ROC for any
required assistance.
9. Once Soldiers meet all the criteria, they will be scheduled for SOPC at
Ft. Bragg and then continue on to the SF Assessment and Selection Course (SFAS)
(3 weeks, 3 days) as outlined in DA Pam 351-4.
10. Soldiers who successfully complete SFAS, will be assigned to Special
Operations Command until scheduled for SF Qualification Course (SFQC).
11. GCs will use REQUEST MOS 18X when using this program and will ensure that
proper entries are made on DD Form 1966 series and the Dynamic Annexes from GCRc;
both at DEP-In and DEP-Out (appropriate forms IAW UR 601-96 for DOS/PS).
12. References:
a. Army Regulation 601-210, Active and Reserve Component Enlistment Program,
dated 8 Feb 2011 with Rapid Action Revision (RAR) dated 1 February 2013.
b. Memorandum from ODCSPER, SUBJECT: Special Forces Recruiting Initiative
Implementation Guidance, dated 8 December 1999. (Rescinded)
c. USAREC Message 13-089, Changes to Advanced Enlistment Grades, dated 7
March 2013.
d. USAREC Message 13-076, Implementation of New Education Credential Codes,
dated 16 February 2013. (updated)
e. USAREC Message 13-052, Special Forces Enlistment Program, dated 16
January 2013. (updated) (Rescinded)
f. USAREC Message 13-048, Initial Military Training (IMT) Physical Fitness
Program, dated 16 January 2013.
 
Promotion will be based solely on AR 601-210, 2-18 and 3-17. The SF
Recruiting Initiative to PFC/E-3 is no longer authorized.

I don't understand how this will work. From what I understand, you signed as an 18x and got automatically promoted to E-3, and then upon selection at SFAS you were promoted to E-4, and then upon completion of the SFQC you were promoted to E-5. How is this going to work with guys coming in to the SF pipeline as E-1's and E-2's? Anyone have any insight? Is it possible that the new minimum rank for an ODA might be a Corporal?
 
I don't understand how this will work. From what I understand, you signed as an 18x and got automatically promoted to E-3, and then upon selection at SFAS you were promoted to E-4, and then upon completion of the SFQC you were promoted to E-5. How is this going to work with guys coming in to the SF pipeline as E-1's and E-2's? Anyone have any insight? Is it possible that the new minimum rank for an ODA might be a Corporal?
Got told today that I was grandfathered in and will be going in as E-3. I was wondering this aswell I was gonna ask my recruiter today but they had alot of orientations to do.
 
I don't understand how this will work. From what I understand, you signed as an 18x and got automatically promoted to E-3, and then upon selection at SFAS you were promoted to E-4, and then upon completion of the SFQC you were promoted to E-5. How is this going to work with guys coming in to the SF pipeline as E-1's and E-2's? Anyone have any insight? Is it possible that the new minimum rank for an ODA might be a Corporal?

They would enlist as E-1'2/-2's and not see a promotion until after successful completion of SFAS maybe? I'm reading the message like "You aren't enlisting as an E-3 unless you meet those pre-reqs and 18x is no longer a pre-req."
 
but even then, you still have to meet TIS/TIG requirements, and they can't just shoot them from E-2 to E-5 in that short amount of time.
Speaking strictly from what I saw in the SWCC pipeline, guys could (and did) ship to/graduate boot camp as an E1/2/3. Upon completion of ATP/BCT/CQT & receiving their pin, they automatically became an E4 despite what rank they went through the (6-7 month) pipeline as. Not enough time to meet TIS/TIG, but the promotion to E4 was automatic upon completion of the pipeline.
 
I don't understand how this will work. From what I understand, you signed as an 18x and got automatically promoted to E-3, and then upon selection at SFAS you were promoted to E-4, and then upon completion of the SFQC you were promoted to E-5. How is this going to work with guys coming in to the SF pipeline as E-1's and E-2's? Anyone have any insight? Is it possible that the new minimum rank for an ODA might be a Corporal?
The same thing recently happened with us. We were promoted to E4 upon completion of our finishing school in the past, now that's gone. We actually have E-3's running around the squadron now. Strange.
 
The same thing recently happened with us. We were promoted to E4 upon completion of our finishing school in the past, now that's gone. We actually have E-3's running around the squadron now. Strange.

If this sort of thing is going on, I'm wondering if that is going to squash 75th RR's plans to make the minimum rank for them an E-4.
 
Maybe they just want to avoid guys getting E-3 automatically on day 1 only to have them washout after airborne and they never really wanted the pipeline. Now they can send them back to Big Army as E-1's or with Bat Wings.
 
The way the promotion system works at least for medics(18D candidates) is, enlist at whatever rank E3-E-4, then after 1 year in service promote to E-4, after completion of SOCM, BNCOC or whatever it's called now, SUT and SERE they get promoted to E-5, then come back and go to SFMS. There had been problems with medics getting promoted behind their peers due to the length of the MOS portion so they broke it up and promoted within.
 
But I am wondering what is going to happen when you have an E-1 show up at the Q-Course? I mean, lets say they get 18B, which is shorter than the other MOS pipelines, how are they going to leave an E-5?
 
Can you get 18X with a 4 year contract? That seems like it would be a wasted slot if you can.

I am thinking a 6 year contract with E-3 as your enlistment rank, E-4 at the 12 month point (you would be in the training pie by then) and E-5 at graduation.
 
These are some pretty stringent standards in comparison to earlier years, however, I know it's with sound reason. I'm surprised there isn't a swim assessment in there somewhere though.
 
These are the same standards that have been in place for years, actually it's less than it was in the past as the GT requirement went from 110 to 107. The main change in this message is that you will no longer get an auto promotion to E-3 as an 18x.
 
So a few of my buddies had this happen to them. They were E-1's /e-2's in Basic, picked up an 18X slot and went off to SFAS after selection, bam E-3. Then at a year in service got E-4, then whenever they graduated made 5. Remember the SF MOS's are all mtoed to at least E-5.
 
That's the crappiest thing about being a PJ- it's a very small, very competitive career field. Everyone maxes out medal and enlisted rating points, testing is very tight. Consider last E6 cycle, we promoted 14 total, across the career field.

So, guys that would absolutely smoke the rest of the AF, they have to test against the other superstars in the AF. You end up with guys that SHOULD be NCOs that aren't because of the system. Now we have guys that don't start as E4 and have to wait as much as a year to even get a shot at testing.
 
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