Chances of getting 18D

[KC828]

Hello everyone,

I just have a quick question. From what I understand, upon passing selection, you are able to request your language and MOS. I was just wondering, assuming that you have the aptitude required for the MOS, what are the chances you can get the MOS/language you requested? I would really like to go for 18D.

Thank you in advance,
Kyle

 

[DZ]

If you have a high GT score, your chances may be a little better. I just graduated, and from what I saw in the course, there are a lot of guys getting Delta. That said, are your chances of getting the MOS you want going to stop you from trying? If it's what you really want to do the statistics really don't matter. You have the highest chance of not making it and getting re-classed to a support job. Do you still want to try?

 

[x SF med]

18D has the highest attrition rate of any SF MOS. You drink from multiple firehoses at one time... If you think you have the wherewithal to make it, dive in head ass and elbows, but be prepared to work your ass off and feel like you are covered in doo-doo for about 53 weeks.

 

[DZ]

What did you graduate from?

The SFQC.

 

[Red Flag 1]

The SFQC.

 

[DZ]

Would you consider upgrading your vetting? If you have completed the SFQC and shoot us a new application with the SFQC documented, we can upgrade your vetting status.

Will do. I graduated on the 7th, and I'm waiting on MOS orders and a 1059. SWCS is changing their official policy since they moved graduation to right after Robin Sage, so I have to wait until that is written before I will have official documentation.

 

[DZ]

Awesome dude! Welcome to the brotherhood!

Thank you. I feel like I'm only at the tip of the iceburg. I'm excited to keep learning.

 

[Red Flag 1]

Will do. I graduated on the 7th, and I'm waiting on MOS orders and a 1059. SWCS is changing their official policy since they moved graduation to right after Robin Sage, so I have to wait until that is written before I will have official

 

[Undertheice71]

Congrats @DeadZeppelin!

 

[Marauder06]

Posting this question here in lieu of starting a new thread.

Paging @TLDR20 and other 18Ds with a question about terms, although comments from non-18-series are also welcome.

In this article, which I enjoyed and thought was a good one, the author describes himself as follows:

I am a Special Operations Independent Duty Corpsman—to a layperson, a “Special Forces Medic.”

To me, a Special Forces Medic is very specific; it's an 18D. To me, I think it would be accurate to think of the author as a Special Operations Medic, but not as a Special Forces Medic.

However, at the end of the article the author's bio shows that he is "a graduate of the Special Operations Combat Medic & Special Forces Medical Sergeant Courses."

While that gives some 18D flavor, I don't think it's sufficient to meet what I would assume is a common understanding of what makes a Special Forces Medic, but I may be conflating a medic with some Special Forces creds with a Special Forces Medical Sergeant, i.e. 18D.

Any thoughts? Would a layperson see someone with those creds as a Special Forces Medic, a Special Operations Medic, or something else? Or am I just reading too much into it?

To be clear, in no way am I attacking the author. This is not stolen valor, this is personal curiosity on my part.

 

[TLDR20]

Posting this question here in lieu of starting a new thread.

Paging @TLDR20 and other 18Ds with a question about terms, although comments from non-18-series are also welcome.

In this article, which I enjoyed and thought was a good one, the author describes himself as follows:



To me, a Special Forces Medic is very specific; it's an 18D. To me, I think it would be accurate to think of the author as a Special Operations Medic, but not as a Special Forces Medic.

However, at the end of the article the author's bio shows that he is "a graduate of the Special Operations Combat Medic & Special Forces Medical Sergeant Courses."

While that gives some 18D flavor, I don't think it's sufficient to meet what I would assume is a common understanding of what makes a Special Forces Medic, but I may be conflating a medic with some Special Forces creds with a Special Forces Medical Sergeant, i.e. 18D.

Any thoughts? Would a layperson see someone with those creds as a Special Forces Medic, a Special Operations Medic, or something else? Or am I just reading too much into it?

To be clear, in no way am I attacking the author. This is not stolen valor, this is personal curiosity on my part.

An SOIDC is medically the same as an SF medic. We attend identical training, they graduate from the SOIDC course which is EXACTLY the same as the SFMS course. However, they are not Special Forces medics. We do a lot of stuff that isn’t medicine. To a layperson I think using the term isn’t disrespectful as I think to most, SOIDC means nothing, SF medic does.

 

[Marauder06]

An SOIDC is medically the same as an SF medic. We attend identical training, they graduate from the SOIDC course which is EXACTLY the same as the SFMS course. However, they are not Special Forces medics. We do a lot of stuff that isn’t medicine. To a layperson I think using the term isn’t disrespectful as I think to most, SOIDC means nothing, SF medic does.

Got it, thank you.

 

[TLDR20]

Got it, thank you.

It is confusing, probably even to the studs. Even SEALs call it the 18D course, but technically they graduate from the Naval Special Operations Medical Institute. They are in the same classes, labs, clinicals and every other thing. It is no different. Now a short course only medic(non SOIDC) would say SARC or Special Operations Medic. They only attend SOCM, similar to Rangers. Rangers do not come back and attend SFMS, it is not part of their professional development. It used to be a requirement for navy medics to attend SOIDC to become a 1st class PO(?) or whatever is below chief. So SEALs used to attend regularly, but the development of the SO rate really reduced their numbers. I believe the requirement is still there for SARCs but last I heard all SARCs are attending the long course.

 

[Marauder06]

It is confusing, probably even to the studs. Even SEALs call it the 18D course, but technically they graduate from the Naval Special Operations Medical Institute. They are in the same classes, labs, clinicals and every other thing. It is no different. Now a short course only medic(non SOIDC) would say SARC or Special Operations Medic. They only attend SOCM, similar to Rangers. Rangers do not come back and attend SFMS, it is not part of their professional development. It used to be a requirement for navy medics to attend SOIDC to become a 1st class PO(?) or whatever is below chief. So SEALs used to attend regularly, but the development of the SO rate really reduced their numbers. I believe the requirement is still there for SARCs but last I heard all SARCs are attending the long course.

Thank you, that's a lot of very useful context I didn't know previously.

I'm always amazed by the amount of training our SOF med folks get, and the level at which they're able to operate.

 

[Devildoc]

It is confusing, probably even to the studs. Even SEALs call it the 18D course, but technically they graduate from the Naval Special Operations Medical Institute. They are in the same classes, labs, clinicals and every other thing. It is no different. Now a short course only medic(non SOIDC) would say SARC or Special Operations Medic. They only attend SOCM, similar to Rangers. Rangers do not come back and attend SFMS, it is not part of their professional development. It used to be a requirement for navy medics to attend SOIDC to become a 1st class PO(?) or whatever is below chief. So SEALs used to attend regularly, but the development of the SO rate really reduced their numbers. I believe the requirement is still there for SARCs but last I heard all SARCs are attending the long course.

NSW had their own 'medic' course in New Orleans, but are going back to Bragg, Their course sucked.

SARCs are gone, the Navy no longer has the NEC. All corpsmen who go into recon/MARSOC go through SOCM and SFMS and come out SOIDCs. No legacy SARCs, the last one completed SFMS a while ago (meaning maybe 2 years ago).

@Marauder06 to call a SOIDC a "SF medic" is not technically correct, but is largely meaningless outside of the community, just semantics. I agree, better semantics to call it a "special operations medic". To @TLDR20 point, each 'practitioner' has the same medical skill set, but the things they do outside of that is a like a big-ass Venn diagram; some duties overlap, some not at all.

 

[Box]

Last time it came through my section - the Navy was pushing back against reconsolidation at Bragg.

Alot of the semantics is just that - hell, for most of my adult life I have heard people refer to SEALS as Navy Special Forces...

Oh the humanity

 

[Devildoc]

Last time it came through my section - the Navy was pushing back against reconsolidation at Bragg.

Alot of the semantics is just that - hell, for most of my adult life I have heard people refer to SEALS as Navy Special Forces...

The Navy (well, just NSW) is still pushing back, but their outcome data on their program is just awful and they don't have a choice. It is the right decision. Womp womp.

As a Navy corpsman (and RN) assigned to Marines I have been called all sorts of things, and Navy personnel wearing Marine uniforms don't help the confusion. None of it bothered me; hell, I actually preferred that. The more 'gray' I was the more people generally left me alone. It's like that in my job now.