First Post

This thread has endless potential. Im surprised it hasn't blown up yet. What are some fieldcraft/skills that are inexcusable for a candidate not to know who's been in 5+ years. I am pushing my leaders to send me to WLC after I attend the promotion board so I can brush up on some basics and confirm my confidence in my leadership skills before SFAS. I haven't been in the field much so I'm starting with things like pitching tents, learning knots, etc. Im also looking into rock gyms, a local orienteering club for land nav practice, and soldiers in my unit that used to swim for sport. I'm a decent swimmer but could always improve.
 
Yea I think I read somewhere that 18Xs have a 70% completion rate vs Regular Army's 35%.

Selection rate is essentially the same as any other candidate for x-rays - 17-20%, pass rate at the Q is higher for x-rays, but longevity on a team is higher for regular Army.

Here is a sample class of 200 x-rays going to basic- 120 get through basic and AIT, 60 get through SOPC, 17 get selected at SFAS, 10 pass the Q course, 2 go career. 1%

Believe it or not 2% of the entire US army are assigned to SF units, not tabbed - assigned including support.

Why do you think we are so adamant about the quality you show us when you ask questions - every dollar spent on 'selecting out' somebody that only wants the cool - is a dollar the guys on the ground can't have to accomplish our mission or train. SOPC and SFAS for non-select x-rays is a big chunk of change - hundreds of thousands of dollars per man. Understand the lack of compassion toward those who want to be led by the hand now?
 
This thread has endless potential. Im surprised it hasn't blown up yet. What are some fieldcraft/skills that are inexcusable for a candidate not to know who's been in 5+ years. I am pushing my leaders to send me to WLC after I attend the promotion board so I can brush up on some basics and confirm my confidence in my leadership skills before SFAS. I haven't been in the field much so I'm starting with things like pitching tents, learning knots, etc. Im also looking into rock gyms, a local orienteering club for land nav practice, and soldiers in my unit that used to swim for sport. I'm a decent swimmer but could always improve.

Any Combat Arms/Combat Support NCO who can not read a map, use a compass, perform basic survival skills, tie knots, and ruck... pardon me for this... is a complete failure as an NCO, these are part of the job description for those NCOs. Any regular Army SP4 / CPL should know where to find the requirements to get an EIB/EFMB... those are your skills.

No handholding here - this is mentoring - I point, give advice; you fetch and learn.
 
Fair enough but your original post is a little incorrect right?

This thread is not a Special Forces thread it is an SOF wannabe thread, remember that.

Also remember, all Trolls are wankers...
 
Any Combat Arms/Combat Support NCO who can not read a map, use a compass, perform basic survival skills, tie knots, and ruck... pardon me for this... is a complete failure as an NCO, these are part of the job description for those NCOs. Any regular Army SP4 / CPL should know where to find the requirements to get an EIB/EFMB... those are your skills.

No handholding here - this is mentoring - I point, give advice; you fetch and learn.

I understand and agree.
 
I have a question about team dynamics/culture- should you go into this planning on being best buds with all the guys in your class and/or first team? Or is it better to stay aloof and figure out who's squared away and whos not?
 
Guys, we created an entire sub-forum for you....not a single thread. My "suggestion" is that individual topics or questions have their own thread(s).
 
My grandfather was in the Air Force and used to take me an my brothers camping at Fort Hood when we were little, thats what first sparked my intrist in the military. and than my dad had a book on American Special Operations with tons of pictures of Rangers doing training and from that moment on I knew that's what I wanted to do. I'm 16, 17 in a week. And I'm planning on enlisting 11x option 40 once I turn 18. What really draws me to the 75th Ranger Regiment is the Creed, everything in it makes me want to be a Ranger, it makes me want to be the very best and join that brotherhood. I have a long way to go before I get there but I know that I can make it.
 
Ever since I can remember I've always looked up to people serving in the military and I am very patriotic as well. I strongly feel that I need to serve the country and just give back to all the great opportunities it has offered me, with this sense of duty I've also feel that I need to serve to my capacity. I am a Boy Scout and working towards my Eagle Scout Rank, and I just love the camp outs with my troop. I have so many fun memories with my fellow scouts, whether it was hiking to a waterfall and sleeping under the stars or going deep into the calico mines(the tunnel rats of VN have serious balls) it was the most fun I've ever had. One outing my uncle took me and my cousins rock climbing on the beach to earn our rock climbing merit badges. When I reached the top of the 100ft rock face and looked out towards the ocean I new at that moment I wanted to do this as a living. Also my grandfather was an Alamo Scout during WW2 in the Philippines and I would like to live up to his legacy, he was a tough old man.

I have not made up my mind of what branch I would like to join, personally I would like to do it all. I'm going to decide when the time comes to sign my life away to uncle Sam lol. In the meantime I will be enjoying life and doing lots of PT on the side.

P.S. I'm tired of shinning my boots all the time for Law Enforcement Academy lol:D
 
So are you going into Law Enforcement, or do you want to go into SOF? You told me about yourself but not really anything about why/what you want to be/do in SOF. If you have no goals yet, this is not the thread/forum you should be in. This is for people who are ready to take the step, not people who are in a Law Enforcement Academy.

Sorry for my mistake. I just barely turned to the age of when I can enlist and still in high school and desired to see if Military or Law Enforcement was for me so I signed up for an academy provided through my school's ROP program. It is run by former military/police officers and has active duty Marines and Soldiers that drill and inspect us. Its purpose is to prepare high school students for L.E. or the Military.

My reason for wanting to try out for SOF is for the unique experience of it all. When I enlist I would much rather be apart of a unique team and knowing that the guy next to me will do all that it takes to come out on top. I know conventional forces have an essential role, however I feel my talents would be much better suited to SOF where I can be more creative. Sure SOF gets the hardest missions, but they also have the best people. Its just something different few ever get the unique experience of being apart of an SOF team, something I'm sure you can attest to.

So far my goals are to become a Pararescue Jumper, I'm speaking to the recruiter tomorrow to see how I can obtain the contract.

If I have made any other mistakes please tell me so I may correct them asap.
 
Obviously I have a bad misunderstanding of a nations military, I have yet to be apart of one and have made observations from seeing things outside in. I shall accept my mistake.
 
Rookie-
1. What research have you done into your selected field?
2. What makes you different from all the other wannabes - so that we are not wasting our time mentoring you?

Your opinions don't count... mainly because you have no experience. The 'Academy' you are attending appears to be JROTC lite...

Every job in the military is important - every single one... the HSLD units need beans, bullets, intel, transport, and advanced medical care too... shouldn't every Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Coastie and Marine strive for excellence? Think about that. The 2% of the military in SOF units at times require more than their fair share of support to get the mission done... from units that are not in the direct SOF Support chain.

Rethink your responses - reread the first post by cback and reformulate your response. Use good grammar, punctuation and spelling - do some research on the Branch sites (GoArmy, GoNavy, GoAirForce....) and then let us know why we should mentor you.

eta: Do not post on this thread - or any other training or development thread until this homework assignment is complete -if you were really smart, you would not post on the site until you were done with this homework assignment.
 
Today's random thought for this section:

What about a list with the member's stated goals? I can cull those through this Intro thread and put them into one Stickied post. If someone changes their mind or whatever (it happens) the Staff can modify said post.

My thoughts are that 1) It puts them out there for everyone to see. 2) Maybe those needing some mentoring can see who else is in the same boat. 3) The (insert group here) guys can see who wants to be a part of their field and can focus on them accordingly.

If I don't see any negative thoughts on this when I wake up I'll delete this post and create the "list" as it were.
 
I think the Signal Guy turned amoral war profiteer has a great idea... must be from his time in the SOF Support World.

For you youngsters/new guys/mentees - both Marauder06 and Freefalling are verified SOF Support, they are well respected and know their stuff, from multiple SOF units.

Boon, well... he's a Ranger, respected? notsomuch.:thumbsup: (kidding, Boss).
 
In my introduction post I stated that it was a dream of mine to become a Ranger. That was my freshman year of High School and now I am almost done with my junior year. Things have changed in my mind when it comes to those dreams, and it all has to do with the "why". When I was a freshman all my thoughts were about was how cool Boon's youtube videos were, how awsome SOF units were and how badly they kicked ass. Over two years has gone by of me reading the posts on this website and two years of my personal development in how I think things through has come and gone. Now it is no longer about being BA, it has become much more about my care for others well being. I wanted to find a way were I could more directly help those fighting for our nation and it came after speaking with a friend. "Its more like I would know I would be saving a life instead of taking one, making it possible for that soldier to live." I thought of the motto, "That others may live". My friend wants to go the pararescue route, and I have taken steps to do the same. We found some niffty sites through something called "google" and we believe it might help us prep. http://www.pararescue.com was a useful place to find the minimum physical requirments so we know what we need to do to go above and beyond. Swimming and running has become our day to day ruetine, as well as speaking to my airforce recruiter. Though we do not let that take over our youth, we have our fun.;)

Thanks for reading, please let me know of any mistakes.
Nick
 
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