History as I know it in, early recruiting for SF.:
First, a little of what I know about the early recruiting and volunteering for SF.
SF started recruiting and seeking volunteers, for the SF during the Korean War, (Early 50’s) People with a background of OSS, WWII Rangers, FSSF and Korean War Era Airborne Rangers were sought out and used in early UNPIK operations and the 77th and 10th Group. Of course, many were in or came from the Airborne Divisions 11th, 82nd and the 101st at that time, too.
In Europe, there was the Lodge Act, which allowed the 10th SFG(A) to recruit mostly people from behind the ‘iron curtain,’ countries in Europe. One of the more famous Lodge act heroes is Captain Larry A. Thorne. (BTW: Be sure to google Larry's name, it's great read!)
Link: Thorne:
http://www.taskforceomegainc.org/t375.htm
Lodge Act:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lodge-Philbin_Act
Now I’ll give you my view of past SF recruiting from the Reserve point of view. (I know more about this, as I went through it.)
After I returned from Korea, I went into the Air Force Reserve and later into the WA Air NG. One day, I walked into our LE briefing room, I was reading stuff on the wall.
When, I saw a hand made poster with the ‘electric butter knife,’ on it and this sentence. ‘Paratroopers get back on jump status.’ Join the Army Special Forces Reserve, with a phone number. This was early in 1961, my last jump with the Rangers was in 1951.
All that I really knew about SF, was an article I had read in Readers Digest. So, I called the number, I turned out to be a CPT (SPD Cop) who was in the SF unit. The unit at that time was a detachment with numbers starting with ‘3’ and three other numbers. (CRS)
So, I started the long road of getting released from the Air NG and signed back up in the Army Reserve. I lost a stripe both coming and going.
I had to take a physical at the Ft. Lawton Hospital. During the course of the test, one of the Army nurses looked at my paper work and said ‘Oh your one of those spies, huh! I didn’t know what to say to that so I said yeah I guess so.
Next I had to take a whole battery of written and oral tests designed for SF recruits and began the process of getting a secret clearance. I had some problems with it as my ex-wife's mother was born in England. (Hey! I thought they were Allies??)
As I recall there was also a physical fitness test with all the usual airborne exercises and a run. Also a swim test with boots and stuff.
The next thing I knew I was in the unit in June 1961! it was a pretty small group of people mostly ex-paratroopers from the Divisions. Shortly after being assigned to the unit. The 17th Group HQ’s moved into Ft. Lawton from Utah and replaced the unit that I had signed up for we became the 17th SFG(A).
The next thing that happened, was a night equipment jump scheduled! I was on the manifest! (I hadn’t jumped since 1951! This was now 1961.) :eek:
We all, were pretty much in the same boat! So, we practiced a few PLFs and were good to go! (Not!) I did manage to survive the jump! ;)
Recruiting in the SF Reserve, was such that anybody could sign up for the unit. They had to go through the tests, etc. If not airborne qualified, they had to go to BAC within a year. We recruited people right off the street and sent them to basic training, BAC, MOS school and the SF ‘Q’ course.
After a couple of years the 12th Group took over and the 17th SFG(A) was deactivated. We became a ‘B’ Company. I finally got on an ODA after qualifying for my ‘S’ in my MOS. Got to wear a full flash, no more ‘Candy Bar.’
We of course got into the Vietnam era and recruiting got easier for both Reserve and NG units. As a matter of fact, it got so that there wasn’t any slots open in the leg units, so people had to suck it up and look at being SF. Most of this type, never made it through the tests for entrance to SF.
So, if you wanted to be in the SF Reserve and you were prior service you had to do all the entry stuff and become airborne qualified and eventually SF qualified to stay in the unit. During Vietnam, any SF school was very hard to get, because they were busy turning them out for combat in ‘Nam, to include the ‘Q’ Course.
:2c:
