I'm a support guy, how do I land a job in SOF?

[Cookie_]

I don't know him, and I applaud his efforts to get his support guys spun up.

But this goes to the need to have a USASOC or even SOCOM-wide assessment, selection, and training program for enablers. That training isn't dependent upon individual units, or even individuals within units.

Maybe they have something now? I left the SOF world in 2009.

I can only speak for my unit, so things might be different on the active side, but we've started to conduct a "selection" process for new guys and gals.

I put that in quotes because if someone doesn't pass we haven't (and probably never will due to manning) gotten approval to deny them the slot.

We can just heavily recommend they 4187 out of the unit if they don't get up to standard.

Unless something changed, Support wears a maroon beret regardless of airborne qualification status. That started in...99 I think. Again, I don't know if that changed or not.

Still berets. There's a bit of a "legs can't wear the beret" stuff that pops up from time to time, but the NCOs squash that.

 

[Marauder06]

Unless something changed, Support wears a maroon beret regardless of airborne qualification status. That started in...99 I think. Again, I don't know if that changed or not.

Yep. In most circumstances, headgear is organizational wear. If you're in an Airborne unit you wear a maroon beret regardless of whether you're Airborne qualified or not. If you're a Ranger and tabless, you still get a tan one.

That said, some organizations make exceptions to those rules. When I was in the 160th we weren't supposed to wear the maroon beret until we finished Green Platoon, but I don't remember that being enforced.

Of course, that was a long time ago and maybe things are different now.

 

[AWP]

It was better when legs couldn’t wear the beret.

 

[Devildoc]

It was better when legs couldn’t wear the beret.

Y'all and your berets. In my service you weren't special unless you earned bell bottom denims....

Scallywags old man grumble grumble....

 

[Marauder06]

It was better when legs couldn’t wear the beret.

lol ;)

I was Airborne qualified in 1992 and didn't get into an Airborne unit until 2003, so it as never an issue for me. But I always thought that all organizational accoutrements belonged to everyone assigned to that organization and never let my guys arbitrarily restrict anyone from them. Sometimes a hat is just a hat.

Hell when I was an infantry PL, we had garrison caps with GLIDERS on them. I'm glad no OG 101st guy told me I couldn't wear that cap until I was glider qual'd, cause guess what ol' Mara is definitely not doing EVER? Well, lots of things but among them is doing glider shit. (the patch also had a parachute on it, which I always thought was weird since the 101st was "Airborne" in name only).

 

[LimaPanther]

lol ;)

I was Airborne qualified in 1992 and didn't get into an Airborne unit until 2003, so it as never an issue for me. But I always thought that all organizational accoutrements belonged to everyone assigned to that organization and never let my guys arbitrarily restrict anyone from them. Sometimes a hat is just a hat.

Hell when I was an infantry PL, we had garrison caps with GLIDERS on them. I'm glad no OG 101st guy told me I couldn't wear that cap until I was glider qual'd, cause guess what ol' Mara is definitely not doing EVER? Well, lots of things but among them is doing glider shit. (the patch also had a parachute on it, which I always thought was weird since the 101st was "Airborne" in name only).

View attachment 38990

I wore that in the 60s. Still have it. Enlisted wore the patch on the left side and officers on the right. Infantry officers had blue piping along the top edge of the cap. That was a sign you were airborne, along with bloused spit shined boots and your kakis. We also sewed in a silver dollar coin behind the patch. Ever been in a bar and slapped alongside the head with one? By the way, I wore it when the 101st was still Airborne. 1st/501st. Went to the 3rd/187th, 101st in the 70s and wore a dark navy blue beret.

 

[Marauder06]

I wore that in the 60s. Still have it. Enlisted wore the patch on the left side and officers on the right. Infantry officers had blue piping along the top edge of the cap. That was a sign you were airborne, along with bloused spit shined boots and your kakis. We also sewed in a silver dollar coin behind the patch. Ever been in a bar and slapped alongside the head with one? By the way, I wore it when the 101st was still Airborne. 1st/50st.

1/327 here. But I wasn't in it until the mid-90s. :)

 

[“The Old Man”]

Unless something changed, Support wears a maroon beret regardless of airborne qualification status. That started in...99 I think. Again, I don't know if that changed or not.

I seem to recall, with zero disrespect intended. The term “red hat support bitch” being used. In a not so complimentary manner. Once upon a long time ago.
That being said. I never understood the whole division of us/them. While I was in the Army.
I was a part of the only “ad hoc” Special Medical Unit. That the Army ever deployed. As well as being in a unit that only ever had 18 members.
Lastly, to the best of my knowledge. There has only ever been one other member of SS. That was a former USAMU unit member.
I got to do some really way cool shit back in the day. All because I answered a voluntary call one afternoon. While in AIT as a 91B Combat Medic with an H4 enlistment option for SF.
Yes, I opted out of a guaranteed SF contract in 1979. During the time when there wasn’t an A&S. I had went through an Army SF JROTC program. At Goose Creek High School just outside of Charleston SC.
Our Senior Army Instructor was a retired SF Officer, LTC Robert Luttrell. I had a mentor by the name of MSGT. Gary Mitchell. He was the manager of the Fine’s Men’s Store. That was in the mall on Rivers Avenue. In Charleston SC during the late 1970’s and into the 1980’s.
Please pardon my lengthy response.

In retrospect I feel I need to state. That I do not mean to detract from the original question. Nor present any disrespect whatsoever. Toward any Green Tab or Brown Tab members on this site. I am not really anyone special at all. Although I got to do some special things.

 

[LimaPanther]

I am not really anyone special at all. Although I got to do some special things.

We all play a role when it comes to the mission. Back in the day, when I was young and dumb, I wore my CIB and thought if you didn't have one you weren't worth shit. Then I came to realize that it takes at least 10 soldiers to support me. Of course, there are more than 10 but that was a saying. Someone had to fly me in. Someone had to work on that aircraft. Someone had to feed me and pay me. When I got hit, someone worked on me to make sure I didn't die. Someone had to drive me around. Had to be able to communicate. You get the picture. Never say I'm not special, because after all, you had a role in my success

 

[“The Old Man”]

We all play a role when it comes to the mission. Back in the day, when I was young and dumb, I wore my CIB and thought if you didn't have one you weren't worth shit. Then I came to realize that it takes at least 10 soldiers to support me. Of course, there are more than 10 but that was a saying. Someone had to fly me in. Someone had to work on that aircraft. Someone had to feed me and pay me. When I got hit, someone worked on me to make sure I didn't die. Someone had to drive me around. Had to be able to communicate. You get the picture. Never say I'm not special, because after all, you had a role in my success

If you ever went tits up in a biologically non-permissive battle space. My team Mates and I. Would have gladly roped in or whatever way necessary. To recover you during a time of distress
We were all flight medics.

 

[LimaPanther]

I have a lot of respect for medivacs. They came in many a time, under harsh fire to pull out the wounded. I wasn't pulled out under fire but for those pilots that use to extract my team under fire I tip my hat to. They had balls. Any chopper pilot that is willing to fly in while getting shot at deserves a free drink when you see them.

 

[Devildoc]

I have a lot of respect for medivacs. They came in many a time, under harsh fire to pull out the wounded. I wasn't pulled out under fire but for those pilots that use to extract my team under fire I tip my hat to. They had balls. Any chopper pilot that is willing to fly in while getting shot at deserves a free drink when you see them.

My dad's last tour in Vietnam (of 3) was as S2 chief of HMLA-167. He had dozens of pictures of helicopters riddled with bullets and damage from hot LZs. He had a diary, I still have it, in which he wrote things like "tail number 327 returned from mission, pilot KIA." Far too many entries like that.

 

[“The Old Man”]

I have a lot of respect for medivacs. They came in many a time, under harsh fire to pull out the wounded. I wasn't pulled out under fire but for those pilots that use to extract my team under fire I tip my hat to. They had balls. Any chopper pilot that is willing to fly in while getting shot at deserves a free drink when you see them.

I am sure that Downtown Funky Stuff Malone would appreciate a drink now and then. I wonder how he is doing now?
He, should be completely qualified as an HH-60 jockey by now

 

[Cracker Jack]

I don't know him, and I applaud his efforts to get his support guys spun up.

But this goes to the need to have a USASOC or even SOCOM-wide assessment, selection, and training program for enablers. That training isn't dependent upon individual units, or even individuals within units.

Maybe they have something now? I left the SOF world in 2009.

You do have to go through a selection process for any SOF unit as Intel.
The selection process varies greatly per unit.

The only exception is augmentees, which to this day I do not understand how many of them made it through the preliminary spin up courses.

My first SOF deployment was as an augmentee, but I still had to go through a 4 month selection. Whereas all the reserve and guard augmentees I met down range didn’t have to go through anything.

Make it make sense lol.

 

[TLDR20]

You do have to go through a selection process for any SOF unit as Intel.
The selection process varies greatly per unit.

The only exception is augmentees, which to this day I do not understand how many of them made it through the preliminary spin up courses.

My first SOF deployment was as an augmentee, but I still had to go through a 4 month selection. Whereas all the reserve and guard augmentees I met down range didn’t have to go through anything.

Make it make sense lol.

I guess you don’t consider SF a SOF unit? There is no selection for assignment to an SF group as a support guy.

 

[Marauder06]

You do have to go through a selection process for any SOF unit as Intel.
The selection process varies greatly per unit.

The only exception is augmentees, which to this day I do not understand how many of them made it through the preliminary spin up courses.

My first SOF deployment was as an augmentee, but I still had to go through a 4 month selection. Whereas all the reserve and guard augmentees I met down range didn’t have to go through anything.

Make it make sense lol.

SF enablers have a selection, assessment, and training program now? So do enablers going to CA or PSYOP? That’s welcome news.

 

[SpongeBob*24]

If SOF is a pizza, SF is a small slice. Not because of their importance, because they have a huge mission...but because there are ALOT of slices. So for one to accidentally overlook SF while generalizing SOF I wouldn't be offended.

Because SF is so big, the enablers tend to support more than just the Green berets, which sucks but might be why they have to assign vs select. Just an observation...Group support vs ODA support.

Anyways, I know nothing about INTEL other than yall have a hard job and are super unappreciated. Thanks for what yall do.

 

[Marauder06]

If SOF is a pizza, SF is a small slice. Not because of their importance, because they have a huge mission...but because there are ALOT of slices. So for one to accidentally overlook SF while generalizing SOF I wouldn't be offended.

Because SF is so big, the enablers tend to support more than just the Green berets, which sucks but might be why they have to assign vs select. Just an observation...Group support vs ODA support.

Anyways, I know nothing about INTEL other than yall have a hard job and are super unappreciated. Thanks for what yall do.

The problem is, some people think SOF is only the national-level SpecOps organizations and not the whole SOF network. And others tend to only think that "SOF" means the ops types, not everyone in the organization.

Also, I don't think CA and PSYOP have anything for their enablers either.

As an additional thought, SF doesn't have to take what they get, they allow it to happen. They could stand up a program if they wanted to, even if it were only at the Group level. My understanding is that has happened from time to time. But you will never be as good as you can be if you're playing pick-up games with your support troops instead of selecting pros.

 

[Devildoc]

Anyways, I know nothing about INTEL other than yall have a hard job and are super unappreciated. Thanks for what yall do.

 

[Cookie_]

There is no selection for assignment to an SF group as a support guy.

I wish there was! Myself and a few other NCOs in the support company built out a real basic "Indoc platoon" that incorporated a PT test/run/ruck physical portion, a (real bare bones) land nav portion, SF/SOF 101, and then some basic MOS skill evaluations.
The whole process was usually finished in 2-3 drill periods. We didn't have the authority to "fail" anybody, but it was a good thing to set expectations and build a ground of knowledge.

That ran for less than a year before we got told it took too much time away from "BN directed tasks".

Then higher command complains about the "fat, stupid, bad-at-their-jobs" enablers they had to take on deployment/send to assist ODAs.

SF doesn't have to take what they get, they allow it to happen. They could stand up a program if they wanted to, even if it were only at the Group level. My understanding is that has happened from time to time. But you will never be as good as you can be if you're playing pick-up games with your support troops instead of selecting pros.