I am 20 years old in my junior year of college and went to an army recruiter to see my available options. School just isn’t cutting it for me right now. I told the recruiter I want to do something high speed and he mentioned 18x. I took the asvab and got an 84 with a 120 GT so I qualify. He wants me to sign the contract and ship out in 7 days. I told him I only run about 10 miles per week and I’ve never ruck marches before. He said I’ll be fine as long as I don’t quit. Based on the army pft I score about a 260. I feel as though I am nowhere near prepared enough physically but the recruiter sounds very confident that I’ll be fine. He also said that I can finish college while in an oda. Is there any truth to this? And what would my chances be if I went to sfas right now. Thanks.
NatureNinja22
Unverified
Were the multiple answers you received on the r/army subreddit not good enough for you? This is a copy and paste of what you already asked on that forum, but on this site.
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Are you a vetted SF member?
Are you a staff member?
No and no. Stay in your fucking lane and mind your business.
NatureNinja22
Unverified
So being a vetted member means I can’t ask a question? That’s highly unreasonable.
NatureNinja22
Unverified
Excuse me, an unvetted member.
That was before I registered on here. I want advice from actual operators not couch potatoes pretending to be something they’re not. Why the fuck does it matter to you anyway?
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@Gwade616 - gear back.
@NatureNinja22 -
What business is it of yours if someone asks the same question multiple places? There is no vetting on Reddit, the OP has not idea if what he is being told is true or not.
He came here and asked his question, knowing that the answers he received would come from members who have working knowledge of the topic, of which you do not.
Stay out of this conversation. You have zero to contribute to it.
This is not a request.
@NatureNinja22 -
What business is it of yours if someone asks the same question multiple places? There is no vetting on Reddit, the OP has not idea if what he is being told is true or not.
He came here and asked his question, knowing that the answers he received would come from members who have working knowledge of the topic, of which you do not.
Stay out of this conversation. You have zero to contribute to it.
This is not a request.
NatureNinja22
Unverified
It matters because you’re shopping around for the answer you want to hear. I’m not SF but I doubt you will find the exact answer you want.
NatureNinja22
Unverified
Can you ask a question? Sure. Should that question challenge another member in a case like this? Some crap from another website? No. Whatever goes on elsewhere stays there. # of vetted members on reddit who can answer the OP's questions? Unknown and irrelevant here. Number of members who can potentially answer the OP's questions? Quite a few. Your foul isn't asking a question, it is dragging another website into the discussion, especially when you aren't in a place to answer the questions.
When new guys come in asking about recruiting, med waivers, etc., unless you're vetted or can provide recent experience, the other new guys should stay out of that thread.
---- Break, break----
Let me be clear to everyone, if you can't answer the OP's questions THIS post will be the last in the thread. The next post should answer the OP. Failure to do so, and I don't care who you are, will result in corrective action.
Chronicler
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I’ve gotten permission from the Staff to share a little insight that may help you out. I’m not in the military and I never have been, but I have been dealing with recruiters a lot over the years.
They typically want you to ship out as soon as possible, regardless of whether or not you feel ready. Also, for some reason they give out 18x contracts like candy. Perhaps it’s because most won’t finish and will end up somewhere in the regular Army, I’m really not sure. If you want to test how well you can trust your recruiter, just ask him for an 11x option 40. If he tells you you’ll never get it, that should tell you he’s not interested in what you really want. My recruiter was more than happy to give me an 18x contract and have me ship out a month later, but I meantioned 11x option 40 and he began a rant about how getting one of those is impossible.
Basically what I’m trying to say is this: Recruiters (usually) want you to ship as soon as possible and they don’t care if you feel physically ready. Whether you’re ready or not is out of my jurisdiction. Just know that the recruiter is just doing what’s best for him and you can technically be in DEP for 365 days (I think, someone correct me if that’s wrong). Don’t let him pressure you.
This is money.
D
Deleted member 2517
Guest
Those aren’t bad PT scores to ship with you already are scoring above 80% in each event. That was better than me when I showed up. I never rucked until basic and did fine. OSUT will do a decent job of prepping you, you’ll maintain in airborne and then SOPC does a great job of getting you ready for selection itself (getting this from about 20 buddies who have been either selected or 19 day non selects as 18Xs). I say go for it- especially if there’s a bonus for a short term ship date like that. There usually is.
Truth in lending: SF Officer here. I have no experience at basic training or dealing with recruiters; however two company mates are now recruiters. I can send these questions along if you wish and get their insight.
I never ruck-marched before I joined the military either. You'll learn by doing. Listen to those who know and follow the instructions. You'll learn what works for you.
A 260 is a good starting point and you'll improve as you complete Basic, AIT, and whatever Special Operations Prep Course the Army has going nowadays. How you'll perform at those various gates is up to you. If you don't feel ready, take your time and wait. If you feel ready, as Nike says, just do it.
College: yes you can finish it on an ODA via the GI Bill, Tuition Assistance, or other mechanisms. Fort Bragg has a robust program for taking evening and weekend classes. A lot of soldiers did online classes. A lot of us, officer and enlisted, did online graduate degrees. It takes a lot of time but it is worth it.
First things first. Get physically and mentally ready, sign up for your contract, and keep us informed as you move through the pipeline. We're cheering you on.
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