Over the years I've returned to these forums over and over. Over those same years, I've tried to achieve something that would place me among esteemed company like those here: the best to ever play the game.
It doesn't matter how old you are, or how senior you become. It doesn't matter if you've already gone to selection and didn't get picked.
Never stop trying.
Never stop trying.
Never stop trying.
I don't have too many to celebrate with that really understand, and I care about opsec.
Homeless child. Criminal parents. Failed MEPS, needed surgery. Couldn't afford it, no health insurance. Borrowed money from a stranger. Got surgery. Terrible recovery over a year. Failed OCS due to lack of physical fitness. Trained for 2 years, tried again and passed. POG MOS. Became a good POG. Tried to do assessment. For 2 years, command wouldn't let me. Finally got a chance. Failed physical, legally blind. Got eye surgery. PCSed. Had to convince a new command. Learned to swim. Submitted waivers for age. Went to selection. During team week, fell over and needed to catch my balance while carrying hundreds of pounds. Tore multiple muscles. Passed selection with medium to high physicals and some good peer evals. Didn't get picked. Tried for another service. Found out that program closed while I was at selection. Boss told me to stop trying. Got surgery for big injury from selection. Terrible recovery. Family grew. People said family needs to be the priority. Wife only said "work hard."
One year later go to selection for something else. Got selected. While waiting to get to the second job, got put in the highest-speed conventional unit that was available at the time of my request. Did my time there and went to the selected-for organization. Found out about a better job. Working towards that.
Guys I know that got selected at the organization I tried for first have since given up or gotten kicked out during the pipeline and gotten out of the service entirely. I don't understand why they don't try again. Objectively they should be better than me since they got picked when I didn't, right? I guess not. It turns out they are not so good at getting back up when kicked in the teeth.
I don't know anything about anything, but I suspect the following is true:
Selection is an ongoing event.
It doesn't matter how old you are, or how senior you become. It doesn't matter if you've already gone to selection and didn't get picked.
Never stop trying.
Never stop trying.
Never stop trying.
I don't have too many to celebrate with that really understand, and I care about opsec.
Homeless child. Criminal parents. Failed MEPS, needed surgery. Couldn't afford it, no health insurance. Borrowed money from a stranger. Got surgery. Terrible recovery over a year. Failed OCS due to lack of physical fitness. Trained for 2 years, tried again and passed. POG MOS. Became a good POG. Tried to do assessment. For 2 years, command wouldn't let me. Finally got a chance. Failed physical, legally blind. Got eye surgery. PCSed. Had to convince a new command. Learned to swim. Submitted waivers for age. Went to selection. During team week, fell over and needed to catch my balance while carrying hundreds of pounds. Tore multiple muscles. Passed selection with medium to high physicals and some good peer evals. Didn't get picked. Tried for another service. Found out that program closed while I was at selection. Boss told me to stop trying. Got surgery for big injury from selection. Terrible recovery. Family grew. People said family needs to be the priority. Wife only said "work hard."
One year later go to selection for something else. Got selected. While waiting to get to the second job, got put in the highest-speed conventional unit that was available at the time of my request. Did my time there and went to the selected-for organization. Found out about a better job. Working towards that.
Guys I know that got selected at the organization I tried for first have since given up or gotten kicked out during the pipeline and gotten out of the service entirely. I don't understand why they don't try again. Objectively they should be better than me since they got picked when I didn't, right? I guess not. It turns out they are not so good at getting back up when kicked in the teeth.
I don't know anything about anything, but I suspect the following is true:
Selection is an ongoing event.
