SOF support units? Are they SF qualified ?

[Crusader74]

Cheers Max:)

 

[Marauder06]

No badges above the name tape (no EIB, CIB, CMB, EFMD, Jump Wings, Air Assault... NOTHING).

That's me now. I don't wear any badges with ACUs. I think it looks odd and seems like an enormous PITA to put it on and take it off all the time.

 

[Marauder06]

You know you still wear your Air Assault wings...

I was pretty proud of them when I was a cadet. My reading of 670-1 is I can wear either air assault or pathfinder with the CAB and jump wings, so the air assault wings stay in the insignia box.

When I first got to Campbell, some of my Soldiers had me convinced that because I didn't earn my wings at Campbell (home of Air Assault), I'd have to do the course again. I bought it. :doh:

 

[Max Power]

I was pretty proud of them when I was a cadet. My reading of 670-1 is I can wear either air assault or pathfinder with the CAB and jump wings, so the air assault wings stay in the insignia box.

I need to go read 670-1 again, last thing I had heard was that you could still wear up to 5 badges (i.e. CIB on top row, then two rows of two). TIme to go do research

 

[Marauder06]

I need to go read 670-1 again, last thing I had heard was that you could still wear up to 5 badges (i.e. CIB on top row, then two rows of two). TIme to go do research

I think it's a matter of what category (or whatever) the badges are in. And for me it's moot for ACUs because I'm not going to wear any badges, but I'm interested in what the new rules are for the dress uniforms.

 

[Marauder06]

LMAO!!!!!!!!

Did you wear them above your J-wings while you were stationed at Campbell, too?!??!?!

Actually, I did have one pair of BDUs with it like that because our commander told us too... it looked odd.

 

[Olive Drab]

badges on bdus/acus are a pain in the ass and annoying. keep em on the class As.

 

[Looon]

Wearing hardware was really a bitch in Class B's.:doh:

 

[Boondocksaint375]

I dont recall ever wearing the B's.

 

[Looon]

I dont recall ever wearing the B's.

I only did once after I left Batt.:doh:

 

[Totentanz]

Every SOF unit should have something, even if it's just a records check, a PT test, and a phone call to the losing unit's First Sergeant before the guy signs in. But they don't. It ain't that hard to do, it just involves some people getting off their asses to make it happen. It absolutely boggles my mind that support assignments to SF groups, for example, are "needs of the Army." That's ridiculous.

Is there anything that can be done from an officer's standpoint in the way of making sure the guys who are sent to you are squared away? Or do you just have to work with what you're given? Can anything be done once they're in?

 

[rangerpsych]

LOL Eyes hit it on the head with a 10lb Maul.

Got to "legland" from batt with 3 visits to the sandbox.... first time I'm out with the platoon... CQM range... We're dry firing before getting to actually throw lead... PSG was ex-2/75, RI, and I had ran into him in florida.. good cat.

PL comes over and starts giving me "pointers" on stance, etc... I raised an eyebrow, then played the game... then looked at the PSG and he just smirked and snickered.

we get to live rounds... everyone is all over the fucking place... PSG's running the line so he aint on the line, PL's on the line.. his shit looks like a 870 shot group from 25 yds... I have a ragged hole the size of a mandarin orange center mass of the vaporized E-type's heart/lung/central bronchi.

BC/CSM decide to visit our PLT while training... mind you the BC had penis envy from day one when I showed up.

He walks the line, I'm bringing out fresh targets for everyone else because their grouping is straight ASS. BC grumbles at all the targets except one..."WHOS TARGET IS THIS" "MINE SIR!" *louder grumbling*

That PL had the brains to not try to do any corrections regarding marksmanship at any range from then on... lol


The NCO's in any unit you go to, will probably have real world experience in the application and utilization of their weapons systems and equipment. A new officer will not. Only take direct control of ANYTHING if absolutely necessary, and then at best it should be a nudge in the direction you want.. if you have good NCO's you'll need to hold the reins BACK, not have to push in the right direction.

Just how I see it.

 

[Looon]

Damn good advice. Never think for a moment that because you out rank someone that you know more than they do.:2c:

 

[Max Power]

The NCO's in any unit you go to, will probably have real world experience in the application and utilization of their weapons systems and equipment. A new officer will not. Only take direct control of ANYTHING if absolutely necessary, and then at best it should be a nudge in the direction you want.. if you have good NCO's you'll need to hold the reins BACK, not have to push in the right direction.

Just how I see it.

That's how I view it as well, and how I plan to work when the time comes. If I'm walking down the line and see some fucked up shooting at the range, I'm not going to get in the soldier's shit, I'll ask one of the NCOs to come over. I'm there to supervise the range (and probably be the RSO), not to get touchy feely on shit.

But at the same time, if I have to, I will. I'm one of those that believes in how the NCO/Officer thing SHOULD work, not how it is actually done quite often in units I've seen.

 

[Crusader74]

That's how I view it as well, and how I plan to work when the time comes. If I'm walking down the line and see some fucked up shooting at the range, I'm not going to get in the soldier's shit, I'll ask one of the NCOs to come over. I'm there to supervise the range (and probably be the RSO), not to get touchy feely on shit.

But at the same time, if I have to, I will. I'm one of those that believes in how the NCO/Officer thing SHOULD work, not how it is actually done quite often in units I've seen.

cancel my last..

 

[Totentanz]

The NCO's in any unit you go to, will probably have real world experience in the application and utilization of their weapons systems and equipment. A new officer will not. Only take direct control of ANYTHING if absolutely necessary, and then at best it should be a nudge in the direction you want.. if you have good NCO's you'll need to hold the reins BACK, not have to push in the right direction.

Just how I see it.

Thanks for the adivce, rangerpsych. I appreciate it. :cool:

Same to Eyes, Ranger Luna, and Max Power.

 

[Marauder06]

Is there anything that can be done from an officer's standpoint in the way of making sure the guys who are sent to you are squared away? Or do you just have to work with what you're given? Can anything be done once they're in?

In the American Army, individual and crew level collective training is the resposibility of the NCO. Larger-scale collective training is an officer responsibility.

In most units in the Army, you have to work with what you're given. This is specifically true in support assignments to SF units. Unfortunately, it's very difficult to get rid of people once they're assigned to the unit, unless they do something overtly criminal or have along pattern of misconduct. This is not true in all units, but has been the case in most of the ones I've been assigned to (SOF and conventional).

What can officers do? Just off the top of my head-
Encourage responsible risk-taking by creating an environment in which Soldiers and NCOs have the freedom to make good-faith mistakes without getting slam dunked. Empower the NCOs to lead and hold them responsible for the success and failures within their specific areas of responsibility. Handle matters of punishment and reward frequently, expeditiously, and publicly. Inspect everything that's important. Eliminate the non-hackers and always be on the lookout for talent. Be the shield against negative outside influences (sometimes this includes higher headquarters) and be an advocate for your troops. Be a strategic thinker and let the NCOs handle the day-to-day business. Enforce discipline. Be a good example, know when to STFU but more importantly, know when it's time to step up and take charge.

At the end of the day, the officer is responsible for everything that the unit does or fails to do, which is why he can never abdicate "responsibility" in favor of "longevity."

I'll also add, if anyone who worked for me ever told me I was a "little light on the left" to be giving them orders, he might have found himself a "little light on the collar." ;)

 

[104TN]

mara, they still make the Joes carry that fookin' blue book around? Back in the day if you had AASLT wings you were "required" to wear them...probably because it made fingering alternates for school easier at morning muster.

 

[Totentanz]

Eliminate the non-hackers and always be on the lookout for talent.

Could you expand on this, please (specifically, the bolded text)? A few lines up, you stated that it's difficult to remove a soldier from your unit without a reason (ie misconduct), so I'm a bit lost as to what exactly you mean by this.

Thanks. :)

 

[Marauder06]

mara, they still make the Joes carry that fookin' blue book around? Back in the day if you had AASLT wings you were "required" to wear them...probably because it made fingering alternates for school easier at morning muster.

I'm not sure, but I did notice that in their pictures up at Cole Park Commons, neither the Div Cdr nor the CSM were sporting the Bullwinkle badge. I thought that was pretty odd.