SOT-A

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Nanaic Relgiah

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Jun 12, 2016
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Finished my DLI course in Iraqi and have landed at GAFB not too long ago. Started the course and have been amazed at what I've been learning. I've talked to a few prior SOT-A MLI's back at DLI and a few instructors here at GAFB--one in particular who really knows his stuff; allegedly has been doing it for 12 or 13 years--and they all gave me general information but nothing nitty and gritty. What are y'alls experiences as a SOT-A? How did you make it? Did you like it? Who did you have to talk to in order to try out? Was there a try out? What's the training like in the SOT-A world? If I don't land a spot as a SOT-A I'll be going to the 101st for what I guess is 'normal' tactical big Army 35P work. I have this ravenous thirst to know more about SIGINT. Really amazing stuff.
 
Nanaic Relgiah said:
Finished my DLI course in Iraqi and
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I don't like beating up the new guys, but...."Iraqi?" Piece of advice: you're too new to be salty and while everyone may know what you're talking about first impressions matter.

Good luck with the SOT-A route. If I had it to do over I would have done that vice commo. I think we have some threads about "landing a job in SOF support" so you may want to look for those.
 
Freefalling said:
I don't like beating up the new guys, but...."Iraqi?" Piece of advice: you're too new to be salty and while everyone may know what you're talking about first impressions matter.

Good luck with the SOT-A route. If I had it to do over I would have done that vice commo. I think we have some threads about "landing a job in SOF support" so you may want to look for those.
Click to expand...

What did I say to give off the impression I'm salty?
 
Maybe not generally. I went for MSA back in '06 and even then the dialect courses weren't robust. Did you do MSA?
 
Florida173 said:
Maybe not generally. I went for MSA back in '06 and even then the dialect courses weren't robust. Did you do MSA?
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No I was in the Iraqi dialect course. Had parallel course material in MSA though. Had to DLPT in both. I think you're right though. Iraqi has only been available for 9 or 10 years.
 
We're breaking out languages by dialect now? "I speak Castilian" is legit? "I speak American" is now spoken without a trace of irony?

I stand corrected about "Iraqi", but that is frankly just stupid.

Back to the SOT-A discussion.
 
Nanaic Relgiah said:
Finished my DLI course in Iraqi and have landed at GAFB not too long ago. Started the course and have been amazed at what I've been learning. I've talked to a few prior SOT-A MLI's back at DLI and a few instructors here at GAFB--one in particular who really knows his stuff; allegedly has been doing it for 12 or 13 years--and they all gave me general information but nothing nitty and gritty. What are y'alls experiences as a SOT-A? How did you make it? Did you like it? Who did you have to talk to in order to try out? Was there a try out? What's the training like in the SOT-A world? If I don't land a spot as a SOT-A I'll be going to the 101st for what I guess is 'normal' tactical big Army 35P work. I have this ravenous thirst to know more about SIGINT. Really amazing stuff.
Click to expand...
Congrats on Passing the DLAB,
by Iraqi do you mean Arabic?
Why the 101st and not the 82nd?
There are some SOT-A threads, use the search feature.
San Angelo sucks and is the AF STD Capitol be safe.
 
DA SWO said:
Congrats on Passing the DLAB,
by Iraqi do you mean Arabic?
Why the 101st and not the 82nd?
There are some SOT-A threads, use the search feature.
San Angelo sucks and is the AF STD Capitol be safe.
Click to expand...

Yes. Just to clarify I mean 'Arabic, Iraqi dialect'. 99.9% of all listening in the course focuses on the Iraqi dialect and we were to only speak in the Iraqi. Course reading material was in MSA though; since obviously there is no written language for Iraqi.

Originally had orders to 4th ID in CO but had them switched to 101st for personal reasons. Still actively searching for ways to go SOT-A however.

And I'm with ya on that one. San Angelo is awful. Luckily I'm married so no STD's coming this way. Hah :p
 
Freefalling said:
We're breaking out languages by dialect now? "I speak Castilian" is legit? "I speak American" is now spoken without a trace of irony?

I stand corrected about "Iraqi", but that is frankly just stupid.

Back to the SOT-A discussion.
Click to expand...

Not at all.. I sound like a pompous idiot speaking high level Arabic to uneducated Iraqis. They typically didn't understand anything I was saying. Jordanians didn't have any issue with me.

People say it's better to learn MSA and then do the dialect courses, but never happens. Units won't send their guys back out often.
 
Sounds like the difference between Spanish and Tex-mex...huge difference. Our illegals or freshly arrived persons from Mexico don't understand Spanish, but do understand Tex-mex.
 
All the pre-deployment language classes we had on Arabic in 03, were literally worthless in Iraq. Basically outside of greetings, none of the terminology we practiced worked.
 
All of your questions have been answered in previous threads.

We're not going to talk about specifics here.

Outside of that, look for recruiters at GFAFB. SOF usually came around and gave a brief at DLI and GF. If you end up at the 101st then work on being a solid soldier, be good at your job and work on your PT. Do some time there and talk to the guys at 5th Group. Maybe if the time comes, they'll pull you across the street.

Good luck!
 
It's pretty simple. You call Branch when you're eligible for a new assignment. It ought to be harder than that, but it's not. Good luck.
 

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