I had the benefit of doing the SOT-A job as both a Radio Recon Marine and a SOT-A at both 1st and 10th Group. While in RRP I had the opportunity to run a Selection course for our guys and a few SOT-A's from 3rd Group. In the Corps we had the benefit of most of us startin g in the Infantry and then moving to the Intell side of the house and getting the benefit of the same courses as the guys at Force and Recon Bn. I was fortunate at 1st Group to get additional courses like LRSLC and SOTIC (Level II), of course some of the team guys gave me a rassion of crap for being an MI Geek, but they appreciated the fact that our team was doing everything it could to bring necessary skills to the table instead of being strap hangers. We had a saying on our team "you have to work twice as hard to be thought of as half as good,". In the end our Bn Cdr had to deny ODA's the use of our team because every team wanted us for their operations.
SOTA?
- Thread starter Diamondback 2/2
- Start date
When I was the MID commander in 5th Group, I'm pretty sure all of the SOTAs were language coded. They were also Ranger-coded.
The Team Leader and A/TL positions were always "V" coded (except for one year when someone let the CG sign an MTOE doc that removed it.), but not the whole team. It may have changed for the better - it's been a few years
. At least when I was working in the building, it was the only way we could get some kind of formal field craft training for the boyz.i was at the vance-nolan dedication. it was moving. i was going through the 35N course at GF during that time. i read someone say on this thread that for SOTA you had to get real world experience first, but i can't totally agree. i was selected along with others by the 1SG who he deemed equipped physically to go to group. SOTA reps were recruiting right out of the classroom. going to group for the PT studs, was like upper middle class kids going to college after high school...it was expected. one guy in my platoon even got a call from great skills and drove our DS crazy preparing that packet for him. unfortunately i am a reservist. which meant i coudn't accept the ONLY Ranger slot the BN had when top offered it to me. or a chance at that spear patch. 
oh well. there's always re-up into active duty..lol
oh well. there's always re-up into active duty..lol
What's the lineage of SOT-A? Is it tied in with the Army Security Agency?
I spent 16 years of my life as a SOT-A trooper. I started out as an 05H (Morse Code Intercept Operator) then crossed over to 98H when the 05H went away. I then picked up Spanish, and became a 98G, got the "V" Identifier, and kept on truckin'.
When I started out, SOT-A was not called that. It was called CEWI Teams. I saw the SOT-A mission go from the red headed step child, to the front seat overnight in Afghanistan.
Being a Guard SOT-A guy, what I noticed was, the SOT-A bubba's I worked with were consumate professionals. We had some differing personalities, but we stayed together for a very long time. We had no MOS producing school to teach us the ways of the ODA. We had to learn it OJT. We had to learn how to patrol like the ODA, how to Infil with them, do MDMP, and we had to carry our own commo shit. The fill we use in our radio systems were 'higher' than the fill in the ODA's... so we had to duplicate the load. SOT-A rucks were notoriously heavy monsters.
Not only did we have to score HIGHER on the DLPT in our given language than the ODA, we had to have a HIGHER clearance, We had to know every peice of radio gear that the 18E knew, and be highly proficient with it... AND we had to be proficient with fieldcraft.
We had to know how to shoot, move and communicate. If the ODA's thought we were shitbags, we didn't get invited on missions. Yet, every year, we had to certify and validate with them, to the same standards... physically, tactically and technically.
In Afghanistan, we were out on the tip of the spear, side by side with the ODA's... most times, driving the mission with the shit we did. So, my heart is, and always WILL be, TAC-SIGINT.
I left Group in the begining of 2003 to cross over into the TAC HUMINT side of the house. I don't regret it one bit.
Either way, your OP TEMPO will be sky high. I still have some very close friends in the SOT-A world, and even though the mission has changed a bit from when I was doing it, the type of soldier it takes to DO the mission is still the same.
It is a very rewarding career... but, it's more of a back seat type of glory. You will never grace the front page of a magazine, or be featured on the USASOC website. But, you can trace your roots to the early ASA days. Good stuff!!!
Now, HUMINT... that's another ball of wax.
When I started out, SOT-A was not called that. It was called CEWI Teams. I saw the SOT-A mission go from the red headed step child, to the front seat overnight in Afghanistan.
Being a Guard SOT-A guy, what I noticed was, the SOT-A bubba's I worked with were consumate professionals. We had some differing personalities, but we stayed together for a very long time. We had no MOS producing school to teach us the ways of the ODA. We had to learn it OJT. We had to learn how to patrol like the ODA, how to Infil with them, do MDMP, and we had to carry our own commo shit. The fill we use in our radio systems were 'higher' than the fill in the ODA's... so we had to duplicate the load. SOT-A rucks were notoriously heavy monsters.
Not only did we have to score HIGHER on the DLPT in our given language than the ODA, we had to have a HIGHER clearance, We had to know every peice of radio gear that the 18E knew, and be highly proficient with it... AND we had to be proficient with fieldcraft.
We had to know how to shoot, move and communicate. If the ODA's thought we were shitbags, we didn't get invited on missions. Yet, every year, we had to certify and validate with them, to the same standards... physically, tactically and technically.
In Afghanistan, we were out on the tip of the spear, side by side with the ODA's... most times, driving the mission with the shit we did. So, my heart is, and always WILL be, TAC-SIGINT.
I left Group in the begining of 2003 to cross over into the TAC HUMINT side of the house. I don't regret it one bit.
Either way, your OP TEMPO will be sky high. I still have some very close friends in the SOT-A world, and even though the mission has changed a bit from when I was doing it, the type of soldier it takes to DO the mission is still the same.
It is a very rewarding career... but, it's more of a back seat type of glory. You will never grace the front page of a magazine, or be featured on the USASOC website. But, you can trace your roots to the early ASA days. Good stuff!!!
Now, HUMINT... that's another ball of wax.
Brother, I could not have said this better my self. WELL DONE!!!
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2008
- Messages
- 186
PM Sent
Fire me a PM if you are interested. I didn't feel like going through. I've been on a SOT-A and a SOT-B in two different Groups, so just hit me up. I'll tell you what the requirements are and what will be expected of you.
I'll let you what some of the schools are required depending on if you are a 35N or a 35P.
I'll let you what some of the schools are required depending on if you are a 35N or a 35P.
The Lightning Fast Chicken Fucker.
Army Security Agency during Vietnam. During my first assignment at Bragg, I worked for two WO's and three SFCs who wore this patch on their right shoulder. I learned a lot (ya think?) from those guys. Still in touch with the ones who are still alive
Bottom line: Being a SIGINTer takes a very unique aptitude (Y'all can stick all the "Dungeons and Dragons" comments into your Fourth Point(s) of Conact
). We are problem solvers - we're really good at crossword puzzles! 
As for support to SOF
The real intel professional is the one who can figure out the bridge between the two disciplines, thereby making his/her team relevant to the ODA commander(s) being supported. If you hide behind "the Green Door," then you bring nothing. You're irrelevant.
"So, why are you here in the first place, if you can't provide me with information about the enemy?" Says the ODA commander........
'Sir, I don't work for you, I work for NSA," says the SOT-A team leader idiot.
I spent a lot of time trying to break that paradigm when I worked at USASOC. Not sure how much progress I made.
Anyway......I'm ranting......
I agree almost toatally with everything GSXRanger says, BTW.
Army Security Agency during Vietnam. During my first assignment at Bragg, I worked for two WO's and three SFCs who wore this patch on their right shoulder. I learned a lot (ya think?) from those guys. Still in touch with the ones who are still alive
Bottom line: Being a SIGINTer takes a very unique aptitude (Y'all can stick all the "Dungeons and Dragons" comments into your Fourth Point(s) of Conact
). We are problem solvers - we're really good at crossword puzzles! As for support to SOF
The real intel professional is the one who can figure out the bridge between the two disciplines, thereby making his/her team relevant to the ODA commander(s) being supported. If you hide behind "the Green Door," then you bring nothing. You're irrelevant.
"So, why are you here in the first place, if you can't provide me with information about the enemy?" Says the ODA commander........
'Sir, I don't work for you, I work for NSA," says the SOT-A team leader idiot.
I spent a lot of time trying to break that paradigm when I worked at USASOC. Not sure how much progress I made.
Anyway......I'm ranting......
I agree almost toatally with everything GSXRanger says, BTW.
Attachments
Brill
SOF Support
How come there isn't a boner emoticon for threads such as this?
Hm, if you get a boner from a necro-thread, does that make you a necrophiliac? ;)
Brill
SOF Support
Update: we now have a pipeline that includes initial entry training, a certification course, Ranger school, and SERE-C training. All TL's will sport the short tab or be removed from that position. This is new USASFC(A) policy.
going from RS to SERE-C...ouch!
What? Is this now an enlistment option? So..if I'm following:
Basic
DLI
AIT
SFSIET
SERE-C
Ranger for TL's?
Is Ranger omitted for those new SOT-A's who are obviously not going to be TL's or even ATL's? This is a VERY long pipeline and could take 3 years to complete in some cases.
