Special Forces Leadership

[Eyeball]

Leadership Concerns

For the past three months I have researched Army Special Forces. Firstly to decide if it the place I want to exist within and of equal importance, if it is something I am worthy to pursue. However there is a theme that keeps cropping up that I concern over. It isn't the intense physical training that needs to be maintained or the mental fortitude. Both are impossible to miss in SF literature. My current concern however which you gentlemen might help with is the leadership of Special Forces. I have read reports on SF members being punished for a variety of actions that I, sitting from a nice, blurry distance conclude to have been morally sound. My current understanding is that SF tends to bend or break many conventions of the military and this ability to think inventively is a pillar of their accomplishments. My questions are as follows. Is there any leadership problems that are serious or frequent enough to cause you concern in The Regiment? Secondly for those who believe there to be a leadership problem. There are two main drivers that attract me to SF. The first is the brotherhood, the devotion to the people who place faith in me. The second is the environment that gives SF guys their ability to be effective. I am concerned that some of the standing leadership is not of the caliber and integrity it once was. Does this concern hold any merit? Should I be wary of the comrade that stands above and behind me? I feel the people who are in or have been in the community will know best. If there is anything in my pursuit of an SF career that I should be spending more time learning of and understanding, I beg of you to disillusion me.



-Thank you for all you do for us. Thank you for your families and all they do for you.

 

[AWP]

You're overthinking this.

Statistically speaking, the odds are against you donning the beret. Your concerns are understandable, but you're worried about those more than making it to a team? I guess that's one way to do it. Let's say you make it there and find yourself with a bad (in your eyes) commander. Now what?

Let's say we tell you that SF is the single worst place to be in the Army. Ever. What's your Plan B?

Here's the thing, risk adverse commanders are everywhere, including SF. Commanders selling out their men for their own personal/ professional gain exists everywhere, including SF. "This, that, and the other" exists everywhere, including SF. You'll have great leaders or you'll have bad leaders or a mixture or somewhere in between....anything is possible.

You pay your money and you take your chances.

 

[Eyeball]

You’re right.

I desired an idealistic view of a group and I appreciate your sobering reply. Perhaps for this thread it comes down to a question. If I were guaranteed placement (in my eyes) under a bad commander would pursuing an SF career still be worth it?

Far more importantly I should be focused on completing selection rather than worrying about who would lead me once I got to a team. It seems like I am concerned more about what will happen when I am successful rather than working towards being successful in the first place. Statistically the odds are heavily against me in even completing SFAS let alone the rest of the Q-course.

With these piling negatives are the positives enough to provide the intrinsic motivation to train and pursue SF? Am I truly acknowledging the high percentage chance of failure?

You’ve set in front of me valuable items to consider. Thank you for your reply, I’ll try not to over think it.

 

[digrar]

Bad commands are not for ever, COs and OCs come and go, and over the course of a career you'll experience both the good and the bad when it comes to unit leadership.

 

[Devildoc]

Life is a big ol' bell curve, and military leadership--SOF and non-SOF--is not exempt: you will have some outstanding leaders, some ass-hat leaders, but most are "pretty good." Also understand that in small unit leadership it's not just the formal leaders of team commander/team sergeant, PC/PS, or whatever, there is also the informal leadership within the team aside from those in the CoC. You will see the good, the bad, and the ugly. Good luck.

 

[DocIllinois]

FWIW, service in the Army is hard. If you're ruminating this much over just the prospect of serving under a "bad" commander now, the potential psychological stress of service in any combat arms component of the military may not be right for you.

Search your feelings, young padawan.

 

[AWP]

You’re right.

I desired an idealistic view of a group and I appreciate your sobering reply. Perhaps for this thread it comes down to a question. If I were guaranteed placement (in my eyes) under a bad commander would pursuing an SF career still be worth it?

Far more importantly I should be focused on completing selection rather than worrying about who would lead me once I got to a team. It seems like I am concerned more about what will happen when I am successful rather than working towards being successful in the first place. Statistically the odds are heavily against me in even completing SFAS let alone the rest of the Q-course.

With these piling negatives are the positives enough to provide the intrinsic motivation to train and pursue SF? Am I truly acknowledging the high percentage chance of failure?

You’ve set in front of me valuable items to consider. Thank you for your reply, I’ll try not to over think it.

You're still overthinking this. You're looking for answers when your sole commitment should be to the Regiment first. If you can't accept that then I don't know what to tell you. If you're worried about a bad commander then stay home because you will encounter them. It will happen in any field, it is a fact of life, and you either put your head down and deal with it or leave the service. Your call. We can't tell you how to think or how to deal with it except to say "drive on" or quit now.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[Grunt]

Try this...imagine a world without the Internet and forums like these...and the information that you have received thus far.

What would you do then? What would you base your decisions on? How would you train? Would you still be worrying about future leadership?

Warriors aren't changed by their environment or leaders. Warriors are warriors regardless of those things.

Make your decision based on what YOU want and are willing to PAY for...in blood, sweat, and tears. Then go forth and conquer!

 

[CDG]

“The basic difference between an ordinary man and a warrior is that a warrior takes everything as a challenge, while an ordinary man takes everything as a blessing or a curse.”
― Carlos Castaneda

 

[Diamondback 2/2]

I will say some of the finest men who I absolutely admire, wore that silly green hat.

I'm pretty hard on Army leadership, but you have to give credit where it is due, and Special Forces turns out pretty damn good leaders.

$.02

 

[Eyeball]

Thank you everyone.

I appreciate you all taking time to give your thoughts. What you have said holds influence in my mind. Each of you provided thoughtful responses.

A “bad” commander isn’t something to ponder, only a reality that I may one day have to deal with. There is nothing I can do about it so I shouldn’t concern myself with its possibility. There is nothing to gain from it.

Priority is on becoming a warrior, little else matters. If something else does matter then an existence in any combat arms probably isn’t an existence I would be worthy of.

Warriors aren't changed by their environment or leaders. Warriors are warriors regardless of those things.

 

[Etype]

First instinct is to flame you... 4 names and you think you're going to be lucky number 5 who ends up on Fox News talking about his "negative command climate." But...

... I may one day have to deal with.

Statistically speaking, the chances are great that you'll never have to deal with a 'bad' leader in SF.

- For a guy who isn't even in the Army yet, you have quite a few hurdles to get over before you'll ever be answering to a leader in SF.

- You tagged four names, yet there are a few thousand SF dudes serving at any one time. You could find plenty more examples of bad construction foremen or (insert any job here) if they were a constant target of various media resources.

I was at USASOC HQ today, that list of names on the wall is pretty long. You have a lot better chance of being killed than you do falling into a high profile 'Leadership-Fail' case.

 

[Eyeball]

I'm sorry.

I made this post off of a minuscule amount of information from soundbites on the television and some literature. I don't have faith in media so I wanted to go somewhere that I felt there was more credibility.

I know the concern I expressed was placed off in an unlikely future, I feel that I have displayed arrogance in my posts and that you and the others who responded have made that clear, as you should.

I don't believe I'm guaranteed a place in SF. The hurdles are great and clearly I have revealed that my head occupies a space removed from where it should be.

My desire was to learn more about SF. I want to know the insides and out and absorb everything that I can about this community. Unfortunately, I came off as an entitled shit. I'm sorry that I've done this and thank you for your response.