I'm not. I spent my first three years at 1st Recon on an IA w/ an adviser team and a year of that was in Afghanistan working w/ an ANA Recon Tolai. I came back and knocked out some schools and ended up breaking my foot in four places while at BRC and was med-dropped. While I was waiting to go back, the monitor sent me to SOI-W. I can always go back to BRC and back to a Bn, but that doesn't alleviate the impetus behind my desire to transfer: I'll end up in Oki or a ship for the next ten years (which I'm totally aware is the most likely COA, and that's fine). I came here on a hope and a prayer just to see if there was anything else out there.
This is a good perspective, thanks.
It’s seems like they are talking to officers already in the Army and not inter service transfers. Keep in mind it will take time to jump over and that doesn’t work in your favor. Also I suspect the Army would not waste a key billet like Opso/Xo on someone without Ranger platoon and company command experience.
That's a fair assessment. I don't anticipate anyone to hand me anything. I'm also aware it a long-short bordering on not going to freakin' happen, but if I was easily dissuaded, then I wouldn't be where I'm at today. You hit the nail on the head with the "goal" question. The CMC's latest planning guidance provides great vision to keep the USMC relevant in the "great competitions" era and carves us out a niche within the NDS. Naval integration and what I foresee that will entail is not something I look forward to. I would rather stay operationally relevant and continue to do what I enjoy: combat deployments. My deployment as a Company Commander to Australia was ok, but if there was a way moving forward to join a unit with a greater probability of getting back into the fight, then I would attempt to be a part of that unit. I am still well-connected to the recon community and could go back, but I don't think that would alleviate the impetus behind my desire to transfer to a unit that has a higher potential for something kinetic. Resigning my commission would be the sure-fire way to get what I'm asking for, but that wouldn't be advisable based on the fact I have a wife and kids. Ultimately, there's a 99% chance I will go back to the grunts and be a Bn Co, and I'll find value and meaning in serving those Marines. So, it's all win-win to me, but I wanted to explore any potential options. I appreciate the input.
The odds are definitely slim
This is helpful. Again, your problem is seniority and a general draw down from combat operations. Yes some SOF units are still doing combat operations but this is still a platoon/team and maybe occasionally company sized fight. It's a long shot to get into another service's SOF and the length of their training pipelines would almost certainly remove you from consideration for companies command as a Major. That drops you right into the S3 shop at a battalion, group, or component and none of those billets will get you back to combat unless you are satisfied with generating slides in a combat zone.
This is a major reason I took orders to a cyberspace warfare unit.
So no I can almost 100% say there will be no regiment openings for you as is. RASP1 and RASP 2 are both solely for Army personnel. Regiment is not a jointly manned unit (unless you count the TACPs from the 17th STS). Now you could resign your commission as several enlisted dudes here have and come on over from the beginning... or you look into some “jointly manned” Army units that take all comers. I would look at Major Todd Opalski and his story. He was an enlisted Recon Marine- sniper and Ranger tab to boot, commissioned infantry and Recon Marine, and then a troop commander in a very cool unit in North Carolina. Not saying it’ll happen or is likely but it’s worth a try.
I inherited his Force Recon platoon in 2007. Great dude. He is running a veterans recovery camp in Costa Rica now. Adventure | Yoga | Fitness | Retreat | Survival | Mindset
There actually is, or at least was, a slot for an infantry Captain or Major at the Regiment somewhere. I think in the Regimental S3. It's probably been turned into a MARSOC billet now but may be open if they can't fill it because of manning shortfalls. I knew a guy who did it as an infantry Captain. He had to go to RASP and Ranger school before joining the Regiment.
