Would enlisting in SF Support (National Guard) as a 68W be a good way to get your foot in the door if the goal is SF? More context down below.

Stingray01

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I’m 21 years old and live in Las Vegas, NV. I’m a nationally certified EMT, and will be working as an EMT for a local ambulance company here in Las Vegas. I’m also taking the AEMT course some time this summer. My goal on the civilian side is to become a Firefighter/AEMT (and eventually Firefighter/Paramedic but obviously one step at a time).

I am interested in joining 19th SFG Support as a 68W. I understand Rep63 is probably the best route, but I would like to get some life experience and grow more as a person before I go for SF itself.

Would being in SF Support be a good way to physically and mentally prepare for when I’d eventually want to go for SF? Is it common to find a SF mentor when you’re in these support units?

Or should I just wait until I’m ready and just go straight to Rep63?

My thought process is that since I’m young, if I was able to work in a support role, I’d be able to learn how SF operates, and get to know SF guys that would hopefully give me tips on how to succeed. I’m not in the military obviously and I don’t anything about it but that’s just my thought process.

Thank you and have a great day!
 
Current support guy in 19th here.

Take the rep63. You lose out on absolutely nothing if you make it to SFAS and don't get to continue to selection.
If you do wash out, you'll already have that experience of what it's like. To go back, you'll have to pass a SFRE (Special Forces Readiness Evaluation) with your nearest SWTD (Special Warfare Training Detachment); it's probably the one out here in Colorado I support.
Pass SFRE, you train with the SWTD for ~a year before you go back to SFAS; most dudes pass after that.

If you come to the unit as a 68w?

You lose out on about 2 years out FaceTime with everyone at the unit due to attending SOCM.
You'll come back to the unit as a fucking new guy who's already telling everyone he plans on leaving his support role as soon as possible.
Because of this, you're likely going to lose out on some training, missions, and deployments. It's nothing personal, but why waste the support guy slots on you if all you want to do is run to a team?
Why send you with a team when they need a guy who's going to learn his support role so they can ask for him by name next time, not a revolving door of dudes they've gotta keep training up?

As @AWP mentioned, I've also seen guys from support go to selection. Those dudes are usually around a while and the Cadre of SWTD suggest they should try out an SFRE.

I've yet to see a support guy who showed up at the unit "as a stepping stone to SF" get any mentorship or be successful in that endeavor.
 
As a former Support guy, take the Rep63 contract. Being in Support prepares you to be in Support. Nothing wrong with that, and we had plenty of guys go from Support Company to a team, but...just go to Selection.
I appreciate the information. I agree 100%.
 
Current support guy in 19th here.

Take the rep63. You lose out on absolutely nothing if you make it to SFAS and don't get to continue to selection.
If you do wash out, you'll already have that experience of what it's like. To go back, you'll have to pass a SFRE (Special Forces Readiness Evaluation) with your nearest SWTD (Special Warfare Training Detachment); it's probably the one out here in Colorado I support.
Pass SFRE, you train with the SWTD for ~a year before you go back to SFAS; most dudes pass after that.

If you come to the unit as a 68w?

You lose out on about 2 years out FaceTime with everyone at the unit due to attending SOCM.
You'll come back to the unit as a fucking new guy who's already telling everyone he plans on leaving his support role as soon as possible.
Because of this, you're likely going to lose out on some training, missions, and deployments. It's nothing personal, but why waste the support guy slots on you if all you want to do is run to a team?
Why send you with a team when they need a guy who's going to learn his support role so they can ask for him by name next time, not a revolving door of dudes they've gotta keep training up?

As @AWP mentioned, I've also seen guys from support go to selection. Those dudes are usually around a while and the Cadre of SWTD suggest they should try out an SFRE.

I've yet to see a support guy who showed up at the unit "as a stepping stone to SF" get any mentorship or be successful in that endeavor.
Thank you for this. Definitely puts things in perspective for me.
 
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