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Tell me about the Special Forces
Marksmen
Member Posts: 689 ✭✭✭✭
I know alittle about the SEALs, Rangers, Delta Force, etc, but I really dont understand them. I might consider joining somewhere down the road.
1. Do they command the regular infantry since theyre special?
2. What is their pay? a Ranger for example.
3. Do they live on base? Or can they live anywhere they want?
4. What is the maximum age you can join the SF?
5. Is there such thing as a Ranger who is an Officer?
6. Everybody tells me to join ROTC in college and finish so i can be an officer. What exactly are the details about that? What if I finish ROTC in college and want to be in the special forces?
1. Do they command the regular infantry since theyre special?
2. What is their pay? a Ranger for example.
3. Do they live on base? Or can they live anywhere they want?
4. What is the maximum age you can join the SF?
5. Is there such thing as a Ranger who is an Officer?
6. Everybody tells me to join ROTC in college and finish so i can be an officer. What exactly are the details about that? What if I finish ROTC in college and want to be in the special forces?
Comments
sounds like you got the pain under control, and back to bein' yourself. Would ya be keepin' a pretty nurse near by? [;)]
If my fellow recruiters don't give a response here before I do, I'll take the time to answer your questions to the best of my ability. However, some face-to-face time with a local recruiter or in the Army Recruiting chat room at www.goarmy.com would probably be more valuable.
DWS....put that sheep down and pay attention!
dano, I punctured another bunny bladder and didn't see IDSMAN's reply until after I posted. BTW, is it true Rupaul was Airborne?
for recon we had to do the recon indoc,my first mos was 0311 basic grunt,i found out they were having the recon indoc so i did it and passed it was an all day event first we started with a pft (physical fitness test) you had to score a high 1st class,the pft consists of timed situps 200 in 2 min for perfect score got that 20 dead hang pull ups for the perfect score then we ran 3 miles timed i came in at 19:10 , 18 min for the perfect score,then we ran to the pool the entire time you are running.15 minutes treading water fully clothed then another 15 with your boots above your head if your head goes below the water or your boots you fail then you swim some laps with boots on fully clothed if you touch the bottom you fail so you gotta becareful that you dont hit the bottom in the shallow end,you then swim some underwater,then its off to the obstacle course you have to complete it in a certain amount of time ,then it is a ten mile boot and utes hump (not more like a jog) with a 50 lb pack and a rubber rifle you go around base and on the beach and the indoc is over.the entire time you are being monitered by a recon marine you must give 110% not many marines pass with their first attempt.from there you have a interview they look over your service record book you have a psych eval if you are good to go you attend basic recon school in little creek virginia,here are some things you do in recon such as schools.
Basic Reconnaissance Course All members
Basic Airborne School All members
USMC Combatant Dive School All members
SERE School All members
Military Free Fall School All members
Ranger School All team leaders and above
Static Line Jumpmaster Course 2 per platoon
Military Free Fall Jumpmaster Course 2 per platoon
HRST Master Course 2 per platoon
Dive Supervisor Course 2 per platoon
LAR V Technician Course 2 per platoon
Ammunition Drivers Course 2 per platoon
USMC Scout/ Sniper Course 1 per team
Mountain Leaders Course (Summer) 1 per team
Mountain Leaders Course (Winter) 1 per team
Laser Operators Course 1 per team
if you got any more questions you can email me if its army we'll ya need to talk to idsman
SEMPER FI
I have served in the Special Operations community for more than a few days, and was a ground guy before crossing over to my current lowly status.[:D]
I can not speak about what certain folks do or do not do, but I can tell you that I consider myself one of the luckiest men alive. I am able to wake up each morning, look at myself in the mirror and not be ashamed of my current lot in life. I am not financially rich now, and never will be, but that is not what it is about. It is about something much larger than any one individual could ever want.
Ask any of the guys in here what they like the most about their time they were serving their country, and to the last man I'll bet you hear stories of their buddies. The men in the foxhole next to them. The guys they drank beer with, and the men who chased away the women they wanted to marry (at least that one night[;)]).
I believe there is no other profession which is as honorable as the profession of arms; a citizen soldier. Now all this may not mean a lot to you right now, but add a few years and some of your so called friends will be gone, but not your Army/Marine/USAF/Navy/Coastie bud's. I assure you they'll be there, wether you want them to be or not!
Now, for the pay. It is impossible to lay out all the pays you can/may recieve, but they range from $100 and some change for ABN status, to several hundred dollars per month for some of the specialty areas. Some of our other unique units have "different" special pays as well.
You want to be a Ranger, not just Ranger qualified. The difference is one is a lifestyle (and a hard one at that), and the other is a ranger school graduate. Yes officers go to the course, and lead infantrymen in regular Divisional Infantry Battalions, but if you want to walk the walk, you need to serve in one of the three Ranger Bn's within the 75th Ranger Regiment. I am kinda partial to 2nd BN out at Fort Lewis, but you can choose for yourself.
All the "swoopie" units and organizations DO NOT want you right now! You need to earn your keep, cut your teeth, and grow a bit before you are an asset rather than a liability to their team. You have a sound base of knowledge, but you'll need to sort it all out on the ground before applying to, or assessing for, some of the "other" organizations out here.
So you want to be a Scecial Forces soldier as well. Humm, you are ambitious. I recommend you look into the new initial entry 18-series MOS's. For a limited time only (at least I hope it is a limited time [:(]), you can do an initial hitch in the Army in the Special Forces if you can meet all the aptitude and performance testing. Again, go see your recruiter.
You do NOT have to be a Special Forces qualified Sniper, HALO'ing out at 25,000 feet AGL, into the Atlantic Ocean with your SCUBA gear on your back in order to serve your country. Most of the men I know are Combat Support, or Combat Service Support folks, and man do they make the world go around! You need only serve your country honestly, proudly and bravely to earn the title and respect of a veteran.
Just look into all the options, think about how they match up with what your goals are and then make a decision. If you have more questions or want to talk more in "person", drop me an email and a phone number, I'll call you and we can chat about a few things.
Bottomline for me is this. If I had my life to live over, I'd do two things exactly the same way; I'd marry the same woman, and I'd join the US Army. How many folks do you know out there who can/would say the same about their "job"?
Give me a holler if you are serious and want more info.
NSDQ!
"Nobody dislikes war more than warriors, but we value the causes of peace so highly that we will not duck a war in an effort to get a lasting peace." -General Daniel "Chappie" James
DWS--Did I miss something? I figured there would be some responses far better than what I was capable of formulating if I just kept my mouth shut. What has been said thus far is much more informative than what I could produce from my incredibly limited experience and exposure to the Spec Ops community. I wasn't trying to sound like a "know-it-all" in my initial post. I was just trying to help in any little way I could.
NSDQ!
"Nobody dislikes war more than warriors, but we value the causes of peace so highly that we will not duck a war in an effort to get a lasting peace." -General Daniel "Chappie" James
My mind and body were in their absolute prime when I was 23. If I could have switched over to a Combat Arms MOS and gone the route that Marksmen is considering, I certainly would have. I was too green behind the ears to know my head from a hole in the ground and didn't even realize my options at the time.
Increase your options? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Clouder..
If I were you I would change my handle first. A Marksman in the Army is an average shooter. But, I'll try and answer your questions as best I can.
1. Yes, but mostly only after they have left an S.F assignment.
2. Same as a cook, MP, or Grunt with the same rank. Unless they are on jump status, or are receiving hazardous duty pay.
3. Yes & No depends.
4. There is no age limit. If you can handle it, and you have the skill and rank needed, then try out for it.
5. Yes.
6. It's good advice take it.
Idsman75, and NightStalker have provided some good advice. They will not lead you astray. NightStalker is rubbing elbows and humping right along side of some of the very best we have. He can tell you just so much before he would have to kill you.[;)]
Trinity +++
"Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it."(Proverbs 22:6)
You've been given a lot of advice here by some good folks --
but I can tell you first hand that Special Forces qualification will be one of the hardest tasks you'll ever try. No branch of the military (including the SEALS) has harder qualifications than Special Forces. You've got to want it more than anything you've ever wanted before in your life, and you'll have to prove it by enduring the most intensive testing and training ever devised. You'll have to remember that your mind will give out Long before your body will.
Also, a career as an SF officer is as good as it gets! I did 28 years and have never regretted one of them.
Good Luck.