Quote:
Originally Posted by tsofian
We'll just have to agree to disagree about the fighting potential and strategic value of special operations forces.
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What?
The little upper 0.01 percent of the total Army in selection just for the opportunity to be considered.
1)Must be E4 (P) Specialist promotable, that is passed the promotion board at their regular Army unit prior to application. Additionally it is preferred that the Soldier has already passed Airborne school.
2) Pass the SF physial. This is more than just the Airborne physical.
3) Pass the swim test (100 meters in Uniform, boots, LBE, Kevlar, with rubber duck.
4) Have your application chosen by SF Branch.
5) Be invited to attend Special Forces Assessment / Selection course at the JFK Special Warfare school, Ft Bragg, NC.
6) Pass the SFAS by peer and instructor review. This is grueling on its own and spits out more than half of want to be applicants.
7)Pass selection, be released by your regular Army MOS for reclassification to SF branch.
8) Attend the multi week Speial Forces Qualification Course at Ft.Bragg and get a pass on the final FTX (Robin Sage).
9)Got to MOS school, Weapons, Medical, Commo, Intel. This is two years to four years depending on MOS.
10) fast track through Sniper, Jumpmaster, Pathfinder, Air Assault, Ranger, Sapper, and Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course. Attend Advanced Noncommisioned Officer is E6 or above. Attend Air Force and Marine corps schools like small boats or Loadmaster.
Officers to Captains course.
11) In between Regular Army schools attend civilian relatable schools like mountaineering, emergency medical technician, telephone lineman, electrician, veterinary technician.
More than $1,000, 000 in training is possible before being assigned to a ODA.
I don't know what your experience with SF is..... But, if my players tried to do battle with SF (such as Ruins of Chicago) this would be a total party kill and time to roll up some new characters.
A SF weapons Sergeant.. Probably the youngest and most junior is probably formerly Infantry or Engineer (Sapper) with six years in before SFQ.
The Army and SF branch will have invested more in this mere E5 (P) than the average Infantry Captain and will expect far, far more.
To act as a Leader, Trainer, and Mentor to local forces in their own language, their own culture, and to live among them. Then to take them into battle as their leader or to bolster the indigenous leadership. AT the bleeding edge of supply or to lack ordinary supply at all.
This isn't even Delta Force or Seal Team Six which only select the best of again volunteers from within their own teams. Another 0.01% of already 0.01%.