View Full Version : SOT-A
I've searched both the forums and the internet and can't find a clear answer. What exactly is an SOT-A and what do they do?
Kyobanim
09-15-2007, 17:34
This Google search returns http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=sot-a
Upon reading the returns, you will find this:
http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/SOT-A
Further searching will return other answers.
Google practice is in order.
Radar Rider
09-15-2007, 17:44
I've searched both the forums and the internet and can't find a clear answer. What exactly is an SOT-A and what do they do?
WHAT do you want to know and WHY do you need to know it?
Team Sergeant
09-15-2007, 19:32
I've searched both the forums and the internet and can't find a clear answer. What exactly is an SOT-A and what do they do?
RR and Kyo, down boys!
Thats a good question....... After spending 20 years in the service, 17 in Special Forces, I'm still trying to figure out the answer to your question.;) When you find out let me know.:rolleyes:
TS
I've searched both the forums and the internet and can't find a clear answer. What exactly is an SOT-A and what do they do?
Their "true" talents are classified. I will tell you that 90% of the time they eat your chow, occupy space in your team house and waste bandwidth populating their "I'm a cool guy" myspace websites. 10% of the time they are absolutely invaluable to what we do and are an effective force multiplier. I don't tell them that however. I focus more on the fact that they steal all of the shrimp before I get to the chow hall on steak and shrimp night. :D
The Reaper
10-11-2007, 05:07
I've searched both the forums and the internet and can't find a clear answer. What exactly is an SOT-A and what do they do?
I got 15 hits here using the Search button in the upper right hand corner. Have you read them all yet? I believe that a thinking man could figure it out from those posts and a google search.
We are not going to discuss classified information here.
A recruiter may also be able to help.
Good luck.
TR
triguy18e
10-11-2007, 06:56
Their "true" talents are classified. I will tell you that 90% of the time they eat your chow, occupy space in your team house and waste bandwidth populating their "I'm a cool guy" myspace websites. 10% of the time they are absolutely invaluable to what we do and are an effective force multiplier. I don't tell them that however. I focus more on the fact that they steal all of the shrimp before I get to the chow hall on steak and shrimp night. :D
Everything you said is very true! It was so bad at our Team House we put an internet capable PC in the commo room so they would stand our radio watches. Worked out pretty well.
M
Thanks to all for maintaining Professional Etiquette concerning this matter. I showed one of mine this question yesterday and he looked at me and just shook his head.
Hoorex, I'm in the know, and I still don't know it all, because I don't need to.
V/R
SSG B
82ndtrooper
10-11-2007, 13:44
I Googled "SOT-A" and came up with "Special Operations Team-Alpha.
I can read between the lines especially if their eating first in the chow hall line.:D
It's a "need to know thing" and I dont need to know.
Surgicalcric
10-11-2007, 14:11
...It was so bad at our Team House we put an internet capable PC in the commo room so they would stand our radio watches...
Same thing here... And thats all they do.
Crip
The Reaper
10-11-2007, 14:14
Same thing here... And thats all they do.
Crip
As far as you know.:D
Maybe they wait till you are all out in the boonies or asleep to do whatever it is the Army pays them for.
TR
Same thing here... And thats all they do.
Crip
Ah, Crip;
You are young and new to this world son. After serving with them many times they will hold the secret induction rites where you will be introduced to the "First Level of Knowledge". After that they will allow you to carry their rucksack every now and again.:D
Handy people they are, never leave home without them I always said.
Pete
Ah, Crip;
You are young and new to this world son. After serving with them many times they will hold the secret induction rites where you will be introduced to the "First Level of Knowledge". After that they will allow you to carry their rucksack every now and again.:D
Handy people they are, never leave home without them I always said.
Pete
They are an invalable asset if utilized properly. If you are getting nothing out of them, you need to find out why and it will usually fall into one of two categories. One, they believe the hype that they are force feed and they are too cool for school. Often the result of using a broad and inappropriately placed security classification over their duties and responsibilities. If this is the case, someone with some tact needs to sit them down and explain that we are all on the same side trying to accomplish the same goal. If they continue to operate under the preception that they are an independent entity who does not need to or can not interact with the ODA who is sustaining them, then you can cut them off from the net and let them eat MRE's and drink bottled water or speak with their next level up and see if they can explain it to them. The second reason they may not be assisting in the fight is from a technical point of view. They do not know how to be employed which is common with LLVI's or they are overwelmed. Once again, this situation requires someone sitting them down and mentoring them.
I have worked with them on multiple occassions. We have had to almost kick a team off the firebase because the NCOIC could not get it through his thick skull. If we want to talk about this in a little more detail without getting into the "need to know stuff" we should have this conversation in private.
Surgicalcric
10-11-2007, 21:29
Ah, Crip;
You are young and new to this world son. After serving with them many times they will hold the secret induction rites where you will be introduced to the "First Level of Knowledge". After that they will allow you to carry their rucksack every now and again.:D
Handy people they are, never leave home without them I always said.
Pete
SGM:
I did not mean to suggest, by my comment, that what our SOT-A is doing is all they do but more so that our guys are standing radio watch for us as well.
Hopefully that clears it up a bit. :D
Crip
Tri guy, I was at your old team house a week or so ago. Still looks the same by the way. I told the SOT-A NCOIC last night that people on the net were asking about them. In his typical manner he pauses, reflects, spits copenhagen into his empty gatorade bottle and says "so is the jig up? do people now officially know we're worthless?" He's priceless.
LongWire
10-12-2007, 06:26
An Invaluable tool and asset, given the right tools and connectivity...............made us 98% success last tour.............
BMT (RIP)
10-12-2007, 07:01
And the other side is doing the same to us, probably without as much expertise.
BMT
GratefulCitizen
10-14-2007, 11:26
Some google searches yielded something that seems to spell it out explicitly.
I won't link it.
The document has a publish date of around a year ago and, among other things, has this on the first page:
"DESTRUCTION NOTICE: Destroy by any method that will prevent disclosure of contents or reconstruction of the document."
Is this supposed to be out there?
<edit>
Nevermind my question.
Inside the document is a statement that it is unclassified.
(I still won't link it.)
Had SOT-A with our team for most of our trip. Don't know what we would have done with out them. Great soldiers, know their stuff cold, and two of the team that was with us are up for valor awards.
Wait two post and he is asking about SOT-As?? Makes me think a bit.
Like TR point out use search a bit more.
For the most part I am happy to see the professionalism on this topic. Ok, I have extensive knowledge of what a SOT-A is and what they do. This is not the forum to discuss this but I can tell you that if you get a team such as username abnremf described in reference populating their myspace you need to grab them up by the scruff of their neck and kick them in the ass. As much as I enjoyed your response abnremf you have to admit that every entity in SOF wants to be a cool guy. From the cooks to the team guys the cool guy mentality just permeates, most recently added to that list the CRD. Username PARA, great response you were on the right track but you were missing one category, a dead area. You can’t kill bad guys in an area that have no bad guys to kill. Every SOT-A Team Leader I have encountered is equipped with a capabilities briefing that they should be giving you upon being attached to the team. Username PARA stated “broad and inappropriately placed security classification”, well there is a huge security classification and it is well warranted. This is why you will NOT get this briefing in the gym or a theater. If they do not have a brief or are unwilling to brief you this is a sign, again grab them up and kick them in the ass. SOT-A teams are just like ODA teams, you never know what kind you will end up with but most are on point. I have personally seen SOT-As call CAS, adjust mortar and arty fires, save someone’s life under fire, run across an open kill zone with resupply ammo and charge hills in the middle of a fire fight. I know of a team that had received valor awards for one mission, THE ENTIRE TEAM! So, worst case scenario they are a force multiplier. No, they do not come with any kind of selection process (this needs to change), no they are not always the best outfitted, and no they do not always get warm welcomes. It is up to the Team Sergeant and Team Leader to set the tone for the treatment and outfitting of all attachments, if they disagree then they are setting themselves up for failure. I am truly sorry that our friend username Team Sergeant has gone 17 years in SF and does not know what a SOT-A is. Although it is very unfortunate this is not his fault. Due to the MOS itself, it is hard to convince a guy to leave a warm cozy office where he has doughnuts and coffee to go out and get shot at with no type of incentive other than great job satisfaction (that does it for me and my boys). This has dramatically downsized the SOT-A ranks. Just like ODAs 99% of SOT-As want to be there and want to do their job, so use them and use them wisely. Username triguy18e, you will not find me nor members of my team watching someone else’s radios, we have more important “broad and inappropriately placed security classification” work to do ;). SOT-As can be a great asset if properly emplaced. I recommend grabbing them while in garrison and getting the brief even if they are not attached. I am fairly close to the teams in which I support. I am willing and have given the brief to all who are privy to it and want it. We are there so do your homework and good luck. Oh, and username pete, I can’t leave you out, thanks for the great plug I got a good laugh. I don’t think they are going to want to carry our rucksacks anytime soon.
..... I am truly sorry that our friend username Team Sergeant has gone 17 years in SF and does not know what a SOT-A is. Although it is very unfortunate this is not his fault. Due to the MOS itself, it is hard to convince a guy to leave a warm cozy office......
Son, I think you missed his ;) .
Pete
Pete, right you are and thanks for the cover.
Pete, right you are and thanks for the cover.
baiser, the 'spacebar' and 'enter' are your friends and will help you get your point across. Great post, BTW.....
Also be advised that all of this forum's posts concerning this subject are listed on the google pages along with several other military forums.
OPSEC is crucial in that less talk and less questions and less information on this subject is 'more'...... ;)
That's what makes a QP a QP....
2cents ;)
That's what I was gonna say, I agree with Razor.
Team Sergeant
03-05-2008, 12:57
It is up to the Team Sergeant and Team Leader to set the tone for the treatment and outfitting of all attachments, if they disagree then they are setting themselves up for failure. I am truly sorry that our friend username Team Sergeant has gone 17 years in SF and does not know what a SOT-A is. Although it is very unfortunate this is not his fault. privy to it and want it.
Username baiser, Team Sergeants and Team Leaders disagree all the time and I've yet see an A-Team fail. You speak of things you know little about.
Username baiser, as username “pete” pointed out you missed the wink at the end of my post.
I am username Team Sergeant. User name Team Sergeant has held an "operational" TS+ clearance for 17 of his 20 years in the service. User name Team Sergeant was also an S-2 NCOIC for a Special Forces Group and as such enjoyed scaring the crap out of those intel types he caught eating donuts and sleeping in the Group SCIF, yes, I had full access. During Desert Shield/Storm I was a member of the "Special Planning Group", you may want to read up on your SF history. When I retired I was the SF Command’s NCOIC for G-3, Special Projects. Username baiser, I know full well what a SOT-A is supposed to be.
Username baiser you may want to read more and post less at least until you realize with whom you are dealing with.
User name Team Sergeant
Kyobanim
03-05-2008, 13:35
Stevie, please fill out your profile prior to posting again.
The Reaper
03-05-2008, 13:40
That's what I was gonna say, I agree with Razor.
Did you receive a registration message or read any of the stickies at the top of these forums?
TR
Defion69
03-05-2008, 13:50
Tom,
Welcome aboard and welcome to the community. It seems you are quite proud of your job and what you do and that is fantastic, I commend you on that. I also notice you seem a little thin skinned and maybe not yet fully aware of how QP's think or interact and that is ok as you will learn in time. You came out full guns with your initial response to a thread in this forum. Situational awareness is important in this business and especially this community. I am sure after these responses to your post within this thread you get the point. Again, you are proud of what you do and it shows. Good luck to you and take care,
JMD
Username Team Sergeant, I formaly and publicly appoligise, I did not in any
way shape or form intend to insult or offend anyone. My comment to your
previous post was based on experience. Unfortunatly I have met men with,
not quite the experience but with the years not know what it is we are for. My
intent of the post was to dispell some of the things posted on the thread. If
you notice I tried to adress everyone who I needed to in a positive manner
and assist in pointing them in the right direction. At a minum encourage them
to find out for themselves. I am not posting with the intent of bashing,
degrading or embarassing anyone. Thank you username Defion69, I am quite
proud of what I am doing and I love working for the teams. I have a great
respect for what they do and I am damn happy they let me be part of it.
Team Sergeant
03-05-2008, 19:23
I am not posting with the intent of bashing, degrading or embarassing anyone.
I know that, otherwise you would not be posting (here) again.;)
I'd advise more reading to get a feel for this board, you say you know SF'ers and theres hundreds of us on here, you'd better turn up your SA.
Team Sergeant