Quote:
Originally Posted by abc_123
Disgusting? You guys must be real old. 
I received a sample training program booklet(?) from SWCS along with my acceptance letter for Selection. So I had it easy after all. Ha! Just joking QPs who commented. I'm with you. I know and agree where you are coming from. Funny, I spent a lot of time thinking about that training program that I received and whether it was actually "the best" or perhaps it was, in reality, not adequate, and rather part of the selection process. Trying to see if I would underachieve...
I decided that it was probably bullshit, and anyway not what I personally needed to be successful. I determined that failure was me hurting myself or being too burnt out before selection to succeed, and short of that I was good. Grip strength, rope climbing technique, pullups, foot toughness, leg strength and ruck marching endurance, running endurance , and swimming, was what I figured I needed and what I worked on. I knew I knew land nav so I figured I was good there... I figured I would do the best that I could short of hurting myself and made up my own program and single mindedly pursued that at the detriment to everything else... to include a long term relationship that I was in. (e.g. I know it's your birthday, honey, but today is my long ruck day so I need to take a raincheck on dinner until tomorrow.). Funny, I never really felt the need for a butt buddy to hold my hand during my training. Looking back, I guess I believed that it was an individual journey that I needed to walk alone. That I would succeed or fail at...on my own. I DID NOT WANT TO TIE MY SUCCESS OR FAILURE TO ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL. Sure, I looked for G2, but the best that I got was some foot care info and standard Ranger School prep BS. So I went with that.
And in this one post is more information and confirmation on how to pass SF selection than I EVER received. Maybe that's bad? |
Same here. Went to the recruiter and got a blue covered booklet. I read through it and threw it in the trash. I felt it was meant for someone that was coming from an MI posting in Washington DC. My LRS 12 mile standard was already 3hrs with a 50 lb ruck and we frequently did 65 lb rucks for PT. Land nav skills have always been excellent and we taught Lat/Long at the detachment because you never knew what maps you would get. My train up was a 6 miler and a 12 miler before I went on block leave and the came back and went straight to Bragg. SFAS was like a 21 day LRS PT/Landnav course!
5th group was probably 1/10th made up of guys from my detachment that wanted to stay at Ft Campbell. We were definitely an SF feeder unit.
I was 30 when I went and started at the back of the pack because all of the young guys would sprint out. I really thought I was doing horrible. But the young guys would peter out quickly and I always finished in the top 3rd for running and rucking and almost every time, 1st in land nav. All that with 2 herniated discs.
They are definitely breaking their very own SOF Truths and I’m pretty sure they know it and don’t give a shit. It’s all about the numbers. And with attrition of us FOGs and an added 4th Bn. The numbers aren’t there. When I got to Group there were only 5 teams per company. It wasn’t until our 2nd tour to Astan before we stood up a 6th team and that’s when we started seeing some less than stellar performers creeping in.
Why don’t we reduce our Group requirements? Cut out a team in every company and fill up the ranks again. Get rid of Pre-selection and send those cadre back to their groups.