Impatient To Join...and seeking some advice

dymension · 05-15-2008, 20:33

The past few days, I've been debating with myself over my future in the military. I'm just airing my thoughts a bit and hope that some of you could take the time to add your thoughts as well.

I'm going down to Marine OCS this summer. If I make it through, I'll be offered a commission to become a 2nd LT. Now my recruiter knows about my obsession with Special Forces, and has been trying very hard to "turn" me into a Marine officer. I had told him before that my original plan had been to enlist after college under 18X and give it my best shot. So he knows that I don't want to wait the 2 or 3 years as an Army officer to become eligible for Special Forces.

I've been debating this because as things stand right now, I plan to turn down my commission after Marine OCS and follow through with my dreams. For a while there, I began envisioning myself as a Marine LT leading my platoon on raids, but I don't think that this is how I can best serve my country. Marines are great at things like DA, but when it comes to fighting an insurgency, I believe Special Forces are the right people for the job.

Not saying that I don't think highly of Marines. I was deeply impressed by Nate Fick's One Bullet Away and understand how important Marines are in our struggle against religious fanatics. However, I've always clicked with the Special Forces mission. They are not only warriors but teachers. They are our best weapons in fighting against a faceless, ever-changing, fluid insurgency because of the way they immerse themselves in the culture, learn to gain the trust of the locals, and train indigenous forces to defend themselves. Rather than just kicking in doors and killing anything that moves, I'd like to try and build trust with local villagers because that is the best way to prevent the creation of more insurgents and insurgency sympathizers.

Although I'm impatient to serve, I am willing to go to Army OCS if I believe that I can best serve as a Special Forces officer. If not, I'd like to go 18 Delta, if selected. I am highly motivated and work well under stress (or, at least whatever stresses a normal college student faces, I guess). I know that nobody can really answer this question for me, but I was hoping for some input, especially from the Quiet Professionals who've BTDT. Given my background and my desires, how can I make the greatest impact?

**The Reaper** · 05-15-2008, 21:13

First, I would learn to use the Search button and do a lot more reading than posting for a while.

Second, you seem to lack the patience that would be appropriate for a potential SF soldier.

Finally, you have been nowhere, and done nothing, but you seem to think that you can just choose to join SF and it is a done deal. It isn't quite that easy, three out of four people who want to be SF badly enough to join never graduate from the SFQC, and begin their real training. I hope you have a Plan B.

Best of luck.

TR

**Jack Moroney (RIP)** · 05-16-2008, 05:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by dymension

However, I've always clicked with the Special Forces mission.
Given my background and my desires, how can I make the greatest impact?

First of all we have several missions and a whole bunch of collateral activities, the mission you have set you have described is a variation of FID, there is also UW (the most important as far as I am concerned), DA, SR, CT. Before you go leaping into something that is going to require maybe more than you can give, you really need to follow TRs advice and do some reading.

Blueboy · 05-16-2008, 12:42

Why would you want to go through the ass-pain of OCS just to turn down your commission at the end? It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

If SF is what you want, then go for it. However, this is a very select group you wish to join and there certainly are no guarantees in this business. Best of luck.

dymension · 05-16-2008, 17:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blueboy

Why would you want to go through the ass-pain of OCS just to turn down your commission at the end? It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

If SF is what you want, then go for it. However, this is a very select group you wish to join and there certainly are no guarantees in this business. Best of luck.

The inevitable answer seems to be: I won't know if I'm right for SF until I go down that path myself.

Thank you for your replies.

Surgicalcric · 05-17-2008, 07:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by dymension

The inevitable answer seems to be: I won't know if I'm right for SF until I go down that path myself.

Thank you for your replies.

That still didnt answer the previous question about OCS.

I understand your not knowing if you are right for SF. However a lil more reading and alot more soul searching based on what you have read will help firm up the answer for you. You need to know where you want to be before you can set a path to get there. Wavering back and forth from one thing to the next will get you nowhere.

Best of luck with whatever you decide.

Crip

dymension · 05-17-2008, 09:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Surgicalcric

That still didnt answer the previous question about OCS.

I understand your not knowing if you are right for SF. However a lil more reading and alot more soul searching based on what you have read will help firm up the answer for you. You need to know where you want to be before you can set a path to get there. Wavering back and forth from one thing to the next will get you nowhere.

Best of luck with whatever you decide.

Crip

Duly noted. You're absolutely right, I'm not quite sure what I want to do yet. I just realized that it was a mistake for me to pour my entire life story on this forum without first understanding what I really wanted.

I'm 22 right now. I've decided to give myself at least a couple more years to think about this. It's frustrating now, but I hope that when I do decide to pursue the Green Beret down the road, it'll have been after I've spent a lot more time maturing and just thinking about it.

lksteve · 05-17-2008, 14:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by dymension

You're absolutely right, I'm not quite sure what I want to do yet. I just realized that it was a mistake for me to pour my entire life story on this forum without first understanding what I really wanted.

I mean this sincerely...get your stuff into one rucksack...the decision in front of you should not be made in public and isn't a matter of group consensus on a web forum...

Several of us have been down a path you think you may want to try...many of us have considered that path...

I went SF, then OCS...I never had to soul-search...when I was 22, I knew I was going to try SF, I was qual'ed when I was 23...a Group Sergeant Major told me to go to OCS and I followed his guidance...

You have to choose a path...your actions and your efforts will guide your steps...

This is the most polite way I know to say "STFU and listen"...this forum is worthless to anyone in your shoes if you do most of the posting...

Good luck...

Radar Rider · 05-17-2008, 17:41

Quote:

If I make it through

That's a bad place to start. A proper mindset would be "WHEN I make it through."

dymension · 05-17-2008, 19:43

to lvsteve and radar rider:

Thank you so much. I know what I have to do now.

If I came across as obnoxious, arrogant, or made it seem as if I were belittling the SF soldiers in any way, I'm extremely sorry and want you to know that it was never ever intended that way.

I also post under this same screenname over at shadowspear, and the admin locked up my thread before I could apologize over there too for any unintended consequences. I know some of you are part of both forums and wanted to apologize to you as well if anything I said was misinterpreted.

Thank you all for your input. It's exactly what I needed to hear.