Introduction
 

Greetings,

I am a 27 year old Assistant GM/COO at an independent telecommunications service provider in rural Iowa. I have a deep desire to serve this country, and I am extremely interested in contributing to the SF mission. At this point, my primary focus is on researching all that I can before reaching out to a unit in the 19th or 20th Group.

Thank you to all of the QPs and other personnel who have sacrificed for the good of this nation and humanity as a whole. You are true inspirations and the standard by which good Americans should strive to live. Thanks, also, to all who give their time and talents to operate this site. It has been extremely helpful to me, and I appreciate the opportunity to learn about your world.

Best regards,

I4031

BJC now in the DFW area - moved from Colorado
 

Hi Everyone,

I just moved to Fort Worth and am in temporary housing. I am looking to buy a home once my house in Colorado sells.

Looking for any advice regarding the area.

Introduction
 

Former 11B. Currently, I'm finishing up college and getting in shape. The plan is to get an 18X contract next year.

25m: Max APFT by end of 2016.

I know that's an incredibly long time, but I'm trying to build and legitimate base on which to build from. That way I can start a more intense routine to prepare for SFAS circa mid-2017.

Much respect to everyone on this site.

Howdy,

My name is Andrew, and I'm currently in the 18D pipeline at USAJFKSWCS. I will be reading a lot and posting very little, if at all.


"I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do."

-Edward Everett Hale

Introduction
 

Hello--

I'm a recent college grad, working in security consulting, and just signed an 18x contract a few weeks ago. Here to keep my mouth shut and ears open.

I worked for a few summers as a whitewater/backpacking/rock climbing guide in college, got my EMT-Basic in 2011, and recently did a summer as a county ranger at a very busy reservoir/wilderness area. Those experiences, along with bosses and coworkers at my current job, are what led me to Professional Soldiers, and the recruiter's office.

Hello everyone,

My name is Brad and I proudly serve my country. Years and years ago I began a search to document the service history of my Uncle's best friend. When googling for more information, this site came up. Anyways, there's not much more I can say about me in an open forum other than I will try to contribute here as best and whenever I can.

Regards

Thanks
 

I've posted here under a couple of emails as much as 5 or so years ago. That didn't last long. Put my foot in my mouth and was soundly rebuked. It's a good thing to be told when you're wrong.

It's been a long time, so it seems appropriate to reintroduce myself. I frequently read conversations in the forums to get some thoughts and perspectives on current events.

As a youngling I was awed by the Green Berets. I did not know any but I read and heard about them. They stood for honor, strength, courage, duty. There was something special about them, some element of their character or spirit. I aspired to that. I think it was the idea of 'the strong and good' that had such impact. Most people I knew were either bad and strong, or good and weak.

I am 26 years old. Taught myself to read before kindergarten by pointing at the words and reciting from memory in my Dr. Seuss books that mom would read to me. Was exposed to some persuasions of Christianity at an early age that some might say were a few feet off the deep end, and became completely fanatical. Later on lost my faith in my teens. Found it again recently. It's good.

I was never a normal kid by any means. A lot of things probably didn't help much, like when I was one of probably less than ten white kids in a south Dallas middle school. I was already a lonely and sensitive child, and the other kids messed with me pretty hard until I learned to act as insane and as freakishly as was humanly possible to get them to steer clear of me.

When we moved to New York state, and I wound up in a rather affluent and urbane school, with much softer peers. It wasn't difficult to start aggressively preaching gospel, damning other kids to hellfire as fornicators, picking arguments with teachers over evolution and global warming, disrupting history class with diatribes memorized out of Buchanan era political books such as 'The Menace of Multiculturalism.'. Might have been truth in some of it, but the intent there was only to be against everyone.

I was essentially never out of trouble and during a brief anarchist phase in 10th grade, I went around the school before the teachers arrived and inserted an open staple into every keyhole so that when the key was inserted, it bent to the pin, and the door would not unlock. That was the end of my already dismal public school career and I started working to pay for a schools-worth of doorknobs which needed to be replaced.

Inexcusable on my part. I was pretty against anything about the 'system' or the government or authority in any way. Not that I have love for the federal government now, or think that federally controlled public school is a great idea that has had great success. But the smart thing to do would have been to shut up and get through with it as long as I was there, and start planning affordable private school franchises.

I've pretty much always been working since then, went from dishwasher to doing commission sales of hermit crabs, heating pads, wind chime decorations, cell phone accessories, and fake bling jewelry for turkish people. Left it for a supermarket job close to home, and got on in the bakery under a very good manager, worked as a baker for between 5 and 6 years.

At this point I felt trapped and was beginning to despair, so, I said to hell with it all, might as well strike on out and see what would come of it. gave my boss a couple months notice. Sold my stuff, saved my money, studied things i'd need to know, got into shape. I took a backpack with a sleeping bag and a couple small tarps, some nalgene canteens, etc, and started walking across the country. Slept beside the highway in brush, or on game land. Had a lot of great experiences and learned a lot, especially from meeting people.

I walked south first since spring had barely begun to break and I lived in New York. walked through Pennsylvania, took a right at Maryland. Walked through West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois. The side of my family from where I was born, (Dallas, Texas), and that I had not spoken to for almost 20 years found me on the internet and were travelling through the area so I met with them for a little bit before continuing on through Missouri, and into Kansas. I was walking into Wichita when some gypsies asked me if I wanted a job, said they did travelling work. I had to get a job at some point and it sounded like an adventure. Went right to work.

I spent the next year or so driving a circuit around Kansas, Oklahoma, Minnesota, and Arkansas, painting and repairing barns, and climbing way high up on huge grain setups on big farms. They sure aren't afraid of heights. In case you're wondering, my boss was a decent fellow and didn't rip anyone off and I wouldn't have worked for him if he did. We did good work and didn't take the payment until the farmer was happy. A few of those gypsies you would want to keep an eye on. They're alright folk, love america, keep to their clan and do what their fathers did.

I got tired of living in motels, driving all over but going nowhere, and came to live north of Dallas on my grandparents property. I took a job at a local dean foods ice cream factory, and went from manual labor in the freezer warehouse, to supervising and inspecting staged orders, comparing files for accuracy, and keeping an eye on trucks that were going to cross the border. I've been offered a union carpentry apprenticeship, or might go in with a friend of the family to help him with a charity he's setting up.

I'm pretty well set up and have taken some time off to reflect. Take stock of what I've learned, and how I've grown, and consolidate my thoughts and philosophy, take account of what I have done and what I have not done and what I ought to do now.

I may never have the capacity for gratitude and humility sufficient to answer the blessings I have received despite how wrong I've been. I can look back and see that even when I was a great fool I was being guided. Even at my lowest point, there was something that I remembered. Perhaps I'm beginning to understand the meaning of unconditional love. I don't know, it's something, and it's good. It's much more than I deserved. I count myself lucky.

There are two reasons behind my decision to reintroduce myself in the introduction thread. Besides that I can't think of a place it'd be more appropriate.

First of all as a report, submitted for review to those who are better than myself and so gave me something to look up to. I think if I post it here, a Green Beret will at some point will read it, and that's good enough for me. Although if you have a criticism I would certainly care to hear it, can't pretend that I'm uninterested in being assessed.

Secondly, to thank you for your service (that goes for everyone in the forces), and thank you for the role model, the legend, that you have all contributed towards creating and preserving. I know that as individuals you are ""only"" guys doing their jobs with tremendous guts, brains, and character. But that ideal that meant so much to me... cost me nothing at all. I felt that I must say that this has not been lost on me.

Not my plan to jump into conversations or anything, just came to say this.

Appreciate the members here as a resource for info
 

I am 35 years old at the time of this post and I have four children. Perhaps in the future I will have fewer children as two of them are teenagers and I can not guarantee their continued survival because of the stupid things they do, but it is highly unlikely that I will have more.

I practice Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and I train with my firearms as often as time and ammo budget permits. I work on a vineyard and I manage the finances of said vineyard.

I am not here to ask questions about workouts or weapons, SFAS or SFQC.

I am writing a novel that does NOT focus mainly on Special Forces or even the military for that matter, but I refuse to make up a bunch of bullcrap and pass it off as genuine.

I want authenticity and plausibility.

Anything less, I believe would be disrespectful and I further refuse to produce a product that isn't of the highest possible quality.

I will gladly appreciate any helpful information pertaining to the questions I will ask.

Know that I have come here to this forum as a last resort, as I have been unable to find the information I am seeking by searching the internet.

Introduction
 

Gents,
Prior service 13F with 8 years active. Got bored and frustrated with the big Army and left to complete my degree, to which I am still working towards. As I get closer to my thirties I have fully realized what my "dream job" is. Am doing everything in my power to make that a reality.

The road will be long and arduous. I have started my training program and am in contact with a recruiter. With the decline of our nation and the world, it is my duty to fully commit myself to be among the best.

FO39



"Fortune favors the prepared mind." - Louis Pasteur

Introduction
 

I am an active duty sergeant currently at DLI. I've been in the Army for six years now and I've researched and educated myself on Special Forces since I enlisted. Previously when I was scheduled for SFAS I tore my rotator cuff which prevented me from attending two years ago. Now, recovering from a back injury, my sights are back on SF following graduation from this course.

Introduction
 

Hello, I am a 22 year old in the process of hopefully obtaining an 18X contract (awaiting a GED waiver.) I have been lurking a few months before making my profile/ posting my introduction. I'm here to learn all I can of the process of preparing myself. Only questions I'll have will be related to my family situation, I'll be married before my ship out date.

Introduction
 

Hello,
I am 23 and am finishing my degree in December. I am an 18x DEP and I am here for all the knowledge and guidance I can get until I ship.

Greetings,

I'm Phil and I live in Raleigh, recently moved here from Paris. Married with kids, and looking to enlist in NC-ARNG and hopefully trying out for SFRE once they start doing it again.

When I was a young kid, until 14 or so, the only thing I wanted to do when I grew up was to be in the military. I had set my sights on the Air Force Academy and was a member of the Civil Air Patrol working on my private pilot's license. Then my mother died suddenly and my life went into a tail spin. Ten years after that I met my wife, and finally started crawling out of the wreckage. Now we've got four kids and I again have felt the call to service, although with those kids and a mortgage I can't drop my career and go AD. So I chose the National Guard, specifically North Carolina, because they've got the 20th SFG(A). My goal for the next six months to a year is to learn everything I can about SF, and to prepare myself mentally and physically, even if I won't be REP-63.

I have already reached out to someone in NCNG SF via the NGSF website, and he's been super helpful. I don't know if I'm supposed to use real names here, but he's an 18Z MSG in the 20th SFG.

Intro
 

All,

By way of introduction, I am a 28 year old who has recently attended a National Guard SFRE and been selected for a REP-63 contract (with an 18D preference).

I grew up OCONUS, mostly in Europe and SE Asia, which initially sparked my love of intercultural-communication, and learning and teaching languages. This is essentially what draws me to SF; the idea of a Warrior-Diplomat. It's an ideal place for me to continue pursuing these passions of mine, to further US interests around the world, and to earn the opportunity to learn and experience things that only a very select few are ever afforded.

I hold a BA in International Relations and Spanish, with an undeclared minor in Arabic and Islamic Studies. I speak three European languages fluently, am conversational in Arabic (including reading and writing, having lived and studied in the region for a time), and Italian, as well.

I probably won't ask too many questions at this point, as I'm sure the majority of info I need has already been posted on the site. Once I move through Basic and Airborne and get to SOPC and Selection (and then the Q), I'm sure I'll have some specific, detailed questions to put to the guys who have been through before me.

Thanks very much,
Rucksman

HJ31 Intro
 

PS community,

I have been lurking on this site since April and I enjoy checking it everyday and learning about anything/everything SF and life related. I am a 24 year old graduate student Cadet highly interested in joining SF. I appreciate the willingness of all who post to share their invaluable experiences and knowledge. Thank you for having me.

Have a great day,
HJ31