Introduction
 

First, I would like to thank all the Quiet Professionals on this site for allowing me to be a guest here.

I am currently gaining a second MOS in satellite communications, and have been away from home for the last seven months. I feel I've got the head knowledge to go to SFAS, now I just have to choose a path. My goals are: Make E-6 (1Jan08!?), and go to jumpmaster school before I deploy again. After that I'm going to drop a Direct Commission packet at my unit. I would love to build SigO experience at 20th SFG, and eventually get on a training team until I go to SFAS.

As an infantry guy at Ft. Bragg for four years, we were envious of what kinds of things were happening "on the other side of the street". However it wasn't until Ranger School (Graduated #01-05) that my Ranger buddy, an 18A from 1st group showed me what being a professional was all about. I KNEW from watching the example he set that I WOULD go to selection. I would've followed that guy anywhere. I am going , 'cast or tab'.

The collective experience on this site is overwhelming. If ANYONE has a word of advice, I'd be glad to hear it.

How's it goin everyone,

My name is Sean I'm in the Army currently in AIT at ft huachuca for 97e or 35m whatever the army wants to call us now. Im trying to get into the quick start program they have for us so I thought I would get the most info about SF I can to be better qualified and prepared if I can get selected, if not hopefully sometime in the future I'll get the chance to be attached with yall. I came across the site and looks like the best site to get the info im looking for.

Appericate all the things you guys do, hooah


Dont use the F word or hooah for that matter... Crip

Welcome, now clean up your post a little, i.e. the word F**k. Not a bad post, just not the best way to start.

V/R
SSG B
(Potentially your future boss!)

Hey, gentlemen.

I'm currently in ROTC (yes, I'm lowly and sub-human at present), and plan to either go Infantry, MI, or Aviation. Were I to go in either of the first 2, and have all things work out, I'd like to go Ranger. From there, after garnering a decent amount of experience and getting a feel for the army, I will work towards becoming an operator if I feel that the army is a good personal fit. This website is fantastic. I really love the emphasis on intelligence, empirical evidence, not acting like an asshat, etc.

If anyone could PM me with some info telling me what an officer in MI or Aviation should expect (OPSEC obligations aside, obviously), I'd be greatly in your debt. I feel I have a secure grasp on what is expected and will probably occur as an infantry officer, but I would definitely not turn down any free info.

Having passed through this site, originally by a Google search on Dragonskin, I remember reading the words of one of the head bigwigs here. From what he wrote, I learned to take Dragonskin with a grain of salt, just as I instinctively do towards most new military systems (F-22, combat automated robots, etc.). However, I'm curious to know what the general opinion on sites such as SFTT.org and Defensetech are, as I frequent them often. I don't take everything said on those sites as gospel, but I believe they often raise valid points and are working for the betterment of our military.

I doubt it would mean much to men such as yourselves, but given that I am still a civilian, I wish to say that I appreciate your unparalleled service to your nation.

My best buddy has (pretty much) devoted her life to helping those who are unable to help themselves, ie the "mentally ill"...She is arguably the leading expert in the world on Schizophrenia. I do not believe she would not support the theory that most who are diagnosed as mentally ill are in fact, not! Do a search for Nancy Andreasen.

Other than that, welcome aboard! Good luck!

Welcome gents.

Don't forget to fill out your profiles.

Deus Ex, I really do not believe that the Army is going to want to send you through the aviator pipeline just to turn around and send you to SF training within a few months.

The other two options are possible, though you will not become an operator as an officer. That is an enlisted signal MOS. You will probably get Ranger School if you are selected as an Infantry Officer. As an MI officer, it will be more difficult. Assignment to a Ranger battalion as a LT will be much more difficult.

We do not get into a lot of internet food fights here, but my personal opinion is that SFTT and the like are sites where dissatisfied people go to look for a fight or to speculate about how the Army is screwed up. If they spent as much time supporting soldiers as they do tilting at windmills, they would be much more beneficial. DS is a good example. Ignore the evidence, buy the snake oil, blame the evil government. I believe that the government GENERALLY tries to equip our troops as best they can. Could things be better? Certainly. Are soldiers and government employees looking to deliberately sabotage the procurement system? I don't think so. Do people try to foist crappy products or not yet ready for prime time items on the military? Absolutely.

Just my .02, YMMV.

TR

Howdy y'all.

I'm in the process of retiring from 1st SFG (A) and have already picked up a civilian job to go back to the box. I look forward to learning a lot here and contributing when it might be value added.

Welcome All!
Nice to have you here.
MM

Greetings, all
 

I'm a former Soldier (Army, ARNG), Iraq Vet, 96B. ETS'ed in 2005 after coming home.

Am particularly interested in helping chase phonies (see Haberman in Hall of Shame). I'm following that case particularly assiduously as Haberman was briefly in my unit (1-120IN) in Iraq before he was sent packing for, uh, 'medical' reasons.

Am looking forward to reading this site extensively.

Thank you for your service.

I generally do not post in this thread, but I find your particular interest in "chasing phonies" as your primary reason for registering here interesting.

I believe you'll find that the search button will reveal that those in the past that have had an interest in "outing phonies" has already been answered.

But, if you haven't read the board instructions, ignored your PS email sent to you upon registration and are still not able to find the "SEARCH" button, then by all means start a thread asking about any individual that you suspect is a phony SF Soldier. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Welcome to Professional Soldiers.

Intro
 

I spent 12 years AD as a Navy linguist (Russian, Serb, and Ukrainian) but got out in Oct 2001 to take a job with the USG. Soon after starting my new gig, I learned a low-density GWOT language. I joined a USNR unit in Maryland in 2002 and picked up SCPO but had to go IRR a few years later when I PCS'd overseas. At some training courses in CONUS, I met several QPs who suggested that I look into the 20th SFG upon return to the US.
I've found that the civilian sector has a "different" work ethic than the military and I'm looking forward to affiliating with a unit that is actually making a difference.

Hello everyone,

My name is Jake and I'm a 21 year old 4th year university student studying public administration, international relations, and rhetoric. I was in the ROTC department here at my university but after careful consideration I came to the conclusion that should I join the Army, I'd prefer to go enlisted first, and then perhaps attend OCS down the road...the logic behind this being that I figure I would be a better, more experienced Officer. I speak Polish and English fluently, and my German is pretty solid seeing as how I spent a year abroad over there.

I was directed here from ArmyRanger.com and told that this would be the place for any SF-related questions. I'm seriously considering enlisting with either an 18X or an 11X + Option 40 contract when I graduate, and so I'm hoping to utilize both AR.com and this page as a source of learning.

Thank you for your service and dedication to this country.

Good afternoon
 

I am an E4(p) MI Reserve Soldier currently serving in an Adjutant General Corps unit. I am looking to return to MI as I realize I made a mistake transferring from MI. I am relocating to South Florida and looked into transferring from the Reserve to the 20th SFG but it seems like it will be a lot of trouble if not impossible to pull off a release. I am currently exploring my options. I have no interest in getting 18 series-qualified but since I am studying Intelligence/Special Operations & Low intensity Warfare I have an interest in serving the remaining 5 years of my re enlistment contract with a MID. I have been a "lurker" on this site for a little over a year and finally decided to register so that I could ask questions,etc...
The Quiet Professionals here always give straight shooting advice and good answers. I appreciate the opportunity to be a member.

Introductions & Greetings
 

Gentlemen

Greetings, first I want to express what an honor it is to be in the company of such men as yourselves. After reviewing some post and profiles I can see there a lot of dedicated men who truly are "quite professionals". To those of you who have served our great nation so honorably let me say thank you for your service and sacrifice. Now for an introduction and something about myself.

I am current attending college and trying to complete a degree in management. While I do not possess a military background beyond JROTC/ROTC I have always had a life long interest in the military. If I was asked I would say a lot of that was because of my fathers brother who served two tours of duty in Vietnam (65-66) (68-69). He was a helicopter pilot with the 6th Airlift Plt. and 281st AHC (65-66), A/159th ASHB, HQ/159th ASHB (68-69). I admired him a lot growing up and I suppose every kid has his heroes mine were John Wayne and my uncle. Maybe that makes me a wannabee or maybe not. I have always believed that trying and failing are much better than never trying or quiting. I had a friend of mine whose father was stationed at Ft. Polk once say "god helps those who helps themselves and could care less about quitters". Maybe that stuck. I am also looking to find a local instructor who can teach me to fly fixed wing and maybe rotor wing also. It seems harder to find rotor wing IP's than fixed wing IP's so I will keep looking.

MardiGras

Thanks, sir, glad to be apart of this great thing!

While there are definitely valid cases, I was (a little to vaguely) alluding to the areas of personality or social disorders and the quickness with which diagnoses are made and medications prescribed, such as ADD and depression. I've seen quite a few times in friends that were complete screw ups with such diagnoses make overwhelming changes practically overnight when they finally found, discovered or chose a path that they believed in down to the core. Especially these days when there are so many lucrative options so easily attainable, sometimes it's necessary to go through several levels of graduating purposes to find your one unique contribution. I mentioned this in my profile because there cannot be a better example of unique purpose than the Quiet Professional.

I read up on Ms. Andreasen and have just ordered a few of her books from Amazon. Thanks for the great reference and sorry if I exceeded the existentialism limit...