Just for the QP's
 

Gentlemen, I am wondering what your answer would be to a simple set of questions that one might ask you that is totally ignorant to the military/SF...

1. "What do you do for a living?"

2. "What is Special Forces?"

3. "Why is your hat green and everyone else has a black one?"

4. "Are you like the Navy Seals I saw on TV?"

Think of these question being asked by a 5 year old girl tugging on your shirt.


These are just a few questions that I think might have come up for all the QP's and I am very interested as to how you might/may have answered them.

I know you may view this question stupid so I will give you my simple reasoning for asking it. Once I earn my spot to work with you I would like to remain as small and quiet as possible, only being loud and big when it counts. I would like to stay true to the name you men have earned... "The Quiet Professionals"

I just think that a great deal of humility is displayed by QP's, and would like a lesson on how you have come up with answers to the above questions without sounding like "I saved the world yesterday."

I apologize if you view this thread as stupid and unworthy. Please delete it if necessary.

Stay Air Force

With ALL due respect... Negative.

Gizmo5

1st this is not a chat room for kids. If you are truly interested in Special Forces use the search button and learn from the vast knowledge posted on this site..

2nd learn how to communicate with Professionals. You are asking questions like a wet behind the ear kid. If you read many of the threads here you will realize that QP's are serious and willing to help the serious people that want to better their selfs not chat like they are on My Space.

3rd Go to the book store and start reading and you will increase your knowledge base so you can then return here and contribute in a adult professional manor.

4th If you felt that your thread was "I apologize if you view this thread as stupid and unworthy. Please delete it if necessary." Then you should not have posted it.

SF_BHT and Snaquebite, I posted this thread to get some incite on how one would convey their profession to a young child, specifically, one of their own. I wanted to stay neutral and did not want to involve my personal reasoning as to why I wanted those specific questions answered. Since I have no way of clarifying this situation without getting personal then it seems I must. I have a newborn daughter who is 2 ½ months old. I made the decision to chase my dream and go SF so that I could tell her to chase her dreams when she gets older. I just figured that those would be the questions that she would ask on her brief moments with me, and I also know that she would want answers as to why and what I did while I was gone. I had no intention of asking a foolish question, and definitely did not intend for it to be read that way. In no way do I want this to seem like a chat room or a myspace type deal and I apologize for treating in such a way. I should have been clear from the start.


Once again, my apologies for possibly wasting your time and I hope this post clears things up.

Gizmo5

It occurs to me that IF you make it, you will know the answers to your questions, and if you do not, it will be irrelevant.

TR

TR, understood and thank you.

Gizmo5

Not to add fuel to the fire, but to address your original question.

Seriously, I have a boy who is steadily approaching 7. He has yet to ask me those questions, and I doubt that he ever will. You see, it doesn't matter. I'm Daddy, I'm Superman, I am his favorite plaything. I am a lot of things to my boy. He knows that I am a Soldier and, that when I go on trips, that I get the bad guys.......Thats it.

I hardly ever am in uniform at the house, My beret is almost never on my head, and the household discussion, isn't about saving the world. Let alone my conversations with him.

I'm not trying to denigrate you, or make a snide remarke about the AF, but you really do need to get your head out of the clouds. Focus on a closer target like getting out of the AF and in the Army. Or how about what you are getting your daughter for Christmas?

Watch the path you are on today, lest you step off the cliff, and can no longer walk tomorrow. *edit: Damn thats so good Im adding it to my sig line*

Rog Longwire,

Your post was neither degrading nor belittling, it was rather educational and appreciated. I now see that I thought WAY too hard on how my daughter would handle the whole situation. Your response about your son was perfect.

Thank you for your time.
Gizmo5

[QUOTE=gizmo5;185162]Gentlemen, I am wondering what your answer would be to a simple set of questions that one might ask you that is totally ignorant to the military/SF...

1. "What do you do for a living?"

I was a Foreign Policy Implementation Specialist for the US Government.

2. "What is Special Forces?"

An Army unit.

3. "Why is your hat green and everyone else has a black one?"

Mold.

4. "Are you like the Navy Seals I saw on TV?"

I've never been on TV.

Richard :munchin

[QUOTE=Richard;205445]Great answers really. I especiacially enjoyed the Mold comment.

Honestly though I see where he is coming from. When my dad was on a team I was old enough to realize that he was on a team, I knew he was gone, and I knew (Mostly) where he was going. If you make it while your daughter is young then it wont be a big deal, if your still in when she gets older then you may be asked these types of questions, and all I can say is what my dad did, be as honest as possible. He never said anything about saving the world, but I knew what he did, and why he was gone so much, and I respected the man more for it. I think that if you get there you will know how to answer those questions like TR said.

Kids too, can be quiet.
 

I have two boys. They were old enough in the beginning to notice the difference in head gear when I changed it. They were also old enough to see that daddy stopped wearing a uniform home. My youngest who is now 17, never asks but knows what Dad does. When his friends come to the house and ask what I do, the earlier statement of "works for the govt." or just "in the military", is all he says. I never taught either of my boys that. They just picked it up. Lead by Quiet example and they will follow.

"incite" - He was looking for "incite". LOL.

Came to the right place...

[QUOTE=MattM19;222394]Good answer Matt. I think the target audience for the questions he is asking should be someone who has received answers to those questions. Every kid, every situation is different which will elicit ever changing answers to those questions. The answers I gave to you may not have been as forthright if you weren't such a strong kid with a good head on his shoulders.