[The Reaper]

Part II

How You Qualify

The road to SF starts with the Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) Program.

If selected, you then receive qualification training in the Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC). Upon graduation from the SFQC, if you are not already foreign language qualified, you will receive foreign language training. Then, you begin your first assignment with an SF Group, usually on an SFODA. The diagram on page 9 shows the typical sequence of events. The acronymns listed below are depicted on the diagram.

SFAS

SFAS is a 3-week program run by the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (USAJFKSWCS) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. After completing the application procedures and receiving a date to attend SFAS (usually through the assistance of an SF recruiter), the soldier reports to Fort Bragg on temporary duty (TDY) status.

The purpose of SFAS is to identify soldiers who have the potential for SF training. The program has two phases. The first phase assesses physical fitness, motivation, and ability to cope with stress. Activities in this phase include psychological tests; physical fitness and swim tests; runs, obstacle courses, and ruckmarches; and military orienteering exercises. An evaluation board meets after the first phase to determine which candidates will be allowed to continue in the program. The second phase assesses leadership and teamwork skills. At the end, another board meets to select those soldiers who may attend the SFQC.

Most candidates find SFAS to be physically demanding. During in-processing, candidates must score a minimum of 206 on the Army Physical Fitness Test for the 17- to 21-year-old age group, and they must swim 50 meters while dressed in boots and fatigues. All assessment activities require the soldier to be well prepared physically.

Ruckmarching and foot care are especially important to any soldier’s preparation.

Suggested physical training programs are available for soldiers through their SF recruiter.

Assignment to an MOS

After SFAS graduation, soldiers learn their MOS assignment and their training course start date. The SF MOSs are—

18A SF Detachment Commander
180A SF Warrant Officer/Assistant Detachment Commander
18B SF Weapons Sergeant
18C SF Engineer Sergeant
18D SF Medical Sergeant
18E SF Communications Sergeant

“The first thing to go is your feet. There’s only one way to make it through—you must train with a rucksack.”

Soldiers have two opportunities to indicate any preference for a particular MOS:

Soldiers can indicate an MOS preference on their SFAS application. Recruiters keep this information in their database.

In the early part of SFAS, candidates have an opportunity to learn more about the various SF MOSs through presentations or films. At this time, candidates have a chance to submit their written MOS preferences in rank order.

The MOS assignment board has access to both preference statements but gives more weight to the more recent (the more informed) preference.

About MOS Assignment

The assignment decision is based on—
_ Your previous MOS and training.
_ Your aptitude scores.
_ The needs of the force.
_ Your preference.

Most soldiers get their preferred MOS when the preference and the aptitudes match. However, there are no guarantees. All MOSs are infantry-oriented (including medics) and everyone cross-trains.

Definitions of SF MOSs

18A. The detachment commander is an 18A captain. He commands the detachment and is responsible for everything that the detachment does or fails to do. The commander may command and/or advise an indigenous battalion combat force.

18B. Weapons sergeants are familiar with weapons systems found throughout the world. They gain extensive knowledge about every type of small arms and indirect fire weapons (mortars). They learn the capabilities and characteristics of U.S. and foreign air defense and antitank systems, as well as how to teach marksmanship and employment of weapons to others. Weapons sergeants employ conventional and unconventional tactics and techniques as tactical mission leaders. They assist the operations sergeant in the preparation of the operations and training portions of area studies, briefbacks, and operation plans and orders. They recruit, organize, train, and advise or command combat indigenous forces up to company size.

18C. Engineer sergeants are experts in the planning and constructing of buildings and bridges, as well as in their demolition. Construction requires learning to read blueprints and to construct a theater-of-operations building and field fortifications. Demolition requires learning about land mine warfare, non-electric and electric firing systems, and how to improvise with substitutes for standard ammunition and explosives. Engineer sergeants plan, supervise, lead, perform, and instruct all aspects of combat engineering and light construction engineering. Engineer sergeants construct and employ improvised munitions, plan and perform sabotage operations, and prepare the operation plans and orders. They can recruit, organize, train, and advise or command indigenous combat forces up to company size.

18D. Medical sergeants are specialists in many different areas of human and animal physiology. Medical sergeants specialize in trauma management, infectious diseases, cardiac life support, and surgical procedures and learn the basics of veterinary medicine. Both general health care and emergency health care are stressed in training. Medical sergeants provide emergency, routine, and long-term medical care for detachment members and associated allied members and host nation personnel. They train, advise, and direct detachment routine, emergency, and preventive
medical care. They establish field medical facilities to support detachment operations. They provide veterinary care. They prepare the medical portion of area studies, briefbacks, and operation plans and orders. They can train, advise, or lead indigenous combat forces up to company size.

18E. Communications sergeants are experts in sending and receiving the critical messages linking the SFODAs with their command and control elements. Training entails extensive use of the Morse code system, cryptographic systems, burst outstation systems, and common radios found throughout the Army. They become familiar with antenna theory and radio wave propagation and how to teach it to others. Communications sergeants install, operate, and maintain FM, AM, HF, VHF, UHF, and SHF communications in voice, continuous wave, and burst radio nets. They advise the detachment commander on communications matters. They train the detachment members and indigenous forces in communications. They prepare the communications portion of area studies, briefbacks, and operation plans and orders. They can train, advise, or lead indigenous combat forces up to company size.

SFQC

After a soldier is selected from SFAS, he returns to his unit and awaits his slot in the SFQC. There is often a several-month waiting period before the soldier begins the course. Soldiers selected for MOS 18B (weapons) or MOS 18C (engineer) go directly to the 24-week course at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

MOS 18D: Medical Training

Soldiers selected to attend the SFMS Course (MOS 18D) attend the course for a period of 44 weeks at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The medical training is divided into two portions: first, the SOCM Course, which is 24 weeks long; second, the SFMS Course, which is 20 weeks long. Normally, 18Ds attend Phase I (3 weeks) prior to the SOCM course and Phase III (5 weeks) after the SFMS course.

The 24-week SOCM Course covers anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, and advance trauma training. Along with this training, soldiers will complete the Emergency Medical Technician Paramedic (EMT-P) Course and will take the National Registry Examination for an opportunity to obtain the registry’s EMT-P qualification.

The 20-week SFMS Course covers dental, surgical, anesthesia, veterinary, laboratory, and X-ray subjects.

The medical course is academically intensive and time intensive; 4 to 5 hours per night of studying and research are not uncommon. After the 44 weeks of medical training, soldiers then proceed to Phase III of the SFQC.

All MOSs: The 24-Week Course

All soldiers complete the 24-week SFQC at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Once soldiers receive their SFQC date, they are permanently assigned to Fort Bragg.

SF Branch 18A

All officers, upon completion of the SFQC, will be rebranched to the SF Branch (18A). The SERE Level C Course must be satisfactorily completed before or immediately after the SFQC. SERE is a requirement for branch qualification. Officers will ordinarily complete the Infantry Officer Advanced Course (IOAC) prior to SFQC. If not, they will proceed to IOAC following SF qualification.

Assignment to an SF Group

There are five Active Component SF Groups. The chart on pages 14–15 identifies each Group’s AO. The chart on page 16 describes each Group’s duty station. During the in-processing phase of the SFQC, students will have an opportunity to fill out a Group preference form, stating their first three choices for SF Group assignment. Personnel at the USAJFKSWCS and at the U.S. Total Army Personnel Command are responsible for making the assignments.

Their decisions are based on the—

_ Needs of the Groups.
_ Soldier’s existing language skills or regional orientation.
_ Soldier’s language aptitude (Defense Language Aptitude Battery score).
_ Soldier’s preference.

Group assignments are made first, then language assignments. Students will find out both their Group assignment and their foreign language assignment toward the end of the SFQC.

“Research what you are getting into. Learn as much about your job as you possibly can, and do your best.”