Thread: 75th -> Group
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Old 08-22-2020, 18:47   #8
Razor
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Colorado Springs
Posts: 4,509
LWTG, I would suggest focusing on being the absolute best PL you can be (a large part of that is learning how to work with/listen to your PSG and SLs, making decisions based on partial information, and balancing the well-being of your men against accomplishing your assigned missions). If you learn how to do that, it really doesn't matter to what unit you're assigned. In fact, not being in a well-funded, high-priority unit means you'll spend your first 4 or so years learning how to get the job done lacking many of the resources you need, and with soldiers that have widely varying degrees of motivation and ability--that sounds an awful lot like what an ODA team leader will have to do when working with a foreign partner unit.

Not to mention, with the extended time you guys now spend at Benning before getting to your first unit (I'm guessing you're Year Group 2019, and you've been at Benning for a year or more now), you'll barely have time to get your PL time in at Polk before your RASP window opens and you get a shot. Going 75th won't leave you much time to serve as a CO XO, or on BN staff, or as a specialty PL, meaning you'll have a good deal of PL experience, but lack some of the broadening experience that may be useful to you on an ODA.

I never served in the 75th, but I had several outstanding peers and friends that did and made great SF officers. At the same time, I know of other great SF officers that started out in Quartermaster, Military Intelligence, Signal, and other soft skill branches, so your previous units aren't nearly as important as your internal motivation and drive to excel.

To reiterate--right now, focus on getting to Polk and doing your best to be the PL your men deserve. If you suck as a PL now, you won't have to worry about trying out for the 75th down the road.
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