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Originally Posted by Kuri
Gentlemen, I've always believed that it is better to keep your dreams/goals to yourself because if you let others know about what you intend to manifest, you'll end up having to defend your intentions. It seems that many people in the "regular Army" either look at SF as an impossible dream or as something not worth doing. Everyone seems to have a story about how they went to Selection(this also goes for Ranger School too), but they didn't succeed and they then try to discourage anyone else from trying. My reason for this post is not to validate my own reasons for setting my sights on SF. I'm just wondering if any of you guys that came from conventional units had any difficulty with your chain of command letting you go? Kuri OUT.
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I have spoken with soldiers attending SFAS extensively about that.
Much of it is in the timing. If you tell your leadership that you want to go to SFAS right before a major unit event or a deployment, particularly if you are a key player or are in a leadership position, you will probably encounter resistance.
Frequently, the motivation for requesting SFAS is suspect. Many of the students ARE coming to SFAS for reasons other than being selected. These are the ones who fail the APFT, or VW in the first week. Maybe they wanted a free trip to Camp Mackall, maybe they wanted to get out of something back at their unit.
Some units just have a culture that hates SF and tries every trick in the book to keep their soldiers from attending. Some of the worst used to be infantry units, particularly the 82nd or 3rd ID. The absolute worst, hands down, was the Ranger Regiment. They will refuse to allow soldiers to attend SFAS, remove them from leadership positions, re-write efficiency reports, threaten with UCMJ or release from Regiment, refuse to process the 4187, put guys on CQ/Staff Duty for weeks at a time, hide the SFAS orders from the soldiers, refuse to administer required physicals, etc. At the same time, Rangers attending other selection courses get duty time off to prepare, etc. Go figure. Overall, support units give their soldiers less hassles about coming to SFAS than combat arms.
In some cases, the officer leadership is the problem (usually when it is an officer requesting attendance), but in most, it is the NCO chain of command at the E-8 and E-9 levels. Much of that is not wanting to lose their best guys, but in many cases, I think that it is jealousy and a wish that they had done the same thing when they had the chance. Some probably tried, and failed, so that may also be part of it as well.
What is really perplexing to me is that candidates who return to their units have basically been through some great physical training, the most demanding cross-country movement, the best test of operating solo, and the finest land navigation training in the military, an outstanding peer and self-assessment review, and a truly awesome opportunity to see how well you interact with others as a member of a team, for less than a 30 day loss of the soldier. Frankly, I would not care if soldier went, as long as he didn't quit. I know that I would get a much better soldier back, even if I only got to keep him for another six months while he waited for SFQC orders. It really is for the good of the Army and this great nation to let the soldiers try, and let the ones who succeed go to SF. The leaders who don't are putting their personal interests above those of the service.
Any man who sticks it out till the end of Selection gets fully out-counseled on their strengths and weaknesses, what they need to do to succeed, and should leave with dignity and confidence intact. These guys are powerful recruiters (or discouragers) when they get back to their units and talk to their peers about the experience. It behooves us to make their experience a positive one. Most of the trash talkers and nay sayers are probably quitters.
If it were me, I would make sure that no critical unit activities or deployments were coming up, no efficiency report was due in the near future, start getting all of my paperwork together, train-up and drop the 4187 at the last minute, requesting the first available SFAS class. Then keep copies of everything, track the status, and stay in touch with the recruiter.
Just my .02, YMMV.
TR