12-16-2006, 06:10
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#16
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Vermont
Posts: 3,093
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I was received a regular Army commission through ROTC in 1965 from the University of Maine.
You have to understand that I did not fit the mold of the typical officer as I considered myself to be a soldier who just happened to be an officer. Officers have several significant roles, but none more significant than using the power of their position to enable their subordinates (and I mean that in rank only) to succeed. That means that your job is to accomplish the mission (which you do not do on your own but by the effort of all the soldiers you focus on the tasks required) and take care of your troops (which means that you provide them with the leadership, training, resources,etc. required to successfully perform those tasks and well as stand for them, with them, and always in front of them).
In order to do the oversimplified explanation provided in the paragraph above you have to be totally committed to the goals and missions/functions for which SF stands. It will task you to go beyond whatever physical and mental limits you think were possible understanding that you are going to pay a price physiologically and personally in the years after you leave the service. This profession is not for the faint of heart or one weak in personal/professional discipline to always to the right thing vice things right. It will require you to professionally develop skill sets that are both general and specific in nature to any of those expected of a solider, an officer and most importantly a leader. It will also require you to develop many unique skill sets specific to being both a special forces soldier and a special forces officer.
Unlike many jobs, this is a profession that requires commitment and unlike all the guidance you hear being given to young folks like yourself today this is not something you can just do if you put your mind to it. Some folks are just not cut out to be a special forces soldier and willing yourself to be one will not make it so. I do not really know you or much about you, but if you have the ability to go to college and the means to do so I would listen to your parents. Education is a good start for any profession and the additional years you will gain in maturing and understanding just who you are can never hurt you and may well point you in the direction that is best for you. The broader your background, capabilities and potential the better off you will be because when life hands you a bad break or two you have the ability to adapt and move on.
__________________
Wenn einer von uns fallen sollt, der Andere steht für zwei.
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Jack Moroney (RIP) is offline
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12-17-2006, 23:40
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#17
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Guerrilla
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pace, Florida
Posts: 124
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Gentlemen:
I would like to thank everyone for the responses that they provided. I think I have gathered all the needed information. Thanks for taking the time to help me out. I will now resume reading, learning and not posting.
-Andrew Hunter
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hunteran is offline
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12-18-2006, 07:32
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#18
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: LA
Posts: 1,653
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Good luck. Come back and let us know how you did.
__________________
Somewhere a True Believer is training to kill you. He is training with minimal food or water, in austere conditions, training day and night. The only thing clean on him is his weapon and he made his web gear. He doesn't worry about what workout to do - his ruck weighs what it weighs, his runs end when the enemy stops chasing him. This True Believer is not concerned about 'how hard it is;' he knows either he wins or dies. He doesn't go home at 17:00, he is home.
He knows only The Cause.
Still want to quit?
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NousDefionsDoc is offline
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01-18-2007, 21:23
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#19
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Guerrilla
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pace, Florida
Posts: 124
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by NousDefionsDoc
Good luck. Come back and let us know how you did.
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Alright Gentlemen, I just got back the results from my research paper and the oral report (based on the research paper). For the research paper I got 190 out of the possible 200 points. The oral presentation was given in front a panel of 3 people and I talked for roughly 15 minutes and recieved 60 out of 60 possible points. Thanks again for helping me out, I appreciate the information that was given to me. Back to read-only mode.
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hunteran is offline
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01-18-2007, 21:35
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#20
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: LA
Posts: 1,653
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Did you have the highest grade in the class?
What did they ding us 10 points on? WHAT DID YOU DO?
__________________
Somewhere a True Believer is training to kill you. He is training with minimal food or water, in austere conditions, training day and night. The only thing clean on him is his weapon and he made his web gear. He doesn't worry about what workout to do - his ruck weighs what it weighs, his runs end when the enemy stops chasing him. This True Believer is not concerned about 'how hard it is;' he knows either he wins or dies. He doesn't go home at 17:00, he is home.
He knows only The Cause.
Still want to quit?
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NousDefionsDoc is offline
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01-18-2007, 21:41
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#21
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Guerrilla
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pace, Florida
Posts: 124
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by NousDefionsDoc
Did you have the highest grade in the class?
What did they ding us 10 points on? WHAT DID YOU DO?
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The missing 10 points was the result of a couple of typos I made (I waited until the last minute so I was finishing up around 3am  ). But I did get the highest grade in the class. 
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hunteran is offline
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01-18-2007, 21:47
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#22
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: LA
Posts: 1,653
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by hunteran
The missing 10 points was the result of a couple of typos I made (I waited until the last minute so I was finishing up around 3am ). But I did get the highest grade in the class. |
Well, since we got the highest grade I won't relegate you to "read only" status for the next year. But typos? On a computer? The time is no excuse. If you ever come into our house you will be required to many tasks at 03:00 after being up two or three days.
I want to know how we are going to get our 10 points back.
__________________
Somewhere a True Believer is training to kill you. He is training with minimal food or water, in austere conditions, training day and night. The only thing clean on him is his weapon and he made his web gear. He doesn't worry about what workout to do - his ruck weighs what it weighs, his runs end when the enemy stops chasing him. This True Believer is not concerned about 'how hard it is;' he knows either he wins or dies. He doesn't go home at 17:00, he is home.
He knows only The Cause.
Still want to quit?
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NousDefionsDoc is offline
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01-18-2007, 22:13
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#23
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Guerrilla
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pace, Florida
Posts: 124
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by NousDefionsDoc
Well, since we got the highest grade I won't relegate you to "read only" status for the next year. But typos? On a computer? The time is no excuse. If you ever come into our house you will be required to many tasks at 03:00 after being up two or three days.
I want to know how we are going to get our 10 points back.
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Tell you what, I'll bust my ass in the half-marathon this weekend and I'll try and break 1:20. Will that suffice? (If its any comfort, I'll be hobbling around for the next week)
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hunteran is offline
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01-18-2007, 22:27
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#24
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: LA
Posts: 1,653
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by hunteran
Tell you what, I'll bust my ass in the half-marathon this weekend and I'll try and break 1:20. Will that suffice? (If its any comfort, I'll be hobbling around for the next week)
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Is that fast? Seems kind of slow to me. How much weight in the ruck?
We'll put it to a vote.
I'll vote Si.
__________________
Somewhere a True Believer is training to kill you. He is training with minimal food or water, in austere conditions, training day and night. The only thing clean on him is his weapon and he made his web gear. He doesn't worry about what workout to do - his ruck weighs what it weighs, his runs end when the enemy stops chasing him. This True Believer is not concerned about 'how hard it is;' he knows either he wins or dies. He doesn't go home at 17:00, he is home.
He knows only The Cause.
Still want to quit?
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NousDefionsDoc is offline
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01-18-2007, 22:37
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#25
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Guerrilla
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pace, Florida
Posts: 124
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by NousDefionsDoc
Is that fast? Seems kind of slow to me. How much weight in the ruck?
We'll put it to a vote.
I'll vote Si.
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It's sub-6:10 pace (I know that sounds slow but to put it in perspective I usually do my 12 miler training runs at 6:25 pace so it will be significantly faster than my training runs). Sub-1:20 is probably fast enough to get me in the top 3 for my age division. Even if the race doesn't kill me, the following week will, I'm looking at doing +65 miles next week.
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hunteran is offline
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01-18-2007, 22:38
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#26
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: LA
Posts: 1,653
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Ok, accepted.
__________________
Somewhere a True Believer is training to kill you. He is training with minimal food or water, in austere conditions, training day and night. The only thing clean on him is his weapon and he made his web gear. He doesn't worry about what workout to do - his ruck weighs what it weighs, his runs end when the enemy stops chasing him. This True Believer is not concerned about 'how hard it is;' he knows either he wins or dies. He doesn't go home at 17:00, he is home.
He knows only The Cause.
Still want to quit?
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NousDefionsDoc is offline
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01-18-2007, 23:57
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#27
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Free Pineland
Posts: 24,835
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by NousDefionsDoc
Ok, accepted.
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You know, Doc, you really do have a way with people.
Well done, hermano.
TR
__________________
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
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The Reaper is offline
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01-19-2007, 02:52
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#28
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Gun Pilot
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Iowa and New Mexico
Posts: 2,143
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Bedside manner, in spades! 
__________________
E7-CW3-direct commission VN
B model gunship pilot 65-66 Soc Trang, Cobra Pilot 68-69-70 Can Tho Life member 101st Airborne Association
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CPTAUSRET is offline
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01-19-2007, 08:13
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#29
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: In transit somewhere
Posts: 4,044
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by NousDefionsDoc
Is that fast? Seems kind of slow to me. How much weight in the ruck?
We'll put it to a vote.
I'll vote Si.
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Hermano, are you getting more amenable to compromise in your old age? Oh, the horror, Brother Medic, the horror..... You should have offered him a full SF/Flight physical - administered by you. 
__________________
In the business of war, there is no invariable stategic advantage (shih) which can be relied upon at all times.
Sun-Tzu, "The Art of Warfare"
Hearing, I forget. Seeing, I remember. Writing (doing), I understand. Chinese Proverb
Too many people are looking for a magic bullet. As always, shot placement is the key. ~TR
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x SF med is offline
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01-19-2007, 09:06
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#30
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Free Pineland
Posts: 24,835
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by x SF med
You should have offered him a full SF/Flight physical - administered by you. |
You know, I always wondered if you guys enjoyed doing that to other men, and I guess you just answered that.
Were you the kind of 18D who always volunteered when they asked for medics to go to the TMC on Physical exam day?
Man, I am really worried about you.
TR
__________________
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
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The Reaper is offline
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