Selected or Not? - Page 2

Dustin03 · 03-04-2005, 01:00

will go beat my face appropriatly in the morn, 0600. plus it's drill weekend, hooah

**The Reaper** · 03-04-2005, 09:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dustin03

to me i just dont see how i would forget something like a parachute for a jump. just dont make much sense to me. i do see your point tho.

i have seen guys forget parts of their ceremonial uniform for funerals i've done in the past. that resulted in extra pt time for the entire honor guard team.

have you seen anything like this actually happen?

http://www.aarrgghh.com/no_way/noChute.htm

I have jumped this drop zone.

Yes, I wore my parachute.

TR

**Jack Moroney (RIP)** · 03-04-2005, 10:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dustin03

ok, but after the decision making, then it's go time, right?
OR do you find it more often then not that it's better to stop and double check yourslef, like as in an assesment of how things are going?

There may be something valuable here to learn, and i'm all ears err eyes

Go back and read Pete's post on situational awareness. Decisions made are usually part of a analytical process where you take the best available information, develop several courses of action and go with the one which gives you the best chance of success. The process does not stop there but it is dynamic and you have to be able to adjust to changing situations as they occur. This may sound like a long and complex process but it becomes pretty automatic once you understand it. As it sounds right now you seem fairly indecisive and appear to be running around in circles. Keep that up at an ever increasing speed as things get more and more complex for you and you are going to dissappear into your own 4th POC.

Jack Moroney

**The Reaper** · 03-04-2005, 11:31

We call this adaptive thinking, and our psychs tell me that we select for it. We want people who thrive in ambiguous situations, and make good decisions in grey areas, lacking full-information, when they are tired, hungry, etc. Our operating environment in Special Forces is full of those very situations. Guerrillas, intel sources, etc. are the people we deal with, and many of them are involved in unsavory activities. You will be forced to work with these people to accomplish the mission. When you call back to check with higher, they are going to want a SITREP after you are done, or a recommendation, not a complaint about something that is going on. Some of the events will require negotiation, and some you will have to disengage from and report it. You will have to determine which is which and deal with it, or you are going to have a bad rep as an indecisive and inflexible SF soldier.

The psychs also say that we select another group, but they cannot explain how. The average person has a high performance curve in low-stress situations, and it decreases under pressure. The soldiers we graduate tend to be "stress-innoculated", and do not perform strongly until the stress goes up. Then SF soldiers do better than they did with no pressure. This is a very unusual phenomenon. They have found that in high-stress situations, like SERE, with a measurement of stress hormones as an indicator, the SF guys are consistently less stressed than other SOF soldiers, to include Rangers and SOAR personnel.

Not everyone has these characteristics, but that is who we want, and who we are looking for.

TR

Jack Army · 03-27-2005, 14:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Reaper

The psychs also say that we select another group, but they cannot explain how. The average person has a high performance curve in low-stress situations, and it decreases under pressure. The soldiers we graduate tend to be "stress-innoculated", and do not perform strongly until the stress goes up. Then SF soldiers do better than they did with no pressure. This is a very unusual phenomenon. They have found that in high-stress situations, like SERE, with a measurement of stress hormones as an indicator, the SF guys are consistently less stressed than other SOF soldiers, to include Rangers and SOAR personnel.TR

I think I am in this group. Without something to spur me on, I sit on my ass and turn into a dud. I am in just such a low-stress situation now and it is extremely hard for me to do anything. In fact, it is a major struggle just to get out of bed, I mean, what for?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not whining, just wishing that I had a mission.

kusinagaraDB · 03-27-2005, 17:10

Nevermind. Edited because I said something stupid.

lksteve · 03-27-2005, 19:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack Army

I think I am in this group. Without something to spur me on, I sit on my ass and turn into a dud. I am in just such a low-stress situation now and it is extremely hard for me to do anything.

it sounds like one of two things to me, Jack...it's either depression or a lack of self discipline...IMNSHO....

Jack Army · 03-29-2005, 11:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by lksteve

it sounds like one of two things to me, Jack...it's either depression or a lack of self discipline...IMNSHO....

Could be a combination. I've suspected the former, known the latter. What has frustrated me is that I am in a place that allows the latter. But, I've reached a tipping point and I'm not letting a lack of self discipline stop me from doing what I should... or what I could.

As always, leave it to a QP to bluntly tell ya like it is. I miss being around Soldiers of high integrity and high standards.

Thanks.

lksteve · 03-29-2005, 11:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack Army

Could be a combination. I've suspected the former, known the latter.

As always, leave it to a QP to bluntly tell ya like it is. I miss being around Soldiers of high integrity and high standards.

Thanks.

you're welcome...i'm not a psych, wasn't a medic, so the opinion comes from a demo man/cum ossifer/cum field grade...but were i you, i would start working out somehow, someway...force the situation...make it happen...that's all i know how to do...

hang in there...

ender · 03-30-2005, 14:54

Quote:

I think I am in this group. Without something to spur me on, I sit on my ass and turn into a dud. I am in just such a low-stress situation now and it is extremely hard for me to do anything. In fact, it is a major struggle just to get out of bed, I mean, what for?

Your mission is whatever you want it to be. Whatever goal you've set for yourself, is your mission. One of many you'll have to accomplish in order to achieve the aim.

The question is how bad do you want it?

This is something I ask myself everyday. How bad do I want it. Do I want to spend another year in Battalion or do I want to disappear into the SOF world next January. And this is why I'm gonna go PT now. So I can max my Cooper's Test by July.

So, how bad do you want it?