2nd lt in the 11th group. What's up with that?

[WB61274123]

Hello and good evening,afternoon,morning or whenever you are reading this. Now gentlemen I am confused and would greatly appreciate any insight you men can give me. I was working alongside my father and uncle on a deck and my uncle (who is fully aware of my desire to
go SF) said something that peaked my intrest. According to him during the beginning his first team ODA 321 was a pretty standard team but when his group and by proxy his company was reorganized and his team changed to ODA 1186 his CO and XO were both 2nd lts. He told me that both of them were products of direct commission and when I asked him how this was possible he told me that it was a mixture of the shortage of officers and knowing the right people. So I guess my question is if any of you gents have witnessed anything of this sort. By the way it was the 11th sfg out of Columbus GA (1978-1995).

[Richard]

I was a 2LT SCUBA DET CDR in the 7th SFGA as an OCS grad and prior service SF NCO; another prior service SF NCO and 2LT OCS grad was the HALO DET CDR in the company next door.

As a 1LT, I was also the ODB XO with the ODAs all being led by CPTs, and during my second SCUBA DET command, I was a 1LT DET CDR with a 1LT DET XO for 3 months prepping him to take command before I left for IOAC.

I also knew quite a few SF NCOs who were going before administrative boards for Reserve Commissions in the late 70s-early 80s even though they remained on AD as NCOs; it was an Army initiative to identify and prepare for a wartime expansion of the force if a major conflict dictated such a move.

It happens.

And so it goes...

Richard

[JJ_BPK]

In addition to Richards comments..

Both Guard and Reserve units have in the past filled slots with the available bodies. Sometimes the slot had an individual that had not completed all their qualifications.

Part of the problem was lack of available AD school slots and NG state budgets.

The other problem was the individuals availability. If they had full time employment, finding time to get to AG schools was not easy.

While I was in the 20th SFG, we would recruit civilians off the street and as fast as slots and money was available, they went to AD schools, But to get qualified, it might take years.

Be advised, a butter-bar filling the position of team CO, who is not qualified,, IS NOT A GREEN BERET.. That goes for any position in any unit, AD or NG..

Ref: David Ho, http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/...ad.php?t=34806