08-18-2020, 12:49
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#1
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Asset
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Small Town, Illinois
Posts: 8
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75th -> Group
Hello all,
Currently a 2LT & getting ready to PCS from Benning. Recently completed Ranger School, and completed CDQC in 2018.
Was hoping to see if any 18As here had experience with doing PL time in the 75th prior to attending SFAS, and how the process went. Is there any way for RR to prevent you from going to SFAS?
Basically I've heard horror stories about dudes going to the 75th and then not being able to go to SFAS when the window opens up for their year group at the 1LT(P) mark. I'm sure the process rarely goes smoothly due to the rivalry between RR & Group, but was hoping that this would just be limited to ass-chewings.
Either way, thank you for your time.
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LongWayToGo is offline
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08-18-2020, 13:08
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#2
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: sharq-el-ouset
Posts: 516
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Sir,
My only reply to your base question would be another question:
"What do you want to 'be' when you 'grow-up'?"
Point is, if you want to "Hunt the bad man" and "shoot him in the face", then DA Experience with the 75th is the way to go. You will be more than primed for entry into the upper levels of management and DA-type units that do that for a living.
If you want to "by-with-through" and work at the "we take over countries" level, then getting wrapped up with the 75th will likely hinder you more than it will help.
Both SF and DA-units have their places, but COMPLETELY different mindsets and best traits. Where the DA unit needs stuff / support RIGHT NOW, UW units need to be able to "by-with-through" at whatever pace and standard is available at the time.
No one can answer which path is right for you, but my recommendation is to pick one and stick with it. Crossing the streams will only lead to getting covered in thick goo....
Just the rambelings of an old team-daddy wait'n to retire.....
__________________
“Use teamwork and control. A squad without teamwork and control is nothing more than a small mob with weapons. Success depends on a high level of teamwork and control within the squad.” — pg. 3-596 STP 7-11BCHM-SM-TG
“Let’s go Brandon!” — Kelli Stavast
"...I like a little rebellion now and then. It is like a storm in the atmosphere.” — Thomas Jefferson
When the Revolution goes “live”, the People I’m worried about, are NOT the People I worry about. — Me
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bubba is offline
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08-18-2020, 16:04
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#3
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Asset
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Small Town, Illinois
Posts: 8
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Thanks Bubba,
Honestly I 100% agree and understand what you are saying. That was always the plan, as Group is definitely the more preferred path in the end. However, once you get orders to somewhere like.... I dunno... Ft. Polk, other routes start sounding a whole lot more appealing.
It also seems that no other place sets you up for success better than the 75th does when it comes to junior Os. This is not to say that the 75th is or should be a 'stepping stone' to SF, however. It's just that the training and assets available at the 75th definitely surpass those of many other light infantry units.
Again, thank you for your advice.
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LongWayToGo is offline
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08-19-2020, 21:07
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#4
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: FTCKY
Posts: 169
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bubba
Sir,
My only reply to your base question would be another question:
"What do you want to 'be' when you 'grow-up'?"
Point is, if you want to "Hunt the bad man" and "shoot him in the face", then DA Experience with the 75th is the way to go. You will be more than primed for entry into the upper levels of management and DA-type units that do that for a living.
If you want to "by-with-through" and work at the "we take over countries" level, then getting wrapped up with the 75th will likely hinder you more than it will help.
Both SF and DA-units have their places, but COMPLETELY different mindsets and best traits. Where the DA unit needs stuff / support RIGHT NOW, UW units need to be able to "by-with-through" at whatever pace and standard is available at the time.
No one can answer which path is right for you, but my recommendation is to pick one and stick with it. Crossing the streams will only lead to getting covered in thick goo....
Just the rambelings of an old team-daddy wait'n to retire.....
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You had me at "covered in thick goo"
__________________
"Alabama soldiers...all I ask of you is to keep up with the Texans!" - Robert E. Lee, before the Battle of the Wilderness
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JGC2 is offline
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08-20-2020, 12:36
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#5
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Colorado Springs
Posts: 4,522
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Where are you headed currently, and is this PCS to your first duty station following the IBOLC/ABN/Ranger/blah-blah-blah circuit?
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Razor is offline
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08-20-2020, 13:04
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#6
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Free Pineland
Posts: 24,799
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This has been done before, though not without some career peril.
You are not the first one to ask this question, and you have been given some sound advice. You may want to do some searching here.
Eventually, it is all about the timing. Officers get one shot at SFAS and if you are not selected, it is unlikely that you career will prosper.
Since SF is a Branch, and the 75th RR has no 18A slots, it is highly improbable that you would see Regiment again after your branch transfer.
Best of luck.
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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08-20-2020, 14:12
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#7
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Asset
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Small Town, Illinois
Posts: 8
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Razor - heading to 3/10MTN at Ft. Polk. And yes, wrapping up with airborne and then PCSing in the near future.
Reaper - thank you. I will continue reading on here and look for more information about those who have done this.
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LongWayToGo is offline
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08-22-2020, 18:47
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#8
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Colorado Springs
Posts: 4,522
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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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Razor is offline
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08-22-2020, 20:02
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#9
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Just above the flood plain in Southern Texas
Posts: 3,610
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Razor
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 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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This ^^^ a 1000 times!
(Retired Team Sergeant)
Good luck with your choices. I’m sure it will work out for you.
__________________
You only live once; live well. Have no regrets when the end happens!
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” (Sir Edmund Burke)
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Old Dog New Trick is offline
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08-23-2020, 07:05
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#10
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Asset
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Small Town, Illinois
Posts: 8
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Razor & OldDogNewTrick,
Thank you. Going to Ft. Polk and (hopefully) taking a platoon is definitely the main focus right now, and I am very much looking forward to the privilege. This post was merely meant to plan for the 50m+ targets as I still have, undoubtedly, a long way to go.
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LongWayToGo is offline
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08-24-2020, 08:47
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#11
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Colorado Springs
Posts: 4,522
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If you haven't seen it yet, you can download "The First 100 Days of Platoon Leadership", No. 18-24, from the Center for Army Lessons Learned website. It's a decent guide of things you should do/consider doing, and topics to coordinate with your PSG.
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Razor is offline
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08-24-2020, 19:57
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#12
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Asset
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Small Town, Illinois
Posts: 8
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Razor,
Thank you. I have never heard of that before but I will be sure to read it.
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LongWayToGo is offline
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