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June 10, 2007
Making of a Special Forces Soldier
For over 40 years, Army Special Forces trainees have roamed the pine forests of central North Carolina in an elaborate and unusual military exercise known as Robin Sage. This final two-week test in a yearlong journey to receiving the trademark green beret requires the soldiers to recruit and train a guerrilla force.
They are in high demand not only in Iraq and Afghanistan but also for low-visibility missions in festering trouble spots around the world. They specialize in commando raids on terrorists, training foreign troops, and raising guerrilla forces.
Last year, the Pentagon rolled out a plan to add a total of 13,119 military and civilian personnel to the current force of 46,223 by 2013. That's a very tall order since the great majority of those who try out fail to pass the arduous training. It is a challenging task to quickly expand the country's most elite units—whose members are carefully chosen and groomed at great expense—without jeopardizing the force's high mental and physical capabilities.
While the training is physically demanding, the premium is on finding recruits with the right combination of mental and personality traits. Selection chief Maj. Ed Flick said a battery of psychological tests is administered, and the officers go through additional role-playing exercises to test recruits' reactions in different settings.
On a crisp morning, for instance, trainees awoke from a late-night march and four hours' sleep to be sent to the log pit, where they worked in teams to balance and maneuver telephone poles on command until they were exhausted. Instructors yelled at the laggards, the only time in the entire month when they receive such hectoring.
"Most often we want to see how they do with no feedback," Flick said, "because we are looking for people who can operate without constant guidance in uncertain environments."
Once selected, the soldiers are trained in special operations techniques. A course in survival, evasion, resistance, and escape is now mandatory for all trainees, instead of for just officers. The training includes prisoner and hostage situations.
For complete article you can go here, it is several pages long and really interesting.
Posted by Wild Thing at June 10, 2007 12:40 AM
Comments
It takes a special breed of man or woman to be special forces. They have to be tough. They have to have what it takes.
So the treatment is tough on them.
They are the best at what they do. But they are also kind and compassionate. They really care about America and her children.
God Bless our Military!!!!
They do the jobs we don't or can't do so our children can have a brighten tomorrow.
Posted by: Lynn at June 10, 2007 06:50 AM
One of mine is doing this. The selection process alone is staggering.
Posted by: Rhod at June 10, 2007 07:30 AM
"That's a very tall order since the great majority of those who try out fail to pass the arduous training. It is a challenging task to quickly expand the country's most elite units—whose members are carefully chosen and groomed at great expense—without jeopardizing the force's high mental and physical capabilities".
No Problem. Just do it the Air Force way and throw stripes at them. An additional stripe or two automatically makes you qualified for the job or position.
Posted by: BobF at June 10, 2007 09:41 AM
It has been 37 years since I did that bit in Uwharrie Natl Forest, NC and Camp MacKall. My buddy who trained with me and was later badly wounded with CCN/MACVSOG, just retired after training SF troops for 30 years.
He says the training is the same as when we went thru, but as he has decribed it, it seems much more intense and detailed now. I think it is harder now.
United States Army Special Forces training is the best in the military. The actions of a few SF A-Teams in Afghanistan exemplify what SF is trained and capable of. An SF A-Team with aviation assests and locally recruited forces accomplished what Russian battalions and regiments could not do.
Best of Luck to Rhod's son. When I went thru success was qualifying for the flash on the beret. Now they win a flash and shoulder tab.
Posted by: TomR at June 10, 2007 02:47 PM
Best of luck to Rhod's son also, that's an awesome challenge and even greater responsibility, you have to be one proud father Rhod.
I went through boot in pretty good shape because I was physically fit when I entered yet it wasn't any fun running in the sand with full packs. Imagine a year of this and more, thanks Tom I know it was rough.
Posted by: Jack at June 10, 2007 03:44 PM
Lynn yes we have the best military in the world. I am so proud of them, every one of them in all our branches.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 11, 2007 12:48 AM
Rhod, I am so proud of him. My thoughts and prayers have been with him every day.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 11, 2007 12:50 AM
Bob, hahaha you are cute.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 11, 2007 12:52 AM
Tom thank you so much for sharing about it and about your friend too.
I am so grateful to all those doing this and those that have done it in the past.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 11, 2007 12:54 AM
Jack thank you too for sharing about your experiences. It means a lot to me.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 11, 2007 12:57 AM
Thank you everyone. Of the 365 who applied, only 123 (I think) made the grade. His brother told me they covered about two hundred miles with ruck in the 28 day selection process.
Apparently names were called during the last formation, and those called retired to a room, where they believed the news would be a rejection.
Then the major cranked up Sadler's "Balland of the Green Berets" and there wasn't a dry eye in the room.
He's going to learn Arabic for his field of operations. Very troubling along with the pride.
Thanks to everyone once again. There isn't a guy or gal here who isn't a Special Force to me and to America. We're all part of this resistance. Every one of us.
Posted by: Rhod at June 11, 2007 06:40 PM
OH wow Rhod, I am sooooo proud of him. I am praying as I type this, proud and of course concerned at the same time.
I hope it is OK if I make this it's own post at the very top to make sure everyone here see's it.
((((((((((((((((hug))))))))))
to all of you, Rhod, Mrs. Rhod and all your boys.
Posted by: Wild Thing at June 11, 2007 08:00 PM
I found this archive page of yours in a google search:
http://www.theodoresworld.net/archives/2007/02/austrian_sniper_rifles_from_ir.html
It seems the whole thing was a DOD fabrication; Something which has become all too common. See this Steyr-Mannlicher web page:
Posted by: Rusty Scalf at June 14, 2007 07:01 PM
