I have been experiencing some of the same amimosity from others in my unit just for wanting to go to selection. Honestly, I could give a shit less what people think. I have always been that way. If I am trying to do something to better myself as a person and soldier, why should I care? The way I look at it is; If I concentrate on what others are thinking, I won't have my head in the game..............25 meter target. What others think doesn't matter. We all have a job to do. We all have decisions to make. Those who chose to try out for Sf and made it to graduation, my hats off to you. For those who wish they had but didn't and want to talk shit about those who do............fuck em! That's just my opinion.

Ditto here. I have heard everything from that I am very selfish for trying to put my unit in a difficult position to that the Brigade Commander will reclass me to another MOS if I fail to be selected.

The latest is that a request for exception to policy letter was written today to the MG of the Division. Basically it stated that I am mission critical for our upcoming mission to NTC, so I shouldn't be able to attend selection. I won't even get into how false the idea that I am critical is, perhaps they really see it that way.

My understanding is that this should not fly, but I still don't have my orders. Reportedly they are now going to show up on Wednesday. Doesn't give a whole lot of time for any drama to unfold before April SFAS class starts.

Ah well. I just look at it as additional incentive to ... get selected.

Mission Critical?
 

Some things never change.

Funny how you're always mission critical to one guy's agenda "Just stay until my time is up" and then when the new guy shows up "I'm new, stay until I get my feet on the ground".

The Reason.
 

The reason we are called "special", is the reason the wannabes and "can't bes are hateful and jealous of what they can;t and don't have. Blitzzz

The regular army has always looked at elite units with a jaundiced eye. My Battalion CO in the 1st Cav in Nam absolutely hated SF. He gave me a hell of a speech when I got to the unit about how useless SF was.
In the 60's, officers with a lot of SF time were not viewed as particularly promotable. SF was not a branch then and too much time in a Group was considered a career killer. I'm glad that changed but I left before it did.
There will always be jealousy and distrust of special units in the military by the mainstream. That's just the way it is.

You know Blitzzz,You are right on and it was short and sweet and to the point.....Good post......:D

GB TFS :munchin

"The 82nd seems to harbor a great deal of animosity towards the SF community. I have several buddies who came from there and most of them have the same story, "When I told them that I was going to selection they tried to (threaten/coerce/cajole) me into not going. After I came back from selection they took away my (squad/team/section) and treated me like crap." I heard the word traitor bandied about quit abit as well. Another buddy of mine was told by his Squadron commander "there is nothing special about Special Forces." Granted this is all anecdotal but there does seem to be a pattern. One interesting thing that I have seen is that I have not met anyone who came out of a non-combat arms MOS who got a ration of crap from their COC it seems to mostly come from the combat arms."



Got to tell you...... this statement is bullshit..... its across the board at certain echelons

In my experience, organizations do not like to lose good people and - although petty - they'll often strike out in petulance towards those they see as deserting them or their cause - ain't nothing new - and so it goes...

Richard's jaded $.02 :munchin

I have seen the animosity, and agree that it is more from to TOE unit side, or at least combat arms side. I have been in the infantry, where a few buddies went, and it seemed to me that the junior enlisted caught the most shit, whereas my platoon Sergeant was given an "atta' boy" from the COC.

Fast forward post medical reclass and when my lab tech bud went through he was treated with super amounts of respect and given plenty of time to get his shit together before packing out to Bragg after being selected. This may have been due in part because my CSM at the time was previously at one the SF units within the service.

Since apply for WOFT, some of the NCOs at my unit have made snide remarks about me applying, or going to the "dark side," but only a few have commented past the normal rib poking. One MSG even said that I should be ashamed that I am leaving beind such a promising career as an NCO, and that he thinks I am a quitter.

I feel that some folks just envy SF if for noting else than the cool ambiance and neat toys. I am regular Army, and always have been, I tip my hat and realize that we all have a job to do, and some differ way more than others, that is why you guys are "Special." These nuggets that bad mouth our elite forces probably either did not make the cut, or never had the intestinal fortitude to try out. /ignorance

This is nothing new,...
 

until they need us.

The King of Greece hate Achilles. In our own Civil War between the states, (for you 18xer's the was North vs. South, the North won), Sniper Units, Rangers - Scouts, all hated by regular unit Commanders.

Even in WWII, our force commanders disapproved of OSS, 1st Special Air Service, etc. Seems the Brits always appreciated their Special units.

Desert I, General Scwartzkoph didn't know how to deploy special units. Not until 5th Grp starting showing up with better Intel then the MI, did he finally admit, "SF contributed more to the war then any other single unit". Funny, from a guy who knew of SF in Vietnam. Same with Gen. Powell.

Nothing changes.

I think there is a positive correlation between people with personal intergrity/courage and those who wish others do well in selection. FWIW

Different Path, Similar Results
 

Note: I came from a CS unit (MP) initially, so this is another example that the reactions aren't limited to combat arms.

When I decided to finish my degree and join ROTC as an enlisted man, my NCOs ribbed me about "going to the dark side" and losing a good NCO but said that my prior experience would make me a better officer. Some of my fellow lower enlisted, for whatever reason, seemed a little more sincere with their "dark side" comments.

After commissioning and putting in my packet for Selection, I again got mixed reactions from my unit. Those at BN and higher seemed impressed and wished me good luck, my CO and others did the same, while at least one in my PLT was overheard calling me a Judas.

I keep all of those comments with me as I progress, and use them as positive inspiration to complete a lifelong goal. I feel that those who understood my motivation are the ones who wished me well. The source of negativity came from those who were new to the unit, didn't know my history and may have looked at me as abandoning them/the unit they loved.

yeah, it's funny how conventional units will resent you until they need you. I'm sure the incoming units that see SF guys in theater think we are a bunch of "cowboys" or frown on our unconventional ways of doing EVERYTHING, but in Afghanistan, our ODA built really good rapport with the units around us.... and you better believe, that if a unit got in a TIC or hit an IED, we were the first guys that would get notified. The only unit in the entire province that was out crushin skulls was the ODA, and we started getting this reputation of being the big brother to come to when units couldn't deal with their own crap. It got to the point that our team commander had to tell other units that we are not "Hired Muscle" and that SF is not a support unit for support units. Either way, most of the units liked working with us, and the rapport we built with the Medevac unit essentially saved one of our guys life when he was wounded. The Medevac birds broke all kind of protocol to evac our WIA because of the relationship we had established with them.

A trend that I have found, is that most units hate SF guys in garrison, but love us down range. I would also state there there are a lot of SF guys that are great soldiers down range, but their "unconventional" attitude gets translated as unprofessionalism in garrison.

The other source of contension is that most conventional units don't understand why we do the things we do, or why we are more likely to accept greater risk to accomplish our mission. That lack of understanding becomes animosity.

FUnny you mention this. I still keep in touch with the CSM mentioned above, and just a week or so ago on the phone he reiterated to me that I need to always remember that "Professionalism" is never about how shiny(or clean) your boots are, or how crisp those ugly ACU's look, but how well you do what you do.

I would rather eat at a great restaurant with haggerd looking staff than a shitty restaurant whose staff all wear tuxedos and speak french.

I thought it was just the beret and once the big army all got berets too they would be happy and feel all warm and fuzzy.
Guess not.:munchin