DISCOVERY CHANNEL - SFAS
 

Announced today.

Richard

Thanks for the heads up Richard.

I went thru the last easy class, myself. Actually gained weight during Phase I patrolling.

The only hard part was the day one ruck run with Bad Bob Howard. Lotta guys bounced the gate hard that night!

Thanks, will check it out.

I hadn't realized SFAS is now down to 2 weeks.

QP Richard, excellent find, I will definitely check it out, thank you.

Still three weeks
 

Thanks for the heads up Richard!

SFAS is still three weeks. I am awaiting orders for the January SFAS and it is still the 23 day course. Discovery must have filmed this during the time frame when SFAS was two-weeks and decided to keep it titled "Two weeks in Hell", rather than update the title to be more current.

CK

I was in Camp Mackall when they were filming this. One afternoon I'm running PT with my German Shepherd along the airfield and I saw their cameras film the students running there as well. I think my dog and I ruined the shot. But, I was wearing 7th SFG PTs ... :)

I saw a rough cut edition of it. Seemed well done, there was no narration in the version I saw. But there were a lot of candidates throwing up during log PT:lifter

I wish that I were young again and had the chance to go through SFAS just to experience it. In the old days we had pre-phase and I seem to remember it consisting of three weeks of tortuous PT in addition to some insane rucking and also some abbreviated land navigation training.

Should be interesting, thanks Richard.
AM

Ah... The fresh stench of puke in the pit during pre-jump. Yum.

That's just chumming.

One of the few times it is good to be short is under the log.

TR

I don't suppose it showed them putting their weakness in their pockets did it, I can’t imagine that would make for good tv! :D

After reading this, I think I need to read Lt Col Joe's book,,

Just to be prepared to watch the show... :D:eek::D:eek:

Thanks Richard..

I saw the previews for this and man. One guy had a bloody nose that was gushing. It looks like a good eye-opening show.

Crockett18

SFAS on television
 

I hope the presentation reflects the serious stress inducement and testing/evaluation that is taking place, perhaps by looking "over the shoulder" of the evaluators as they pull out clipboards/notepads, take notes and point out the motivational, leadership and stamina skills present or lacking in the candidates.

It would be too easy to simply describe "two/three weeks of hell" and make it look like an out of control frat party hazing, or a meaningless "manly-men doing manly things in manly ways" rite of passage instead of a finely tuned ASSESSMENT that has led to a pipeline of the finest UW warriors the world has ever known.

(And no, being a gray hair, I didn't have to go through SFAS. Ours was a less structured -- but I believe no less intensive and demanding -- individual selection process).

Wonder if they will give us a good look at "Nasty Nick", I attempted to look for videos of it on youtube, my efforts were in vain.

...just to experience it
 

im glad im not young and dont have to experience it again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjrWkLPqUZs

I am sure there are parts that will never see public light of day. But here is the preview. Go to the Discovery Channel website and search for "Two weeks in Hell"

http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/two-...asty-nick.html

a thought on specops and worldwide coverage
 

I bet a lot will agree...Im not sure how advantageous it is to reveal things like SFAS...even edited. Whats the purpose....recruitment? I remembering talking to Discovery producer Gordon Forbes during shooting of the 3 night, 10 hour SEAL special about differences in USSF and SEALs...he never did get it. Some people think only one way...entertainment first.

90% of the anxiety, fear, and despair while going into things like BUDs, SFAS, is not knowing whats going to happen. Was for me at least.

Nice to know these days all you have to do is pop on the tube before your trip to Bragg and get a good idea for what awaits you.

Discovery Channel will benefit from this, but how does the Regiment?

I don't know. I'm sure a lot of the older guys and old school guys will not like it. The cynic in me is saying "What's the point?". But I'm going to have to watch it and judge then. It seems like it's going to dampen some of the mysticism surrounding SFAS and SF.

Ultimately, it's cheap entertainment. I know I will be sitting from the comfort of my couch watching, laughing, drinking a beer and saying "Oh, that sucks".

more
 

exactly....and to me that takes a lot from the mystic and respect those organizations hold in their selection process. Nobody should know anything about it..until you're in it :)

Agreed, OTOH, It could also spur someone that could end up being an asset to SF into attending SFAS. It is very much, in some respects the Sword of Damocles.

I'm glad I'm old and never had to experience it at all..................:rolleyes::eek::p

Big Teddy :munchin

the sword
 

I'm not sure about the Sword of Damocles, but if someone needs a hollywood-ized special to spark their interest, may not be the right person. With that said, there's a lot of guys out there that were inspired by Robin Moore, etc. The difference is, the newer versions in my opinion give to much access to the real process.

Interesting thread.

I did a search but was unable to identify the year that SFAS was initiated.

Just curious.

Somewhere around 1988 or so, initially as SFOT, which became SFAS.

It was a real gut check back then, culminating in an ungodly ruck march back to Bragg.

TR

So what did you guys do before then, to 'get selected' and what was the 'selection'?
AM

Shows my age.

When I went to Mackall, it was called the Sword of Demosthenes.

;)

Before SFAS was enacted SF candidates went through three weeks of "pre-phase" training. Maybe it wasn't as intense as SFAS but I still saw a number of people quit. I also saw a lot of people quit or fail during the SFQC, especially during the land navigation portion of Phase I. After completing the SFQC I can remember some of the younger guys that I went through with getting kicked off of teams or thrown out of Group for doing stupid things. It could be that "selection" in Special Forces continues until the day that you retire.

They washed somewhere around 50% of the class out during pre-Phase, as noted, and then my class lost another 50% of the remainder at Phase I. Some more were lost during Phase II, though most were recycled, and a few were busted in Phase III.

I believe that my class had around a 20% graduation rate.

The real issue was that people would apply for SF and PCS to the SFQC, then fail the PT test on Day 1. Then they were assigned to any available MOS and rank position on Bragg. An unsurprising number of people used that technique to get out of unpleasant and overseas assignments and get back to Bragg. Some more than once.

TR

So let me do the math on this one,,,,

100% - 50% during pre-Phase = 50%. Then you lost another 50% in Phase 1, = 0%, then you lost more in Phase III,,,,?

I'll just stop asking questions now,,,,,,

:D:D:D:D:

You were not the math whiz in school, were you?

100-50%=50.

50-50%=25.

25-20%=20.

TR

I would bet the house that this has something to do with bringing in more guys.

Thanks TR, I realize that what you went through and the current SFAS are probably quite different. I am sure each, in its own way, was 'difficult'.
If you had to do it all over again, and, could chose. Which of the two would
you pick?
AM, who is eternally curious.

Looks like SFAS has changed to a more PRC or Ranger School approach. I went to SFAS prior to 9-11 and I don't remember anyone yelling (except for the primary instructor on the bull horn) at all to include during log and rifle PT. I was expecting SFAS to be like PRC and Ranger School with the smoke sessions. I definately liked the more relax mode of SFAS but it still was a gut check course.

Phase II was like a mini Ranger School with the smoke sessions. RIP SFC Tessar (CTS).

AM,

Not speaking for TR,but after reading get "Selected" the old way wasn't easy but not as it is now................... ;)

Big Teddy :munchin

Don't know how tough the old courses were compared to today - but as a Medic and looking at the start-drop-add-drop-add-drop-add-drop-add-drop-add-drop rate of all phases of our training - our class graduated 12 medics of nearly 200 program entrants (a few of which were recycled into another MOS).

And so it...went...;)

Richard's $.02 :munchin

Nothing with you guys is ever 'easy'. :D