For potential SFQC students
 

I'd like to take a minute and impart some wisdom on anyone considering attendance at the SFQC.

Between tours in the 10th Group, I spent 3 years working out at Cp Mackall. I was a Cadre Team Sergeant (walker) for 5 cycles and the reaminder of the time I was Senior Instructor of Phase II.

Essenentially there were 2 questions I would ask myself when considering a grade of any student. If I could answer yes to both of these questions, then ussually everything fell into place for a passing grade. Nothing fancy here.....

1) Can I trust him? Probably the most important thing you can bring to Special Forces is a strong character. Never lie, cheat, or steal. There is no use for someone that I cannot trust.

2) Is he trainable? The CTS at Phase II will teach the students several simple SOPs. Can you as a student take what you've been shown in a short period of time, and apply it when tired, hungry, and under preassure? Are you trainable.

Asside from that there are a few areas that all potential students should spend the time required to master basic skills prior to attendance. Basic skills of shoot, move, and communicate are really all that is needed at this level, and your character and attitude will really determin the rest.

1. Shoot: Marksmanship is a task that very few units in the army really practice enough to be proficient. 9 rounds to zero and 40 to qual annually are the standard for most units. Unfortunately there is a great deal more information available, if studied and applied to make you a marksman. I think it was Jeff Cooper that said haveing a gun makes you no more of a gunfighter than having a piano makes you a musician. Moral of the story, learn to be proficient with issue weapons. Begin with FM 23-9, chapters 2-6 which focuses on basic rifle marksmanship. Learn to apply these fundamentals and leave the cool and sexy stuff for after your tabed and attending special schools, (and even then, these basics are the framework for success).

2. Move: Here I'd start with the rarely read FM 21-75, Combat Skills of the Soldier. This manul covers many tasks that most gunfighters take for granted, such as use of cover and concealment, cammoflage, and indivudual movement techniques. If you can apply what is covered in this book, youll be able to easilly apply to a maneuvering element in the field.

3. Communicate: Show up knowing how to operate simple US Army radio systems, PRC-119, PRC-126, PRC-148.

4. Common Tasks: You should be proficient at the SMCT but the follwoing I'd reccomend for attendance at Phase II:

Assemble, Dissasemble, Load, Fire, Engage Targets with, & Reduce Stoppages on the M4, M9, M203, M249, M240B, MK19, & M2 HB MG, (the last 2 arent required at Phase II but they are machine guns and lets face it machine guns are just cool!)

........A brief side note. If you study the tasks above and are proficeint with those weapons systems, you'll know that the SAW and 240MGs fire from the open bolt. There is absolutely no way to slowly let the bolt forward while the weapon is loaded without firing a round. I had to counsel at least one student per class that had an "AD" with a MG and he was always "just riding the bolt forward".....KNOW these weapons systems!



Prepare the M136 (AT4) for firing, and restore it to carrying configuration

Employ the M18A1 Claymore mine

Basic First Aid tasks (ABCs)

Navigate while dismounted
Navigate while mounted

This is not an all encompassing list of what you are expected to perform at Cp Mackall, its just a start. These are things you should be proficient in when you show up.

HTH

mp

OUTSTANDING advice from a man who definitely knows what he is talking about!

Thanks for sharing, the SF student you train today may be the SF soldier pulling security for you in the Box next trip.

Excellent info. Be aware that much of that info can be found in sub-courses, MOS libraries, or in the FMs and TMs on line at the Army Digital Library.

TR

Thank you very much for that post and to TR as well for adding some additional ways to get this info. As I won't be getting the added benefit of Infantry OSUT but instead attending a communications MOS at AIT. I really appreciate being pointed in the right direction. I plan on spending any and all free time while in the pipeline learning as much as I can outside of what is taught to me directly. So far I've stuck with FM7-8 as well as the Ranger Handbook for a broad overall not to mention I don't want to get ahead of myself.

Thanks again....

FG

Both are great references to use, and you'll use them throughout the SFQC as you become an "Aposlte of Fire and Maneuver".

The references that I listed cover those skills required prior to the application of tactics covered in either 7-8 or RHB. Tasks like how to properly walk on patrol, how to select where to place your feet to move with stealth, how to select a route while moving from cover to cover. Those things are not covered in 7-8 or RHB, and since you are not attending 11B AIT, chances are you wont be skilled in these areas..

check it out......http://www.adtdl.army.mil/cgi-bin/at.../21-75/toc.htm

mp

Thanks for the advice and references, they're a great help. I only wish I had a little more time to study it all before I ship out June 1st. I'll have to be sure and use free time at Airborne to get as much of this down as possible. Once again, thank you!

Thanks for that link as well. Great stuff!

take care....
FG

Good advice, especially since they are no longer allowing students to recycle Phase II under the new "get rid of the dirtbags" program.

Thats news to me. Good news!

In accordance with the regulation, everyone isnt entitled to multiple attempts to pass a phase. Recycles were only supposed to be afforded to those with extenuating circumstances. Somewhere along the line (years before my time) in an attempt to increase the number of students continuing forward, and thus out to the Groups, recycles pretty much became automatic to those that showed the ability to learn, and were of good character.

I dont look at it like its getting rid of dirtbags though. Many quality guys that come through the course just arent the right guy for this job. This job isnt for everyone. I'd like to have been a professional football player, but I was never big or fast enough to get a college schollarship. That doesnt mean I'm a dirtbag, just that I had to find another carreer path.

By the way, I think that the majority of the "dirtbags" have always been flushed out along the way through the pipeline. Sure some lesser quality individual slip through, as they do in virtually every type of school, but the gates established in training do an adequate job of vetting the force at the entry level.

mp

I agree that many of the guys that didn't make it were good guys and there were even some that got releived that didn't deserve it, but it also seemed like many of the people that slipped through selection got whacked at Phase II. then again, it is not my place to or position to judge who should and should not be there. At any rate, the "get rid of the dirtbags" phrase was quoted from a certrain 1SG out at Mackall and was meant tongue in cheek at least in part. Don't mean to be stepping on my crank here.

I've read this over and over. Great post MFF.

You Sluggos don't know how lucky you are to have this kind of info available before you go. I would have killed for something like PS.com

I am curious about something....and if you feel it does not apply here please move it.

I was trainied on most if not all of the weapons mentioned, with the exception of the claymores. I was wondering why the AF SF no longer teaches the use and deployment of claymores. I have spoken to some other folks about this...(I will not mention any names) and have been told that they are not necessarily as effective as they are touted to be.
We used to be trained on setup and deployment of claymores, but we are no longer trained on those. I wonder why???

I believe that there is a common misconception about the lehtality of the claymore mine. When properly emplaced, they do exactly what they were made to do which is cover the deadspace that crew served weapons cannot cover.

They are not a stand alone weapons system to be relied upon to kill the enemy.

The way they are employed in the Phase II is in addition to an M240 MG, 2x M249 SAWs, and a minimum of 5 x M4s in an ambush assault line. When properly emplaced approximatley 10 meters from the killzone, 15 meters apart, and aimed in accordance with the guidance for either model of claymore, they do a pretty good job of covering any area not covered by the individual sectors of fire.

Again, they are designed to be used in conjuntion with other weapons in order to be effective.

just my .02

mp

Out standing post with great information!!!. I remember you from phase 2 in 2001. If my memory serves me correct you were in C co.

Claymores
 

Just my .02 on claymores. I think they are a hellofa weapon for small teams. We used them extensively in a lot of different ways.

One thing we learned to employ them very close to the team by offsetting the firing angle from the team. We used them with 1 minute time fuses for when you are being pursued. I especially liked to wire them up with WP for nighttime use..!

The Karen Army manufactures their own and uses them extensively against the Burmese Army. The do a lot of claymore ambushes. I agree that sometimes the leathality is a bit overrated, but usually it has to do with the method of deployment (i.e. not picking a clear shot area).

I certainly would never go out without several of them!

Does this mean that claymores would be wasted in mechanical ambush?

ccrn