[mattshack]

Quiet professionals,

Ok, well firstly may I say that I am honoured to be in your company, and secondly congratulate you on a great site, witch proves to be valuable area of information for people like myself, and is an indeed proof of the utmost professionalism of witch you as a regiment pride yourselves on upholding.

Who am I? Ok, I am a British Paratrooper currently living in the UK. I joined the Parachute Regiment back in 1997 (as you can see from my profile). I had five great years in 2 Para and was lucky enough to serve with good guys in some bad places such as N Ireland, Macedonia, N Africa, and Afghanistan.

At that point I decided to go a little more specialised by joining the unit that I currently serve with. To do that I first had to pass the selection cadre that runs yearly in the Welsh mountains. This course runs over six weeks and consists of:
• A two week land navigation course culminating in a 69km march.
• One week SOP, advance force tactics.
• One week advance force range package.
• Two week final EX culminating with conduct after capture EX.

Once I completed this faze I was then placed on probation for twelve months and constantly tested whilst I practiced, practiced and practiced again to master the basics before I carried out my continuation training. Some of the highlights of this were completing my HALO/HAHO training, Demo basics, Medical advance force trauma school, and hospital attachments, Small arms and heavy weapons up to battalion level.

What the f@@k am I doing on your site? It was about this period that I came into contact (whilst deployed to the box in 2003) with an ODA. Though I had little to do with them, and new even less about them (except that they were USSF) they still left a lasting impression in my mind. I am naturally inquisitive and got talking to a few of the guys. We took the crap out of each other, had a great laugh and that was that.

It wasn’t until three years later that I next came into contact with a team. This time we shared a FOB in a different box (same enemy). This team had a massive effect on my views on soldiering. Though I still new nothing of you “quiet professionals” I liked what I saw. When the sh@t hit the fan and we had TIC or good guys down the ODA was the first to offer assistance, on too many occasions. Great Ethos!

Once I got back from that tour I set about my research of the 1st SF Regiment, again I liked what I saw. The creed, the small team emphasise, the team set up, the 18 series MOS, the ethos, the overall will to succeed and unrelenting professionalism that the Regiment displays is very appealing to me as a soldier.

Now, I am not one for big bold statements so I’m not going to sit here and tell you how I’m going to breeze through SFAS or start asking you bone questions about the housing at Bragg before I’ve even past the ASVAB, nor am I going to start asking you for some super secret way in witch I can somehow get through the Q course and to a group, then live off the reputation of others, without having to even break a sweat.

What I am going to do is work my butt off to CONTINUE THE FIGHT…