Quote:
Originally Posted by cback0220
I am not an old guy yet or even a guy with alot of experience, but I graduated last year at 21. I got Selected way back when I was 18. If I were you I would go be an infantryman in Ranger Battallion and would come to SF when you are an E-5. If you were to do that you would learn a hell of a lot, and be on a better footing and be more of an asset to your team initially.
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VERY sound advice.
There is something to be said about a base of reference to increase your chance of success: When I went in right out of HS I was a commo guy assigned to an Infantry unit in the early 80’s. The CPT would lead me around the countryside by a handset. I was a city kid with no clue about tactics, land navigation, or shooting skills beyond basic trng. I did know when the 2LTs would get the company lost as frustrations would mount. I also knew that steak for chow and the words “movement to contact” meant nothing more to me than a long walk with that heavy tick on my back while the CPT carried nothing more than an LBE and a 1911; resentment builds in the 18 year old mind after 6 miles of walking in circles with a lost 2LT in front. I would sit in the CP tent during troop leading procedures (I had no idea that is what they were called at the time) watching the radio while those same 2LTs were making plans with the CPT reading from some little flip page “handbook”. I observed as he would coach those young leaders. It was great for me as over the next two years I got to hear and observe all of this over and over; groundhog day. I also got to hear stories from that CPT who was a QP, and was back in an Infantry unit to do his company command time; as this was prior to the days of SF being a branch. Those stories and his leadership inspired me and kindled the fire to do greater things. I had another great mentor who took me under his wings and in a very short time imparted some wisdom and equipped me with just enough to find my way in the darkness (literally).
I left the Infantry and went to SFQC when I was 22 years old. It was during one of the early classes on SUT when all of a sudden the 100 quadrillion-watt light bulb switched on…”THATS what those guys were talking about in that little CP tent”. Everything came together and suddenly my world made perfect sense. The course had its way with me at times, but in the end I wound up doing pretty well there; then the real journey for me began. A decade later that young CPT would go on to command 2/7th SFG before moving on again, and my land nav guru retired a little over a year ago as a CW5 and one of the most senior guys in 10th SFG. I took away many lessons from them, but none more important to me than having the patience to provide someone else with a “base of reference”, as they did with me. Can’t build a base or get mentored unless you march down that path first, then your chances for success increase exponentially.