[Green Light]

Originally Posted by spherojon

WD,

You hit the nail on the head. I have hit a shoulder setback while stationed at Fort Living Room. My brother preached to me over and over again, that the goal is to be the best at what ever I do and focus on the 25m target. He told me that I should just get my foot in the door first (as a 68w or 11b) to see if I even liked the army, let alone SF. I think a lot of 18xer's sign up, having no real idea what SF is, or what they are getting into. It's a uphill battle, and the odds are stacked against you. Going 18x you take a giant leap, instead of going 11b and progressing to Airborne, and if you like it progress to SF or Ranger.

The two sides of the coin that I find myself at is, 1) 18x is a great opportunity for a civilian to join the ranks of SF. The odds are stacked against you, but if you decide this route, then mentally you must have a zen like focus. If at one point you doubt, and think "what if I dont...." then you are not prepared (speaking for myself). But failure trying to make SF is not failure at all, you get to join the ranks of Airborne or Leg troopers. 2) You join the Army as 11b or 68w or whatever, and gradually work your way up. You're progress isn't as fast as 18x, but you progress in stages none the less. Eventually you will make it to your goal, or you can decide that being Airborne is where your home is.

Personally, I think some 18xer's that are joining lately have a screwed sense of reality. They want a quick route instead of the best route for themselves to their goals. To me, being SF isn't about the Hollywood image shooting a gun from the hip, its about the brotherhood, its about helping those that cant help themselves, making the world a better place one hell hole at a time. Its about living in 3rd world countries, eating, drinking, and sharing a bed with the populace of those 3rd world countries 6-9 months at a time. Personally, I just see a lot of young 20 something year old's entering 18x with no clue what it even means to be SF.

This is just my opinion, take it for what its worth.

P.S. Warning to future 18xer's, don't confuse cocky arrogance for real confidence.

I can't emphasize enough how steep the learning curve was. I was a REP 63 who was lucky enough (and I DO MEAN lucky) to be invited to an active duty team. I thought that I was ready to go after SFQC but had YEARS of learning to do on just the conventional Army stuff. TTPs aren't something you just read in a book and apply. Infantry tactics, our trade and craft with the indig, has to be mastered. Once you get about 5 years under your belt, you're probably about there. If you come to SF "flat-footed" with no background, you're already behind.

That, and other things need to be factored into someone's decision to come to SF. I appreciate your honest self assessment. BTW, cocky arrogance will get you nowhere. Those guys assessing you can see the difference in a second.

Best of luck. I hope it works out for you!