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I think there may have been a misconception with the post that I previously made.
Yes, I am pursuing a 18x contract, I am graduating from Texas A&M in May and I have been in AROTC for four years, so it would have made sense to be an officer right? (although its not uncommon for cadets here at A&M to get out of AROTC and become Special Forces soldiers, there have been around five or ten guys every year that go for it and it is also mentioned in the book "Chosen Soldier". (an SF book written by a SEAL sounds so strange to me))
However, I decided not to commission as a 2LT because I felt that I can pursue a real dream for me in Special Forces. If I wanted to "pad my resume" than I would have stuck with an avenue of approach that gave me a greater opportunity to be a higher rank.
Now the notion of someone losing their "long tab" from leaving their group was first addressed to me from a 18A in Ft. Bragg who was getting certified for something to do with doing inventory with a private companies and he was in the class with my wife who is stationed there, but that is hardly the main point of the question that I posted and I only used that information as credibility in my post.
I know for a fact that soldiers go to OCS from Special Forces after four or five years, because I've talked to some of the soldiers that changed branches completely (to infantry),and it mentions career paths in a lot of Special Forces books such as Masters of Chaos.
I feel that the option to do that would be available to me IF I make it through the rigorous test that is SFAS, I think the first thing one of the A&M grads said to me that also went that route (he got selected last November as an 18D learning Chinese) was "Just know the training only gets harder after you get selected"
Just because it was AVAILABLE however, does not mean that is what I want to do. Y'all are right, I have no idea what group is like or if I'm going to stay with my unit for 20 years. My wife wanted to know If it was possible to go to OCS after or before my commitment, but before I would be even consider that option, the last thing I would want to do is burn bridges with the ODA.
I understand that many of you feel that I am rushing my thought process and I should only be focused on the 50m target or whatever form or fashion that you are going to throw that analogy at me, just know that I am focused and this question is to make my wife at peace. This information is pertinent for her location for her Grad School as a Physician's Assistant. Due to the requirements, what y'all say may change her course of action immediately.
You gentlemen, are a resource, not the selection board (unless some of you are on the selection board), so that is why I am coming to you. I'm asking for help and you all are literally 1000+ years of Special Forces experience. Trust me when I say that when I am given an order from the people directly above me in my chain of command I will try my best to pull a "Message to Garcia".
But for now I would like to know if going to OCS after YEARS in an ODA will burn bridges with your unit. (I also understand the age limit for OCS)
Again, Thank You For Your Service
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