[The Reaper]

Text of the article, for when they drop it.

TR

"Special Forces training speeds up"

By Kevin Maurer
Staff writer

Special Forces trainees are still spending a lot of their training time learning to work with locals - an emphasis of the program from its inception.

But the current crop of students is devoting more time to building combat skills, a reflection of the probability that they will land in a firefight.

Special Forces soldiers are still hunting Taliban and al-Qaida fighters in Afghanistan and insurgents in Iraq. They are training local fighters in both countries.

The pace of deployments has prompted modifications to the Special Forces Qualification Course, enabling the Army to turn out more Green Berets faster.

The transformation began in October 2004, and changes in the program were apparent during recent training.

Phase II is the first step in the "Q-course," as Special Forces Qualification is called. The phase teaches students to be warriors - from hand-to-hand combat techniques and marksmanship to patrolling and ambushes.

Now, whole weeks are centered on marksmanship and urban combat - from clearing rooms to moving from building to building in a city. Overall, Special Forces soldiers shoot more rounds and spend more time in the field than in the past, the instructors said.

"The learning curve for these students is pretty steep. It is pretty fast-paced," said 1st Sgt. Bob Johnson. He helped design the Phase II curriculum.

Historically, Phase II was taught for six weeks, once a quarter. Now, the training is broken down into five six-day modules which resemble a college curriculum. Each module focuses on a specific task - such as patrolling techniques or urban fighting - and is taught by the same five to seven cadre members.

The latest class, which started last month, had about 400 students. The class is broken into 15-man teams - similar to the A-teams in which Special Forces soldiers operate when they deploy.

"They have to work together as a team and bond together," said Sgt. 1st Class Frank Enriquez, a stocky 37-year-old Special Forces veteran. It is his job to teach the basic soldiering skills.

Pfc. Taylor Ward, a 20-year-old from Vermont, said having experienced teammates is a huge asset.

Ward has been in the Army for less than a year. He was recruited through the X-ray program, which takes recruits straight into Special Forces training.

"Just hanging with these guys, I learn a lot," Ward said. "They have experience I don't have."

A lot of the students are like Ward. In the past, about 80 percent of Special Forces students came from the infantry, but now only about 20 percent do, Enriquez said.

Most of the students now come from support branches - mechanics, supply clerks and the like. Many worked with Special Forces soldiers while deployed and were attracted to the mission.

Sgt. Brandon Coleman was a mechanic fixing tanks at Fort Irwin, Calif., a few weeks ago. He was still getting the hang of the infantry in Special Forces training in August.

"This is Day Four and it feels like we've been here for weeks," said Coleman, who is 30.

After almost two hours of hand-to-hand combat training, Coleman had about an hour to rest and eat an MRE.

It was only 8 a.m.