Tips for the SF Student

[The Reaper]

This is a list of tips with dos and don'ts for those entering the SF Pipeline, let me just toss the first few up off the top of my head. Other personnel who have completed training please add to the list as you see fit.

o Prepare yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally for the Course. Do the five week PT prep, do not cheat or slack off. Show up at the peak of your game. When your buddies are out partying, stay back and go to the gym. When they are sleeping late, be out rucking. On the weekend when they are playing Nintendo, go out and run. Do not sign up unless you want to be SF more than anything in the world. Keep that thought and your head in the game. Do not worry about what else might be going on in the world outside training. Focus.

o Don't be late, don't be light, and don't be lost.

o Follow all instructions to the letter.

o Do the best that you can whether you think you are being evaluated, or not.

o Keep a positive frame of reference and a sense of humor at all times.

o Be a good leader, as well as a good follower.

o Offering a constructive suggestion once before a decision is made is helpful. Continuing to push it or bringing it up after the order is issued is counterproductive and marks you as a complainer.

o Help your friends any time you can. If the other guy is dragging ass, or having trouble humping team gear, what have you done to help him? Complaining about it or criticizing him will not help, and will mark you as a poor team player. Help your teammates succeed whenever possible. This will pay dividends on YOUR evaluation.

o Never be the first to sit down, or the last to get up. That extends to not being the first asleep, the last awake, or the first to break out chow.

o You will be training while it is raining, hot, cold, wet, dry, hungry, hurt, etc. Bear in mind that everyone else is experiencing the same things, and keeping your self-pity and snivels to yourself marks you as the kind of person we are looking for, and will not hurt you with your peers.

o Try not to get hurt. If you have a real injury beyond minor aches and pains, go see the Doc. People have completed the Trek/LRIM/etc. with broken bones and blisters covering their entire feet. Mind over matter, gents. Your body will press on as long as your mind tells it to. Once you start doubting yourself, it is all over.

o Do not worry too much before attending training about academic shortcomings. The best trainers in the world are SF soldiers. You will be taught everything you need to know in a crawl, walk, run methodology. You will be tested, and if you fail, retrained and retested.

o Do not worry about bringing the latest Gucci gear to training. make sure that what you bring is legal, proper, well broken in, and servicable. You can blow that bonus on gear after you get to a team.

o Make sure that your spouse supports you in your quest, and you can trust her to take care of business while you are gone. You will be gone a lot if you complete training, and you don't need to be distracted by thoughts of what she might be up to while you are out at Camp Mackall for a few weeks. Cold truth: if you can't trust her (or she can't trust you), DX her.

o Focus on the 25m. target. I would not worry excessively about my language training before completing SFAS, or my promotion opportunities in the various MOSes while still in High School.

o We do not need cocky or arrogant people. We are looking for "assured confidence". That means your ass can cash the checks your mouth is writing, and you do not boast unnecessarily about it.

o Do not self-select, let the instructors evaluate you. Do not assume that you have no hope of being selected because of your performance. Strange things happen.

o Complete the course. If nothing else, you will have learned what the course contains, be better prepared when you return, and will have learned that you cannot be broken. Quitting is one lesson that you do not want to acquire during your SF experience.

o The final and most important point is to NEVER EVER QUIT. Make the instructors have to physically remove you from the course and restrain you to put you on the truck back to Bragg. Make them have to carry you out on a stretcher. The next hill might be the last one. How will you feel if you quit with victory in your grasp?

You can be the Gray Man, but be sure that you ARE The Man and are still standing when all is said and done. Then you will need no excuses about what happened.

Good luck, men.

[Warrior-Mentor]

Holy necro-post! Had to resurrect this thread.

Recent Grads should dog pile on this to help our aspiring candidates...

[Spartan12]

Great Post. Thank You for your time to write this.

[Books]

I'd like to add one that I'm experiencing now: never be afraid to ask educated questions about what you're doing to insure you get the absolute most out of your training. Some of the training the Q has to offer is ONLY offered at SWTG and it comes to you very fast and then you move on. Sometimes you have the luxury of being well rested and enjoying the company of your peers. Other times you been lucky to average two - three hours a night for the last few weeks and you can't stand the sh_t head next to you (who just last week was yr best bud). Anger and frustration at your sometimes crappy situation should not preclude your getting the best training possible.

The next time you see the material might be down range and you don't want that time to be the moment when you say, "now how did I finish up this emergency amputation?" (10 ltrs NaCL, wet/dry, bulky dressing, traction on skin, move to higher if possible, granulation if not)

Training is a two-way street. The NCOs and a few Os teach you; you learn. Your involvement in that process is part and parcel of the phenomenon that is education. Essentially, one plus one equals five, or, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. You're one of those parts (as are your fellow students) and the better student you are, the better the experience will be for everyone.

So there it is: Be an involved, committed student of your chosen profession. Don't be afraid to ask questions, listen to the answers and drive on to the next objective.

Good luck!
Books

[MtnGoat]

• If you drink DO NOT DRIVE, if you drive don't drink.

BLUF: If your drinking and you can’t get a fat chic to get you back home, take a cab or if you don’t have money, call the SWTG Taxi. Use what Student Company gave you and what you were born with – Ur head, the big one!!

[Slantwire]

.

[nito8777]

I would like to add what a QP Friend of mine said to me. the first time I asked him for advice.

"dude all i ever did was ranger and sf stuff...and loved all of it... even when
it sucked... you know why?... because there is always someone sucking more then you...

couple things to remember... "P" is for plenty... follow the KISS Principle (keep it simple stupid)... theres no problem that can't be fixed with a high powered rifle.... you can't get ballistics off a bat... and the one that got me through most
shit.... just remember... your body will do 10 times more then your mind thinks
it will... so never quit..."

i thought it was good advice.

[scmarines9303]

Originally Posted by Books

I'd like to add one that I'm experiencing now: never be afraid to ask educated questions about what you're doing to insure you get the absolute most out of your training.

Great advice!! Wish more soldiers would ask questions like this!!! OUTSTANDING!!!

Edited by Razor: All that red gives me headaches

[SF_BHT]

[QUOTE=scmarines9303;207569]

Originally Posted by Books

I'd like to add one that I'm experiencing now: never be afraid to ask educated questions about what you're doing to insure you get the absolute most out of your training.

Great advice!! Wish more soldiers would ask questions like this!!! OUTSTANDING!!!

Young man what part of Read, Search and read more did you not get?

This is the 3rd time today that you are being told to ratchet it back and read.

Go directly to Go Jail and do not pass GO. Stop Posting and go in and Read all the sticky's (Without making comments) and in time you will be able to make an informed contribution to the board. This is a board of Professionals and not My Space. If you are intending to go the SOF way you are not showing very good Situational Awareness.

I would Highly Recommend you listen as I am one of the more patient QP's with this type of antics. One of the Admins may just boot you.

[akunochi]

For all the students. I'll give you my best advice I can.

Take your language seriously. You have no idea how it feels to have the worry of seeing graduation gone because you can't learn you language. Ask for help and dedicate the time. It's only 6 months of your life to put other things on hold.

Good boots. I strongly suggest staying away from those "SOPC" soles. Sure they are soft and squishy, but you will go through them almost once per phase. I highly recommend the belleville boots as they are comfortable and the ankle/sole holds up for awhile.

Practice packing your ruck prior to phase II. Get an idea of how to balance it properly and make important things easily accessible. FYI: Your woobie and sleeping bag or any other personal comfort stuff is not an important item. Socks, shirts, bullets, water, quick pocket snacks.

Pocket snacks: Cracker, peanut butter or anything else you can get quick high carb/protein energy off.

There's more and I'll be sure to follow up.

Thanks

SB