After West Point

Riggy13

5-Year Member
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May 2, 2010
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I am a possible candidate for West Point and i was wondering could i become an officer in the Green Beret or Army Rangers after i graduate.
 
I am a possible candidate for West Point and i was wondering could i become an officer in the Green Beret or Army Rangers after i graduate.

Sure. You can do whatever you want in the Army, so long as you meet the qualifications and perform well enough to rate getting your choice.

However, you need to know that commissioned officers don't go into Special Forces until the rank of Captain. They don't want fresh second lieutenants (regardless of commission source); they want seasoned combat arms professionals.

By the way, don't call them "Green Berets;" they will quickly tell you that their hat is not their title, despite what the John Wayne movie of that name would have you believe. In general, someone who tells you he was a "Green Beret," probably did not actually serve in the Army Special Forces, unless he is using that term simply because he is speaking to someone who would otherwise not understand what he is saying.
 
By the way, don't call them "Green Berets;" they will quickly tell you that their hat is not their title, despite what the John Wayne movie of that name would have you believe. In general, someone who tells you he was a "Green Beret," probably did not actually serve in the Army Special Forces, unless he is using that term simply because he is speaking to someone who would otherwise not understand what he is saying.

That's not quite true. We frequently use the term interchangeably, but mostly around the office. The Company SGM often says "I need 2 Green Berets for this tasking." So it is a term that gets some usage. We also used "team guys" and "tabbed guys" and "SF guys," etc. Most guys identify themselves, at least internally, by their MOS. We say "He's a Bravo" or "That's the senior Delta on the ODB."

However, in the context of the original question, you would say you want to be an officer in the Special Forces, as it is a separate branch distinct from your previous branch. For the record, just so you know, you don't have to be an infantry officer to attend SFAS. Our current battalion commander was actually commissioned as a Chemical Officer.
 
That's not quite true. We frequently use the term interchangeably, but mostly around the office.

I guess times may have changed. Back when men were men and giants strode the Plain, no cadet would want to get caught by the SF NCO who was teaching him patrolling at Buckner referring to him by his hat. Likewise, in my flying days, I never heard any of the team members or operators I flew use the term. Maybe they just didn't like being called that by non-SF types and avoided using it themselves in mixed company. In any case, I still highly recommend that no candidate or cadet use it!
 
Special Forces

So are you sure i have to become a captain before i go into the special forces and if so how long will it take? Also can you tell me about the Army Rangers?
 
So are you sure i have to become a captain before i go into the special forces and if so how long will it take? Also can you tell me about the Army Rangers?

Yes, I am sure. Trust me on this one. You can assess as a LT, but you will not be accessed into the branch until you're a Captain and you've completed a career course, the SFQC to include the Alpha course.
 
Ranger assessment is conducted by the Regiment, and if I'm not mistaken is still called ROPE (which is different from RASP, the enlisted assessment). It will occur following successful PL time and application to the regiment.
 
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