SOF options/Branch/Officership/kicking doors

Felix Rosa

#Dream#Future#Success
Joined
Aug 31, 2015
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Hi, I was just wondering what brach or branches hold up more Spec Op opportunities for officers?My dream is to be a Green Beret 18A. But I'm also curious about other Spec Ops oportunities in the military. Maybe this can help others who are looking into the SA's and wanting to be SEAL's or PJ's. I've also been told that officers rarely get to "kick down doors" how true is this?Would an 18A be able to go out on missions wt his ODA, or will he be most occupied only on mannagement, planning, etc.
 
Question is: do you want your officer to be the first guy shot?

But of course, I don't really know.
 
Don't you want to be an 18A too? 18A's aren't made to sit behind a desk and crunch numbers and strategies. They're field officers. And going out to the field doesn't mean you're the first one to get shot. It isn't a movie or VG. There's always a risk in the military, and being infantry/ranger/SF is not the exception. There's still A LOT of years to cover before we hit that bridge. So there's no point in arguing on somethingas trivial as SF officer duties.
 
But you asked the question! Don't get down on the guy for answering if you don't like the answer. Every 18A I know is extremely smart and knows their job inside and out. They are also very humble and you would never notice them. I spent a lot of time living with those guys and admired their preparation, intelligence and humble attitude. Your job as an officer is to lead, communicate, make decisions, whether on a team or infrantry. As a guy on the teams or platoon or company commander, sure you will pull the trigger, but not like the other guys. Why? Because you could be calling for air, coordinating with another team to make sure you don't shoot each other, looking at a screen figuring out where a marked bad guy is, resupply, calmly for arty, talking a mortar pit, medevac, etc. There is so much technology and communication on the battlefield it is unbelievable. As an officer, you have to know it, how to use it. Communication within your team and outside your team will occupy a huge part of your time while in the field operating. Also as an officer your window to be 'that guy' is very small before you move on up to positions that become non-tactical. Who is the Ops officer, XO, commander? You will eventually and those guys aren't pulling triggers in the large majority of cases above company command. On the teams it's even smaller. You do your time, get promoted and move on. You won't be on a team operating forever and even infantry beyond company level you aren't doing a ton of maneuver unit stuff where you are really doing tactical things.

Have you read Lone Survivor? Those guys sat on OPs for weeks literally sitting and watching. Extremely hard and monotonous work. Not glamorous at all. Training foreign militaries is a huge part of the SF mission. That isn't exactly knocking down doors. You are right, it's not video games. It's great you are excited for the future, keep the enthusiasm, but realize the military is less video game coolness than you could ever imagine.
 
Thank you for your abundant explanation. I totally agree with everything you said, and I thank you for giving me/us your experienced insight. I know that an 18A won't be a door kicker forever, I completely underatand that fact and I still dream of earning my green beret some day. Till then, I have LOTS to learn about officership, communication and leadership. I'm eager to obtain that knowledge troughout West Point, and my carreer as an officer. I believe that one sjould better one's self every single day. So I thank you for the insight that you just provided about the reality of the military. I can't wait to get started, and I want to become a great leader some day. That's the whole reason that I'm going to West Point.
 
Thank you for your abundant explanation. I totally agree with everything you said, and I thank you for giving me/us your experienced insight. I know that an 18A won't be a door kicker forever, I completely underatand that fact and I still dream of earning my green beret some day. Till then, I have LOTS to learn about officership, communication and leadership. I'm eager to obtain that knowledge troughout West Point, and my carreer as an officer. I believe that one sjould better one's self every single day. So I thank you for the insight that you just provided about the reality of the military. I can't wait to get started, and I want to become a great leader some day. That's the whole reason that I'm going to West Point.
 
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