Anyone else shipping out to Benning on the 3rd of September? I'd like to see if I can meet some people on here before I get there. I'm going in as 11b with option 40.

I am too! I ship from Knoxville, TN.

Thats awesome! I'm coming from Summersville, WV. So you're going in at E-4? Thats cool.

quote:

Originally posted by 15129567:
Thats awesome! I'm coming from Summersville, WV. So you're going in at E-4? Thats cool.

Yes sir. I will be an E-4 during BCT, then off to OCS. I really want to do Airborne too! I can't wait! I'm just trying to get things finished up here. I have to sell my car before I leave.

SPC Kornhaus

Very nice, OCS is a great way to go.

So your gonna do Ranger School? I want to do that as well, but that depends on which MOS I get branched in. I won't know that till after OCS.

Ahhhh gotcha. Well I hope you get to go to Ranger school Crash. Personally I'm planning on using it as a stepping stone to my ultimate goal of getting into Special Forces as a Weapons Sergeant.

quote:

Originally posted by 15129567:
Personally I'm planning on using it as a stepping stone to my ultimate goal of getting into Special Forces as a Weapons Sergeant.

You don't need it. You can try out for SF anyway. In fact a Private from my old unit just tried out and passed SFAS. He was never anything more than a straight leg Infantryman before that.

quote:

Originally posted by 15129567:
Ahhhh gotcha. Well I hope you get to go to Ranger school Crash. Personally I'm planning on using it as a stepping stone to my ultimate goal of getting into Special Forces as a Weapons Sergeant.

Thanks! I hope you get to reach your goal!

Whats your last name? That's what we will know each other by in BCT I guess

quote:

Originally posted by runfuret:

quote:

Originally posted by 15129567:
Personally I'm planning on using it as a stepping stone to my ultimate goal of getting into Special Forces as a Weapons Sergeant.

You don't need it. You can try out for SF anyway. In fact a Private from my old unit just tried out and passed SFAS. He was never anything more than a straight leg Infantryman before that.

Well I'm 18 right now and I believe you arent allowed to apply for it until your at least 20. If I'm wrong please tell me but I'm pretty sure thats the requirement.

Scott Boso
There, I just answered two questions at once SCORE! lol

SPC Steven Kornhaus here!

So are you ready? What are you taking, just the things on the packing list? Or anything else?

Yeah I'm taking the listed things, but there is no way I'm taking anything extra. And yes for the most part I am ready for it, could be in better shape but I know they'll give me the training I need.

quote:

Originally posted by 15129567:

quote:

Originally posted by runfuret:

quote:

Originally posted by 15129567:
Personally I'm planning on using it as a stepping stone to my ultimate goal of getting into Special Forces as a Weapons Sergeant.

You don't need it. You can try out for SF anyway. In fact a Private from my old unit just tried out and passed SFAS. He was never anything more than a straight leg Infantryman before that.

Well I'm 18 right now and I believe you arent allowed to apply for it until your at least 20. If I'm wrong please tell me but I'm pretty sure thats the requirement.

Scott Boso
There, I just answered two questions at once SCORE! lol

No age requirements. You just have to be a SPC to SSG. Im not saying don't try out for Ranger. If you pass it would be great for your career either way. But you dont NEED it. Nor would it get you any special consideration for being sent to SFAS.

Special Forces
AR 614-200
http://www.bragg.army.mil/specialforces/

Special Forces assignments (policy and selection criteria)
a. Male soldiers (SPC through SSG) desiring to volunteer for SF duty should contact the Special Operations
Recruiter Detachment (SORD) (Commander, USAJFKSWC, ATTN: AOJK–SP–R, FT Bragg, NC 28307–5200. Direct inquiries to the recruiting center; comm: 910–432–1818 or DSN: 239–1818) provided they—

(1) Are high school graduates or have general education development (GED) certificates.

(2) Are airborne–qualified, or are qualified for and volunteer to attend airborne training.

(3) Are not under suspension of favorable personnel actions. (See AR 600–8–2.)

(4) Do not have any lost time under 10 USC 972 within current or preceding enlistment. A waiver for up to but no
more than 30 days lost time will be considered for exceptional circumstances.

(5) Have not been convicted by court–martial or have disciplinary action under UCMJ, Art. 15, in their OMPF. This
provision can only be waived in special circumstances by CG, USAJFKSWCS.

(6) Have not received a bar to reenlistment.

(7) Have not been terminated from SF, ranger, or airborne duty, unless termination was due to medical release or
voluntary termination due to compelling exceptional circumstances that were—

(a) Documented at the time of the termination

(b) Endorsed by the chain–of–command.

(8) Pass the SF and the survival, evasion, resistance, escape (SERE) medical examination (including EKG) under
AR 40–501 and meet the body fat composition requirements in AR 600–9.

(9) Can meet the SF Assessment and Selection Course (SFASC) prerequisites in DA Pam 351–4.

(10) Are a US citizen.

(11) Are able to score and maintain a minimum of 229 on the APFT, with no less than 60 points in each event,
using the standards for age group 17–21.

(12) Are able to reclassify from current MOS into CMF 18

(13) Meet the criteria for time in service (TIS) and time in grade (TIG).

(a) SPC – SSG must have no more than 14 years TIS when volunteering for SFASC

(b) Soldiers in the grade of SFC must be Ranger or Airborne qualified, have no more than 9 months TIG and 12
years TIS when volunteering for SFASC. Soldiers must attend SFAS within 90 days of volunteering and be able to
begin the SFQC within 6 months of completing SFASC.

b. Soldiers must successfully complete the SFAS course before they can attend the SFQC. Soldiers will attend the
course in a TDY and return status and normally attend at anytime; however, the following exceptions apply:

(1) Soldiers on OCONUS AIs must have their career branch’s approval to attend but will not be scheduled for
SFQC until completion of their prescribed tour.

(2) Soldiers on AIs to dependent–restricted short tour may attend SFAS if a deferment is not required but will not
be scheduled for SFQC until completion of their prescribed tour.

(3) Soldiers who volunteer for SFAS prior to receiving AIs will be deferred to allow attendance at the SFAS course.
Graduates’ assignment to the SFQC will take precedence over any assignment conflict provided the soldier volunteered for SFAS prior to receiving AIs.

(4) Soldiers who volunteer for SFAS prior to receiving deployment orders will be deferred to allow attendance at
the SFASC provided their unit has not requested and received an exception to policy for operational needs. Soldiers
volunteering for SFASC after receiving deployment orders will deploy with their unit.

c. Upon successful completion of the SFAS course, soldiers will be evaluated for placement in the most applicable
SFQC. Soldiers will be rescheduled for SFQC, as required, through the USAJFKSWCS SFQC coordinator and
AHRC–EPA–I–S. Prerequisites for the SFQCs are in DA Pam 351–4. Soldiers will be scheduled for the next available SFQC provided—
(1) A second PCS in the same fiscal year is not required for OCONUS–based soldiers.

(2) Soldiers who are CONUS–based have completed at least 12 months TOS prior to PCS to school.

d. Soldiers must obtain at least an interim secret clearance (based on initiation of a national agency check (NAC))
prior to starting the SFQC and be able to obtain a final secret clearance prior to graduation.

e. Upon successful completion of the SFQC, graduates will—

(1) Be credited with PLDC and BNCOC attendance as applicable.

(2) Attend the SF Basic Military Language Course (BMLC). However, this may be waived if the soldier demonstrates
proficiency to an interagency language roundtable (see AR 611–6) rating of 1/1 in one or more languages.
Soldier must take the Defense Language Aptitude Battery prior to attendance at BMLC.

(3) Attend and successfully complete the SERE Level C (high risk) course.

f. Upon successful completion of SFQC, service–remaining obligation for CMF 18 duty is 24 months. (See para
4–6h(2).) For soldiers who attend the SF BMLC, the remaining active duty service obligation will begin upon
completion of the SF BMLC and SERE course.

g. Voluntary requests for reclassification may be submitted after completion of 24 months in a CMF 18 duty
assignment. However, soldiers will not be released from CMF 18 duty assignment or scheduled for training prior to
completion of 36 months SF duty.

h. All requests for deletion or deferment for soldiers on assignment instructions in CMF 18 must be submitted to
HRC for approval.

i. Soldiers will be terminated from SF duty, CMF 18 MOS withdrawn, and reported for reclassification and
assignment when—

(1) They request termination from SF duty or airborne status.

(2) They refuse to jump from an aircraft while it is airborne.

(3) Their security clearance is withdrawn.

(4) They lose physical qualifications.

(5) They fail to fulfill professional requirements or are found unsuitable, as evidenced by any of the following (not
all inclusive):

(a) Civil convictions (whether or not an appeal is pending resolution) for a felony offense or an offense involving
moral turpitude or any other conviction for civilian criminal offenses that result in suspended or unsuspended
punishments of more than six months confinement or a fine in excess of $5,000.

(b) Initiation of any adverse administrative elimination action for reasons specified in AR 635–200.

(c) Repeated failure to perform MOS– or ASI–related duties after counseling and rehabilitative reassignment.

(d) Any other act or series of acts inconsistent with the integrity, professionalism, and conduct required of a SF
soldier.

(6) They do not attend the Basic Military Language Course (unless previously language–qualified) and attend and
successfully complete the SERE Level C (high risk) course.

j. Soldiers terminated from SF duty will be reported as IA.

This is great news! But I'll still have to wait until I at least hit E-4.

Thats 26 months at the most. Do well, be fit, learn a lot and you could get a waiver and get it sooner. In the mean time I would use your time to get fit.

Thats the plan right now. I'm more than likely going to get to E-4 in 26 weeks. I dont mean to sound cocky or anything but I am going to put in the effort thats needed for that promotion. AND THEN SOME! Optimistcially I'll hit E-5 before my 4 year term is up.

There are certain requirements you have to meet before you can be promoted. Hard work is great, and will go a long way, but unless you have a degree there is no way you can be promoted to SPC in 26 weeks. See below.

Private (E-2) - Six months time-in-grade (TIG) as a private (E-1).
Private First Class (E-3) - Four months TIG as a Private (E-2) and 12 months time-in-service (TIS).
Specialist/Corporal (E-4) - 6 months TIG with 24 months TIS.

BTW, being a SGT within 4 years is a very doable thing. I got mine in about 3 years.

Wow I didnt even notice that I put 26 weeks. I meant to put 26 months, sorry about that.

No problem. If you are on the ball you could get it in 18 months with a waiver. Try for it.