Hello all, new to the site. 20 Year old college graduate completed SFAS (18E Russian) and am currently in the Q course. You will see me prowl around and try to learn from here and maybe give out some advice. Happy Holidays!

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Originally posted by someguy18:
Hello all, new to the site. 20 Year old college graduate completed SFAS (18E Russian) and am currently in the Q course. You will see me prowl around and try to learn from here and maybe give out some advice. Happy Holidays!

Ho, you are me twenty years ago! Of course I'm sure that everything has totally changed since then. I am curious though, do they still teach IMC?

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twenty years ago! Of course I'm sure that everything has totally changed since then. I am curious though, do they still teach IMC?

I'm yet to reach the MOS phase (the pipeline is changed for us... language and everything comes before MOS phase) but as far as I know the course is still initiated with learning the true basics - like WWII basics.

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Originally posted by Shardik: I am curious though, do they still teach IMC?

No, the decision to discontinue that training was made some time ago (3-4 years ago).

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Originally posted by GreenSalsa:

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Originally posted by Shardik: I am curious though, do they still teach IMC?

No, the decision to discontinue that training was made some time ago (3-4 years ago).

Ok that means no leg keys, what about DMDG's?

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Originally posted by mythos3600:

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Originally posted by GreenSalsa:

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Originally posted by Shardik: I am curious though, do they still teach IMC?

No, the decision to discontinue that training was made some time ago (3-4 years ago).

Ok that means no leg keys, what about DMDG's?

No DMDG's went with the leg keys as well.......there are other systems out there covering the HF spectrum, that I will not name.


Oh welcome Rob...............

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the pipeline is changed for us... language and everything comes before MOS phase

That's a lot of training up front, what do they do with you if you bolo? Seems crazy to send a Chinese speaking SERE qualified guy to be an 11C back in leg-land.

More importantly if there is no more AIMC who is going to be the reigning Hacky Sack studs for 18 Series?

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Originally posted by Shardik:

That's a lot of training up front, what do they do with you if you bolo? Seems crazy to send a Chinese speaking SERE qualified guy to be an 11C back in leg-land.

Even crazier to send an SFMS and SERE q'd guy to leg land because he can't pass his language, which has happened.

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Originally posted by ranger1stbat:
More importantly if there is no more AIMC who is going to be the reigning Hacky Sack studs for 18 Series?

Another critical skill lost!!!!!!!!!

The best part of AIMC was the Hacky breaks!!!!!!

I think the only reason I pased AIMC was the hacky sack breaks and of course the burito from the magot wagon. When we started getting MOB'd all of us 18E's were frantically trying to get back up to code speed again, only to find out that it was used about as much as a long bow nowadays. Thank goodness as I suck at code now. Although that was kind of a badge of honor we could throw out on the other MOS's

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More importantly if there is no more AIMC who is going to be the reigning Hacky Sack studs for 18 Series?

Ah yes, the hacky sack games out by the old antenna trees...

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Even crazier to send an SFMS and SERE q'd guy to leg land because he can't pass his language, which has happened.

OK, that's totally insane. 300F-1 qualified and he goes to leg-land because he can't learn a CAT IV language while drinking from a fire hose (SWC teaches an "accelerated course" using 1/2 the time normally alloted to actually function in the language)? Do they at least let them try a CAT I first? Even so the smart move would be, rather than waste all that money and talent (the guy passed 18D, he has a brain) just send him to DLI for the full course.

The language blocks are spread throughout the Q course. Before starting the Q course we have to learn the basics ourselves to include the alphabet and numbers. There is a 2 week language block somewhere between CLT and SUT. And another one between SUT and SERE. Then there is the 3 month block.

I've talked to guys further down in the course that have seen people get dropped during Robin Sage... whatever the reasons were I'm sure they must have been quite serious to throw out someone at that stage of training.

The "whole man" concept follows through the Q. If a guy sucks at life and barely makes it though the other phases it is likely that he will not even get a chance to get recycled into the same or another language but for most that’s what will happen. One option is to send the student to the same language course... failure of that will probably mean a drop. Another is to give the student a lower category language. For the most part to include the MOS phase students are allowed one recycle or change in MOS... after that you are SOL. Anyways, this is roughly the guideline that was given to us by the CO of SWC.

Either way I think people are given plenty of opportunity to improve on their weakness. After a while some become dead weight and they are dealt with accordingly.

Getting selected is the easy part you have to really want to be here to make it through the phases... That's the attitude I brought here with me so hopefuly it will serve me well

2 weeks + 2 weeks + 3 months? That is probably the worst way imaginable to train in a langauge. I'd rather have an 18D who can't speak than no 18D at all. I hope the 82nd apreciates all the well trained medics it's getting from SWC.

Back in the day we went to DLI after the Q (language wasn't actually part of the MOSQ it was continuing training like W7 or W8). If you flunked out of a CAT IV they'd either send you back to your Group (language-less) or if you had half a brain they'd recycle you to Spanish, German or some other CAT I/II language.

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day we went to DLI after the Q (language wasn't actually part of the MOSQ it was continuing training like W7 or W8). If you flunked out of a CAT IV they'd either send you back to your Group (language-less) or if you had half a brain they'd recycle you to Spanish, German or some other CAT

That seems more through. I’m sure that it has something to do with money as it’s cheaper to send the teachers to DLI and just use them to teach us rather than send each soldier there individually. I was under the impression that at least the guys getting Arabic and Mandarin Chinese got to go to DLI but nope their block of instrution is just 2 or 3 months longer. Something sparked the change to begin with. The info I've gathered from the guys that have been around for a while generally seems to indicate that language was not really deemed important before; now they kick guys out of the Q for it regularly.

Just out of curiosity what were the attrition rates before. We were told that out of the 38% or whatever that got selected the rate of completion of the Q from the original pool (pre-selection) is at 15%-17%. Is the Q being used as a way to filter now or was it like this before as well?

We had two 18D's an 18E and 18C that were preparing for Sage get booted to the regular Army becuase they could not pass arabic on the second time around. If you fail they give one more month then retake the test. I dont think it was fair for them because we all really barely passed but thats the way it is.

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Just out of curiosity what were the attrition rates before. We were told that out of the 38% or whatever that got selected the rate of completion of the Q from the original pool (pre-selection) is at 15%-17%. Is the Q being used as a way to filter now or was it like this before as well?

Well I'm from the days before SFAS. AMIC used to be a killer (15/15 GPM) and then Phase I (especially land nav) would get another bunch. 18E back then was 60 days of AMIC then 6 months consisting of Phase I (Camp Mackall) Phase II SWC and Phase III (ROBIN SAGE). Of the 120+ that began in AMIC, 8 months later we graduated 22. IIRC: the 18D's in my ROBIN SAGE claimed to have started with 120+ and (12 months later?) graduated something like 11.

shardik this was back in 88 correct? was this before the gulf war boom or was this during the reduction period for the army?

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Originally posted by lives:
shardik this was back in 88 correct? was this before the gulf war boom or was this during the reduction period for the army?

Started Phase I in October of 1988. That was before Desert Storm and at the tail end of the Cold War. Can't say about any "reduction period" but those were the days when SF had money to burn.

Just completed SUT... SERE here I come...