I have been interested in becoming a Mercenary for a company like Blackwater as a post-military career. It sounds like a good line of work where I can employ all of the skills I learned in the military for huge amounts of money. Sounds like just the place for me.

I was wondering how one goes about getting into one of these firms. Should I stay in the military long enough to get into a spec ops unit and then leave and go do the whole PMC thing or stay in 20 years and then go into the Merc stuff? In any case what are these guys looking for and how should I go about getting into one?

Worry about your military career before your move to a PMC. Most of those guys are former career guys and have more experience than most of us combined.

If you want to do that, I highly recommend some from of Military service first, preferably Army, Navy, or Marines. 99% of all Balckwater is former, retired or ex military.
And most of them were some from of Special ops, not just a regular deckhand on a destroyer.

It is true that most PMCs are retired military and have a impressive amount of experence under their belt. I plan get into spec ops and elite units as to prepare myself for the future. I was just wondering if I should just do the full 20 years - I would like to become a PMC and have no interest at all in benefits and stuff of that nature.

Originally Posted by Team Infidel

Worry about your military career before your move to a PMC.

I 100% agree with that...
You're 17 now and haven't served yet so I recommend you to focus on your military career first, then after 10-15 years you can start worrying about becoming a PMC..
If you're only joining to become a PMC then I'm pretty sure you'll be up for a big surprise sooner or later.

Most are former service men with experience of small units and small unit tactics.
IMO though your motivation for getting into the SOF community should not be what comes later.

A word of advice I will give you.
Do not go into a SOF unit without a 100% commitment to the Team.
If you do you will not only set yourself up for failure during the selection process.
You will also get a name in the circles that matters to be a ego/quitter.
That won´t be of any help at all to you when your future employer looks up character references on you.

The SOF comunity is small, if you make a name for yourself as a **** up, no one will touch you with a ten foot pole afterwards.

Originally Posted by Easy 8

...becoming a Mercenary

I hear incoming...I'm sure PJ will be along shortly : D

This is going to sound harsh, and that isn't my intention, but you are way too young and way too ignorant to even think about working for a PMC as a contractor (they don't hire Mercs) and even more so about Special Operations.

You should probably just focus on figuring out if you want to be in the military or not for four years.

Listen to the sage advice of those that have BTDT... focus on the path in front of you right now... PMC life is a distant possibility... look at the rocks in your way right now, not the mountains in the distance grasshopper.

Originally Posted by bulldogg

Listen to the sage advice of those that have BTDT... focus on the path in front of you right now... PMC life is a distant possibility... look at the rocks in your way right now, not the mountains in the distance grasshopper.

Sounds like a good plan. I will follow that piece of advice.


Thank you.