I've read a couple different books on the Special Forces(Green Berets) and I read that Captains are the only Special Forces officers who see combat/go on real-world missions and they only serve for 18 months before being moved onto something else. I was just wondering if you guys could shed some truth on whether or not that's true and also is it true that officers above the rank of Captain in the Special Forces never see combat/go on real-world missions? Thanks
Army Special Forces(Green Berets)
vargsriket
Active member
Move on to a desk job? What does this 'move on' mean?
RnderSafe
Active member
Special Forces officers (18As) generally command an ODA (operational detachment alpha - the A-teams) for 18 to 38 months before they move on.
SF officers are Captains, so they already have experience in their basic branch. They go through 90% of the same pipeline enlisted potential SF soldiers do.
Where you go when you move on will depend .. you could be in a staff position (no one is immune to staff jobs) or you could end up as a company commander of a special unit, then, maybe a few more years as a battalion commander (or more staff time). SF officer careers vary, from staff positions, foreign liaison officers, specialty company officers, to training officers or, if they want, end up back in big Army working with conventional branches.
One cannot say they will never see combat past the rank of Captain, or go on real-world missions because it is simply not true. It is, however, less likely as one progresses in rank. You become more of a planner and policy maker/enforcer, be it by your command or someone else's.
If one wants to spend a vast majority of his career playing in the dirt .. becoming an officer is not for him.
Rotating members out of units is not a bad thing - it helps to pass on learned leadership and training to other units, therefore, helping to make a better, stronger Army.
SF officers are Captains, so they already have experience in their basic branch. They go through 90% of the same pipeline enlisted potential SF soldiers do.
Where you go when you move on will depend .. you could be in a staff position (no one is immune to staff jobs) or you could end up as a company commander of a special unit, then, maybe a few more years as a battalion commander (or more staff time). SF officer careers vary, from staff positions, foreign liaison officers, specialty company officers, to training officers or, if they want, end up back in big Army working with conventional branches.
One cannot say they will never see combat past the rank of Captain, or go on real-world missions because it is simply not true. It is, however, less likely as one progresses in rank. You become more of a planner and policy maker/enforcer, be it by your command or someone else's.
If one wants to spend a vast majority of his career playing in the dirt .. becoming an officer is not for him.
Rotating members out of units is not a bad thing - it helps to pass on learned leadership and training to other units, therefore, helping to make a better, stronger Army.
FULLMETALJACKET
MilForum Bad Apple
Thats alot of work to get there, then only be able to do it for a short amount of time.