18X - Special Forces Enlistment Option

[CAL]

18X isn't actually an MOS (Military Occupation Specialty). Instead, it's an enlistment option. Until recently, the only way to join the Army Special Forces was to apply after achieving the grade of E-4.

Under the 18X enlistment option, recruits are guaranteed the opportunity to "try out" for Special Forces. It does not guarantee that the recruit will be accepted into the Special Forces program. It only guarantees that the recruit will be given the opportunity to see if he "has the stuff."

A recruit who enlists in the 18X Special Forces enlistment program will attend Infantry OSUT (One Station Unit Training), which combines Army Basic Training and Infantry AIT (Advanced Individual Training), all in one 17-week course.

Upon graduation, recruits attend Airborne Training at Fort Benning, GA.

After "jump school," recruits attend a 4-week Special Operations Preparation Course (SOPC) at McKenna MOUT Site, Fort Benning, Georgia. Following graduation from SOPC, recruits are scheduled for the Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) program. This is a very tough course, and has an extremely high wash-out rate. The Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) program assesses and selects Soldiers for attendance at the Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC). This program allows SF an opportunity to assess each Soldier's capabilities by testing his physical, emotional, and mental stamina. The SFAS also allows each Soldier the opportunity to make a meaningful and educated decision about SF and his career plan.

Soldiers attend SFAS on a temporary duty status. You should plan to be at Fort Bragg, North Carolina for up to 30 days. You will be trained in all military subjects used in the assessment. The course is individual cross country land navigation based covering distances from 18 kilometers up to on or about 50 kilometers. The distances and weight carried increase during the course, but being prepared mentally and physically for the events cannot be over emphasized.

If the recruit passes the SFAS, he moves onto the Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC). The SFQC teaches and develops the skills necessary for effective utilization of the SF Soldier. Duties in CMF 18 primarily involve participation in Special Operations interrelated fields of unconventional warfare. These include foreign internal defense and direct action missions as part of a small operations team or detachment. Duties at other levels involve command, control, and support functions. Frequently, duties require regional orientation, to include foreign language training and in-country experience. The SF places emphasis not only on unconventional tactics, but also knowledge of nations in waterborne, desert, jungle, mountain, or arctic operations.

The SFQC is currently divided into three phases: Individual Skills, MOS Qualification, and Collective Training. The enlisted applicant's SFQC training will be scheduled upon successful completion of SFAS.

a. Individual Skills Phase. During this period, Soldiers inprocess, and are trained on common skills for CMF 18 skill level three. Training is 40 days long and is taught at the Camp Rowe Training Facility. The training covered during this phase includes land navigation (cross-country) and small unit tactics. This phase culminates with a special operations overview.

b. MOS Qualification Phase. For the enlisted Soldier, the decision concerning the four specialties will be made based on your training background, aptitude, and desire and the needs of CMF 18. Training for this phase is 65 days and culminates with a mission planning cycle. During this phase, Soldiers are trained in their different specialties:

(1) 18B - SF Weapons Sergeant. Training includes: Tactics, anti-armor weapons utilization, functioning of all types of U.S. and foreign light weapons, indirect fire operations, manportable air defense weapons, weapons emplacement, and integrated combined arms fire control planning. Training is conducted at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and is 24 weeks long.

(2) 18C - SF Engineer Sergeant. Training includes: Construction skills, field fortifications, and use of explosive demolitions. Training is conducted at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and is 24 weeks long.

(3) 18D - SF Medical Sergeant. Training includes: Advanced medical procedures to include trauma management and surgical procedures. Training is conducted at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and is approximately 57 weeks long.

(4) 18E - SF Communications Sergeant. Training includes: Installation and operation of SF high frequency and burst communications equipment, antenna theory, radio wave propagation, and SF communication operations procedures and techniques. Training culminates with an around-the-world communications field performance exercise. Training is conducted at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, and is 32 weeks long.

c. Collective Training Phase. During this 38-day period, Soldiers are trained in Special Operations (SO) classes, Direct Action (DA) Isolation, Air Operations, Unconventional Warfare classes, Isolation training, and culminates with ROBIN SAGE.

d. Language Training. After completion of the Collective Training Phase all Soldiers will attend Special Forces Language school at the Special Operations Academic Facility, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Languages are assigned in relation to the score from the Defense Language Aptitude Battery, (DLAB), which is taken either prior to or at the beginning of SFQC. Soldiers will not receive their MOS until successful completion of the language course. Each Soldier must score at least a 0+/0+ to be considered language qualified. The language course in which the Soldier is selected to attend will most likely reflect the SF Group in which he will be assigned. Example language course lengths are: Arabic; Korean; Polish; Russian; Czech; Tagalog; Persian; Thai; Serbo; Croat; (6 months training), and Spanish; Portuguese; French (4 months training).

e. Survival Training. All Soldiers, officer and enlisted will attend the Survive, Evade, Resist, Escape (SERE) course for three weeks at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Individuals who fail any of the above training courses will have their enlistment contracts renegotiated to the 11B ( Infantryman) MOS and will be reassigned to an Infantry unit. However, under the current policy, they will be allowed to retain any 18X enlistment bonus, unless disqualification is due to misconduct.

Physical demands rating and qualifications for initial award of MOS.

(1) physical demands rating,--N/A.

(2) A physical profile, of 111221.

(3) Minimum scores, of 110 in aptitude area GT, and 100 in aptitude area CO.

(4) A Security Clearance, of SECRET.

(5) Must complete Special Forces Qualification Course formal training course.

(6) Must meet requirements listed in AR 614-200.

(7) A U.S. citizen.

(8) Must be able to swim 50-meters wearing boots and battle dress uniform (BDU) prior to beginning the Special Forces Qualification Course. All Soldiers will be given a swim assessment during SFAS to determine whether he has the aptitude to learn to swim.

(9) Must score a minimum of 229 points on the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT), with no less than 60 points on any event, using the standards for age group 17-21.

(10) Must be a high school graduate or have a general equivalency diploma (GED).

(11) Must not be barred to reenlistment or be under suspension of favorable personnel action.

(12) Must not have been convicted by court-martial or have disciplinary action noted in their official military personnel fiche under the provisions of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (Article 15). This provision can only be waived by the Commanding General, United States Army Special Warfare Center and School on a case-by-case basis.

(13) Must not have been terminated from SF, ranger, or airborne duty, unless termination was due to extreme family problems.

(14) Must not have 30 days or more "lost time" under USC 972 within current or preceding enlistment.

NOTE: This job closed to women.

[blacksmith six]

One note on this, the school is currently working an adjusted Phase IV, Collective training pilot program. Soldiers attend language school (Arabic) prior to the collective training. Then upon completion of language training, the collective training will be conducted at NTC and incorporate the language piece. I don't know if this will become permanent or not.

[mythos3600]

this will most likely all be moved back to Bragg, as the costs for moving everything out to NTC would exceed any expectations NTC could possibly hope to provide.
Again it all comes down to Money!
Besides the best land nav course in the world is at Brag!

[yrualeg]

The Nasty NICK ain't no joke either, back in June of '90 we had a company Platoon Competetion and ran that bastard twice back to back for time. Talk about getting your bag smoked. We alos used the skids on the Huey for rapelling and we did a Day version of the Land Nav Course. Man that was a 3 day competetion to include Airborne Ops. Five-0 used to be really high speed.

[mythos3600]

Green Berets preparing to Open Up Recruitment

December 27, 2001
BY NANCY MOFFETT STAFF REPORTER Chicago SunTimes.com
The U.S. Army is set to begin recruiting for Green Berets directly from outside the service for the first time in 30 years.

"In previous years, we have only taken people who were in the Army,'' Major Gen. Dennis D. Cavin, the Army's recruiting commander, said in Chicago during a stop at the Army's advertising firm, Leo Burnett USA.

A would-be Green Beret had to sign up for the infantry and then win approval to train for the elite special forces unit, Cavin said. "They couldn't sign up for special forces off the street,'' he said.

But now, with "different types of engagements and potential conflicts we may face, we are trying to ensure that we have an adequate number of trained personnel in the pipeline,'' said Capt. David P. Connolly of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command.

In a trial to begin next month, the new recruitment tool for the Green Berets would start with just 400 soldiers, Connolly said.

In 80 weeks, would-be Green Berets are trained in unconventional warfare and reconnaissance techniques, including ways to fight terrorism.

To qualify to enter the unit, they must show higher mental and physical qualifications than the average soldier. The Army recommends a special five-week training program before entering, since trainees are required to manage such physical feats as climbing a rope as high as 30 feet, swimming in uniform and carrying 50-pound rucksacks cross-country.

Overall, the Army met its recruiting goal for a second straight year in 2001, recruiting 75,855 active soldiers, Cavin said, after falling short in 1999.

The Sept. 11 attacks and the fighting in Afghanistan had a "minimal'' impact on recruitment, Cavin said. Army recruiters got more phone calls, walk-in inquiries and Web visitors after Sept. 11, but many were ineligible to sign up, he said. Some were former service members who "wanted to once again put on a uniform and help the nation during a period of dire need,'' but they were too old to qualify, Cavin said.

Others previously had been rejected and were trying again, but were turned down once more, Cavin said, noting, "We have not lowered the standards."

[Altimeter]

I wish this was an option when I came in in 1993.

Sorry, I felt the need to bump this thread since mythos was the last one to post.

[Brasso]

When I came back on active duty in 79, I had just spent 2 yrs with the 11th SF reserves, duty MOS 91B4S, since I was on a civilian EMT/P Medic tm. I did not go to the Q course, however when I went to go back on active duty the recruiter told me to look at the prior service quotas.....it had 0's all the way across....did not need any....so I enlisted as an E-2 (5 yr break in active duty) went to Inf OSUT , graduated in Feb 1980. Then was sent to the 7th ID in Ord (UGH)!

On Dec 1, 1980 I made SGT E-5 and submitted my packet for DI.....Mar 81 I was in Benning and got hired at the same BN I went to OSUT in 79.

Around 1982, we had some SF enlistees come through they were basically in the program that CAL did an excellent job in explaining.
Now I know a couple who made it through the course since I met a kid I put through OSUT when I was Skydiving at ST-Mere-Eglise.

He went through the weapons course but the Team Sgt did not think he had enough experience to be on the team since he had just made E-4...SO he sent him to the ENG course which is just phase II in those days....so by the time he got out of there he had two SF MOS's
and was waiting on a HALO slot.....after which he would get to finally deploy with the team.....dam by the time he was done training he only had about a year left and was contemplating on getting out of the ARMY........WASTE OF MONEY......they are doing this since their biggest weakness has always been Medics then Commo.....once they get the quotas they need...it will come to a screaching HALT.....AGAIN!! AND YOU can take that to the drive-thru!!

[gfrank]

Hello All,

My son just successfully finish the pre-selection course at Fort Bragg only to join a handful of others who were told "No go" because the head count for the selection course is to big (80 is the target count).

I am pretty pissed......he left his junior year of college and took the 5yr option of enlistment because of the mos 18 opportunity. I warned him about the high washout rate and tried to warn him that no one seems to know what the criteria for making the grade is. I am convinced that we have "beauty contest rules" ......that is, it is personal choice over credentials.

He would not have taken a 5yr enlistment if the recruiter was honest and told him the fact that he would be cut for head count. Of course.....I doubt nearly as many people would come on at mos 18 at all.

How can we initiate the waiver process? Does the commander really sign off on some of these waivers?

Anyone see a problem if I contact my congressman monday and ask for his help? This kid should be in selection.....he earned it. Also, I can understand that many internal candidates want in as well......but they did not come in mos 18 specifically.

Please help. Time is of the essence!

[VoTrooper99]

Hello All,

My son just successfully finish the pre-selection course at Fort Bragg only to join a handful of others who were told "No go" because the head count for the selection course is to big (80 is the target count).

I am pretty pissed......he left his junior year of college and took the 5yr option of enlistment because of the mos 18 opportunity. I warned him about the high washout rate and tried to warn him that no one seems to know what the criteria for making the grade is. I am convinced that we have "beauty contest rules" ......that is, it is personal choice over credentials.

He would not have taken a 5yr enlistment if the recruiter was honest and told him the fact that he would be cut for head count. Of course.....I doubt nearly as many people would come on at mos 18 at all.

How can we initiate the waiver process? Does the commander really sign off on some of these waivers?

Anyone see a problem if I contact my congressman monday and ask for his help? This kid should be in selection.....he earned it. Also, I can understand that many internal candidates want in as well......but they did not come in mos 18 specifically.

Please help. Time is of the essence!

Here is the thing.

First you need to go to the introduction forum and tell us about yourself before you post. Your first post should have gone in a new thread here:

http://www.armyparatrooper.org/dropz...play.php?f=153

Once you take care of that, start a new thread in either the Special Operations or the Recruiting threads and fire away with your questions. We'll do our best.

Quite frankly, I would expect your son to ask our assistance here. He is a grown man and an SF candidate, so he should be able to find his own way. Tell him to register.

Also, don't use your full name as a username. It can become an OPSEC issue. I'm modifying it to "gfrank". You may PM me if you'd like another selection.

Good luck, we'll see you on the other side of an intro.

[Saltcrawl]

What about 18 z special forces senior sergeant?

[Saltcrawl]

Who would actually believe everything the recruiter tells you. I know of a few who bend the truth just to get people signed up.

[yrualeg]

It's a good thing you chimed in on a thread that is over a year old

[VoTrooper99]

What about 18 z special forces senior sergeant?

What relevance does this have?

[VB]

It's a good thing you chimed in on a thread that is over a year old

Is this a vote to lock the thread? Do I have a 2nd?

[Ops NCO]

Is this a vote to lock the thread? Do I have a 2nd?

So moved.