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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Combat Makes Recruiting Easier |
| 2005-01-25 |
| January 25, 2005: The U.S. Army Special Forces has been meeting its recruiting goals, bringing in 1,628 new men last year. The Special Forces recruits from troops already in the army, and has found that the growing number of combat experienced soldiers has made recruiting easier. Since the 1980s, most potential recruits did not have any combat experience. While many troops were exposed to combat during the 1991 Gulf War, that one lasted only four days. Iraq and Afghanistan are giving many more troops a lot more time under fire, and convinced a lot of them that they really do want to take it up a notch, and join the Special Forces. This provides better prepared, both in terms of skills and expectations, recruits for the 2-3 years of intense training required to become a Special Forces operator. The Special Forces are highly selective, and members are highly trained. Having seen this in action themselves, many combat soldiers are inspired to see if they can reach that level of professionalism. The troops also realize that the Special Forces have a lower casualty rate than regular combat units. This has been a hallmark of elite combat units for centuries. Serving in the Special Forces also means faster promotions, and more money. Special Forces recruiters have taken advantage of this trend by visiting units that have just returned from duty in a combat zone. With the experience of combat fresh in their minds, the troops can more realistically consider the Special Forces recruiters pitch. Many troops have encountered, or even worked with Special Forces in combat zones, and that has proved to be a major help for the recruiters. For the Special Forces, getting combat veterans is a big plus. These recruits are more easily trained, and get up to speed, with veteran Special Forces operators, more quickly. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #6 Cyber Sarge- Isn't it fun to be a target? Waiting for that one round that doesn't whine past your ear . . . always looking for that IED . . . sounds like a blast! |
| Posted by: Jame Retief 2005-01-25 8:47:43 PM |
| #5 Moose, a lot of those 'freelancers' are ex-military types and go into that work BECAUSE they like working with and on the fringe of the Military. If I were a 11B I would transfer over to Special Ops simply because of the better training and duty. They don't do much security or convoy details and that is where most of the casualties are coming from. Plus there is a ceratin amount of satisfaction of going on the offensive and not standing around being a target. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2005-01-25 5:49:45 PM |
| #4 This needs updating. SOCOM is no longer limited to recruiting solely from the active duty ranks. They discovered that there are a lot of talented individuals out there who want to do such things, but are turned off by a regular military lifestyle. Please also note that with a 2-3 year prep time, a lot of new blood is going to be coming on line soon, radically enlarging the forces. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-01-25 4:18:53 PM |
| #3 This problem isn't unique to the military. Any large organization that trains its cadres internally will face the "train the best, keep the rest" syndrome. Internal competition for prized positions is normal and healthy, as is turnover of 5-10% in any given year for any competitive private sector organization. |
| Posted by: lex 2005-01-25 11:50:55 AM |
| #2 But without having the best men poached away, the SF goes downhill. You have to be a vampire that sucks its own blood . . . unit commanders simply have to concentrate on making their soldiers the best and congratulate those that get chosen to go on up the chain into the SF community. |
| Posted by: Jame Retief 2005-01-25 11:44:31 AM |
| #1 Article: The troops also realize that the Special Forces have a lower casualty rate than regular combat units. This is one of the reasons the Army has a stormy relationship with the Special Forces. Commanders don't like having their best men poached. Every combat unit relies on its best people to lead the way. Having these men lured away decreases the effectiveness of the combat units. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2005-01-25 11:39:27 AM |