How much of a commitment must you put in once you've complete SF training?

Question

After you finish training, what do you put in...6 years? During those six years how much time do you have to spend involved in it? Could you, for example, pursue your education while still being in the SF? Thanks.

Answer 1

Don't count on going to school while in Special Forces. Your not SF from 9-5, its a 24/7/365 type deal.

Answer 2

A) You don't go to SF training until you have been in for a while. You have to be an NCO to be able to apply for the Q course.

B) To the best of my knowledge there is no additional commitment attached to the Q course. The military will sometimes require that you serve extra years if you obtain a particular benifit (like a free college education at a Military Academy, or if they send you to Law School or such) but to the best of my knowledge there is no requirement that you must serve extra years in order to get into the Q course.

That being said, the Q course is expensive and there are far more guys who want to get in than there are slots for. If you are on the verge of getting out and haven't re-enlisted they won't send you. Why should they spend the money on someone who won't be there after graduation when they could send someone who WILL be there?

C) From what little I know of the Special Operations world, their Op Tempo has been pretty high ever since 9-11. I won't say continuing your education is IMPOSSIBLE, simply because the Army has a lot of distance learning programs and the Green Berets I have met don't think ANYTHING is impossible (which is a big part of why they are Green Berets). That being said, I wouldn't think it likely at all that you could go to school and be a Green Beret at the current time.

D) Lastly, if you are the kind to shy away from commitment, don't bother with SF. The SF people I know take the phrase "WHATEVER IT TAKES" very, very, seriously. They are all about accomplishing the mission, and when it comes to the sacrifices involved, they don't count the cost. This is one reason why so few of them are still on their first marriage.

Answer 3

Ubique Paratus