subject: What Does It Take To Be An Army Special Forces Officer?
[print this page] Can you be an Army Special Forces Officer? If you are female, the answer is, "No." This position is not open to women. Although there are hundreds of other excellent career opportunities for women in the military, Army Special Forces is not one of them. For those women who wish to develop a military career, the Army is prepared to provide all of the necessary training and an excellent benefits package to men and women alike, except for jobs in the Army Special Forces.
Army Special Forces: The Green Beret
The Army's Special Forces, respectfully and fearfully referred to as the Green Beret, are an elite, world-class rescue and fighting force. Army Special Forces operate under the harshest conditions, in every geographical region on earth, performing the impossible on a regular basis. During domestic peacetime, this fighting force is at the cutting edge of friendly foreign defense missions, as well as search and rescue efforts. Leading these trained professionals requires high levels of professionalism, initiative self-control, organization, and intelligence in peacetime operations as well as in combat situations.
Modern day warfare and combat are unconventional from a historical perspective. No longer able to use traditional fighting methods, Army Special Forces Officers must learn how to lead their teams of dedicated professionals into unknown territory and to remain successful and safe. This requires a high level of intuitiveness, observation and social skills. Dealing with heads of state, high ranking officials and victims of violence and natural disaster require professional abilities rarely found in the civilian world. Army Special Forces Officer training helps candidates to become successful warriors, leaders, negotiators and problem solvers.
The Job Of An Army Special Forces Officer
Army Special Forces Officers are responsible for mission organization, debriefing mission objectives and outfitting 12-man Operational Detachment Alphas (ODA) for direct military action, counter-terrorism, special reconnaissance, foreign internal defense and unconventional war scenarios. Officers receive extensive and specialized training that includes Airborne, Ranger School, and Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC), among others.
The only way to succeed as an Officer in the Special Forces is to prepare regularly and intensively for the mental and physical challenges to be faced. A physical fitness regimen must include running, hiking and swimming to build stamina. Strength training is also necessary to be able to perform the required tasks and to pass the Physical Fitness Test (PFT). The PFT includes minimum numbers of sit-ups, push-ups, and pulls-up, along with a timed 2-mile run. Training ahead of time is a simple method of increasing the chances at success.
Army Special Forces Officers are a separate breed. They are natural leaders, men that others can count upon to perform their duties, to be courageous, physically fit, and to be a man of integrity. 'Mission accomplishment' is the only measurement of success and fast decision making skills are mandatory. Physical, moral and intellectual fortitude are only the most basic ingredients to what is ultimately a superior warrior and leader, an Army Special Forces Officer.
