I am prior-service Air Force and have been out for 12 years. Can I enlist active duty Army?

NG has 2 SF groups that if you really wanted to, would be able to have a active duty lifestyle do to the numerous job and school opportunities. Also after serving X amount of time you can transfer to Active Duty as a SF qualified soldier.

Just ask the recruiter to reference your disqualification by regulation (AR 601-210) or by current USAREC Message. Instead of going off hear say on an internet forum, and if you don't trust what the recruiter tells you, then ask to see it in writing. It is there somewhere. You will never be satisfied with different answers from different people, so your best source is the regulation itself.

Go National Guard http://www.nationalguardsf.com. If you pass selection I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunity for you to become active while in the guard. The schools and training will be endless. Good luck.

https://www.navy.com/careers/special-operations/swcc.html#ft-key-responsibilities

I just thought this might ne of use and/or interest...

You might be over the limit for federal derive time to go straight AD....call a recruiter now and if they don’t take you they try the national guard!

I think you can make it as an 18x if rank is not an issue

SGT Rob Jewel Also will be age-dependent, too. Your age minus time served must be lower than 36 - at least here in the MO Army Guard. You will luck out because you shouldn't have to do boot again, being prior security forces. When I talked w/ a MO Army Guard recruiter, they told me that Security Forces (& Spec Ops) do not have to repeat Army boot due to similarity of our tech school to their boot - not that it's the same, but it's close enough..lol.
I would think that, even if you have to drop to E-3, you would be promotable pretty quick. Might be worth it, man. I know I'm willing to drop a grade if they'll let me back in after 18 years!

By my calculation you must be a couple of years over age 35. Frankly, you are probably too old to make if through the SFAS and Q Course. Find a slot in an Army Reserve Civil Affairs or PSYOPS unit. They work hand in hand with SOCOM anyway and you will at least get some of the SF experience. Best of Luck!

Also, I kmow this might not ne something your wanted, or maybe there's some age limit, I just thought about USAF pararesfue (PJ)...likewise, for USCG, I kmow they have SWAT like units I've read about for shipboard piracy and/or oil rig related stuff, I just figured I'd mentioned that, just some other thoughts that occurred to me...being what you are beforehand, you might I thought have a serious chance at getting them to maybe consider you, I know USCG has a law enforcement school...I've also seen something called the Paul Hall Ctr, part of the Seafarers Intl Union (SIU), they seriously ramped up the ship piracy thing ever since the whole Somali thing, so, just as a thought, maybe Merchant Marine enlisted or civil service with Nacpvy Military Sealift Com!and (MSC)? I realize that might be a stretch. I'm just trying to give you various avenues for getting back on active that occur to me, I realize they might not ne what you'd envisioned, I just thought you might find them of I terest to mupp over, at least, you know?

For clarification, I am still able to go Reserve or NG. This is not a route I am interested in. I am specifically not able to go active duty as an E-3 with 6 years of service. They said there was no way to enter at my prior grade of E-4.