I want to become a Green Beret, but considering the route the Army is going now, should I look forward to doing something different?

You will never regret taking the journey. If you try and fail, you will at least know that you didn't let the opportunity go by. If you never try, you will never know. You don't want to be the "I almost did that" guy in the VFW. I hear that a lot. If you try and SUCCEED, you will reshape your life completely. Let me tell you a story:

When I was joining the Army (a lifetime ago), I was gung-ho on doing the 18 series route. I was a 17 year old HS Senior and found a pipeline program with the ARNG called the REP-63 program. It was a pre-cursor to the 18X program in the late 1990's. Same concept. "Street to Seat" SF pipeline. Infantry OSUT, Airborne, SFAS... Q. Despite discovering the program, there weren't a lot of recruiters that were familiar with how to enlist a kid straight into SF. I "enlisted" an AD recruiter to help me hunt down the POC's for the SF unit in my state to get the ground-truth story on how to make this happen. My brother went with me. (This is where the story stops being about me.)

I listened to an experienced 18Z explain to me the route. The challenges I'd face. The level of commitment I was going to be expected to demonstrate sounded daunting. My brother snapped and popped his chewing gum staring at the "cool-guy" posters on the walls, half listening to the spiel, and waiting for me to finish asking my wide-eyed questions. Eventually the MSG (who would become a "godfather to me") turned to him and asked him if he was ready to sign up too. He giggled and said "I just want to drive a tank." He had no interest in doing a career in the Army. Just wanted to get free school while doing something fun for six years and get out.

Fast forward 2 months later, we are at MEPS and we are knocking out our contract in-processing. I got what I wanted. SF Pipleline. My brother, going through MED got flagged for color vision. It was suspicious since we are identical twins, but maybe he didn't listen when they said don't stare at the sun. Who knows. Anyway, they told him he could be a personnel clerk or a radio repairman... but not a 19K. His initial response is "forget it." He lamented about it, evaluated college tuition prices, and eventually got talked into being a personnel clerk in an ARNG Paladin Artillery unit (it's like a Tank) and at least he'd get college tuition paid for.

I got back from the Q 2 years later, and had marching orders to go to Eastern Europe on my new ODA. I was stoked. My brother was going to school, "felt stagnant", and was "looking to do something different." We had a few drinks, talked about the difference of our experiences (SF vs. Conventional Army), and he resolved he was going to give it a try. I am sure it didn't hurt having a person with identical DNA prove the course is doable... but he was going to have to prove he had the heart, the drive, and the commitment. We had a support opening in the unit for a personnel clerk for the deployment, so my brother got to tag along and do some prep work on a "training team" while doing his other duties. An SF Physical revealed that he was NOT colorblind and there must have been an error at the test in MEPS. The unit was so impressed with his determination preparing physically, they sent him home from a deployment early to go to SFAS. He passed. He went to the Q. He did phenomenally. Now, the bored teenager chomping away on his Dubble Bubble who could care less about doing a career in the Army has 11 years on an ODA and will be short final to retirement in a couple years. I can't imagine WHO my brother would be if he hadn't sat down at that table that "Martini Monday" at the university bar and started the conversation with me about taking the journey.

It will change you. We all have an idea of who we think we are. Army SF will prove it to you. You will be tested and your true colors will be on display, and that is a great feeling when you know you have proven yourself. Then you get to an ODA, and you will meet perfect strangers from opposite walks of life who you will truly come to call "Brother." I'm fortunate that one of my Regimental Brothers is also my biological one!

What I saw as a SOF support guy is that SOF are men of action. They are leaders and they are quiet professionals. It's what separates the Army from their Navy counterparts. Can you live with just doing something or do you want to challenge yourself to be the best at a variety of life skills, not just shooting someone in the face? If you have to ask, you may have your answer but like MSG (Join to see) eloquently pointed out, the worst day in SF is better than the best day in the big Army.

If that is what you want to do, go for it now while you still can. While I am not SF, I have worked with many who are/were. The advice they told me was "be careful what you wish for."

As with any job, do your research, talk to as many SF and former SF folks that you can. While you cant know everything, try to be as informed as you can before you make this leap. It may turn out to be the best decision of your life.

Good luck.

Special Forces is never garrison. No matter what the big army is doing we're always gone doing something somewhere.

Do it....a life of regret if you never even tried !

Wait, you want to become a hat? That's kind of strange. Hahahaha I am just messing with you. If you try out for Special Forces, it will likely be the hardest thing you have done in your life... ever. If you have the drive and the will to win, you can make it through if you condition yourself. There are some training programs online that can prepare you physically, but it is mostly about the mental will to succeed. If you make it through, it will be the most rewarding career move you will ever make. Especially if you like deployments. Our mission is not going to slow down. Our work will never stop. We are everywhere. If you join the Brotherhood, you will never feel like your career is "stagnant".

DOL

Every one owes it to them self to go to SFAS... you don't want to live wondering what if, and more important then that, you learn a lot about yourself.

I'd say do any kind of schooling you can put under your belt. If you try and don't get it then keep trying and keep grabbing what you can. Just don't stop.

Last I heard/checked SOF was in 153 different countries. I'm not SF, but my unit has more missions than we can even supply with manpower. You will do garrison related things in SOF. 1SFC will make sure you do your annual SHARP training. If you get assigned at Bragg - Your gonna do clean sweep if your here. However - You will get some of the best training available, and the door to unreal amounts of training opportunites will open to you. Not to mention deploying somewhere to put your craft to work - you will deploy. Trust me.

Just go for it. SF is always doing something. Good luck in your endeavors should you choose to try out!