A Conversation with a Special Forces Officer Transitioning to Warrant Officer
The Blue / Green team recently had the opportunity to engage in a great conversation with a Green Beret, combat diver, and Best Ranger Competition participant. With a background as an 18A (Special Forces Officer), he is now transitioning to a 180A (Special Forces Warrant Officer). In this interview, he shares his journey, experiences in Special Forces, and advice for aspiring SF Officers.
Instead of focusing on the usual highlights and embellished stories found on Instagram, we aimed to ask questions that are more pertinent to those preparing for SFAS and looking to join the Regiment.
Q: Why are you transitioning from Green Beret Officer to Warrant Officer?
A: I became a Green Beret to operate at the tactical level. As corny as it sounds, I wanted to do the things you see on the SF recruiting posters. Jump, dive, shoot, deploy, be with the guys that make effects on the ground. Those things happen when you’re on a team - an ODA. For officers, that window can be short. That limited time with “the guys” is like the limited time Platoon Leaders get with a Platoon – it just goes by too fast.
I got my 2 years of Detachment Command time (the leader of an ODA is called a Detachment Commander and is a Captain; it is often referred to as Commander or Team Leader) and it didn’t even scratch the surface of being enough. Some officers get even less than 2 years on their teams. I decided to give staff officer work a try after my team time finished. It’s just not as rewarding as being on a team in my opinion.
On staff, I did enjoy the role of providing the teams with the best support I could. I also found the process of helping get CONOPs approved very rewarding. Having already been an ODA Commander, I understood their point of view, and the frustrations of not always getting the support from staff. I wanted to be part of that solution to give teams the ability to do the things they wanted to and needed to.
However, I still wanted to be the one executing. I couldn't shake it. If you were a Platoon Leader and then moved to staff (or sometimes even a Company XO in a line company), you can probably relate to that feeling. The difference is that being an ODA Commander is a lot more rewarding and has a lot more autonomy than a Platoon Leader. So it’s that feeling, but amplified.
Being a Special Forces Company Commander could be a great job, but to get there, you need to do that staff time. There is a lag between being an ODA Commander and getting to Company Command. In a conventional unit, look at your S3 and Battalion XO. To get to Battalion Commander, they have to do those grueling staff positions that really separate them from the guys on the ground. (And for reference, an ODA Commander or Team Leader in SF is a Captain, while a Company Commander is a Major, which is obviously different than conventional Army).
Ultimately, I’m trading in the gold oak leaf as a Major for the Warrant Rank because I want to be happier and still serve. I think it’s a blessing that SF officers can go back to a team should they choose, this time in the Warrant role. Warrant school is by no means a walk in the park. I’m putting in some study hours and it’s a great refresher. This path isn’t common, but it does happen. It was right for me, and it gets me back to the team.
While ODA Commanders (Captains) are only on a team somewhere from 12 to 24 months usually, the Team Warrant can stay there for far longer. They serve to provide consistency and leverage their deep experience to benefit the team and advise the commander.
Q: What does being an SF officer entail? What were the challenges and rewards?
A: As the Detachment Commander, you deal a lot in the human terrain and the 'up and out' reporting (you spend a great deal of time dealing with your Company and Battalion). You must trust that your team can accomplish the mission while you manage requirements and reporting from higher. Your Team Sergeant manages that day to day of the operation and can more than handle it. This is something that is fundamentally different than as a line company Platoon Leader, where your up and out responsibilities are a lot more limited as the Company Commander tightly controls you. In that sense, ODA Commander's often amplify and enhance, rather than ensure the team meets essential requirements. We know many Platoon Leaders have had the experience of being deeply involved with day to day operations, often because you had to be. That often changes in SF, and it's fantastic.
You still get to have fun, but you have a lot more responsibility than just the tactical level of operations. Your work touches into the higher levels, and your thoughts and decision making certainly need to reflect that. That increase significant of Special Forces operations, which have really deep impacts on US Foreign Policy, is what always made the job feel cool. The Q-course really opened me eyes to the role of SF. It's so much more than direct action.
The most challenging part for me as a new SF captain was learning how the group functions and what resources I can leverage to accomplish what I want for my ODA. Like anything else, you need to learn how the new organization functions. Consider when you showed up to your first unit – you needed to learn how they do business and what the norms are.
Just having the privilege of being on an ODA is the best reward. Getting the missions and the training you want is the icing on top that you should strive for. It was the best two years of my career to work with such excellent professionals, have the autonomy to work with my guys to plan what we wanted to do, and then go execute without the micromanagement of a Company Commander.
Q: What are your focuses as a leader on an ODA? Can you shed some light on your day to day work, and what guys joining ODAs should expect?
A: When you're not deployed, it's planning training with the Team Sergeant and Team Warrant, writing SITREPs, making storyboards, interfacing with command team and always selling the team. Some of this work, like making storyboards (which is one page document showing pictures from a recent event with a brief write-up) aren’t fun to do, but they are part of your effort in selling your team. Team’s that submit good storyboards project confidence to their higher HQ’s. The Battalion Commander’s only knowledge of teams may come from storyboards, and if you aren’t doing them (or aren’t doing them well), you’re not selling your team. You are a spokesman and want to create trust and confidence between your Company Commander / Battalion Commander, and your ODA.
You’ll also keep track of upcoming missions and figure out what best suits your team to execute. You're always looking for training opportunities because almost anything can be a training opportunity. You can train with police departments, SWAT elements, Border Patrol, and really anyone. The only limit is creativity. And while costs do play a factor, it is less of a problem when training is planned in advance.
Realistically, you can be as busy as you want. Take as much initiative as you can to do the things you want to do. But of course, remember that officers have a limited amount of time on the team and want to sprint the whole time. Don’t forget to gauge the operational tempo and make sure that your team is good to train or do missions and aren’t at risk of getting burned out (all too common in these communities). This is where you discuss ideas with your Team Sergeant, get his advice on what’s needed, and then let him execute. You should not be executed day to day tasks. Tasks come from the Team Sergeant to the men.
Q: What qualities mattered to you in your NCOs? What did you learn from them? Where did they shine?
A: I was fortunate to have fantastic NCOs (part of being a diver is you can be more selective for members coming to the Dive Team). We had a great team culture. My Team Sergeant was super organized, and our admin stuff was almost always green (yes, even in SF, that makes a difference). It’s a simple thing but makes the team look GOOD. My NCOs knew their jobs very well.
My men embodied exactly what I expected SF NCOs to be - subject matter experts and professionals. Working with professionals is always inspiring, and the desire to do so was a major reason I initially wanted to become a Green Beret.
Q: What are you seeing in current SF culture? What do incoming 18As need to know about that culture?
A: The culture is changing, and I think overall for the best. We are getting some extremely smart and incredibly fit Green Beret’s. The culture of “bring a case of beer to the team room” on your first day is dying out. Dudes want to train hard, stay fit, and live healthy. I’m bringing a couple tubs of whey protein my first day back.
I think where new ODA Commander's need help is not trying to be the “bro ODA Commander." You’re still the leader and responsible for everything the team does or fails to do. You can be one of the guys but it’s more important that your team trusts you to do your job and get them the good missions. An 18A does this by selling the team by always projecting the team in a favorable light in all team external interactions, highlighting excellence, and advocating for future opportunities.
Being too much of a bro can be a dangerous blend, especially during training events and deployments. During this time, it can be easy to just become one of the guys. There needs to be some professional barrier. Without one, your men may often consciously or unconsciously stop seeing you as the person in charge of the team. Find a balance that works for you, but be mindful that you are the Commander.
Q: What do you think of the 18X program?
A: I like it more than I dislike it. We get some crazy good talent from the program and it’s tough to argue with that success. I think now, close to 50% of new Green Beret’s come from the 18X pathway, or some percentage like that. The dislike I have for it is that sometimes the 18X’s don’t know how to communicate or understand how the big Army operates. For example, I've seen this disconnect during combined arms exercise scenarios at NTC. And these are more than just scenarios. SF needs to be able to work with the conventional Army. In a LSCO environment, we're often enablers to them. You can often feel the difference between those who have been in the regular Army first, and then come over to SF.
One specific positive is that by never having been in a regular Army unit, the 18X's don’t restrict thoughts and ideas. If you’ve only been in a regular unit, you know how narrow the thinking can get. 18X’s have never had that experience, and thus don’t limit their creativity. That’s great on an ODA and pushes the bounds of solutions.
If you’re not an 18X though, it can be an advantage. While you're in the regular Army, learn how to do business the right way. Learn the fundamentals of your MOS - become an expert. Observe good and bad leaders and carry on the traits you like. Don’t view your conventional Army background as a waste. Instead, get as much from it as possible. It will really help you during the Q-course and once you get to a team if you make the most of it.
Officers obviously start in the regular Army and that experience is essential. Unlike the NCOs who become a junior when the show up to the team (there is a junior and senior weapon sergeant, junior and senior engineer sergeant, etc.), the 18A is the senior immediately. You don't need to show up knowing everything, but you do need to know a lot. You get a lot from your Big Army experience.
Q: You’ve told us in the past you’re interested in Best Ranger in the future. Any updated plans (link)?
A: I’m focused now on graduating the Warrant Officer course (which I needed to go through in order to go from Major to Warrant). Once I figure out my deployment schedule I’ll know more…. I’ll report back in January. In the meantime, I’m just trying to get as many miles as possible in. As we discussed last time we talked, that level of fitness doesn’t happen in 6 months – it happens over years. I’ll building that base now (well, maintaining my high level of fitness), so I have the option to ramp it up in the future.
Q: What’s your fitness routine look like now?
A: I do two a day’s.
- Monday is mobility / 5-6 miles slow job / back lift
- Tuesday is 3-4 miles of speed work on track / shoulders/delts lift
- Wednesday is mobility / circuit training and lower body lift
- Thursday is whatever type of run I’m feeling 3-6 miles speed or slow / chest lift
- Friday is 4-5 miles / arm and core
- Saturday or Sunday is a 6-8 miler / rest day
You don’t just need to be fit to become a Green Beret, you need to stay fit. Nothing is worse than a non-fit Green Beret. You make us all look bad. Never lower your standard. Create a culture where high fitness is the standard.
Q: Why should a young man consider joining the military?
The military is clearly having recruiting issues. I never planned on staying in past my 5-year commitment. But I found that I enjoyed the work and I loved to push myself. I am extremely competitive, and SF drives that competitiveness in me which I enjoy. Anyone considering it should just try – it’s worth it.
For most, 3 years isn’t a long time, and you can’t beat the GI bill and benefits that come from serving. Many don't realize, but if you get the full GI bill after your 3-years of service (which most do), that can pay your full tuition in many cases. Look into how the Yellow Ribbon program at a university can cover the gap between what GI Bill covers and the total cost, if a gap even exists.
The military experience alone is second to none, especially if you join at 18 years old. It’s the best first job a young man can have. You’ll make lifelong friends and develop some good discipline skills you can apply to everything as you go through life
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Blog related to : Special Forces, Green Beret, 18X Program, Special Forces Officer, 18A's, SF Officer's, SFQC, ODA