How Can I Prepare For SFAS? (Part 1)
We seem to have three categories of guys frequenting this sub and asking the same questions. Category one is active duty guys looking to confirm or deny a specific training detail or nuance. Two is older civilian guys who must feel the window of opportunity is closing (these are the guys that usually include lots of inconsequential credentials). And then three is young guys in high school who need guidance but have no idea what to ask so they just ask everything. My DMs are filled with these guys.
I thought it might be helpful (and timesaving) to create a post that covers a bunch of the most often asked questions. We can then just point guys here instead of re-tilling the same soil.
SFAS measures three primary domains…physical, cognitive, and interpersonal. The specific tests, events, assessments, and venues don’t really matter, and I would caution anyone from trying to ‘game the system’ too much. If you prepare for one specific thing and it turns out that they don’t do that specific thing, then you’re likely to get thrown off your game. So, I’ll try to be as specific as possible without over-focusing.
Younger Guys
If you’re still in high school, you should concentrate on being in high school. Get good grades, make lots of friends, play sports, and have fun. We make good Green Berets from good Soldiers, we make good Soldiers from good citizens, and we make good citizens from good people. You must be a good person first so just work on being a good person.
Get good grades, not because you need good grades to get selected, but because we want smart people who can read and write. It shows a level of discipline, and it demonstrates a willingness to follow the rules. The modern American education system is designed to create moderately intelligent people who can become reliable workers into our industrial base. You should augment that by reading…I’ll cover Reading Lists later. Be intellectually curious. Learn to ask good questions. Be a critical thinker. Learn a little bit about a lot. Learn DIY skills. Learn to cook. Learn a language. Learn to sew. Learn to clean. Life skills.
Make lots of friends. There is no requirement to be an extrovert or socialite, but ~85% of those selected are extroverts. You need to learn to communicate effectively…both receive and transmit. Learn to give and take instructions. Learn to bust balls and have your balls busted. Learn how to carry a conversation and learn how to be quiet and really listen. Learn conflict management and how to be managed when you’re being a prick. Have real life friends. Playing video games is fine, but go touch grass more often. Nobody wants to hang out with a weirdo, or a hard-ass, or a simp.
Play sports, especially team sports. This will help you build a good foundation of athleticism. It will also help you learn to take instruction, often critical and direct instruction. Coaches want performance and can have a unique way of telling you. Learn to be coached. Playing sports help you build social skills, too. It doesn’t really matter what sports you choose, but you might consider a contact sport like football because you should learn how to take a hit and be bullied. And how to hit and bully people. You might consider a combat sport like wrestling or jiu-jitsu. You aren’t likely to score a melee kill in real life (although it has happened), but you will get fit in a unique way, callous your mind and body, and cauliflower ears send an inimitable warning that you might be dangerous. You are years away from your pushups, pullups, run, or ruck times making any real difference. So don’t worry about them. Be stronger than the fastest runner and faster than the strongest lifter.
Have fun. Be a kid. You can’t go to SFAS until you’re 21 for a reason. You have your whole life ahead of you and deciding to be a Green Beret is a huge commitment. It is also far more likely that you will fail than you will succeed. That’s just the reality. 70% of Americans can’t serve in the military. 70% of those who serve aren’t eligible for SF. 65% of those who attend SFAS will not make it. If you have your whole identity and future built around this entire endeavor, then you run the very real risk of an imminent emotional crash. So, get your license, do kid things, and make mistakes. Don’t catch a felony but understanding risks and learning to navigate tenuous situations is a good skill. Good judgement comes from experience; experience often comes from bad judgment.
When you get closer to joining you should reach out to a recruiter. Don’t put too much stock in your uncle’s friend who knows a guy, or your buddy who plays lots of CoD, or a random dude on Reddit. Understand that recruiters have a job…to recruit. So, they are going to sell you the best possible story and minimize all of the negatives. They have quotas to fill and bosses to answer to. If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is. If you aren’t getting good answers, you can always call the SORB main office at 910-432-1818. The choice between National Guard or Active Duty is entirely up to you as is the choice between 18X or a longer path. Nobody can make those decisions for you. It all depends on your individual goals, circumstances, and desired end state.
