27 years old and considering leaving consulting to join the military. I have a great career and amazing life, however I've always had the itch and figure time is running out. Considering dropping everything and enlisting with the 18x program (special forces). I've talked to a recruiter and am very aware of the risks, I physically am fit enough to excel however who knows what could happen....am I an idiot? Also considering certain 3 letter agencies....

It doesn’t work that way. Yes you are an idiot for even considering this. Your recruiter will happily take advantage of your ignorance. There is no 18x program. What does exist is 11B (Bravo) school down in GA. It’s basic training and AIT all in one. You go there first and pass. Congrats, you are a grunt. You are “needs of the army”. Maybe just maybe, you get streamlined. So you go to airborne and don’t mess up your knees (spoiler alert: you will mess up your knees). You will have to wait for selection. Training isn’t going on year round. So you will be assigned to a basic infantry unit to call home while waiting for your TDY/ship date. I cannot stress how unglamorous a life 11 bang bangs have. However, I would rather have a conversation with any one of them than stuck up egotistical military intelligence guys who plan on joining a “3 letter agency” and yet don’t even know how to keep their weapon clean or what a firing pin is for or that they are “better” because they scored higher on the ASVAB and got a non infantry job. Wear the light blue rope proudly.

Let’s say everything goes according to plan. Congrats you passed. Welcome to the world where you are one bad commander away from being ordered to die in country for some stupid reason. And there are plenty of bad commanders.

Life is not a video game. There are people crawling on their bellies in the mud right now who hope to get where you are already. Feel free to take several steps back in your autonomy but understand the US military is terribly organized. Despite this, it is literally the best military on the face of the earth. You are in for a freaking shock of a lifetime. Enjoy cutting grass with scissors, “hurry up and wait”, piss tests at 4AM and general buffoonery despite being considered a “professional”. And at 27 you are definitely the “old man” with the highest PT standards necessary to make 100. I cannot stress enough how disorganized it all is despite what movies, video games and TV portray. But go see for yourself. Remember though, you can’t just quit. You signed a contract and there are definitely more places for you to be deployed to than what is talked about on the news. My guess is the 100% lack of self direction and autonomy will be the biggest culture shock. And boy, don’t tell anyone you had a job in the real world, the inferiority complexes are real.

Just do it. Don’t listen to these haters and these POGs.

Join the National Guard pipeline. If it works, it works. If it doesn’t, you still have a good job. If it’s war you seek, then when the great Indo-China war of Taiwanese oppression happens, you will go. I promise. And the NG will be winning that one as well.

The National Guard has 20th and 19th groups. Walk into the armory and find the recruiter. If you are in DC, the armory for 20th Group is an hour away at Gunpowder Military Reservation and the recruiters name is Ryan. If you make it, you will always have the opportunity for a deployment.

No matter what, the National Guard writ large is an Elite Community - so even if you don’t make it in SF selection, you will find a good home of oper8ors. I have E4s who are in med school right now. I have an E4 that is a manager at Deloitte. I have E7s managing 9 figure business units. And I have soldiers working for every 3 letter agency. It’s not like these dirty active duty units with bad leaders that hate their lives… we all have day jobs and most making >$100k a year. Many in the $500s+. The ones of us that are unmarried have better selections of hot, attractive mating partners. Active Doody has HORRIBLE selection wherever you get stationed. Another thing, ALL Guard members’ spouses are incredibly attractive, and all of our children love us. You will find the opposite in AD.

And as the Active Doody bois who hate The Elite Guard Community chime in, by all metrics, my National Guard infantry unit outperformed all AD bois in MND-North when we were in Iraq in 07. And I’ve never seen more soft shoe profiles than getting food at an off base subway near a large AD Infantry post - looking at you Fort Stewart.

So, OP, join. And follow The Fratty Guard on Instagram for more career advice.

Former 0331, deployed to Afghanistan. I regret joining the military and consider it now to have been a massive waste of my time.

Add 1 more vote to the dont do it. I’ll spare you the long answer I normally give to questions like this because people here have posted plenty.

Going from consultant > military is taking a step backward. Yes the military gave me some good experiences, but ultimately I consider most of those 5 years wasted. Got out and haven’t looked back.

Lol what is it with consultants wanting to join the military nowadays..? It’s confusing.

You’re giving up a budding career and all of your freedom for the tiny chance that you’ll make it through the 18X pipeline.

I wouldn’t say you’re an idiot but you need to seriously prepare yourself and have contingencies in place in case something goes wrong.

Are you prepared for the chance that, if you fail, you’ll be stuck painting rocks at Fort Bragg in the 82d?

You’ll end up an 11B in the 82d or if you’re really lucky, the 173d. The washout rate of the 18X pipeline is exceptionally high due to both injuries and failure to meet standards.

Besides that, you may want to get some time in a conventional unit before trying out for SF. Guys I’ve talked to in the SOF community seem to think people are more effective after getting some seasoning instead of jumping right into 18 series work.

If you have a degree you could also attempt to do OCS after basic and then drop a packet for SF after a couple years.

My back/knees hurt reading this. Don't go enlisted dummy.

- Former dummy.

I personally wouldn't go enlisted at 27. At least not active.

Have you thought about the national guard if you are set on 18x?

35+ years retired military, Navy reserve officer (of which +10 enlisted Air Force). Do you have a degree? Consider a commission if you do. The Reserves or Guard are ways to scratch that itch AND keep your current situation going. I spent over 6 years active during my reserve time, in austere and often underway, deployed and down range. I scratched that itch while maintaining a civilian career. Best of both worlds. Plus being a senior officer was great for my resume. I did miss a lot of things like birthdays, time with loved ones, etc., because of the military’s need to draw on reserve forces. But I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.

Do it! But go Reserves and maintain your civilian career at the same time. I built military recruiting at Amazon and the set back is serious so keep both careers so you can have a great retirement. Send me a direct message if you want to talk more

Someone correct me if I’m wrong on any of this, but if you wash out of the SF pipeline as an 18X (which is a totally realistic possibility) you will be reclassed to another MOS at needs of the Army. Sometimes this ends up being something favorable but could potentially make you something like a cook or driver (aka the least desirable jobs that they have to beg people to enlist for).

If you’re dead set on a SOF career, there are better options. You can enlist in an MOS that you want and volunteer for SFAS at a later point. You could get the 11B option 40 contract that guarantees RASP (or also believe there’s opportunities to just volunteer to go to RASP for a bunch of different MOS’ in your initial entry training). You could go in as a Civili Affairs or Psyops MOS. You can also look at 160th SOAR if you are an aviation MOS.

Don’t do it. If you wanted to serve your country that bad, you would’ve done it sooner.

I joined at 25 after working private sector for 3 years after college. I’d say do it but only if you join as an officer.

Also by law, your company has to save your position and pay for you while you are active duty. So say you do a 5 year contract when you get out they have to give you your job back with the pay you where at. Doesn’t mean you have to take the job but is a good safety net.

If you're looking for 18 series without having any prior military experience I'd suggest going National Guard SF. You'll get a lot of the fun without losing your civilian career. A lot NG SF guys find ways to essentially go full time if you so wish later. Also, if you're looking for 3-ltr agency stuff than you can apply for that right now without military experience. There are only a few jobs excluded for ex-sof, but everything else is open if you make the cut.

Former SF, now working in consulting. If you have the desire, go for it!! Understand that there are no guarantees, hundreds of super fit over achievers are left by the wayside...it is about heart and head. I loved my time in service. Good luck and don't quit, ever!

Just do it. No questions asked - get rid of all double. Best decision I ever made. Can always come back to consulting.

Do it.

as a prior enlisted guy who balanced both a consulting career and reserves I’d think really hard about this. I spent time on AD as well. No way I could enlist at 27.

Had some great leaders and also had plenty of SNCOs who were toxic - as a junior enlisted SM, not much you do about that and it will cause frustration.

Plenty of BS to go around - you’ll enlist in one MOS but I didn’t do my job more than 50% of the time unless mobilized. Idk about the SF community but there will be times where all you’re doing is police calling cigarette butts and cleaning toilets with some NCO making the entire platoon lap the barracks to serialize rocks for an hour because they have nothing better to do.

I’d try to find some enlisted SMs in that community to talk to before making a decision. I don’t regret it and I had a good career but it’s not a rose garden.

More common than you realize in the 18x series. A lot of prior athletes have some kind. Physical fitness is one thing, but mental toughness and adaptability will be another. They can always making more physically fit, but they can’t make you more intelligent; including EQ. If you don’t pass it you’re at the needs of the army. Keep in mind, it’s a peacetime army. I worked special operations and agencies before I got out. Happy to talk about.

Go for it if you want, but in my experience just go ahead and wrap your head around an extreme decrease in quality of life for you and your family