First-
Mods: if this is the incorrect forum, my apologies.

I recently learned about the 18 X-Ray option in the Army, and I was quite surprised to learn that this also applies to the Guard side of the house.

Has anyone here gone SF in the Guard? Curious to learn some details of what to expect with training, etc and the prospect of balancing it with my current career in the private sector. Having been a Marine Infantryman, I’m being sought out “eagerly” by the NC Guard and offered an 18-Series contract. Would love to get an idea of how this all fits together.

I believe 18X is for non-prior service people -- high school or college kids and people off the street.  For the Guard, a REP-63 general-MOS enlistee is pretty much the same.

I may be wrong, but the National Guard (especially a National Guard Special Forces UNIT recruiter) gets credit for filling a short-strength MOS (especially Medics because it's our longest course and has very high academic standards).  If a unit can't be manned it'll be moved or re-flagged to a different branch.  

I was in an airborne unit that was inactivated and given the choice to change to a different unit (in my MOS) or stay in-town to become an armor cavalryman.  I stayed infantry and volunteered and was accepted into a Ranger company.

SF training is a long road for either active OR Guard.  A Guardsman has to go through jump school, Selection, then SF qualification training -- it can take a while.  While you have some flexibility, you will serve at the needs of the service -- you go when they have a class and opening, and you'll be away from your civilian job and family.

When I taught the Q-Course, Guardsmen and Reservists had to maintain the same standards as active duty.

I know a number of guys who separated from the Marines, passed the Q-Course, and went on to do good things in (active duty) SF.

E-Mail me your phone number.  I ran this program in a past life.


18Z50

Solid Copy!

Email inbound.

Thanks to both of you gentlemen.

no. 18X is open to all. Prior service Marines tend to do very well as Green Berets.

Guard has a different process than Active Duty. They do a sort of OJT/pre-selection before sending guys to SFAS.

Correcct about the Guard unit recruiter tho, they're gonna have better info on how you'd enter the program, what MOS you'd hold in the Guard, how long it would take to go to selection, etc.

This thread reflects the best of what this site offers. Very cool to see.

Some of the best guys I knew in Group were former Marines. Not uncommon.

And remember that it is sometimes even harder for NG troops to get to schools, Each state is only allotted so many slots per MOS. And the slots are even more limited for 18 Series. I have a friend who is currently in a NG SF unit in Texas and he said the same thing.

You'd figure SF units got more slots/first dibs

That is not always the case. Plus it also depends on how many are waiting for the same schools.

First...Happy Birthday Marine!!

Getting out as an 03 most often leads us into LE, PSD etc positions. Unfortunately, the Reserve Component doesn't have any MARSOC affiliated Units - only ANGLICO & Recon ones. Follow your heart brother and best of luck!