re: With Delta Force killing the ISIS leader, I hope that..

I said: "Green Berets don't need previous military experience either. You can enlist to be an 18X but you'll probably wash out and spend 5-6 years as a cook."

You quoted and replied with: "I didn't think there would ever be possibly enough bull shite on this place to overload my filters but, holy fricking shite!"

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You can enlist to be an 18X but you'll probably wash out and spend 5-6 years as a cook."

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oh, you mean the old recruiter bullshite? potential recruit askes if he enlists can he fly F-15s for the Army an the recruiter says "why hell yes you can son! sign right here!!!"

HUGE difference between Delta Force and Navy Seals: both are good at their craft (Delta is actually better).

Seals seem to have gone “Hollywood” recently and like the publicity (which is stupid).

You will NEVER see the faces of the Delta Force Operators.... they do NOT want anybody to know who they are and they do not seek the attention of the media. They shun it and run from it. This is as it SHOULD be.

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So you have no clue about the 18X program despite claiming to be a SME.

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I am old, and have retired from that, so you are possibly correct I that I know nothing about current day enlistment policies, I do know, and have been corrected(incorrectly, I might add,) numerous times on here by guys that seem to have a modicum of military experience about "current" policies that they seem to be etched in stone, which of course in error because they are dynamic, my best friend's son is a brand new Army Ranger and I can assure you that he did not just walk up to the counter and ask to get in that line, he had to qualify and apply and go through everything any recruit/draftee would have to do to be able to apply for and be accepted to that community


SME? WTF?? I'm a jet jock! I save your asses!!!!!

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I am old, and have retired from that, so you are possibly correct I that I know nothing about current day enlistment policies, I do know, and have been corrected(incorrectly, I might add,) numerous times on here by guys that seem to have a modicum of military experience about "current" policies that they seem to be etched in stone, which of course in error because they are dynamic, my best friend's son is a brand new Army Ranger and I can assure you that he did not just walk up to the counter and ask to get in that line, he had to qualify and apply and go through everything any recruit/draftee would have to do to be able to apply for and be accepted to that community

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The 18X program has been around since the 70s. It guarantees you a spot at selection after OSUT and airborne.
You can also enlist to be a Ranger (Option 40) and that's probably what your friend's son did, getting a guaranteed slot at RASP after BCT and MOS school.

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Can you explain to me what this means and clarify any other "medals" or whatever they are called that are of importance? Thanks.

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The "Three up, Three down and a star" refer to the rank on his sleeve. Three up are the chevron, three down are the "rockers" and the star is the thing in the middle. He is a Sergeant Major. This means he has reached one of the highest enlisted ranks possible. In the community he was in, that was no small feat.

I'd have to look at a chart to decode all his medals. There are probably a few for the action in the middle east, some "thanks for playing" medals but each medal denotes a different honor bestowed. If there are multiple of one type, you don't wear two medals. You add a doodad to that medal to denote multiple awards.

His "fruit salad" means he's been a BUNCH of different places and done some really high speed things while he was there.

After looking, at the top is the CIB or Combat Infantry Badge. It means he's been in combat basically. He has jump wings with the patch behind it meaning he is airborne trained and is on jump status. EOD (Explosive Ordinance Demoltion Certified) I see the Vietnam service ribbon with three stars (I'm guessing three tours) and so on. The stuff on the right side of his chest are unit honors that he will where while serving with that unit, unless he was with the unit when they were earned. In that case he wears them always, they are his honor as well.

You can basically decode his career with his uniform. Everything you see has a very specific meaning.