Took me till 40 years old to figure it out myself. Smoke/dipped/drank heavily my whole career. Quit everything the day I retired and a year later I’m substantially healthier than I was 10 years ago.
@@ValhallaVFT Man when you mentioned the guys who had 6 DUI's back in the day but that doesn't fly anymore because there is no war it resonated with me. We had guys with ongoing disciplinary and admin action dragging out for extended periods of time and as soon as op tempo settled or a "work up" was over they would be in front of command getting smashed and sent out too "Civvy St".
Cocaine, drinking and, adultery all fueled by stress of the job and ptsd ruined my career and marriage…… You are so right…. Just stay sober and humble.
@@arkadii28 so it was cold turkey but not cold turkey. I had it all man and i was in Central America my wife left with my son to the US and refused to come back. I found myself 8 hours away from where we lived on the southern border of Mexico along the coast. I was on a construction sight run by my wife’s uncle. I cold turkey in the building under construction. I AC no electricity no plumbing just me giant spiders mosquitoes from hell an old mattress concrete floor and my determination to not make my 5 year old have to lose his dad again.I came back to the USA ten days later to my life literally fallen apart. I started praying for close to god and made a promise to myself and my little boy. I still lost the love of my life all the money I had…. I ended up going to school for a different career. My door kicking days and telling people what so are over. I’m 33 it took ten years of my life and made me a vile person especially with fast money when I got into the sector I was in. Dude dropping the stress isn’t the issue of the transition it’s the slowing down not hitting that adrenaline dump and using those critical thinking skills….. I gave myself to Christ also that is a huge help. You just have to do it. Staying sober is so easy! It’s that first 30 days that’s the war man it’s a war from hell and the hardest part. Good luck man.
Had a friend with SEAL TEAM 3 in the late 90’s and he got popped for pot on a random U/A. No probation, no sent back to the fleet for 18 months to reapply for Special Warfare. He got the Big Chicken Dinner, Bad Conduct Discharge. He was left to figure out what then after 12 years in the navy. He started professional skydiving as a videographer and skills instructor, still does it to this day in Texas.
When I was active duty. A PFC in my company. She said her Dad was SF and Delta Force. But she told me her Dad had to kick a guy off his team. Apparently he was telling classified Mission info to women in bars trying to impress them with "Rambo" type stories.
A warrant officer I went through flight school with ended up in the 160th. His wife worked with mine at the post school. She told a group of wives where his unit was deployed, which was classified, unknown to her. Word got back to the guys BN CDR and he flipped. He ended up coming back and divorcing her and years later it came out that he was essentially pressured to do so, or he would have been sent back to the regular Army, with a black mark on his record.
I was at Bragg in the OTS (Out of Training Section, which is the unit you are put in if you are removed from SFQC and awaiting new orders) I get there one day and find out I've been selected to stand guard over a guy that popped hot for crack. I was told that, while awaiting transfer to a stockade, he escaped and was later found in Fayetteville trying to get more crack. I was one of three soldiers who was to be tasked with guarding him until he could be transferred to the stockade. While they were briefing me, in the other room, he picked his handcuffs and shimmied out the window. Easiest detail I was ever on.
I appreciate you name dropping that POS who didn’t get punished for some serious unhinged lunatic crap, vs some dude who lost everything because he had his own pistol. The hypocrisy is staggering.
I was a MP stationed in Okinawa from 2007-2010. Myself and five other MPs got attached to an ODA training PNP in Jolo in 2009. Living in a team house and seeing how an ODA works was enlightening. I was entering my 8th and final year in the Army in 2010 but part of me wished I would have stayed tried out SFAS. I still think I made the right choice getting out. That same year in 2010, three of my friends were killed in Afghanistan, and I met the woman who is now my wife. Okinawa is the Army's best kept secret for a duty station. Loved my time there.
I was a corporate fraud investigator for over decade and all of these reasons apply in the civilian world. One point about criminal charges. My company didn’t wait for convictions- if you got arrested you were gone the majority of the time. I’m surprised I didn’t see fraud or theft mentioned.
Thanks bro. We’re actually growing at a pretty insane speed, not anything I expected being fairly new to the social media scene. But I appreciate the support from you guys.
Agreed. This is the channel I watch most but, I do like 3 of 7, Shawn Ryan, and Mike Glover. I believe Nate has also mentioned these previously? Did I get that right? VFT is still my favorite though.
When you started talking about how rank influences the consequences of doing bad shit, I was hoping it was gonna go along the way of "the higher the rank, the worse the consequences", but deep down I knew it's gonna be the opposite. It sucked to be proven right.
I can concur with this. Low ranking enlisted will get thrown to the wolves for minor things while the brass tend to get the situation swept under the rug if possible.
Unfortunately, as a JAG, I've seen this is all too often the case. It also depends on who you know. God help you if you're not in the "club." Rank won't even help you there.
Facts and it's difficult to understand, but life is not over! Sometimes we all reach a breaking point, but it is a great opportunity to learn from our mistakes, and make changes. God bless this man for telling the truth and being an honest man.
It's so sad to see what you guys are going through. When I was in, my leadership was fantastic! We were never expected to pay the military back for the equipment we used, unless we lost it. Our retirees never had to pay insurance to ensure their retirement payments would come through. It was truly a fantastic time for me 😊1990 to 95
I was talking to an army recruiter and my first time visiting a base, the thing that stood out the most to me was the HUGE sign warning you not to get a DUI. "Hey what's that about" he definitely gave me a down played answer on how big of a problem it is.
I'm in a Corps of Engineers unit, and we had a some former SF team members who were assigned to us. In the end, it kinda worked out good. They were competent in the performances of their duties. On one particular deployment, they knew the PMCs and the local environment to the point where we werent stressed about security for where we were working. Not name dropping but he was a great sheepdog and my company commander got a lot of positive comments about him. So what if he was just a glorified security guy, he WAS GREAT on what he does. My personal opinion is that I think he wasn't a very good team player when he was in whatever unit he was in but when he came to our engineering and construction unit, he was superb.
99 percent t of my problems in life went away when I quit drinking. The other 1 percent were problems that will always exist in life but doing the mental work and having healthy outlets are key.
When I was in 10th SFG('69); getting a tattoo was an exit from SF. Your ability to go down range was compromised. We were not subject to random drug tests at that time.
@@Cynthia_Blackraven_666 Because tattoos often identified you as American, and compromised your ability for covert ops down range. Remember that SF’s primary mission is similar to that of the OSS & Operation Jedburg.
@@Cynthia_Blackraven_666 Aside from cultural reasons that can limit your diplomatic efforts, the big one is being recognizable. If you want a covert force, any tatto can easily be used to link a body, to a man (think looking at suspected civillians online and seeing tattos that match). Some may be "non-visible" like on your chest, upper shoulders/arms, etc, but that just requires they snatch your body, live or dead, and OPFOR INT personel do minor amounts of more work. BONUS ROUND: If you have a tatto that says anything with english army phrases (such as a ranger tab, CAF Airborne crest, English coat of arms, etc), congrats! OPFOR doesnt need a PID to figure your a western force/hostile force operating against them!
Coming from the aviation and more recently, oil & gas, it's the same. Drink, drugs, relationships. Thanks for all the vids, Nate. Your definitely crushing it 👍 Btw, you've got a great collection of shirts!
While I wasn't in special ops but I retired from the conventional Army and unfortunately it's the same as far as the discrepancy between enlisted and officer punishment.
I agree with your comment should I say in "general." What i witnessed the the Army considering Commissioned Officers, and Enlisted grades was that company grade officers especially Lieutenants, and especially 2nd Lieutenants were absolutely treated as if they were completely disposable, unless unless they were in "the click", or had connections such as a father who had contact with the chain of command. Senior enlisted were also protected if they had favor with their Commanding Officer which would always be the case. One of the best examples I can remember was a particular LTC who delighted in reliving Lieutenants. This was during a time when the Army was introducing their Fat Boy program, many soldiers were discharged for failing the fat boy requirements. The SGM who done the bidding of the LTC who delighted in relieving Lieutenants was obviously over weight, most soldiers instead of seeing him eye to eyes would see over his bald head, and he certainly had a bulging belly. This SGM was not, and was never on the fat boy plan. For this SGM this issue was as they say, "pencil whipped," he did not have to worry about it. These are the kinds of things which corrupts an organization, particularly a military organization.
Utilising this as a reflection, Wisdom is appreciated. 19 here wanting to get into special forces, rejected beginning of this year due to silly admittance of small singular case of self harm. Unable to do anything military related for two years, utilise this as a lesson and a chance to learn another trade (Carpentry) in the meantime as part of my career contingency plan. Have had only approximately 5 drinks in my lifetime and zero recreatuonal drugs taken. I eat an Animal based diet currently on a calorie deficit as i am 105kg which i have been using to my advantage for training. Hope to do all you proud.
I remember one SF guy getting kicked off a team for cowardice under fire. He saw an enemy combatant getting destroyed by heavy machine gun fire and he went into a panic.
This could have been titled "most common ways cops ruin their career". It's incredibly sad. We do the same stupid shit and I myself fell victim to my own stupidity. It's shameful.
A couple of dudes I heard about were smoking spice in the CCT pipeline and got arrested and booted when they were at dive school. The vast majority of them got a variety of bad discharges. It ain't worth it.
Spice, from my understanding (and I never smoked it) isn't worth it. It really doesn't act like pot, so it doesn't work as a way to get high and avoid testing positive for pot. That's a scary drug I would never willingly try.
Man, here I am going infantry and shitting bricks wondering if I'll "fit in" because I don't drink or party and haven't been part of a sports team when you've got SOF persons having to dial back those things to keep their careers
There’s nothing negative that’s going to come from you not drinking or partying in a military career, people don’t care. But there’s a lot that can go wrong if you do.
@@ValhallaVFT Thanks, I don't know why it's been bugging me lately Probably just nerves over finally being able to go to the military after waiting over a year (CAF)
Just a regular retired Marine here. Spent my career in various occupations. Infantry. Military Police. Aviation Supply and Aviation in general. I’ve seen may be 10 Marines who never drank on their 21st Birthday get drunk and become alcoholics and watch their career implode. I had 2 Marines on their 21st Birthday, die from alcohol poisoning. Seen many DUIs, DV, cocaine, Molly, Bath Salts, and so on.
I retired from the US Army Reserve about 10 years ago. My 40 years included active duty USMC time, then National Guard both of those in aviation and the Reserve time was as a parachute rigger. My jobs never approached the physical demand level of SF, nor did the level of commitment to the mission. So I’m not pretending I’m any kind of warrior. My observation and point are…. While soldiers at any level do dumb things, I believe, due to the investment in time and dollars spent to select, qualify and deploy an operator, the Army ought to spend money on efforts to head off the (known) problems before they happen. And if there is an offense, there also ought to be a program to salvage the individual should the individual be worthy of a second chance.
Back in the 70s post Vietnam, first time in the field with the team (Vietnam vets) we built a campfire and team daddy broke out a bottle of Seagram 7. I didn’t drink, I smoked so I was considered a damn untrustworthy hippie. We had beer machines in the barracks in jump school. Talk about falling out for formation. Times have changed.
I really like the video, and I appreciate what you guys go through, believe me I have a service buddy that was a Green Beret Medic between 1987ish in a National Guard unit and I think the late 1990's?? I wasn't able to reconnect until last year, and we've had the opportunity to share some of our stories (Non-Combat) of course... He told me that I was totally capable of going through the selection process,which,at the time seemed unplausable to me, but I guess that he knew my capabilities as a Mortar Gunner when we served together at the 197th Infantry Brigade in 1984...
I spent 27 years in the US Army as enlisted and officer but never did anything “special.” I stayed single, kept my drinking under control, never did drugs, and was so financially prudent I _retired_ retired. My career was quite boring (despite 3 deployments) dominated by tedious staff work near the end. It overall didn’t seem to benefit the Army much at all compared to hard drinking SF wild men. Make of that what you will.
Yep. Getting married on active duty is like mixing oil and water. Saw a lot of divorces in the military. Stayed away from any relationship while in the military, which kept my life on an even keel. Pursued relationships after the military was the better way to go.
Yup, pretty much lost my career in 10th Group, based on a false accusation that resulted in an arrest which later I was exonerated for. It was so false the Army did the FAP investigation and cleared me of DV, then they turned around and investigated me as the victim of DV and determined that I was a victim of DV. So while being a victim of DV, I was not allowed to re-enlist due to the false accusation and arrest. Absolutely has left a bad taste in my mouth about Group and the Army, because they'd NEVER treat a female victim the way they treated a male victim of DV.
This is a great topic to address. Cautionary stories are important; especially training related incidents. They are probably one of the most preventable career ending events. Perfect example cited was the NDs. Big Army is not the only one guilty of this; regardless it happens for the same reason - failure to follow procedures. SF profession is deadly serious. Once trained on what right looks like, these units expect performance at all times because the lives of their teammates depend on it. Great topic for newbies in teams to take to heart; mixed with their hundreds of Q course "war stories".
Pretty similar in law enforcement. People who seemed squared away seem to hit the 4-6ish year mark, then do something astonishingly stupid. Substances, romance related, personal integrity/moral fitness/Brady issue… Particularly if someone is going through divorce or other serious stress in their personal life in proximity to a stressful work situation…
My unit had the most DUIs in the entire army after we came back from the invasion. We we're the battalion they sent into Baghdad in tanks on April 5th & 7th 2003. We were highly decorated and highly f*cked up because of it. That was in 2004 when that was going on. Didn't do much to your career, then.
On my last deployment we had a Col who had just pinned on got caught sleeping with a Major by a Capt. Since they were both married to other people they lost everything. They tried to keep it hush hush but both were sent home and lost their AGR positions in their unit.
Officer vs enlisted ranks have different rules when it comes to GOMR and elimination boards. COL Ray was the I Corps CoS at the time. It was likely that the military did not want to take away his retirement because his wife would get nothing. Also, if he gets a Dishonorable Discharge he loses VA benefits and the medical help he needs. There is literally dozens of things that can lead to an elimination board. A referred OER/NCOER can lead to a board. Over all very good overview.
If you want to make extra money in the military, pick an MOS that has a high demand and high turnover. Jobs in IT have very high turnover because the private sector tends to hire people out. ESPECIALLY those with a secret/top secret clearance. There are big reenlistment bonuses for people in IT. If you're not so technically minded. Be a cook. It's an unpopular job for sure, but it also has high turnover. Because few people join the military to be a cook and/or being a cook in the military sucks there are often a lot of incentives and bonuses to be in that MOS.
I made it to STA plt in the Marine Corps back in the early 90s. To celebrate I went out and partied, someone had some fun stuff at the party, which I decided to partake in. (I had literally never ever touched the stuff my entire life before that I don’t know what the hell I was thinking )I had a piss test the next day. Fast-forward a couple of months for the results to come back and… No more STA platoon. I almost got kicked out, but was fortunate enough to have been a good marine before the incident and remained one after so I had to go to a boat company. I got out honorably, but I failed to achieve my goal of going to sniper school along with a bunch of other schools and that was my opportunity ,--through that unit. Because I lost the ability to hold a security clearance I finished out my time in the infantry. Because those were the Clinton years where unless you were a tier one unit or standing next to someone firing at you while on deployment, you were not gonna see any action so I got out. Basically drugs and alcohol are never a good thing. Well, I guess I had a great time that night, but I paid for it because it greatly altered the course of my life. I cannot look back with regret because it does nothing. I’ve done well for myself since that time, but I would be an absolute liar if I said I don’t think about it we will just say, very often. So to all the young folks out there if you are stuck in a situation that is similar -in President Reagan‘s words “just say no“
I wonder if many SF members do things like drugs and alcohol because subconsciously they don’t want to be in anymore but don’t want to be seen as a quitter.
The problem with being an operator is the mental exposure these individuals have face in the course of their work. Having passed some of the toughest tests designed by their country to make them into elite soldiers, many fall into the ego trap of invincibility. Meth and Alcohol really accelerates this fall. The solution isn't a simple thing but a need to find a higher cause to strive for is crucial when you leave your unit and "just family" isn't actually enough. I've seen so many fall due to neglect during their tours and next thing you know, wives are committing adultery, divorce & alimony wipes out the bank and the ptsd from having to perform questionable operations eats into your soul. You gotta be able to shift the aim towards development of your virtues, kindness is crucial for this development. Picking up an artform thats not necessarily violent I think is gonna be very helpful, learn to play an instrument or paint. Don't matter if you get to god tier, just do it.
Lost my clearance right after SERE School (yea) and was accused of lying on the paperwork. Piss poor credit, spending habits and not monitoring my credit report fk'd me up. It made me undeployable for two years and I was sent to a support command where all of the other washed up guys with "issues" were sent. The irony of it all is that my command had lost many guys in Afghanistan during this time. Id seen every last one of them off and they all asked the same thing..."When you gonna get your clearance back?" It really hit home when one of the EOD guys who I was close to was being admin separated, but they gave him a 2nd chance and he took it. He was killed also by a remote IED. Haunts me to this day with survivors guilt and dishonor. 2004-2006 was the worst of it and there I was doing nothing. I was sent to the fleet after being denied twice for reinstatement and didnt know shit about ships. My service record had been wiped also. I didnt have shit in there except a 3rd class swim qual from boot camp and a new BM rating. This was before the digital age mind you and BUPERS had NOTHING. I was ostracized in the fleet and to this day I have ZERO respect for Fleet sailors, primarily its Chiefs Mess and Officers. I eventually got out and attended school.
The Col. Ray turnover was crazy lol. That stuff happened over a holiday so that’s quite a story to come back to. What’s even funnier is that his regimental CSM also got the boot like a couple weeks later and not one thing was said about it. At least for the new commander there was a small ceremony but I personally didn’t remember even seeing the new CSM. Rumor has it he got caught railing an S1 clerk or something behind a building 😅
When I went through sfas in 2015 I got psych dropped. They told me i could return in 2 years and was very lucky because you normally get NTR for a drop like that. However, I spoke with an officer during the course that told me he's only doing the GB thing is because it looks good on his OER. I kinda feel like alot of these career fields now are more like a check the block for promotion instead of actually being apart of a cohesion that alot of people can't and won't do.
Going SF as an officer is actually not good for your career progression. It puts you substantially behind your peers for rank promotion, and it far more competitive for slots to move up the chain.
I served as a Night Stalker. Physical injuries is the second biggest way to have you career ruined. It was very depressing Looking back I was lucky to have served were I did. Still grateful for all the friends I made
@@grnsouth1204no that's prohormone. sarms act similarly to steroids but are more selective in relation to which tissue it effects. I'm not going to do a full breakdown here but, it's not as strong as steroids but not far behind either. mk677 is not a real sarms, it is a growth hormone secretagogue.
i know of one special forces soldier who believed he certainly been the most senior nco rank if he had stayed in the regular army. he based this on the fact that his best friend achieved this rank and he believed this would have spurred him to do the same as they were very competive with each other. but it was not possible for special forces in my country to do this. this is even more true at officer rank.it can also be very hard for special forces to fit back in to regular army/military.
When I first joined in 2003, people got DUIs all the time. They basically got extra duty and then were back to work. By about 2008, there was a big shift, and by 2009 if you got a DUI it was mandatory to start chapter paperwork.
The most common causes of complete career implosion I’ve seen in my Army career are definitely pop hot on a pee test, getting a DUI, and domestic abuse. Those are basically the 3 most common career Enders.
I wasn't spec ops but I was in the Army and it seems like most dudes got kicked out for beating their wives and I had a guy in my company get kicked out for a couple pounds overweight even though he could ace the PT test.
Too true about the current military climate on DUI's: Zero Tolerance. A fellow MSGT and bronze star recipient who was also on a 2 star's PSD got a DUI. He needed one more reenlistment to get his 20 years...reenlistment denied. The same 2 star also wrote a recommendation letter for his reenlistment package...reenlistment denied. Edit. The few times I have seen and heard someone recovering from a DUI or other mistakes is if they did this while they are young in both age and career; like E-3 and below. It was treated seriously but at the same time it's treated like a mistake due to youthful indiscretion. So they still paid the price but later they were given the opportunity to recover and move on. When I was a Sgt, my Gunny got a DUI as a LCpl (in Okie of all places, but he popped at the gate to get on base) and he retired as a SgtMaj.
SSG Nathan Cornacchia ( US Army Special Forces ( Ret.) ) : Is there , like in the 75th Ranger Regiment ( USASOC) , a " Release For Standards" in Special Forces? Can a Special Forces Soldier, Warrant Officer or Commissioned Officer , lose the SPECIAL FORCES Long Tab, Green Beret ,and, revocation of a 18 Series MOS?
I did a stint as a bn rear detachment cdr of a support BN. Worst job ive ever had. At one point I was dealing with 2 domestic issues a week. It was a regular Army unit with a high op tempo and 350 SMs were left in the rear. Bored service memebers get in trouble. I got med boarded while in was in that job, which was why I didnt deploy, but that job just about ruined my marriage and sanity and being med boarded saved both. For you young guys... just deploy. Dont take a rear d cmd.
Well, this explains a lot. They certainly do create a situation for responsibility training. Question: Has the culture changed recently regarding speaking about experiences? I know nothing about hubby's experiences. He just says, "I don't remember." He's also gets pissed when other GB starts tealking. To him, it's a hard line.
NO SF experience, a former Infantry and Engineer Officer, but I can tell you the rational of not taking retirement pensions as punishment. If they throw a Senior ranking NCO or Officer in prison, the assumption is that taking their retirement punishes the family more than the service member since it is their livelihood also. Please note that I didn't say I agreed with it but have set in more than one legal brief where that was brought up.
Just wanna give a shout out to how shitty rank preference can be. The Lt. Colonel in charge of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo ROTC program got caught installing cameras in womens locker rooms. All he got was reassigned to some random desk job in TRADOC I believe. Meanwhile a E7 at the ROTC I was in got hit with an EO that was already left in the grey zone with 7 years(when the complaint happened) prior got the boot as soon as he got random flagged and lost his retirement(3 years away)
So toxic. Vengeful women or jilted girlfriends/ wives getting divorced in family court literally put the nail in a man’s coffin even the father of their children on an allegation alone. It’s wrong, considering what these men are asked and willing todo for us all. From Australia
The DV really gets to me. I was SF (not the cool kind. I was Security Forces. Just an MP in the USAF..and I realize after typing all this, would have been faster to just typie it all out). We got a lot of calls for DV, and some bases you HAD to detain or arrest the husband. Then command will go out of their way, acting like prosecutors, to rail road the guy. I have seen cases where the wife was insane, violent, etc, yet, the guy gets his career ruined. Its so bad, that I believe the leading cause of veteran/military self delete is due to how command will take the side of their crazy wives, and a man loses his kids. So much for sticking together. I even wonder if promotions are based on if youre married or not. They kept losing my ALS to make E5. They lost it three cycles, until my PT test was not valid since I was on a waiver (surgery, cancer). Almost like they didnt need to lose my ALS since they have a "good" reason to lose my PT test. The more I think of it, the more I feel that it was a mistake for me joining the military. Im just not in enough. 11 years, and me pushing like a moron. Sorry. Didnt mean to ramble. Count this as me talking into the void.
Humans are human. However, it's all about the ethos and values. I couldn't count on my brother high on valume in Mousle 2003-4. We deal with so much in the SFGs and conventional forces. So much talent is lost.
You could say this could fall under Performance, but it could really be its own topic. MONEY... more dudes in SOF lose careers over misuse and abuse of government money than I can count. lol
An 18A ruined his career in Bosnia 1999 due to drinking, he illegally entered Serbia got drunk and arrested. His excuse was he found out his wife was leaving him.
Not using drugs or alcohol is such a life hack
Took me till 40 years old to figure it out myself. Smoke/dipped/drank heavily my whole career. Quit everything the day I retired and a year later I’m substantially healthier than I was 10 years ago.
And ciggars
@@ValhallaVFTstay safe brother❤
@@ValhallaVFT Man when you mentioned the guys who had 6 DUI's back in the day but that doesn't fly anymore because there is no war it resonated with me. We had guys with ongoing disciplinary and admin action dragging out for extended periods of time and as soon as op tempo settled or a "work up" was over they would be in front of command getting smashed and sent out too "Civvy St".
@@ValhallaVFT ok 👌
Cocaine, drinking and, adultery all fueled by stress of the job and ptsd ruined my career and marriage…… You are so right…. Just stay sober and humble.
Same.
How did you overcome this problems ? Any advice? Or just cold turkey
@@arkadii28 so it was cold turkey but not cold turkey. I had it all man and i was in Central America my wife left with my son to the US and refused to come back. I found myself 8 hours away from where we lived on the southern border of Mexico along the coast. I was on a construction sight run by my wife’s uncle. I cold turkey in the building under construction. I AC no electricity no plumbing just me giant spiders mosquitoes from hell an old mattress concrete floor and my determination to not make my 5 year old have to lose his dad again.I came back to the USA ten days later to my life literally fallen apart. I started praying for close to god and made a promise to myself and my little boy. I still lost the love of my life all the money I had…. I ended up going to school for a different career. My door kicking days and telling people what so are over. I’m 33 it took ten years of my life and made me a vile person especially with fast money when I got into the sector I was in. Dude dropping the stress isn’t the issue of the transition it’s the slowing down not hitting that adrenaline dump and using those critical thinking skills….. I gave myself to Christ also that is a huge help. You just have to do it. Staying sober is so easy! It’s that first 30 days that’s the war man it’s a war from hell and the hardest part. Good luck man.
@@arkadii28wanting it bad enough and correct support dude
Well atleast they have respectable standards un like these police departments /cops .
SF has real integrity. !!!
Had a friend with SEAL TEAM 3 in the late 90’s and he got popped for pot on a random U/A. No probation, no sent back to the fleet for 18 months to reapply for Special Warfare. He got the Big Chicken Dinner, Bad Conduct Discharge. He was left to figure out what then after 12 years in the navy. He started professional skydiving as a videographer and skills instructor, still does it to this day in Texas.
for pot.... unbelievable....
@@austism1had a friend in the navy who got a BCD for literally holding a pot, the highest ups legitimately thought that was the drug. Sad.
@@austism1It was illegal, the amount of power and trust they are given I get why they are held to a high standard.
@robpolaris5002 alcohol has ruined more military careers than you could fathom buddy..... and it's ENCOURAGED. Despicably evil and stupid.
Yet you can be a raging alcoholic and there is no problem. We will be changing these laws soon @@robpolaris7272
When I was active duty. A PFC in my company. She said her Dad was SF and Delta Force. But she told me her Dad had to kick a guy off his team. Apparently he was telling classified Mission info to women in bars trying to impress them with "Rambo" type stories.
Not only does this happen, but foreign countries use female agents to do this all the time, it’s called honey potting
@@ValhallaVFTDEVGRU is especially susceptible to this tactic
Bruh, is you apostrophe button broken? 😂😂😂 Go back to school.
@@ValhallaVFT The "honey pot" is literally as old as honey. 🤣
A warrant officer I went through flight school with ended up in the 160th. His wife worked with mine at the post school. She told a group of wives where his unit was deployed, which was classified, unknown to her. Word got back to the guys BN CDR and he flipped.
He ended up coming back and divorcing her and years later it came out that he was essentially pressured to do so, or he would have been sent back to the regular Army, with a black mark on his record.
I was at Bragg in the OTS (Out of Training Section, which is the unit you are put in if you are removed from SFQC and awaiting new orders) I get there one day and find out I've been selected to stand guard over a guy that popped hot for crack. I was told that, while awaiting transfer to a stockade, he escaped and was later found in Fayetteville trying to get more crack. I was one of three soldiers who was to be tasked with guarding him until he could be transferred to the stockade. While they were briefing me, in the other room, he picked his handcuffs and shimmied out the window. Easiest detail I was ever on.
Say what you will about crackheads but they're highly motivated individuals
Showing your age with that one lmao. I bet it was 95-05 lol
@@disturbedlife5691 It was 2007, but anyone in the military knows, tech is 10-20 years behind, so maybe it's the same with vices.
0:52 --Oversimplified list.
1:41 --Substance abuse.
7:24 --Relationships.
11:51 --Work Performance
I appreciate you name dropping that POS who didn’t get punished for some serious unhinged lunatic crap, vs some dude who lost everything because he had his own pistol. The hypocrisy is staggering.
I was a MP stationed in Okinawa from 2007-2010. Myself and five other MPs got attached to an ODA training PNP in Jolo in 2009. Living in a team house and seeing how an ODA works was enlightening. I was entering my 8th and final year in the Army in 2010 but part of me wished I would have stayed tried out SFAS. I still think I made the right choice getting out. That same year in 2010, three of my friends were killed in Afghanistan, and I met the woman who is now my wife. Okinawa is the Army's best kept secret for a duty station. Loved my time there.
I find Nate's insight into the Green Beret world extremely interesting... funny, too.
lol thanks man. I try to include some humor to show we’re all just regular dudes too.
I was a corporate fraud investigator for over decade and all of these reasons apply in the civilian world. One point about criminal charges. My company didn’t wait for convictions- if you got arrested you were gone the majority of the time. I’m surprised I didn’t see fraud or theft mentioned.
So, zero tolerance, no understanding that accusations aren't always true? Sounds like a crackerjack company.
@@The2ndFirst These days, it's known as "universal standard"
Common sense is a relic
I hope this channel gets big, it's one of the most informative military themed channels on TH-cam, thank you for sharing this information sir🙏🏾
Thanks bro. We’re actually growing at a pretty insane speed, not anything I expected being fairly new to the social media scene. But I appreciate the support from you guys.
Agreed. This is the channel I watch most but, I do like 3 of 7, Shawn Ryan, and Mike Glover. I believe Nate has also mentioned these previously? Did I get that right? VFT is still my favorite though.
@@user-cc5od3zk4p bro those 3 are my favorite 3 myself lol.
When you started talking about how rank influences the consequences of doing bad shit, I was hoping it was gonna go along the way of "the higher the rank, the worse the consequences", but deep down I knew it's gonna be the opposite. It sucked to be proven right.
Nah it’s exactly what you think it is.
I can concur with this. Low ranking enlisted will get thrown to the wolves for minor things while the brass tend to get the situation swept under the rug if possible.
Unfortunately, as a JAG, I've seen this is all too often the case. It also depends on who you know. God help you if you're not in the "club." Rank won't even help you there.
Facts and it's difficult to understand, but life is not over! Sometimes we all reach a breaking point, but it is a great opportunity to learn from our mistakes, and make changes.
God bless this man for telling the truth and being an honest man.
It's so sad to see what you guys are going through. When I was in, my leadership was fantastic! We were never expected to pay the military back for the equipment we used, unless we lost it. Our retirees never had to pay insurance to ensure their retirement payments would come through. It was truly a fantastic time for me 😊1990 to 95
I was talking to an army recruiter and my first time visiting a base, the thing that stood out the most to me was the HUGE sign warning you not to get a DUI. "Hey what's that about" he definitely gave me a down played answer on how big of a problem it is.
Dude you’re grinding and crushing it!! God bless!
Thanks brother appreciate the support 🫡
I'm in a Corps of Engineers unit, and we had a some former SF team members who were assigned to us. In the end, it kinda worked out good. They were competent in the performances of their duties. On one particular deployment, they knew the PMCs and the local environment to the point where we werent stressed about security for where we were working.
Not name dropping but he was a great sheepdog and my company commander got a lot of positive comments about him.
So what if he was just a glorified security guy, he WAS GREAT on what he does.
My personal opinion is that I think he wasn't a very good team player when he was in whatever unit he was in but when he came to our engineering and construction unit, he was superb.
99 percent t of my problems in life went away when I quit drinking. The other 1 percent were problems that will always exist in life but doing the mental work and having healthy outlets are key.
When I was in 10th SFG('69); getting a tattoo was an exit from SF. Your ability to go down range was compromised.
We were not subject to random drug tests at that time.
What the hell ? How the fuck does tattoos affect your ability to perform ? And nowdays every SF guy seem to have at least one tattoo...
@Elk300 😂
Apparently, you still haven't grown up enough.
@@Elk300 Well, according to your stupid opiy, most military men have a lot of confidence issues 😂
@@Cynthia_Blackraven_666
Because tattoos often identified you as American, and compromised your ability for covert ops down range. Remember that SF’s primary mission is similar to that of the OSS & Operation Jedburg.
@@Cynthia_Blackraven_666 Aside from cultural reasons that can limit your diplomatic efforts, the big one is being recognizable. If you want a covert force, any tatto can easily be used to link a body, to a man (think looking at suspected civillians online and seeing tattos that match). Some may be "non-visible" like on your chest, upper shoulders/arms, etc, but that just requires they snatch your body, live or dead, and OPFOR INT personel do minor amounts of more work.
BONUS ROUND: If you have a tatto that says anything with english army phrases (such as a ranger tab, CAF Airborne crest, English coat of arms, etc), congrats! OPFOR doesnt need a PID to figure your a western force/hostile force operating against them!
I have never been in the military but found this both interesting, useful for life in general, and very well done. Great job!
Coming from the aviation and more recently, oil & gas, it's the same. Drink, drugs, relationships. Thanks for all the vids, Nate. Your definitely crushing it 👍 Btw, you've got a great collection of shirts!
lol thanks bro. Ya these 3 are honestly probably the most common in most professions in general as career enders.
While I wasn't in special ops but I retired from the conventional Army and unfortunately it's the same as far as the discrepancy between enlisted and officer punishment.
Ya, that’s typical military bullshit across the board for sure.
Same same throughout all societies. “They” protect their own.
I agree with your comment should I say in "general." What i witnessed the the Army considering Commissioned Officers, and Enlisted grades was that company grade officers especially Lieutenants, and especially 2nd Lieutenants were absolutely treated as if they were completely disposable, unless unless they were in "the click", or had connections such as a father who had contact with the chain of command. Senior enlisted were also protected if they had favor with their Commanding Officer which would always be the case. One of the best examples I can remember was a particular LTC who delighted in reliving Lieutenants. This was during a time when the Army was introducing their Fat Boy program, many soldiers were discharged for failing the fat boy requirements. The SGM who done the bidding of the LTC who delighted in relieving Lieutenants was obviously over weight, most soldiers instead of seeing him eye to eyes would see over his bald head, and he certainly had a bulging belly. This SGM was not, and was never on the fat boy plan. For this SGM this issue was as they say, "pencil whipped," he did not have to worry about it. These are the kinds of things which corrupts an organization, particularly a military organization.
@@hauntedmoodylady I agree with your breakdown and have had some of those SGMs in my career.
Relationships are the ones that really sneak up on people
1. Don't drink
2. Don't do drugs
3. Don't get into a romantic relationship
4. Don't f*ck up
5. Don't ND
6. Don't ruin your rep
Phuk that!
Utilising this as a reflection, Wisdom is appreciated.
19 here wanting to get into special forces, rejected beginning of this year due to silly admittance of small singular case of self harm.
Unable to do anything military related for two years, utilise this as a lesson and a chance to learn another trade (Carpentry) in the meantime as part of my career contingency plan.
Have had only approximately 5 drinks in my lifetime and zero recreatuonal drugs taken.
I eat an Animal based diet currently on a calorie deficit as i am 105kg which i have been using to my advantage for training.
Hope to do all you proud.
I remember one SF guy getting kicked off a team for cowardice under fire. He saw an enemy combatant getting destroyed by heavy machine gun fire and he went into a panic.
This could have been titled "most common ways cops ruin their career". It's incredibly sad. We do the same stupid shit and I myself fell victim to my own stupidity. It's shameful.
A couple of dudes I heard about were smoking spice in the CCT pipeline and got arrested and booted when they were at dive school. The vast majority of them got a variety of bad discharges. It ain't worth it.
Spice, from my understanding (and I never smoked it) isn't worth it. It really doesn't act like pot, so it doesn't work as a way to get high and avoid testing positive for pot. That's a scary drug I would never willingly try.
Its actually all of Japan with that crazy low DUI limit! I like your channel my good man, you give interesting information and tell good stories.
Ah. Makes sense. I only lived in Okinawa, but makes sense that’s a federal law.
I was in Sasebo.
But at the time the BAC for DUI was .04
Man, here I am going infantry and shitting bricks wondering if I'll "fit in" because I don't drink or party and haven't been part of a sports team when you've got SOF persons having to dial back those things to keep their careers
There’s nothing negative that’s going to come from you not drinking or partying in a military career, people don’t care. But there’s a lot that can go wrong if you do.
@@ValhallaVFT Thanks, I don't know why it's been bugging me lately
Probably just nerves over finally being able to go to the military after waiting over a year (CAF)
@@cej3940You’ll be right brother, go hard and stay true to yourself
This is so relatable. In the fire service it’s women, drugs and money.
Just a regular retired Marine here. Spent my career in various occupations. Infantry. Military Police. Aviation Supply and Aviation in general. I’ve seen may be 10 Marines who never drank on their 21st Birthday get drunk and become alcoholics and watch their career implode. I had 2 Marines on their 21st Birthday, die from
alcohol poisoning. Seen many DUIs, DV, cocaine, Molly, Bath Salts, and so on.
Just came across the channel. Loving listening to these vids as I’m at work. Interesting stuff
I retired from the US Army Reserve about 10 years ago. My 40 years included active duty USMC time, then National Guard both of those in aviation and the Reserve time was as a parachute rigger. My jobs never approached the physical demand level of SF, nor did the level of commitment to the mission. So I’m not pretending I’m any kind of warrior. My observation and point are…. While soldiers at any level do dumb things, I believe, due to the investment in time and dollars spent to select, qualify and deploy an operator, the Army ought to spend money on efforts to head off the (known) problems before they happen. And if there is an offense, there also ought to be a program to salvage the individual should the individual be worthy of a second chance.
Back in the 70s post Vietnam, first time in the field with the team (Vietnam vets) we built a campfire and team daddy broke out a bottle of Seagram 7. I didn’t drink, I smoked so I was considered a damn untrustworthy hippie. We had beer machines in the barracks in jump school. Talk about falling out for formation. Times have changed.
These translate very well i to Civilian workforce career enders as well. Same protections the higher you move in the ladder
Ya, world works the same way pretty much everywhere in that sense.
I really like the video, and I appreciate what you guys go through, believe me I have a service buddy that was a Green Beret Medic between 1987ish in a National Guard unit and I think the late 1990's?? I wasn't able to reconnect until last year, and we've had the opportunity to share some of our stories (Non-Combat) of course...
He told me that I was totally capable of going through the selection process,which,at the time seemed unplausable to me, but I guess that he knew my capabilities as a Mortar Gunner when we served together at the 197th Infantry Brigade in 1984...
Love your content Brother! Absolutely FANTASTIC…. Thank You! 🇺🇸👊
I spent 27 years in the US Army as enlisted and officer but never did anything “special.” I stayed single, kept my drinking under control, never did drugs, and was so financially prudent I _retired_ retired. My career was quite boring (despite 3 deployments) dominated by tedious staff work near the end. It overall didn’t seem to benefit the Army much at all compared to hard drinking SF wild men. Make of that what you will.
Simple, don't get married on active duty. Don't do it!
Or in any other circumstances!
Yep. Getting married on active duty is like mixing oil and water. Saw a lot of divorces in the military. Stayed away from any relationship while in the military, which kept my life on an even keel. Pursued relationships after the military was the better way to go.
Yup, pretty much lost my career in 10th Group, based on a false accusation that resulted in an arrest which later I was exonerated for. It was so false the Army did the FAP investigation and cleared me of DV, then they turned around and investigated me as the victim of DV and determined that I was a victim of DV. So while being a victim of DV, I was not allowed to re-enlist due to the false accusation and arrest. Absolutely has left a bad taste in my mouth about Group and the Army, because they'd NEVER treat a female victim the way they treated a male victim of DV.
WOW, you put that so politely, and mildly... I'm not being facetious...
a buddy of mine was kicked after selection. He was instructed to go to DC and he didn't follow protocol while he was there.
Friend of mine was ordered to DC & travelled to Dallas, started a small business and fucking shot himself. We miss you Bryan.
@@AITCHESSPEEthat went from 0-100 real quick but Godspeed Bryan
I love the channel brother. The humble approach in your videos in noticed, but we know you're a badass.
This is a great topic to address. Cautionary stories are important; especially training related incidents. They are probably one of the most preventable career ending events. Perfect example cited was the NDs. Big Army is not the only one guilty of this; regardless it happens for the same reason - failure to follow procedures. SF profession is deadly serious. Once trained on what right looks like, these units expect performance at all times because the lives of their teammates depend on it.
Great topic for newbies in teams to take to heart; mixed with their hundreds of Q course "war stories".
That story about Owen Ray is one of the many reasons I’ll never be fully onboard with the military.
Pretty similar in law enforcement. People who seemed squared away seem to hit the 4-6ish year mark, then do something astonishingly stupid. Substances, romance related, personal integrity/moral fitness/Brady issue… Particularly if someone is going through divorce or other serious stress in their personal life in proximity to a stressful work situation…
My unit had the most DUIs in the entire army after we came back from the invasion. We we're the battalion they sent into Baghdad in tanks on April 5th & 7th 2003. We were highly decorated and highly f*cked up because of it. That was in 2004 when that was going on. Didn't do much to your career, then.
thunder run was brutal.
2/70 AR by chance?
On my last deployment we had a Col who had just pinned on got caught sleeping with a Major by a Capt. Since they were both married to other people they lost everything. They tried to keep it hush hush but both were sent home and lost their AGR positions in their unit.
Officer vs enlisted ranks have different rules when it comes to GOMR and elimination boards. COL Ray was the I Corps CoS at the time. It was likely that the military did not want to take away his retirement because his wife would get nothing. Also, if he gets a Dishonorable Discharge he loses VA benefits and the medical help he needs. There is literally dozens of things that can lead to an elimination board. A referred OER/NCOER can lead to a board. Over all very good overview.
When you say ‘Col. Ray’ in connection with SF, I am reminded of Lt.Col. (Honorary) Martha Raye.
If you want to make extra money in the military, pick an MOS that has a high demand and high turnover. Jobs in IT have very high turnover because the private sector tends to hire people out. ESPECIALLY those with a secret/top secret clearance. There are big reenlistment bonuses for people in IT.
If you're not so technically minded. Be a cook. It's an unpopular job for sure, but it also has high turnover. Because few people join the military to be a cook and/or being a cook in the military sucks there are often a lot of incentives and bonuses to be in that MOS.
I made it to STA plt in the Marine Corps back in the early 90s. To celebrate I went out and partied, someone had some fun stuff at the party, which I decided to partake in. (I had literally never ever touched the stuff my entire life before that I don’t know what the hell I was thinking )I had a piss test the next day. Fast-forward a couple of months for the results to come back and… No more STA platoon. I almost got kicked out, but was fortunate enough to have been a good marine before the incident and remained one after so I had to go to a boat company. I got out honorably, but I failed to achieve my goal of going to sniper school along with a bunch of other schools and that was my opportunity ,--through that unit. Because I lost the ability to hold a security clearance I finished out my time in the infantry. Because those were the Clinton years where unless you were a tier one unit or standing next to someone firing at you while on deployment, you were not gonna see any action so I got out. Basically drugs and alcohol are never a good thing. Well, I guess I had a great time that night, but I paid for it because it greatly altered the course of my life. I cannot look back with regret because it does nothing. I’ve done well for myself since that time, but I would be an absolute liar if I said I don’t think about it we will just say, very often. So to all the young folks out there if you are stuck in a situation that is similar -in President Reagan‘s words “just say no“
I wonder if many SF members do things like drugs and alcohol because subconsciously they don’t want to be in anymore but don’t want to be seen as a quitter.
Just looking for an escape and release were my excuses
Yep, i remember the days when folks showed up for work totally shit faced and super blew it off. not any more.
The biggest lesson I learned in the army don’t get married there is a 95 percent chance your wife will cheat on you when you get deployed
Appreciate you covering the pill problem in the community
Honest bloke, Nate. Thanks
Army double standards are amazing.
The problem with being an operator is the mental exposure these individuals have face in the course of their work. Having passed some of the toughest tests designed by their country to make them into elite soldiers, many fall into the ego trap of invincibility. Meth and Alcohol really accelerates this fall. The solution isn't a simple thing but a need to find a higher cause to strive for is crucial when you leave your unit and "just family" isn't actually enough. I've seen so many fall due to neglect during their tours and next thing you know, wives are committing adultery, divorce & alimony wipes out the bank and the ptsd from having to perform questionable operations eats into your soul. You gotta be able to shift the aim towards development of your virtues, kindness is crucial for this development. Picking up an artform thats not necessarily violent I think is gonna be very helpful, learn to play an instrument or paint. Don't matter if you get to god tier, just do it.
Lost my clearance right after SERE School (yea) and was accused of lying on the paperwork. Piss poor credit, spending habits and not monitoring my credit report fk'd me up. It made me undeployable for two years and I was sent to a support command where all of the other washed up guys with "issues" were sent. The irony of it all is that my command had lost many guys in Afghanistan during this time. Id seen every last one of them off and they all asked the same thing..."When you gonna get your clearance back?" It really hit home when one of the EOD guys who I was close to was being admin separated, but they gave him a 2nd chance and he took it. He was killed also by a remote IED. Haunts me to this day with survivors guilt and dishonor. 2004-2006 was the worst of it and there I was doing nothing. I was sent to the fleet after being denied twice for reinstatement and didnt know shit about ships. My service record had been wiped also. I didnt have shit in there except a 3rd class swim qual from boot camp and a new BM rating. This was before the digital age mind you and BUPERS had NOTHING. I was ostracized in the fleet and to this day I have ZERO respect for Fleet sailors, primarily its Chiefs Mess and Officers. I eventually got out and attended school.
sorry to hear about your ptsd. hope you can 'deal' with it
The Col. Ray turnover was crazy lol. That stuff happened over a holiday so that’s quite a story to come back to.
What’s even funnier is that his regimental CSM also got the boot like a couple weeks later and not one thing was said about it. At least for the new commander there was a small ceremony but I personally didn’t remember even seeing the new CSM.
Rumor has it he got caught railing an S1 clerk or something behind a building 😅
Guys with no outlet other than high risk activities will high risk activity it.
When I went through sfas in 2015 I got psych dropped. They told me i could return in 2 years and was very lucky because you normally get NTR for a drop like that.
However, I spoke with an officer during the course that told me he's only doing the GB thing is because it looks good on his OER. I kinda feel like alot of these career fields now are more like a check the block for promotion instead of actually being apart of a cohesion that alot of people can't and won't do.
Going SF as an officer is actually not good for your career progression. It puts you substantially behind your peers for rank promotion, and it far more competitive for slots to move up the chain.
@@ValhallaVFT I sure wish you could have told him that. lol
There was a guy that almost completely got off on dv. He kept his job, got his TS back. Only thing he couldn't do was stand armed watches.
I’ve had 25% off the guys I Finishend bootcamp with get kicked out for testing positive on THC (Infantry not SF)
I served as a Night Stalker. Physical injuries is the second biggest way to have you career ruined.
It was very depressing
Looking back I was lucky to have served were I did.
Still grateful for all the friends I made
"Accidentally" those lovely accidents...
My mate got kicked out of the Australian Army for simply ordering MK677 (Sarms). Got intercepted by the Feds and Army booted him. Zero tolerance.
What is "sarms"
Its lightwieight steroids. Selective androgen receptor@@RK-cj4oc
Selective androgen receptor modulators
So, some form of steroids I guess.
@@gregorteply9034 Not exactly. But has similar effects because it basically is transformed by your body into anabolic hormones including testosterone.
@@grnsouth1204no that's prohormone.
sarms act similarly to steroids but are more selective in relation to which tissue it effects. I'm not going to do a full breakdown here but, it's not as strong as steroids but not far behind either.
mk677 is not a real sarms, it is a growth hormone secretagogue.
i know of one special forces soldier who believed he certainly been the most senior nco rank if he had stayed in the regular army. he based this on the fact that his best friend achieved this rank and he believed this would have spurred him to do the same as they were very competive with each other. but it was not possible for special forces in my country to do this. this is even more true at officer rank.it can also be very hard for special forces to fit back in to regular army/military.
Summary: don’t do drugs
And don't get married
Thank you Nancy Reagan…..
@@darbyheavey406 Thank you Korean Jesus 🙏🏼🇰🇷✝️
When I first joined in 2003, people got DUIs all the time. They basically got extra duty and then were back to work. By about 2008, there was a big shift, and by 2009 if you got a DUI it was mandatory to start chapter paperwork.
The most common causes of complete career implosion I’ve seen in my Army career are definitely pop hot on a pee test, getting a DUI, and domestic abuse. Those are basically the 3 most common career Enders.
You ever eat chow at the chow hall at Torri Station defac in the scif? I swear we've shared a meal! Great video brother 🪖
lol, I didn’t use the chow hall much but I was in A co. For 3 years from 2020-2023
I wasn't spec ops but I was in the Army and it seems like most dudes got kicked out for beating their wives and I had a guy in my company get kicked out for a couple pounds overweight even though he could ace the PT test.
Too true about the current military climate on DUI's: Zero Tolerance. A fellow MSGT and bronze star recipient who was also on a 2 star's PSD got a DUI. He needed one more reenlistment to get his 20 years...reenlistment denied. The same 2 star also wrote a recommendation letter for his reenlistment package...reenlistment denied.
Edit. The few times I have seen and heard someone recovering from a DUI or other mistakes is if they did this while they are young in both age and career; like E-3 and below. It was treated seriously but at the same time it's treated like a mistake due to youthful indiscretion. So they still paid the price but later they were given the opportunity to recover and move on. When I was a Sgt, my Gunny got a DUI as a LCpl (in Okie of all places, but he popped at the gate to get on base) and he retired as a SgtMaj.
Thanks for all the tips and information.
Almost a quarter of my third bat got popped for performance enhancing that started to become the most common one
By the way I’ve been clean now for almost 10 years with a successful business in construction,not all vets make it out or get as lucky as I have.
SSG Nathan Cornacchia ( US Army Special Forces ( Ret.) ) : Is there , like in the 75th Ranger Regiment ( USASOC) , a " Release For Standards" in Special Forces? Can a Special Forces Soldier, Warrant Officer or Commissioned Officer , lose the SPECIAL FORCES Long Tab, Green Beret ,and, revocation of a 18 Series MOS?
Good list. True for everyone in the military
I did a stint as a bn rear detachment cdr of a support BN. Worst job ive ever had. At one point I was dealing with 2 domestic issues a week. It was a regular Army unit with a high op tempo and 350 SMs were left in the rear. Bored service memebers get in trouble.
I got med boarded while in was in that job, which was why I didnt deploy, but that job just about ruined my marriage and sanity and being med boarded saved both.
For you young guys... just deploy. Dont take a rear d cmd.
Well, this explains a lot. They certainly do create a situation for responsibility training. Question: Has the culture changed recently regarding speaking about experiences? I know nothing about hubby's experiences. He just says, "I don't remember." He's also gets pissed when other GB starts tealking. To him, it's a hard line.
NO SF experience, a former Infantry and Engineer Officer, but I can tell you the rational of not taking retirement pensions as punishment. If they throw a Senior ranking NCO or Officer in prison, the assumption is that taking their retirement punishes the family more than the service member since it is their livelihood also. Please note that I didn't say I agreed with it but have set in more than one legal brief where that was brought up.
So lucky I never started - no drugs/alcohol and a stable relationship made my LE background check way easier lol
14:55
It was Buck Rogers button ----‐---------->
Are you sure?
How do you know ?
Lol damn
th-cam.com/video/xsDO_aagu-k/w-d-xo.htmlsi=6DN1AAijNqLFiEto&t=4283 he's open about it. Jay from GB chronicles has a nd too.
Just wanna give a shout out to how shitty rank preference can be. The Lt. Colonel in charge of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo ROTC program got caught installing cameras in womens locker rooms. All he got was reassigned to some random desk job in TRADOC I believe. Meanwhile a E7 at the ROTC I was in got hit with an EO that was already left in the grey zone with 7 years(when the complaint happened) prior got the boot as soon as he got random flagged and lost his retirement(3 years away)
So true for a law enforcement career as well.
Drinking/Drugs, Divorce, Debt.
So toxic. Vengeful women or jilted girlfriends/ wives getting divorced in family court literally put the nail in a man’s coffin even the father of their children on an allegation alone. It’s wrong, considering what these men are asked and willing todo for us all. From Australia
That’s funny, one of my boys and I took a photo on the USS Essex in front of a MH-60 similar to the one behind you on your plaque. #Memories
The DV really gets to me. I was SF (not the cool kind. I was Security Forces. Just an MP in the USAF..and I realize after typing all this, would have been faster to just typie it all out). We got a lot of calls for DV, and some bases you HAD to detain or arrest the husband.
Then command will go out of their way, acting like prosecutors, to rail road the guy. I have seen cases where the wife was insane, violent, etc, yet, the guy gets his career ruined. Its so bad, that I believe the leading cause of veteran/military self delete is due to how command will take the side of their crazy wives, and a man loses his kids. So much for sticking together.
I even wonder if promotions are based on if youre married or not. They kept losing my ALS to make E5. They lost it three cycles, until my PT test was not valid since I was on a waiver (surgery, cancer). Almost like they didnt need to lose my ALS since they have a "good" reason to lose my PT test.
The more I think of it, the more I feel that it was a mistake for me joining the military. Im just not in enough. 11 years, and me pushing like a moron.
Sorry. Didnt mean to ramble. Count this as me talking into the void.
Humans are human. However, it's all about the ethos and values. I couldn't count on my brother high on valume in Mousle 2003-4. We deal with so much in the SFGs and conventional forces. So much talent is lost.
Badass people aren't always the smartest people.
You could say this could fall under Performance, but it could really be its own topic. MONEY... more dudes in SOF lose careers over misuse and abuse of government money than I can count. lol
Man… I got some wild stories I could tell about teams getting caught doing that type of shit for sure.
An 18A ruined his career in Bosnia 1999 due to drinking, he illegally entered Serbia got drunk and arrested. His excuse was he found out his wife was leaving him.
I had to pick up a midshipman from a jail in Naples. Dude, they did stuff to him. Do not get arrested for anything! (He's a State Cop now)
I know a sniper who got kicked out of his platoon for showing up to training drunk.
Nowdays seems that abusing painkillers and running their mouths on social media has ruined more operatives than the enemy.
We say it more like this, “Guns, Girls, and Booze” are the 3 things that will get you fired… This happens mostly down range.
Lolz. In Sweden the limit for DUI is 0.02. No exceptiond.😅