Post-Secondary for Special Forces?

[deltaghost]

Greetings,

I've read some posts from this forum and I know how questions about Special Forces are regarded by this community (Whether it be because no one really has any solid information or the fact that most new guys wants to be part of it.) but I'm at a crossroads and I need a quick answer. I would contact a recruiter but I won't be able to until Tuesday so I figured I'd try here in the mean time.

Basically, I'm turning 17 this June and after a few serious conversations my parents have agreed to sign any papers that would allow me to join the military before the age of 18. I saw a Gr. 10 education was all that is required for infantry (And I'm not leaving because I'm stupid - I'm an honour roll student - but I just want to move on with my life and I'm definitely not sitting in a desk working 9-5.).

I'm interested in applying as an infantry soldier, but being pretty ambitious and all I am highly interested in applying to a unit such as CSOR or JTF2 as soon as I'm eligible to try.

My question is... Is post secondary education required to be an assaulter in either CSOR or JTF2? I'm thinking if I applied as an infantry soldier probably not, but I just needed some verification.

I also was wondering if you could go from working in CSOR to joint JTF2 or vice versa...

Thanks for taking your time to read, I am open to any and all answers. I'm literally applying online as soon as I get a solid answer because infantry soldier is hiring right now, so please respond!

NOTE: I really don't want to hear "You won't make it" or anything along those lines. I've been training under the JTF2 pre selection physical  requirements program and I have maxed out all the physical requirements except for the run and bench press... Which are still pretty good (1.5 miles in around 8 minutes and a bench press of 215lbs - I weigh 130lbs by the way.) So please, let's keep all the negativity to a minimum.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Good day Deltaghost,

My first advice to you would be to finish your schooling before enlisting in the military, it will make your file more competitive and will also provide you with at least a small fall back in case something happens to you during your military service, i.e. You get injured and can no longer serve which is a very real possibility, especially in the infantry.

It's good that you want to push yourself; however, don't get ahead of yourself.  If you want to join the infantry, that is outstanding but don't just think the transition from Recruit to JTF2 will happen overnight.  The average age of a member of JTF2 is around 30 and they look for experience as much if not more than physical fitness. 

My advice to you would be to join up as an infantry soldier, finish your initial training and get posted to a battalion.  Once you're at a battalion, continue to work hard, get promoted to Corporal and try to get on a specialized course, i.e. Basic recce, basic sniper or pathfinder. 

Once you're a Corporal with a few years of experience under your belt then by all means, consider applying for JTF2. 

To answer your question as well, post secondary education is not required to be a JTF2 assaulter or CSOR operator, unless of course you want to be an Officer, in which case a university degree is a must have for any Officer job in the military.

 

[Loachman]

Goals and dreams are marvellous things, but need to be kept in balance.

There is also something called "reality" that has to be factored into one's plans if one's goals and reality are to be successfully merged.

And there is an old saying that "patience is a virtue"

That being said, I am not quite clear about your current educational status: are you planning to remain in high school until you graduate, or leave before doing so in order to join as soon as you can?

If the latter is correct, DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT.

Standard advice given here is to, as an absolute minimum, complete high school before joining.

You will never regret following that advice. You may well, however, at some point, regret not following it as you will discover, sooner or later, that you have imposed a completely unnecessary limitation on yourself.

I know enough people who have attempted to correct lack of high school later in life and it is not easy. They have jobs (military or civilian), children, and other major life-related distractions and find that they have forgotten a lot of stuff that they once knew and now have to re-learn. More than a few do not succeed. I recently helped somebody through that and essentially had to do that re-learning again myself.

There will ALWAYS be Infantry vacancies, but you have only ONE future. Set yourself up for success by finishing high school.

While you know fullwell that you are indestructible, others have learned that they were not quite. Education is a good part of a Plan B. One should always have a Plan B. Plans C are not bad things to have, either.

Be patient.

Look and plan longterm, not just now. The future tends to sneak up on one, and can hit hard if one is not adequately prepared.

You seem, to me, to not be preparing adequately.

Is there a Reserve unit near you? If so, joining that would be a good compromise.

 

[deltaghost]

Thanks for the replies,  I realize my post may have ticked some people off but I guess you cant please everyone.

I most definitely realize SF takes a long time to get to and I realize my post kind of implied that it would happen straight away, and for that discrepancy I apologize.

It seems a high school diploma would be the safe idea before joining up,
I have one more question if someone could answer though...

Would getting a GED be alright? Or should I just push through the rest of school...

Thanks again

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Thanks for the replies,  I realize my post may have ticked some people off but I guess you cant please everyone.

I most definitely realize SF takes a long time to get to and I realize my post kind of implied that it would happen straight away, and for that discrepancy I apologize.

It seems a high school diploma would be the safe idea before joining up,
I have one more question if someone could answer though...

Would getting a GED be alright? Or should I just push through the rest of school...

Thanks again

You've made a good deduction on realizing you need to finish high school.  As for what you should do?  Push through high school. 

Completing something you don't want to do is good practice for the military, believe me

 

[George Wallace]

The advice has already been given to you; to finish your High School.

If you read the many posts that cover Education required to join, you will have a better idea of what is being asked and answered.  You will also find that the better your skills and knowledge, the better your chances of getting enrolled.  That means if you only have Grade 10 and someone else has Grade 12, you are not going to be competitive for the job.

Please read the threads on JTF 2 and CSOR as well to get some idea what you may want to do.  You will also find threads on every other question you may have.  Just take the time to read them and not get less than complementary replies from long time readers.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Would getting a GED be alright? Or should I just push through the rest of school...

Thanks again

Push through high school and get a college diploma in something. Anything. That way you can

1. pose as a plumber, computer nerd, air conditioner installer, social worker, nurse etc. when you're infiltrating some place overseas and need a cover; and
2. have a civilian career to fall back on when you crash down a rappelling tower during training injuring yourself and the army kicks you out.

 

[Loachman]

I don't think that you've ticked anybody off - you haven't me, anyway - even though you've posted very much the same as many, many other people of your age or younger.

If you'd ticked us off, you'd have known so without question.

We have your best interests at heart.

So stay in school until you have that diploma.

I do not know of anybody who ever regretted having too much education, although I know many who regretted not having more.

You can apply before finishing school.

You can join a Reserve unit while still in school, should there be one handy.

 

[TCBF]

Get high school done formally by attending classes.
There is something called "Lifelong Learning", which most of us will shorten to just "Life". You should be learning formally and informally for the remainder of your years, but the stuff that comes with formal certificates pads resumes better.
So, to quote a recruiting Sgt who spoke to me three years before I joined the Regular Force, "Finish High School first".

 

[faivious]

Aim high with a goal in mind, and you will get there eventually!
Good for you buddy!

 

[deltaghost]

Thanks again everyone!

I've decided to take some online courses to finish high school early and get my diploma. I'll apply as soon as that's finished.

On a separate note though I've apparently been put into a moderator watch list for "disrespecting CF recruiters & members." Again, sorry if someone read this and felt offended...

deltaghost

 

[Treemoss]

Basically, I'm turning 17 this June and after a few serious conversations my parents have agreed to sign any papers that would allow me to join the military before the age of 18. I saw a Gr. 10 education was all that is required for infantry (And I'm not leaving because I'm stupid - I'm an honour roll student - but I just want to move on with my life and I'm definitely not sitting in a desk working 9-5.).

I read the rest of your post but this part sticks out the most to me and so I'll just comment on that. My suggestion is stay in high school and get your GED at the very least.

- but I just want to move on with my life

Being on 16, you have your entire life ahead of you...

 

[ModlrMike]

I read the rest of your post but this part sticks out the most to me and so I'll just comment on that. My suggestion is stay in high school and get your GED at the very least.

I'm going to disagree slightly here. As someone who didn't finish high school, getting a GED later was tough, getting a degree was tougher. Just finish school. You never know what life is going to throw at you. If you have your high school graduation certificate under your belt, then that's something you don't have to worry about later. You say you're an honour student... use some of those smarts and finish what you've started.

Being on 16, you have your entire life ahead of you...

Absolutely. You're far too young to know what you don't know.

Here's the thing. While it states that grade 10 is all that's required to apply, you'll be in competition with high school grads, university students, and university grads for the same infantry NCM position. Wouldn't you want to stack the deck more in your favour?

I have two famous aphorisms for you to study:

Life is what happens when your busy making plans. - John Lennon
Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward. - Vernon Law

 

[deltaghost]

Treemoss and Modlrmike,

Thanks for the replies! I have decided to get my full diploma and continue with the university level credits in highschool. I am also taking online courses for philosophy and sociology over the summer to get two addional credits for graduating. At least this way if I want to become an officer later on in my life I can go to university and pursue that.

Thanks again

deltaghost

 

[KerryBlue]

Why not join the reserves now while you're still in high school, go to university get your degree and then transfer from reserves to regular. If I had to start over from 16 that's what I would have done.

 

[cupper]

Further to what everyone has said here, there is no rush. The CF will still be there when you graduate. It will still be there 4 years after that when you've completed your university degree. It will still be there when you are ready to enroll.

High School and University aren't just institutions of learning, they are also opportunities for other life experiences. Skipping those opportunities to jump into your chosen career as a member of the CF will mean that you will miss out on some formative periods that you may not have the chance to go back to later.

Kerry Blue has made a very good suggestion. I'd think very hard about going that route if I were you. It will pay dividends down the road. As well as help pay for a degree which will be a great fall back should you find that the CF life isn't what you thought it would be, or something happens during your career that results in a premature end and release back into the civilian world.

Slow down, take the time to get the most out of all stages in life.

As they say, "Youth is wasted on the young."