Ask a Green Beret
My husband spent 20+ years in the military as an Army Ranger and Special Forces Weapons Sergeant. He's served in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Honduras to name a few. He'll be glad to answer your questions. I'll be posting the answers on this page.
- Can you fly a helicopter?
- I tried once, and it wasn't pretty.
- Have you ever been shot at?
- Yes.
- Do you care to elaborate on that?
- Not really.
- Have you ever worn your green beret and nothing else?
- I can't say that I have.
- Describe the typical character of a man who chooses this
profession.
- In two words: Silent professional
- In m
ore than two words?- You cannot be interested in personal glory or attention. Most of the time what we do is never known, nor can we talk about it. You must be able to work on a team with 11 other guys. You need to be adventurous, strong in mind and body, resourceful, and a bit of a rebel. Most SF guys were not well suited for the regular Army. You rarely find an SF soldier who will brag about his job. In most cases, you won't know he's even in SF, unless his wife tells you.
- What's the biggest myth you'd like to dispel?
- Besides the fact that we DON'T fly helicopters? We are not assassins or killers. We are not Rambo. Usually we train indigenous troops, observe situations, and gather intelligence. We get in and get out; and if we're successful, no one will ever know we've been there.
- When you're in
teams, how many typically make up a team?
- Twelve, two weapons men, two engineers, two medics, two communications men, two operations and intelligence men, an executive officer, and a team leader.
- Do you have a team lead? What is his title?
- Yes, team leader, usually a captain. However, the one most valuable to the team is the team sergeant.
- What about women? Can they be in special forces?
- No, not at this time.
- Is there a history behind why Green Berets wear green berets?
- John F. Kennedy authorized Army Special Forces to wear green berets, but there's actually quite a story behind why he did so.
