U.S. Army Special Forces

THE GREEN BERETS

SFQC ("Q-Course") Overview

 

SFQC and SFDOQC

General. The CMF 18 is subdivided into five accession MOS: 18A, Detachment Commander, 18B, SF Weapons Sergeant; 18C, SF Engineer Sergeant; 18D, SF Medical Sergeant; and 18E, SF Communications Sergeant. Each SF volunteer receives extensive training in a specialty, which prepares him for his future assignment in a SF unit. SF units are designed to operate either unilaterally or in support of and combined with native military and paramilitary forces. Levels of employment for Special Operations forces include advising and assisting host governments, involvement in continental United States-based training, and direct participation in combat operations.

Purpose. The SFQC/SFDOQC teaches and develops the skills necessary for effective utilization of the SF Soldier. Duties in CMF 18 primarily involve participation in Special Operations inter- related fields of unconventional warfare. These include foreign internal defense and direct action missions as part of a small operations team or detachment. Duties at other levels involve command, control, and support functions. Frequently, duties require regional orientation, to include foreign language training and in-country experience. SF places emphasis not only on unconventional tactics, but also knowledge of nations in waterborne, desert, jungle, mountain, or arctic operations.

Training. After successful completion of SFAS, officers who have not already attended their Advance Course will attend either the Infantry or Armor Officer Advance Course. For the Enlisted Soldier, the SFQC is currently divided into three phases. The phases are: Individual Skills, MOS Qualification, and Collective Training. The enlisted applicant's SFQC training will be scheduled upon successful completion of SFAS.

a. Individual Skills Phase. During this period, soldiers inprocess, and are trained on common skills for CMF 18 skill level three. Training is 40 days long and is taught at the Camp Rowe Training Facility. The training covered during this phase includes land navigation (cross-country) and small unit tactics. This phase culminates with a special operations overview.

b. MOS Qualification Phase. For the enlisted soldier, the decision upon which of the four specialties you will receive training will be made based on your background, aptitude, and desire and the needs of CMF18. Training for this phase is 65 days and culminates with a mission planning cycle. During this phase, soldiers are trained in their different specialties:

(1) 18A - SF Detachment Commander. Training includes: teaching the officer student the planning and leadership skills he will need to direct and employ other members of his detachment. Training is conducted at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and is 24 weeks long.

(2) 18B - SF Weapons Sergeant. Training includes: Tactics, anti-armor weapons utilization, functioning of all types of U.S. and foreign light weapons, indirect fire operations, manportable air defense weapons, weapons emplacement, and integrated combined arms fire control planning. Training is conducted at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and is 24 weeks long.

(3) 18C - SF Engineer Sergeant. Training includes: Construction skills, field fortifications, and use of explosive demolitions. Training is conducted at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and is 24 weeks long.

(4) 18D - SF Medical Sergeant. Training includes: Advanced medical procedures to include trauma management and surgical procedures. Training is conducted at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Training at Fort Bragg is approximately 57 weeks long.

(5) 18E - SF Communications Sergeant. Training includes: Installation and operation of SF high frequency and burst communications equipment, antenna theory, radio wave propagation, and SF communication operations procedures and techniques. Training culminates with an around-the-world communications field performance exercise. Training is conducted at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, and is 32 weeks long.

c. Collective Training Phase. During this 38 day period, soldiers are trained in Special Operations (SO) classes, Direct Action (DA) Isolation, Air Operations, Unconventional Warfare classes, Isolation training, and culminates with ROBIN SAGE.

d. Language Training. After completion of the Collective Training Phase all soldiers will attend Special Forces Language school at the Special Operations Academic Facility, Fort Bragg, NC.

Correspondence courses.

a. It would be beneficial to each candidate to enroll in the correspondence courses listed in table 10-1.

b. You should utilize DA Form 145 (Army Correspondence Course Enrollment Application) in ordering the correspondence courses. The mailing address for all courses, except the 18D course, is:

Institute for Professional Development

U.S. Army Training Support Center

Newport News, VA 23628-0001

The mailing address for the 18D course is:

Commandant

Academy of Health Sciences

Fort Bragg, North Carolina 28307-5000

 

LANGUAGE TRAINING

Soldiers will receive functional language training at the New Academic Facility (NAF), located at Ft. Bragg, after completion of Phase III of the Qualification course. Languages are assigned in relation to the score from the Defensive Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB), which is taken either prior to or at the beginning of SFAS.

Soldiers will not receive their MOS until successful completion of the language course. Each soldier must score at least a 0+/0+ to be considered language qualified. The only soldiers that will receive their MOS's before completion of the language course are those soldiers that are reenlisting/extending under the BEAR program (they will receive their MOS 90 days into the language course), but they must still pass the course with a 0+/0+. The course goal is a 1/1.

The language course in which the soldier is selected to attend will most likely reflect the SF Group in which he will be assigned. Example language course lengths are in the following table.

 

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