If you have been following along, you know that in the latest posts here on Part Time Commander, I have been writing about the various Special Forces team members and their MOS.
As I have said, an individual who decides to enter Special Forces training does not have the choice as to which MOS they will receive.
After you have completed approximately ½ of the Special Forces training, your superiors will choose which Special Forces MOS you will be trained for.
In today’s post, I will examine the Army 18F MOS: Special Forces Operations & Intelligence Sergeant. I will provide a basic job description. I will tell you the main duties and responsibilities of the Army 18F. You will learn the requirements to become an Army 18F. I will also explain the training involved to attain this position.
At this moment in time, these positions are closed to women.
Army 18F Special Forces Operations & Intelligence Sergeant Job Description
The Army 18F uses both conventional and unconventional methods to gather intelligence to use in Army missions and operations. He analyzes and processes this intelligence. He will also advise the Operations Commander and staff on all aspects of Special Forces Intelligence and Operations.
Special Forces Operations & Intelligence Sergeant Responsibilities and Duties
The Special Forces Operations & Intelligence Sergeant has a wide variety of responsibilities. The first is being the warrior and leader he was trained to be. Other duties and responsibilities consist of:
Gather intelligence by any means necessary within Army guidelines.
Provides advice and technical along with tactical guidance to Commanders and allied personnel.
Prepares operation plans and combat orders.
Creates intelligence nets, and manages agents involved in those nets.
Manages prisoners of war and establishes identity through fingerprinting and other means.
Supervises and performs interrogation of enemy combatants.
Establishes security plans.
Maintains operational plans.
Institutes destruction and evacuation plans.
Cross trains personnel in operations and intelligence gathering.
This is just a brief list of this soldier’s duties and responsibilities. He is a leader and as such, follows orders and is always ready to perform the needs of the Army to protect and defend the United States and her citizens.
Requirements to Become an Army 18F Special Forces Operations & Intelligence Sergeant
If you have read my other Special Forces MOS articles, you will find that the requirements and prerequisites to be a Special Forces soldier are all the same. But I will post the requirements again for you here:
Be a United States citizen
Have a rank of E4 to E7
Must have at least 24 months Time in Service left or be willing to extend or reenlist
No court martial convictions or article 15 disciplinary actions
No terminations from Special Forces, Airborne or Rangers unless for extreme family issues
Not have over 30 days of lost time
Prior to the Special Forces Qualification Course, soldier must be able to swim 50 meters in combat uniform including boots
Must have a minimum score of 229 on the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT), with no event having a score under 60
These are the basic requirements to enter Special Forces training.
Other posts you may enjoy:
- Army 18E MOS: Special Forces Communications Sergeant
- Army 18D MOS: Special Forces Medical Sergeant
- and, Army 18C MOS: Special Forces Engineer
- Army 18B MOS: Special Forces Weapon Sergeant
- Army 180A Warrant Officer: Special Forces Warrant Officer
Required Training to Become an Army 18F Special Forces Operations & Intelligence Sergeant
The next few months of your life will probably be the hardest months you have ever faced. Some soldiers have stated that they assumed they had went to hell. Before you start the Special Forces Qualification Course, you will have to travel to Fort Benning, Georgia and become Airborne qualified.
After you have your parachute experience, you will then go North to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. You will start with the Special Operations Preparation Course in which you will begin preparations for the rigorous training you will soon face. This is also where superiors will determine if you have what it takes to be a Special Forces soldier. That is when you attend Special Forces Assessment and Selection. If you are selected, you will then move on to the 6 phases of the Special Forces Qualification Course. They are:
Phase 1 delves into the history and orientation of the Army Special Forces. You will learn the basic methodology of the Special Forces, leadership techniques and you will be screened for mental and physical wellness.
Phase 2 is a rather long phase. It goes into language and culture. You will learn some basics of primary languages that could be prevalent where you will travel to. Some of the languages are Russian, Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, Korean and more. You will also learn how to utilize interpreters. Before you can move on, you will have to take and pass an Oral Proficiency Interview.
Phase 3 is the Special Forces Tactical Combat stage. You will learn combat techniques far beyond the ones you learned in basic combat training. It is during this phase that you will also complete SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape). At the end of this training, you will be a mean fighting machine.
Phase 4 is the MOS training stage. If you were chosen as an Army 18F, you will now attend the 14 week Special Forces Intelligence Sergeant’s Course. This course can be attended by personnel before Special Forces training, so if you have it already, you have a “one-up” on the SFQC. You can see the basic course description here.
Phase 5 is known as the Robin Sage stage. This is when you will use all the training you have received. For 1 month, you and your other team members will be involved in mock missions and operations throughout several counties in North Carolina. You will get a good taste of what being a Special Forces soldier is all about.
Phase 6 is the graduation phase. You can invite your family to watch as you are presented with that coveted green beret, and being named an Army Special Forces Operations & Intelligence Sergeant.
You can now expect to be deployed anywhere, at anytime. You will be involved with very important Special Forces operations.
Final Thoughts
We owe a lot to the soldiers who take on the role of a Special Forces team member. They risk lives and limbs, and in many cases, we do not even realize they did.
We would love to hear from any current or former Army 18Fs. If you can, please tell us more about this MOS and the duties you had or have.
If you have any comments or questions, you can post them below. Thank you for visiting, and thank you to Special Forces team members for what you do.
Chuck Holmes
Former Army Major (resigned)
Publisher, Part-Time-Commander.com
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
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You are correct, you needed a minimum of 2 years on a ODA. I am an old 18F O&I. The requirements have not really changed at all. How ever, I started out as a 18B and it was my pick. This may have been because I started out in the National Guard with the 19th SF. I really never thought of it until now, but I think it was the same way for the Reserves SF groups back then, like the 11th and the 12th.
And just as a side note it is not unheard of for a 18F to be put on loan to some of the alphabet agencies to assist or even run operations or as stand-ins in some far away post.
To apply for 18F you need to spend two years on a team! That what I was told. I was an 18B for two years before I got selected for my 18F course! You can not attend 18F course before you attend the SF school!
What if my whole junior enlistment I was intel? Could they waive that requirement?
No. I was regular army MI 35 series before going to Q. 18F isn’t an entry level SF MOS.