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By Root 1781 0

when the commander’s review board convenes. Appearing before the board are the men who underwent retraining and reassessment while the rest of Class 1-05 conducted the final field problems. There are also a few men who did so poorly during the final exercise that their performance will be addressed by the board. As with the previous boards, the candidate’s training packets are closely reviewed, and the cadre sergeants speak to the performance of each man. At this stage of the game, there are no psychologists present, and there is little discussion about a man’s potential; they talk mainly about his performance and his character. Then the candidate is brought before the board, questioned, and allowed to speak to his performance. His fate may be determined at that time, or the board may ask him to step outside while they deliberate. The board, identical to the midcourse board, is chaired by the battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Jim Jackson. His battalion command sergeant major, Frank Zorn, and his phase company commander, Captain John Block, are seated to his right and left. Close by are the phase first sergeant, Stew Donnally, and Sergeant Major Rick Martin, from Phase IV. Since most of the board’s work addresses candidates in the reassessment detail, those cadre sergeants who ran the retraining ODA are on their feet a great deal, speaking to the performance or nonperformance of those soldiers.

This board takes their work very seriously, perhaps more seriously than the Phase I board that selected or deselected marginal candidates. After Phase II, the attrition in Special Forces drops off dramatically. Most of the enlisted men finishing Phase II will become Special Forces soldiers. For the officers heading to Phase III, there is more attrition ahead. So the Phase II board process—the midcourse and final review boards—is an important cut. This is especially true for those men who have just been given one more chance in the reassessment ODA. The discussion among the board and the cadre sergeants is spirited, to say the least. Special Forces cadre sergeants have no problem speaking their minds to battalion commanders and command sergeant majors. At one point, the debate over a candidate became so heated, I had to excuse myself and leave the room. I felt this was strictly in-house business. As an outsider, I can’t comment on the merit of their findings, but one thing was clear: These professionals are passionate in their commitment to select the right men, and only the right men, for this very important job.

Of the eighteen men granted a reprieve in the reassessment ODA, only one man was sent forward to Phase III. PFC Jamie Wagner, Specialist Scott, and the single captain were relieved from the course. But Specialist Scott and his marvelous knack for languages were not lost to Army special operations. Sergeant Major Zorn took him to Fort Bragg, and introduced him to the 3rd Battalion command sergeant major, the senior NCO in charge of psyops and civil-affairs training.

Of the 341 officers and enlisted men who began with Class 1-05, 280 will begin Phase III—a success rate of 82 percent. This is up from the historical average of three in four who make it through Phase II.

On the evening of day thirty-four, Class 1-05’s last night at the Rowe Training Facility, my wife and I join 811 in the team hut for a quiet celebration. Alcohol is not allowed at the Rowe Training Facility, but I asked Jan if it would be permissible for me to bring in some eggnog with a little snap to it. He allowed that it would be all right. So Julia and I carry in some spiked and nonspiked nog to the team hut along with a portable CD player. That evening, with Bing Crosby singing “White Christmas,” we are honored to share some Christmas cheer with 811.

“Thanks for this little celebration,” Captain Miguel Santos says, speaking for his teammates as he raises his cup, “and thanks for hanging with us during the phase.”

“Thank you for letting Julia and me share this evening with you,” I reply. “And for me, it was an honor to be a guest member of student