Chosen Soldier - Dick Couch [24]
Finally, there’s the issue of diversity. There’s the inherent diversity found in a Special Forces detachment that comes from men with different cultural, economic, and educational backgrounds, all of which make the team stronger than the sum of the individual parts. And there’s racial diversity. Too often, the perceived need for diversity has to do with a racial or ethnic balance that mirrors our national demographic. Those charged with hiring practices in the corporate or government arenas pay attention to this because, for want of a more politically correct term, it’s the right thing to do. Racial balance in the corporate world may even be an evaluation criterion or a competitive advantage in a contractual situation. But in the military, especially in SOF, and most certainly in Army Special Forces, diversity itself is an operational advantage. Deployed Special Forces detachments often have the duties and staff responsibility of a large military force or even a community government. In these situations, diversity becomes a force multiplier. Diverse skills and ethnic backgrounds bring a more multidimensional approach to cross-cultural issues that Special Forces teams have to deal with on a routine basis. The more diverse the members of an SF detachment, the better the thinking that may go into problem solving in cross-cultural environment. Another consideration is the image that a multiethnic team projects. Stephen Ambrose, who has written so eloquently of our troops in World War II, relates that one of the most comforting sights for the war-weary citizens of France or Belgium was a patrol of American GIs coming into their village. They had chocolate for the kids and were restrained and respectful in dealing with the local population. But that was an all-white patrol of GIs in a western European village. Afghanistan and Iraq offer none of the homogeneity found in western Europe during the last world war. In these troubled nations and in much of the Middle East and Southwest Asia, there are competing religious and tribal interests. There are deep-seated animosities in the same nation—in the same community. Imagine the impact in these tribal and ethnically charged areas when a Special Forces detachment with blacks, whites, Asians, and Hispanics enters a village. Not only do they have the skills to fight and to provide material assistance, they also speak the language and understand and respect the customs. They demonstrate that people who are different can live and work together. They are the new band of brothers.
There are three types of individuals entering Special Forces training: officer candidates, enlisted soldiers currently serving in units of the Army, and men who have been recruited “off the street”—men who joined the Army to become Special Forces soldiers. All three will come together in the first major phase of the Special Forces training pipeline, the Special Forces Assessment and Selection phase. SFAS is conducted at Camp Mackall, the primary Special Forces training base, and operates under the umbrella of Fort Bragg and the JFK Special Warfare Center and School. The officers and enlisted soldiers who are currently serving in the Army will come to SFAS from their current duty station on temporary-duty orders. If they succeed at SFAS, they will be “selected” to continue Special Forces training. As selectees, they will return to their units and at a future time, usually two to four months, be assigned to Fort Bragg on permanent orders. This is a matter of economics. It costs money to move a man and his family from one duty station to another. Since two-thirds of those attending the selection phase will not qualify, they return to their current assignment at their current post and carry on with their duties. Those