Chosen Soldier - Dick Couch [94]
“Is it as hard?”
Again, he pauses before answering. “We’re not finished yet, but so far, this is not physically as hard. Ranger School is all about long-range patrols with little or no sleep. In Ranger School, you go until you hit the wall, and then you keep going. But if you weren’t in a leadership role, it was just a long slog. On balance, I think you learn more about small-unit tactics here in Phase II, but you learn more about yourself in Ranger School.”
“You’ve been in the Army a while and more than a few Army schools. What do you think of SF training so far?”
“Hey, sir, this is awesome.” Anderson gives me his patented, infectious grin. “We lucked out drawing Sergeant Janss as a cadre sergeant. He’s a great teacher. The guys are all working hard, and they don’t want to disappoint him. Past the basics of small-unit tactics, there are a lot of different ideas and techniques. For those of us who pretty much have the basics down, he allows us to improvise and try new things. We’re all learning, especially the newer guys.”
The Phase II cadre sergeants all run their student ODAs a little differently. Some are more hands on and more regimented. As I roam about the various training venues, I watch a few of the other cadre sergeants work their teams with more of a heavy hand. If they are unhappy with the conduct of a raid, an ambush, or a patrol, they take remedial action—sometimes almost punitive in nature—as they run basic drills on the spot to correct the deficiency. Sergeant First Class Janss is a pure teacher, but he demands that his candidates perform. When he sees something that’s not right, he calls a halt to the training and holds a class. “Let’s get this right, gentlemen,” I hear him say on more than one occasion, sometimes at night in a cold rain, “because we are going to stay out here until we get it right.” Even when he is displeased with the performance of his students, I never hear Jan raise his voice.
The student ODAs return to the Rowe Training Facility after their recon and raid field training during the second week of December, late on day twenty-six of the thirty-five-day course. At this time, each individual in the class is evaluated: Which men have performed to standard, which men have yet to demonstrate that performance, and which men appear unsuitable for future training? Attrition in Class 1-05 to this stage has been modest but ongoing. A few soldiers withdraw because of medical, personal, and, on occasion, family-related issues. Some are involuntarily withdrawn because of safety issues, gross underperformance, and suitability considerations. Though the phase is well past the halfway point, a midcourse review board is convened after the raid and recon fieldwork. This board considers those phase candidates who have been identified by the cadre as clearly failing to meet phase standards. The board disposes of these candidates in three basic ways. A candidate can be relieved or removed from training, and made eligible for reassignment to another Army unit. Such a candidate may leave with a recommendation that he return for a future try at the Q-Course, or not. Second, a candidate can be recycled, which means he’ll leave Class 1-05 and return to Phase II with Class 2-05. This is usually done for medical reasons or when a candidate has to miss more than a day or two of training for a family issue or emergency. Third, a candidate can be recommended for reassessment. From my ODA, 811, PFC Jamie Wagner is sent to the midcourse review board because he has failed to show an acceptable level of performance.
“I sent him to the board with a recommendation for reassessment,” Jan says. “Perhaps he can show the reassessment cadre something he hasn’t shown me. He’s a hard worker and I know he’s holding nothing back, but right now, he lacks the situational awareness needed for small-unit operations. He’s confused out there; at best, he can only do what he’s told. He’s yet to demonstrate the ability to take charge and direct his teammates in a fast-moving