I just finished up to books looking for info. one is a book called "MARINE" by Tom Clancy. it is a book about the Marine MEU (SOC)and is none fiction, it had some good info. the other two were written by Chuck Holton a former army ranger. his books are called "A more elite soldier" and "bullet proof" bother were good.
I have looked into the army position that reconseed talked about and JJ helped me find some info on that job as well. My main interest is military spec-ops type weapons. and I really want to work in the customization and deployment of these types of arms. I was home schooled and when i was 11years old for six months I scared my mom by getting used climbing rope and fast roping from the balcony of my family's second story porch. I did get some rope burn<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I have no experience with the military but I have one friend who is about done with a 5 year contract with the Navy and another who just got through his first year of the Army. Needless to say, the worst thing they say about the military is the lack of freedom.

I would have to agree with that. Freedom is scarce in the junior ranks and depending on your unit, can be hampered in senior ranks too.

Easiest way I know of to work with Spec-ops weapons is to enlist as a 92Y (Unit supply specialist - ARMY) and be 110% certain you'll be working with a special ops unit. A large part of the responsibility (and soon, about the only thing a 92Y will do) is arms room, including maintenance and upgrading of the weapons contained within. I speak from experience, I'm being made obsolete with what is called CIF-ism. All of the MOLLE equipment my soldiers are recieving now is being sent from a CIF facility somewhere in the US, and all I do as the Yankee in my unit is facilitate paperwork to send to the CIF before they ship it. However, my section chief recently informed me we're supposed to be getting a pile of RIS systems to update our older M4s with (we're a reserve Aviation Unit, I still have 40 M16A2s in my arms room, 12 of which are Colts. 3 of those are red-x'ed, the sear springs are so fatigued they're inop. As soon as the supply system unscrews itself and sends me my replacements, I can get them fixed), and me being as technically capable with firearms as I am, he thought I'd be a shoo-in to do the work. You'll have to pick up a secondary MOS as armorer, but that's only a 1 and a half week course. Since it's such a short course, they won't allow you to enlist as JUST an armorer. 92Y school included a week and a half of Standard US weapons maintenance, so you'll get to work with the most common US small arms. I can field strip anything from a Mk-19 to an M9. the M107 was a trip, and another private nearly killed himself trying to reassemble an M2. fun times <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />.

Sadly, though, the Army is downsizing, and from what I understand from speaking with my recruiter, active duty isnt even accepting new enlistees for anything, door kicker included. There's also no such thing as a "reserve" Special Ops unit. However, if there happens to be an opening, I'd take advantage of it, especially if it drops you in as support personnel for a Special OPs group, because that would open up the door to you to take a shot at becoming Spec-ops yourself. It sounds like, with the fast roping from the balcony, that you're heading in that direction anyways.

Now my question to you, are you interested in working with the firearms technically, or do you just want to pull triggers? If you just want to pull triggers, go in on a Ranger contract, and work your way up from there. And be warned, even IF you do get into a spec-ops unit, you may not neccessarily get to play with the toys you want to. Even with such a small community of personnel, the newest, most special toys like the SCAR and ACR are only ordered in small quantities, and then they are distributed amongst all branches of the services, and only fielded by certain units. A SEAL team may have access to just about anything they want, and the GPCs to back it up, but don't count on a Ranger Battalion having the same wherewithal to buy whatever they feel like. To pull triggers on any weapon you could possibly want, you'd have to be tip top of the spear, and that is very difficult to achieve.

I want to be able to pull the trigger and be able to fix and maintain any weapon system ours or other country's. But fast roping and HALO jumping would be awesome. After I would get out of the service
I would like to get a job with a military weapons disign and manufacturing company.

Thanks for the info. I will check out what you recommend

There are special OPS National Guard units. Specifically 19th Special Forces Group. One right in Colorado.

I stopped at the local army recruiters yesterday. He said that the only way to work as a amorer is to do the 92y and then take the 14 day armorer course. But you can't work as a full time armorer. He said to work in spec-ops is to be 21 and sign up as as special forces candidate and you will be assigned to the army's needs Intill you can try out. If you fail (which I would die before failing) you get put were the army wants you. I asked about the 75 ranger regiment because I have heard and read that special forces recruits out of the rangers. But he didn't know anything about them. The only thing he knew is about how you can get a ranger tab for your self. Every one can try to go though the ranger course and get the tab. I was trying to find out about the actual rangers but he didn't know anything about it.

The guys was not very good. If you go the the army's recruiting web sit they say see a recruiter but the recruiter says go to the army's web site. That was annoying.

If you are interested in the army find a different recruiter. That guy doesn't sound to motivated. Even if he is giving you answers that you don't want to hear.

Any one looking at the recruiter remark needs to
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And I will be talking to other recruiters.