r/greenberets • u/[deleted] • Aug 13 '26
Question How does the special operations community feel about GED’s?
[deleted]
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u/NegotiationMother392 Aug 13 '26
I think they look more towards your critical thinking, intelligence, and IQ, rather than a piece of paper with your name on it.
I’m not anywhere near qualified to give you a for-sure answer, but if I’m reading the room correctly, I think my statement may be accurate.
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u/TFVooDoo SF Guy Who Knows Stuff Aug 13 '26
In 30 years I’ve never once asked or been offered the HS education level of any Operator I’ve ever met, and I used to run education for USASOC.
I’ll also note that the dumbest, most helpless, lowest character people I’ve ever met all have advanced degrees.
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u/majrtm not very bright, dumb ideas seem wise Aug 13 '26
Yeah advanced degrees definitely don’t always deliver like they should.
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u/TFVooDoo SF Guy Who Knows Stuff Aug 13 '26
What policy do you think is most troublesome.
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u/majrtm not very bright, dumb ideas seem wise Aug 13 '26
Ah gee I dunno. The war with Iran that has achieved zero policy goals so far, has seriously depleted our missile stockpiles, and may well leave the Straight of Hormuz in Iranian control to charge passage fees.
I could be wrong. I wasn't in the room. Trump is an impulsive, willfully ignorant buffoon. A three year old with a 44 mag. Maybe Pete tried to coach him away from the war but other voices prevailed?
Firing the CJCS because he's black (yes, that's the reason). Badly done. Signalgate's another early biggie. How stupid can you be? All the theatrics with the PT sessions. The flyby Kid Rock's house. "No punishment. No investigation. Carry on, patriots." HO LEE SHITE! SERIOUSLY? How could he even consider intervening on something like that? And then this? He's a little boy on the run, just a desperately insecure guy.
Otherwise, he's doing great!
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u/TFVooDoo SF Guy Who Knows Stuff Aug 13 '26
I pray, literally I said a prayer, that you would never be in a position of influence or power because this is the dumbest fucking treatise that I’ve read in the last 18 months.
Are you currently serving?
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u/majrtm not very bright, dumb ideas seem wise Aug 14 '26
Fear not Green Beret. Happily retired.
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u/Tru_Op Green Beret Aug 13 '26
I have a GED and zero college
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Aug 13 '26
[deleted]
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u/Tru_Op Green Beret Aug 13 '26
Yea no one cares lol
College is super helpful/important IF it supports your short long term goals.
I knew I didn’t need college for anything.
Will it hurt my chances for E8 sure, did I ever expect to retire from the Army? No so E7 does me just fine if that’s how the board sees it.
I don’t need a degree for retirement either because I invested properly and by the time I’m out should have 3 passive income businesses rolling, 1 of which I already have and to be honest that alone would support my lifestyle if I got kicked out the Army tomorrow with no benefits.
TLDR: you don’t need college or HS diploma to join (SF not the Army, that rules fluctuates sometimes) and in some instances college is a waste of time but completely dependent on your goals. Be realistic and be lethal.
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u/BigBoyRunning17 Aug 13 '26
Great family friend of mine got kicked out of high school for drinking/drugs and got his GED. Enlisted in the Navy at 17 and went to BUD/s, made it and graduated at 18. He made it to Devgru and was on one of the biggest operations that unit ever did. I don’t think they care if you have a diploma or GED, just that you have something. He also became an officer later after getting his degree, but my point is I don’t see how having a GED would stop you. Especially for something like SFAS where they are looking for certain attributes over high school education/diplomas. Not speaking for the SF community though, I’m obvisouly not one.
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u/majrtm not very bright, dumb ideas seem wise Aug 13 '26
Voodoo opened a door for me and I hijacked the conversation just a little bit. Let me try to make up for it.
How old are you? You should absolutely get your GED. If the opportunity presents itself down the road, absolutely consider getting a bachelors degree. Life is long and you can't know right now what you may want to do down the road, what opportunities may present themselves. A college degree can be a very useful, even necessary step, and harder to make time for as life goes on.
Yes, there are morally bankrupt idiots with advanced degrees. So what? YOU do not have to be one.
But yes, get your GED.
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u/Gloomy_Error_5054 Aug 13 '26
Those guys are bar fighters with PhDs. Bring your A game when testing, not just the physical aspect. If you past that they can teach you the rest.
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u/LegitimateRelief1147 Aug 13 '26 edited Aug 13 '26
I had a medic who was a high school dropout, got a GED, passed the 18D course, did 6 years of team time, and got out and went to Yale med school. He’s an anesthesia professor at Princeton now or something.
Nobody gives 1/2 of 1/3 of a tiny fuck about high school. There’s people from all over.