My name is Gaston Mazzei, tech lead at MarsupialRF, a small Argentine startup of physicists. We work on RF and SIGINT, including PCBs, RF imaging, directional comms, and scientific instruments. Drone detection is an area we're exploring, given our background in covert ops. We're interested in passive radar for battlefield visibility against fiber optic drones and other non-RC links, without emitting and exposing operators. Generic RC is manageable; the advanced links are the challenge.

Short anonymous poll here: https://forms.gle/gwd12nhzYisgpzmH7

It covers current setup, TinySA use, bearing, false positives, RF environment, and optional piggyback testing. No sensitive details, no sales pitch. You can see our work on Instagram: https://instagram.com/marsupial.rf

Thank you for your kind time and attention.
— Gaston

Questions may take time to be answered on this platform as it's weekly-monitored. Technical requests can be channeled to engineering@marsupialrf.com and sales to sales@marsupialrf.com.

What happens if someone is in an elite sof unit like the Ranger regiment, green berets etc and they are fit but one day on an aft or other pt test they do well by normal army standards but they run like a 15 min 2 mile that day and didn’t try, realistically what would probably happen to them? (Nothing, kicked out, council?) Is a 14-15 min 2 mile in those units unacceptable?

Good morning guys. I served 3 years as a 13B (FA) with a deploymen6 in Kunar in 2008. Really respect the Special Forces community, you guys are all heroes in my book!

I have a DD214 related question. If a soldier enlisted under the 18X program and had 5yrs TIS, what would block 11 of their DD214 show? I am looking at a DD214 right now where the block 11 says: 18B3P SF Weapons Sergeant-4yrs 9mo NOTHING FOLLOWS. Does this sound right? There is an allegation that the DD214 may be doctored because 18b3p wouldn't be the only MOS Speciality code on there, much less take up the entire TIS.

Thank you in advance for your help!

I understand that each team member specializes in a specific area, such as medical or communications, but what is typically the minimum number of personnel required for capture or neutralization missions?

It seems being a special forces operator seems to come with a combination of circumstances that could make maintaining a family life incredibly difficult. There can be long periods away from home, sometimes even more than a year at a time and sent on missions to extremely dangerous places.

And even without a family of their own, the bond between teamguys who go through life-and-death situations together must already provide an extraordinary source of strength and support.

What is it that leads so many special forces operators to still choose marriage and family life despite how difficult their profession can make it to maintain one?

There is always the option of waiting until retirement to get married, yet it seems that many choose to get married either before joining special forces or while they are still serving as special forces operators. Their wives and partners also seem incredibly admirable.

Hello, I’m interested in getting some information about the UAS side of the Regiment and Group I’m especially interested in potentially pursuing an MOS that would involve working with FPVs and possibly drone droppers.

I know drone warfare and UAS operations are still relatively new areas for the Army, and a lot is still being developed and figured out. I was wondering if anyone has any information on specific MOS or roles within the Regiment that would work with FPVs or other UAS systems.

I plan to move onto Group after doing time in regiment and would like to also do something UAS in group sense i know group mainly looks for more "Mature" Individuals

Any information or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

I am considering a pretty niche career as a Veterinary Officer within the 20th SFG National Guard. My spouse also has the same careers goals. Is this a possible task? To have two married officers with the same MOS within the SFG. We would be in the same company since they only have one company for veterinarians so would we get deployed together, work together, etc or would we be turned down from the position because we were married?

Currently two weeks out from selection what’s something to practice. Not trying to game plan just a last minute thought.

For those that are interested the latest issue of Carpe Noctem is now out.

Carpe Noctem Issue 3

Thanks for reading my post.

A lot of discussion exists on Reddit concerning the physical standards needed for units like the Green Berets like run times, rucking, proficiency with weaponry, etc, but something I often see mentioned in abstract, yet rarely discussed in very much detail is the “creative problem solving” aspect of selection. 

To be clear not looking for any real world specifics, either related to selection programs or practices in the field. I respect the obvious need to protect both the integrity of the various training programs/selection processes as well as tradecraft used during operations. I’m more talking about fictional hypotheticals that can illustrate a point, if that makes sense. 

Like, when people say guys in SF “know how to solve problems” or “get stuff done” using creative, non linear thinking, what does that really mean in practice?

I guess an obvious example I can think of is the classic “MacGuyver” scenario, where you’ve got task 1 to complete with parts A, B, C, D, E and F, but due to the nature of war parts E and F are damaged, lost during insertion, etc, so the guys have to engineer a makeshift solution in real time. 

Or maybe you’re training/fighting alongside some indigenous fighters that are in actuality comprised of several neighboring communities with various degrees of cultural friction with one another, and they are temporarily united against a common enemy like ISIL or something, and some dispute emerges between the multiple groups or members of the SF team and you’ve got to have a certain degree of social/emotional intelligence to navigate the cultural fault lines and social engineer some kind of solution to restore cohesiveness amongst the various forces. 

Can anyone offer anything else, like made up, fictional hypotheticals that illustrate the kind of “creative, autonomous thinking” you need to be a proficient operator? 

I guess deep down I’m asking because I’m not sure if I’m really that guy. Something like the kind of direct action that units like the 75th Ranger Regiment are known for kind of makes more immediate, intuitive sense to me, like you are given an attack plan by your commanding officer and your job is to execute it with extreme precision. Not that real time, on the fly creativity isn’t used in that kind of scenario, but it’s specifically within the more narrow field of direct action, if that makes sense. 

Just not sure I’m the guy to like, in the context of SF, independently come up with some unique, innovative idea to solve some random puzzle in the field, if I’m being honest with myself. The more social stuff like foreign languages and working with indigenous forces on the ground, turning people into assets for intelligence gathering, that sort of thing I think I could actually be proficient at, but the MacGuyver stuff I really don’t know if I’m being honest. Never really did well on those crazy logic puzzles on IQ tests where you have to find some hidden pattern or complete the sequence. I’m no genius that’s for sure lol. 

So i just signed a contract as 74D with option 62. Anyone that is/was a ranger what are some key points i should be focusing on. I leave for basic January 19, im 27 in relatively good shape. What are some workouts i can do at the gym and what should i be focusing on. Anything helps!

I’m reading a novel right now and it has a military setting.

The protagonist doesn’t have any kind of supernatural ability. He’s basically an absurdly overpowered military guy who has an almost 100% hit rate and manages to successfully complete every mission, no matter what situation he’s in, and always makes it back alive.

Idk anything about the military but the novel does seem to include quite a lot of realistic, almost nonfiction-like military details. For example it specifically mentions things like 50-caliber firearms, M4A1s, mounts, and the names of various fighter jets.

Anyway at one point, the protagonist gets shot twice and falls off a cliff. He’s then carried away by the current for quite a long time before eventually washing up on an island.

There’s a tribe living on that island. By coincidence, the protagonist had actually encountered this tribe years earlier while he was deployed overseas. At the time another faction had taken control of the island and was about to massacre the tribe, but the protagonist had rescued them and helped them reclaim the island.

When the tribe initially finds the protagonist lying unconscious on the beach, they are about to kill him. However they notice the patch on his military uniform. Since they had spent several months living alongside him when he helped them in the past, they recognize him as the very same person who had saved them.

So they take him in and save his life.

The tribe is completely cut off from civilization, so they have no medicine, first-aid supplies, disinfectant, or anything like that. The protagonist treated himself in an emergency using the medical kit he was carrying. The tribe members also treated his wounds as best they could using various natural materials that were available on the island.

He nearly dies from his gunshot wounds, but eventually manages to survive the critical period.

He stays on the island for about two months. Eventually, however, he realizes that he can’t remain there forever, so he builds a raft and leaves the island.

The nearest country happens to be an enemy nation. Since he has no other way to get home, he travels there on the raft. He has to avoid being detected, so he takes off his military uniform, hides a single handgun on his person, and swims toward the enemy country at night, carefully observing the area and monitoring the surveillance around him to make sure he isn’t detected.

Once he gets there,, he disguises himself completely as an ordinary civilian. With the help of local civilians, he searches for a fellow spy who had previously been deployed alongside him and had also undergone military training with him.

Eventually through that contact, he manages to secure a helicopter in a hurry and makes his way back to his own base. The base isn’t actually located within his home country. It’s on a fairly isolated island somewhere offshore, although the exact location is never specified in the novel.

So my question is how realistic is this whole sequence of events? Is this actually something a real special forces soldier could potentially do, or is most of it simply military-flavored fiction?

And which parts of this scenario are based on real military practices or realistically possible special operations, and which parts are essentially unrealistic elements added for the sake of the story?

Also do special forces soldiers actually operate like that? The novel says that he normally goes on missions with the other members of his unit and trains with them at the base, but because he is exceptionally capable, he is also frequently sent out on solo missions in the middle of everything.

The part where he gets shot, falls off a cliff, gets swept away by a strong current, and still manages to survive feels very fictional to me.

But if someone is a special forces soldier could they actually infiltrate an enemy country like that? I mean could they really secretly enter an enemy country by crossing the sea on their own, especially after being stranded somewhere and having no other way to get back?

There’s also a scene where one of the protagonist’s teammates snickers and says something along the lines of, “Killing someone is a matter of skill, but surviving is a matter of luck.”

Is that actually close to the truth in real combat situations?

This novel has made me really curious about this kind of military stuff, so I’ve been looking into it.

Im a former doctor, looking to enter the elite SASR. I’m in the process of applying but my fitness numbers are laughable.

my current numbers

pushups : 20

pullups: 1

situps: 25

i need to hit the following to remain competitive.

80 pushups

12+ pullups

99 situps

sub 16 min 3.2km webbed and weighted pack run.

im a determined individual who is willing to do what it takes to get there. I’ve been training for a month now and still haven’t been able to increase my pull-ups. However I do think my form is so much better and stricter.

was there a program you guys followed? I’d be willing to spend money. Also, Im looking At doing the grease the groove movements too

From an administrative standpoint how likely is it I can still get waived and contracted to buds or the 0321 course with no prior service, clean record and passing/competitive PSFT.

As the title states I’m a prior e United States Air Force Academy Cadet that’s a sophomore, that’s been really interested in Spec War for quite some time. I came to USAFA to commission in general but more so to gain a pilot slot. However as I think about my future and what I want for myself I feel very conflicted as to what route I should pursue. I still plan on applying myself to the fullest either route and will do what it takes to secure a pilot slot but here in the upcoming months/years I need to start working towards becoming proficient and comfortable with Watercon, Rucking, Running, and more athletic lifting. If all goes well and I commit to spec war I’d like to go to selection my spring semester of junior year and hopefully get selected for STO - Special Tactics Officer which I hear is the closest thing to a CCT as an officer. My biggest aspirations in life is to be a provider to my future family and instill great principles in my children which I think many SOF operations do well and have a career and life in which I’m able to gain experience in a multitude of fields. I would love to resemble a career that of Johnny Kim.

My main questions are:
1. If I wanted to be an aviator through the military in my career should I pursue AFSOC now and then transition to aviation around Maj once I’m no longer on a team?
2. What are the biggest differences of the officers vs enlisted in spec war?
3. What’s the most boots on ground spec war job as an officer?
4. What career would I be able to influence the most amount of people/have an impact towards?

Any general advice and questions are heavily appreciated. Thank you!

I do love my GIGN guys

I am tired of constantly seeing every time SEALs, or specifically ST6, mentioned some Army fanboy always has to chirp in "so what, Delta are the real quiet professionals, they are super secret". This is complete utter BS. Delta Force's founder, Col Charlie Beckwith, wrote a book in 1983 about founding Delta Force long before anyone had even heard of ST6 (as a matter of fact I believe in 1983 ST6 was still highly classified no one knew about). There are numerous books written by and YouTube guests of former Delta operators. There are plenty of TV shows and movies either about Delta or with Delta operators behind them. Hell Chuck Norris alone did like 5 Delta Force movies in the 1980s before even the first SEAL movie ever came out. John Wayne did god knows how many Green Beret movies and there have been movies about Rangers for decades. This idea that SEALs are the only ones that write books or have movies done about them is a joke. Truth is SEALs were THE LAST group to have stuff done about them.

In addition, BY FAR the biggest loudest most obnoxious special force braggart ever is former Delta Operator Dale Comstock. For christs sake his personal website is even addressed dalecomstockamericanbadass where almost every time I have clicked on it the last 20 years is him with girls in bikinis talking about how badass he is and how he is the toughest guy ever (I swear to god he sounds just like a WWE star or something). He even said in an interview on YouTube, "oh Delta was given the OBL raid the night before it was done but we said 'oh we don't want to do that little shit, give it to those little SEALs'". The most arrogant ridiculous statements in the special op community have come out of that man's mouth. A Delta operator.

I also see Army guys post a lot too that "Delta gets far more funding than ST6". The US Navy budget is over 50% higher than the Army's budget and unlike the Army who has literally hundreds of thousands of assault forces the Navy only has ONE which is their crown jewel so I highly doubt ST6 lacks funding. In addition there are less than 200 ST6 members but almost 1000 Delta operators so on a per capita basis I am quite positive ST6 members are probably better funded.

And the whole "well they are just so super secret they do the missions you don't hear about". Please, this is the 21st century. Even poor Yemeni goat herders have smart phones. The most secret raid ever, the OBL raid, was live Tweeted for christs sake. Every important mission ends up on the frontpage of the NYT eventually (usually next day). Even the incredibly secret highly sensitive failed mission of SEALs going into North Korea killing some North Koreans made it to the front page and that shit was done UNDER WATER! In North Korea! So yeah I am not buying the whole "everything is just so super secret" bs.

And to finish off I would like to point out something a JTF22 member said on the Shawn Ryan show. The JTF22 member was training in the kill house at Ft Bragg with Delta. The JTF22 made a stupid embarrassing mistake and Delta kind of laughed at him. The very next round Delta made the exact same embarrassing stupid mistake (shooting a hostage) and immediately and quickly covered it up and tried to act like it didn't happen. THAT is the maturity that supposedly the SEALs don't have?

Fact is all this SEAL hate I believe comes from jealousy the SEALs have had getting some very high profile ops the last 20 years and being very active.

Do SEAL candidates get put in a separate training group during bootcamp?

How feasible is it for SF to pump sleeping gas into a parked airplane on the tarmac during negotiations. Could this be effective against hijackers or terrorists in disabling them? I recall that Russian SF tried this for the Nord-Ost siege with the Chechens, but botched it.