Free screening of ’12 Strong’ showcases Army Special Operations

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey Smith | Green Berets assigned to 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) from Fort Carson, Colorado socialize with Fort Hood Soldiers who have interests in volunteering for special operations just before a free screening of the movie ‘12 Strong: The Declassified True Story of the Horse Soldiers’ Jan. 13, 2018 at Palmer Theater at Fort Hood, Texas. The Army’s Special Operations Recruiting Battalion (SORB) sponsored the event to educate interested Soldiers in special operations career opportunities, which focus on capability pillars of indigenous approach, precision targeting, understand and influence, and crisis response.  

FORT HOOD, TX, UNITED STATES

01.26.2018

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey Smith 

10th Special Forces Group (Airborne)

The Army’s Special Operations Recruiting Battalion (SORB) sponsored a free screening of the movie ‘12 Strong: The Declassified True Story of the Horse Soldiers’ at the post theater on Fort Hood, Texas, Jan. 13, 2018.
Several hundred people from in and around Fort Hood showed up to watch the movie, which is based on actual special operations carried out in response to the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
The screening also provided a unique opportunity for SORB to generate interest in, and educate Soldiers and civilians on career opportunities available in Special Operations.
The movie illustrated special operations’ key capability in crisis response. The team portrayed in the movie was part of a three-team task force named Task Force Dagger. Task Force Dagger also consisted of special operations aircraft and crew, a small headquarters contingent, conventional support Forces from the Army and Air Force, and significant help and assistance from the Northern Alliance and the Afghan people.
A Special Forces team from the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Carson, Colorado, was on hand at the theater to socialize and provide insight and advice to Soldiers on what it takes be a Green Beret.
“The training aspect is pretty intense,” said a Special Forces operator from 10th Group. “There’s a lot of running and a lot of rucking, and you do have to be physically fit to do the job. I think for the selection process, the standards are pretty high. And it’s for a reason, because in Iraq and Afghanistan, the infils are pretty long and grueling, so you realize why there is a selection process for an operator.”
Another team member noted how important it is to be a thorough Soldier who remains focused and committed to the team.
“In SF, we look at the whole Soldier, not just a single attribute like physical fitness or mental agility,” said the Green Beret. “We want somebody very well-rounded, because it’s about being a whole person, not just one-dimensional. You also need to think outside the box, and be a switched-on person, a guy who is always there for his team.”
As ‘12 Strong’ illustrated, precision targeting and working with partner nations and indigenous people are keystone requirements for Special Operations Forces (SOF).
“It’s very important to conduct yourselves professionally with our international partners,” said one of the Green Berets from 10th Group. “We can’t fight all of our battles alone. We need those partners, and we build those relationships by conducting professional training,”
A recruiter assigned to the SORB at Fort Hood said there are several career choices for people to consider within Special Operations ranging from officer and warrant officer, to operations and intelligence, communications, engineering, weapons and medical specialists. He said the special skills attained in special operations can help in a wide array of career fields and in other career-related agencies.
“There are several benefits with the schools and certifications you get with Special Forces, not only within the Army, but also qualifications for three-letter-agencies like CIA, FBI and DEA,” said the SORB recruiter. He also noted that SORB offers several other career fields in civil affairs and psychological operations.
Soldiers from a variety of career specialties across multiple units at Fort Hood attended the free movie screening. Yet no matter their occupation or skills, the SORB message was clear: anyone interested in special operations should look into it.
“A lot of Soldiers don’t know that they have what it takes to become a Special Forces Soldier,” the SOF recruiter said. “A lot of them think that because they’re cooks or fuelers that they don’t have what it takes, but the truth is that a lot of the times when those guys go to selection, they get selected.”
“Special Operations has always been something I’ve been interested in,” said one Soldier from the 1st Cavalry Division. “I want to challenge myself and I want to serve my country more.”
“I want to build on the legacy of Special Forces,” said another 1st Cavalry Division Soldier. “I want to give everything I can and not leave anything behind in myself.”
The advanced screening of ’12 Strong’ at Fort Hood and several other SORB-sponsored locations across the country came ahead of its official premier, which was Jan. 16, 2018 at the Lincoln Center in New York City. And now is available in theaters nationwide.
For more information in career opportunities in Special Operations, call the SORB at Fort Hood: [phone].

• Date Taken: 01.26.2018
• Date Posted: 01.26.2018 12:53
• Story ID: 263410
• Location: FORT HOOD, TX, US