Im having trouble staying motivated after a year of preparing for my dream which is special tactics in general. recently had a girl come into my life and kinda been, u know.. a typical guy.. what ways have any of you stay/stayed motivated. especially asking guys who have been there (Guard, TE).
thanks in advance

I will speak for myself and not others about staying motivated. I have wanted CCT since I came into the Air Force, I have been actively trying to pursue it hard the last 6.5 years but cannot due to a PCS and now stationed overseas. Still everyday I wake up ready to train and ready for that day I will finally get a shot. You just have to want it bad enough.

USAF 90,

If Special Tactics is your dream then, nothing, not even some girl, should keep you from getting into, let alone through, the Pipeline. If just this girl makes it tough for you to imagine being away (at least your first year or so), gutting it out on a team, then chances are you're going to have a really tough time in the Pipeline; whichever route you go, PJ or CCT.

How do you stay motivated? Again, if this is your DREAM and you can't stay motivated because some girl has walked into your life, the training it takes to become a member of a Special Tactics Team requires serious dedication, sacrifice, commitment...and on and on... Lose the girl if she doesn't understand that, and follow your dream.

I was in the pipeline in 2007. I went through the 2-week orientation course and then went to ATC with the team. I then made the mistake of coming forward to the flight doc about some headaches I was having. I was misdiagnosed with migraines, booted from the team through too many Med Waivers, separated from the AF (because you can't have migraines in the military) and received a botched Discharge and Re-enlistment code because of it. I then spent the next year getting every document and record from the AF. From March 2008 to May 2009, over another year, I waited as the AF Review Board reviewed my application and ultimately gave me an Honorable Discharge and a valid code for Re-Enlistment. In May 2009 I got with a recruiter and started the process back to CCT. I'm still waiting. And I'm going to keep on waiting. That was 2.5 years ago that this started and I'm still waiting to go back. But I'm as amped up and MOTIVATED as I was my first day on the team.

So, like user "Ohhhjosh", is saying, all you should need to stay motivated is getting your shot at joining one of the best, most elite Special Operations teams the United States has to offer. They don't just hand out berets because you think it looks cool. You have to earn it. If that doesn't motivate you, I don't know what to tell you.

Just wake up put everything aside and do what you need to do to get to where you have to get and that's it..

ya i guess she is just a girl after all. it really is what i want most and she knows that. thanks for the input. im just gonna get my crap together and focus on the real deal. theres plenty of girls out there, and they'll be there after pipeline too.

There is a long answer or a short answer. I actually covered this once before with a rather lengthy answer and I have to put the kids to bed so here is the short answer:
If you really want to be a Controller, your girl needs to understand and support that.
If your girl means more to you than being a Controller, you were never meant to be a Controller and wouldn't make it anyway so stay with the chick.
I am not saying this to undermine your relationship with this girl; if you were meant for each other AND you really want to be a Controller, then you better talk it all out now. If you don't really want to be a Controller, then you'll use her as an excuse not to try out.
Good luck with what ever you do.

thanks Guard

It's true. I'm still a Combat Control wannabe! Let me tell you about my self quick. I'm almost 27, 2 kids, a wife and a good career (I'm a Commercial Pilot). But CCT is in my heart, and for the last almost year I have been training haaaard to get into CCT shape. But I couldn't have done this without the support of my wife. I get home from a long 3 or 4 day trip and when I get home I spend quality time with my family, but then I spend a few hours training (swimming, running, weightlifting, etc). Then I get back home get all the love from my family, and recover my energy. Then I'm back on the road again. I work out at the hotel gyms durning my trips any way I can. I bought the portable perfect push up, the pool harness to hold me into place in the small hotel pools so I can "mimic" a long distance swim while staying in place. It hasn't been easy due to the fact that my kids are 4 and 11 months, so you can imagine how I want to spend time with them. But I want to do CCT to serve my country and to in an indirect kind of way protect my family and lastly b/c I think it will provide a good future for me and my family.
You gotta really want it, but now when you involve your family, they really have to want to see you in it. B/C the same it takes a special person to join special ops, or special forces, I believe it takes a special woman to be married or joined with a special ops soldier. If you really want it, then you will work hard at it, and even if it takes you a few years to do it (like it's taken me) then you will do it. If not, then it will be something you had thought about, and something you will talk about with your friends in a poker game. Good luck bro! Never quit.

I'm really not qualified to answer this question but - I've been trying to do this for wayyy longer than you. I have been really really close a few times, but keep getting thrown back. Tendinitis that knocked me out for a year, ruptured appendix, hernia is the latest issue. Anyway - there are times when I don't FEEL motivated, and I might take a week off.

I've questioned if I was cut out to do it, if I haven't made it in yet. But, it's like something that won't friggin' let go of me. So, I'm not gonna quit until something absolutely forces me to. I've come to the conclusion that I have got to get rid of the little voice inside my head that won't let me go. Anyway - probably sounds really weird. You aren't alone in feeling like you've spent way too much time trying....

Is it a motivator sustainment problem or is it better described as a conflict of activity not providing the identity being sought? There are generally more applicants with and without the human factors ability and functional fitness to perform CCT and Pararescue duties than there are openings at operational units for individuals to perform such duties.

A different perspective is many individuals who prospectively and process strong probability of being great PJs and CCT for many reasons never get the opportunity to be, they get on with their life and excel at doing other work. This excel equates to motivators being present to cause them to excel. Thus demonstrating autonomy and free will of self latching onto motivators to be motivated. It is an internal characteristic a person either has or lacks. External motivation always abandons self determination when it is needed the most.

At some point emotional affiliation of ones identity must be CCT or PJ is something a bit more detrimental than simple sustaining of motivation. Most wanting to be CCT or PJ and even those who do succeed in becoming CCT or PJ list the same reasons of joining the ranks of PJ or CCT. If the problem is flailing or faltering motivation self analysis of is the reason to be is being for belonging for social affiliation/rewards of the self esteem and admiration others give or is it truly for being there participating and doing 24-7/365 of everyday of your military service obligation (operative words are self analysis). The problem may be less connected with motivators and more connected to conflict-induced frustration of inability to get on with life doing other productive work because the other work is not the identity deserved.

i've been trying to get into Pararescue since 2006/7. As i was going through my class III (2007) my son was diagnosed with a rare blood disease. i then withdrew my package and started praying for the health of my son. This disease eventually took his life in march of 2009. Don't get me wrong i'm not trying to compare situations. I miss my son very much and here i am now actively pursuing pararescue again. due to the fact that i'm a 12yr. SSgt i'm getting mixed reviews. All things aside, the second you commit to pursuing a job in special tactics..the training starts, mentally, physically, and emotionally. You don't technically have to be at indoc or CCOC to SIE out. I want to do pararescue not because you get to where a beret, but because i want to be able to say that this guy gets to see his kids again because of me doing my job! i wish you all the luck in the world USAF90! If it were easy everybody would be doing it....all else fails control the panic..make the rescue!

Great post SNARF. Sorry to hear about your son, I have to of my own and I cannot imagine what that is like. But your character and dedication is an inspiration to everyone.

that really opened my eyes even more SNARF, thanks and i agree with kaibil, great post. and more importantly it really inspired me.

I had a problem with my gf when we got together a couple of years ago. She's 5 years younger than me and our life experience differs vastly...she's about to graduate from college and I've been in the AF for almost 9 years now. When we first started seeing each other, she would try to force me to go out and would throw a piss fit when I'd tell her I was going to bed early so I could wake up and train. These kind of arguments went on for some time and I was getting fed up with it. I figured that she was only interfering with my dreams, and that there are plenty of fish in the sea so I was set on kicking her to the curb. But, I figured she was a good girl and that I should at least try to make her understand. Thankfully, she's a smart girl, and came around. She's still not 100% supportive, but I have faith that she'll sincerely understand one day. Good luck man...

I stay single for Special Tactics.

The pipeline can be a lot of fun for single guys.

The pipeline can be quite stressful for married guys.

The opposite can be true on both accounts, but it's rare.

Read the book "The Game" by Neil Strauss, put females in perspective and don't let them stumble you on your path.

I can only tell you what keeps me motivated, and thats the fact that this was a goal of mine before i even knew what a PJ was. As corny as it sounds i feel like i was made for this and i will put all i can into it and if i fail i will fail swinging and fighting for it. As for girls i am in the same situation sorta, just be 100% honest about it with her, that's what i do and it has currently got me a girl that is fairly cool, fun to be around and is already supportive and were not really a couple at all at this point. It has also got me the "you just want to be superman you moron", and "Your just going to die the military is stupid" in that flirty girl tone of voice they use to be bitches and sound nice as a response from girls, and to them well they can just ***** off.

Dont give up on your goals over a girl, it is so not worth it, if it takes you giving up on your goals for a girl then that girl is worthless to you. Trust me, i have been there.

More in a fun light here is a list of things the keep me exited for PJ.

Reading the speeches to past graduating classes of PJ's
Thinking about the Brotherhood feeling i will get at indoc and threw my carrier as a PJ if i make it.
Working out, and mainly working on swimming.
Talking with my recruiter, he has become a friend almost. At this point we joke around more then we get actual work done some days.
Being 100% honest about this with everyone, friends, family, recruiters. even being honest with things that scare the crap out of me with this job, ie the chance of dieing. After talking these things out it helps so much.
Reading on these forums almost daily.
and the lest of them is watching "war" movies, i know there not accurate at all, but i enjoy them

Hope it helps, also just think about the support you have already found here, none of these guys even know you and they are all, all ready there for you. I can only imagine the support and the bond that guys like you and I will make at indoc.


Best of luck
Wil

Stop talking about it and do it. Talking yourself up etc will not be effective. Set a goal and meet it, don't quit til you meet it.

If it flys, floats, or f@c%s, rent it! Problem solved.

Bingo