How should I train and prepare for a long term goal of joining the Special Forces?

I served as an 18A instructor for 3 years...I recommend taking it in stages. 1st, get through whichever OCS program you are currently in and don't detract from those studies to start training for SFAS/SFQC too soon (cart before the horse). Once you get commissioned and into the Army, a good prep would be Ranger school. That will give you the basics and open your eyes to the level of intensity that will be expected in SFAS and the SUT phase of the Q-Course. Ranger School is not a must have but it certainly will help. I have worked with plenty of solid SF Officers who do not have it. Throughout your training and assignments, make physical training a priority and never accept the status quo for fitness, strive to be the best but do not beat yourself up if you are not. Land navigation, small unit tactics (SUT), and troop leading procedures will get you through the initial assessments. Once you get into the academic phase, study and learn the material. You would be surprised how many CPTs blew off the reading assignments to pursue other agendas (Iron man races, etc..) You will never be assessed for your shooting abilities and you will never be as proficient with weapons as the NCOs, its not your job. So don't sweat that too much. Your wheel house will be mission planning and ensuring your Detachment's Operations are nested with the operational goals of the Battalion. Language skills are important but there is no way to determine which language is going to be important in the 6 plus years it will take to get into the SFQC. Language training will be made available to you, when it is, make it your priority. Don't quit, don't cheat, and never assume you haven't met the standard (don't self select). Good luck.

1) Study and maintain your foreign language skills. That is a huge advantage for those applying to the SF program.

2) Seek and acquire mentors. Find SF officers at the O-3, O-4, and O-5 levels who can serve as informal advisors for you. Check in with them every 6 months or so, and just let them know what you are up to and give them the opportunity to add advice (but not require it). Do this individually - can be via email, phone, or in person. There is a great deal of benefit to receiving longitudinal perspective from a group of mentors - it's much more powerful than snapshot pieces of advice that you get from a varied group of people. How do you accomplish this? Don't be afraid to ask the right people!

3) Be the best in military arts. Learn to shoot better than your peers. Be physically tougher than your peers. Study military history more than your peers. Obsess yourself with the profession of arms.

4) Learn inter-personal and social skills to augment #3. It's not about being a super mythological Soldier - you also need to become a leader and an influencer. Read books on leadership, take courses on management, actively observe successful leadership traits of those in your chain of command, and also recognize avoid the bad traits. Put it into practice. I personally also like to read autobiographies of great leaders. It always adds to my perspective on the world.

Don't worry about the actual SF Qualification course. You must pass SF Assessment and Selection (SFAS) before you can even think about the rest of it. Things like small unit tactics, weapons proficiency, language training. etc. will give you a leg up, but the instructors will teach you what you need to know during the phases of the Q course. Take it one step at a time. Your first priority is to pass SFAS, which is a major gut check. You will be assessed on three main areas: 1. Your physical capabilities as in endurance and stamina, 2.) Your motivation level, i.e. refusal to quit, and 3.) Whether or not you display the ARSOF attributes: integrity, capability, adaptability, TEAM WORK, professionalism, personal responsibility, perseverance, and courage.

At SFAS you are not assessed according to what you already know. You are assessed on your physical fitness, motivation, and ability to learn with a dash of team work on the side. Your best strategy would be to make sure that you are in the best shape of your life. Be able to max a PT test, run 5 miles in 35 minutes or so, and be able to ruck like a champ with heavy weight. It will suck, but that's the point. Don't quit, and you should be fine. After you pass SFAS you will start learning the good stuff.

On a side note, attention to detail is key. If they tell you to do something, do it. If they tell you not to do something, don't do it. No matter how stupid it sounds, follow the rules. SF does not need people who do not want to be there. You have to prove that you have integrity and that you are willing to do what it takes to pass the course. Don't let people with bad attitudes who are there for the wrong reasons take you down with them. People tend to fail in buddy teams.