How can one find his/her self worth in today’s world when it seems that if you weren’t SOF, you are just average?

Although SOF personnel are highly trained, they are just people who chose a different path than others. I have had the opportunity to work with quite a few of them, they are no better than the average Joe. Just better equipped and better funding for more training. Too, they are the ones who are selected for the “Hollywood” missions. Often the grunts are left in the trenches slugging it out day to day, but their efforts are not “glorified” because the are just “average” Joes. To that I say B.S. I have seen far to often the “average Joe” perform acts of extraordinary valor and go unrecognized because the commands were too weak to recommend them for the recognition that they deserve. THe fact that you served makes you a cut above. Never settle for mediocrity, you are above average for having put on the uniform day in and day out.

You're only as good as you feel. You know what you have done and can do, so don't buy into the hype. The rest is just marketing and sound management.

Remember for those SOF personnel to operate to their peak, they still needed 'average' SMs to provide support whether it was ordering/shipping supplies, maintaining vehicles/equipment, performing medical services, or many other things people do not realize at a glance.

SSG (Join to see) self-worth comes from inside, not outside.

Your identity is not based on your MOS, unit, rank,... It is based on this truth: you are designed by God to be Isaiah Diaz, He has a purpose for you, and your worth is because of who you are, not external labels.

Don't compare.
Be yourself.
Just be yourself.
That is your worth...your infinitely valuable worth.

I'm me. I will always do my very best to be the best at what I do. I never put those down who couldn't ( Unless we were F&*King with each other) I tell my boy when he's being made fun of for juggling or working Eskrima, " Those that can, do....Those that can't, make fun of those who can"

Be the best soldier you can be and learn from the best. Don't worry about the Hollywood hype. The true hardened grunt gets the hard work to do.

Average to whom? Not everyone can be John Rambo, but compared to civvies, every one of us has at least a little bit of him in us. Many of the MoH recipients were just your "average joe" who rose to their occasion. Not to mention that for every medal of valor you see out there, there were probably 5 or 6 troops who did just as much or more, but were not seen at the time. As for those "Super Soldiers" in JSOC, remember, every one of them started out just like you did, at basic training, doing dumb stuff. You pick YOUR passion and run with it, don't let others define your limits, that is YOUR job, and no one else's. Good luck to you, and you can do this.

Special operations is just that, special. Not everyone is able or is willing to do it.

Judge your own self worth based on your own work ethic and what you have accomlpished for the organization. Any service conducted to better the military or nation is to be commended and appreciated, because less than 1% of the population serves in uniform. That in itself is something to be proud of. While your friends and family are doing other thing with their lives, you comitted to something greater than yourself for the betterment of your country, and your countrymen. Everyone has a role, a cog, in the machine we call the military. Each cog needs to work in order to function the machine. We all should be proud of what we do to make this special machine in and of itself, function.

Your self worth is in the fact you are a Soldier. You have already done more than less than 1% of other Americans... be very, very proud of that. As a "leg" Infantryman I served repeatedly with Operators both OCONUS, during deployments, and CONUS. Their only concern with me was what I could for them. To a man they were all quiet professionals. I would caution you to be very cautious of the "chest beaters" you may encounter during your career. Best of luck to you and thank you for your service.