I was in the 19th from 1992-1998, so I missed Afghan and all the rest. I was 36 when I joined, and when they asked me why I was there, I told them--"This is where the action is".
Up to that point, that unit had never been in action, and they were nearly cut in force reductions. It is safe to say that they won't be cut now, since they have proven themselves.
The Special Forces really are cut from a different cloth, they are just better men for the most part.