75th Ranger Regiment

Character Is a Very Important Discriminator During Selection

Knowledge will give you power, but character respect.

Bruce Lee

Just because you are a character doesn’t mean you have character.

Winston Wolfe -Pulp Fiction

One of the things that will be given a lot of weight during Selection is a candidate’s character. And it is going to show through during the events and tests that the class will conduct during their time in the barrel.

But first, what is character and why is it important? The book definition defines character as the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual. Simply put it, a person with “good” character has honorable traits and values such as honesty, integrity, responsibility, and courage. They will invariably do the right thing regardless of whether it is physically dangerous or a detriment to their career.

No one is born with good character, it comes from and is formed and revealed by how one deals with everyday extraordinary pressures, situations, and temptations. Selection will put the candidate in every one of those. And magnify them exponentially. As the saying goes, the cadre members are always watching and you are always being evaluated. Not only during Selection but on the teams if and when a candidate graduates the qualification courses.

How we behave when we think no one is looking or when we don’t think we will get caught more accurately portrays our character than what we say or do when defending our reputations.

The men who you ultimately hope to serve with on the teams have all been in the same boat and they too, regardless of time spent in the units are constantly being evaluated by their peers. It is a natural Selection process that never stops. That’s why the values that make good character are so important. Why?

Special Operations troops know what their mission is, what entails on keeping up daily on how to be a complete operator. Whether it is remaining technically and tactically proficient, keeping up their language training, updating new developments in the Area of Operations or new developments with the enemies of our nation, SOF operators are proactive, not reactive. They don’t need to be told to do these things. And if they need help with it, they must seek out the help both internally and externally.

Character Assessment Begins Early:

As soon as your feet hit the ground in Selection, your being assessed. And one of the first things that you’ll be asked to do is take a series of tests by the psychologists such as the MMPI tests but also, at least back in the day, we used to run psych evals.

The reasoning was two-fold. One, the powers that be want to make sure that the candidates are being truthful in their responses. How they do that, is they will ask the same question multiple times but word it in different ways.

The other thing the tests do is identify candidates who could potentially have sociopathic tendencies. So, when given these tests, don’t discount them or blow them off as fluff. Take them seriously and answer each question honestly.

In Selection, everything is magnified and the candidates are always tired, hungry and stressed out. So, a candidate’s true character will rise to the surface. The cadre members will see this and so will the other candidates. That is why peer evaluations are so important.

Is this candidate a team-player? Does he have the integrity to get the job done and the right way, even when no one is looking? Is this a person you would trust, with your life, if need be it came to that? Because in Special Operations, it may exactly come to that.

Six Pillars of Character:

Many today follow with the six pillar theory of character and how it equates to character building and making ethical decisions. Those are:

TRUSTWORTHINESS. …
RESPECT. …
RESPONSIBILITY. …
FAIRNESS. …
CARING. …
CITIZENSHIP.

These are all self-explanatory and are geared more toward the civilian population. However, a special operator should also have these traits as well as a few others. We’ve mentioned these several times in different pieces here on the site and we’ll go over them again. Among the other traits nearly all Special Operators possess are…but not limited to:

SOF Traits:

Ability to Handle Stress: This is a must. If you think Selection is tough, wait until you get thousands of miles from home and you have no built-in support system. You’ll be forced to make decisions while tired, hungry, and under even more stress. SOF types can shut out everything else and continue on with the mission.

Self-Reliance: The ability to get things done on your own is a much-needed skill for the SOF operator. No one is going to tell you when certain things need to be done. And if you need to be told constantly, then your career won’t last very long in SOF.

Good commanders will never tell SOF troops how to do something. They’ll just point to what the end state needs to be and allow the operator to get it done on his own ingenuity.

Competitiveness: SOF troops look upon everything as a challenge. Everybody can shoot and shoot well. But go to the range and the guys will always challenge each other. It carries over into every conceivable aspect of their lives. That is what drives the train. An old team sergeant of mine once said:

“You walk in the door and there will always be someone smarter than you. Someone can always run faster or ruck better than you. That is what makes us F***ing great. We push the hell out of each other and get better every single day.”

Self-Critical: Most non-SOF people will describe operators as an arrogant bunch. And they wouldn’t be far off in that assessment. Most SOF types are supremely confident that they can get the job, any job done that they will come off that way. But most SOF guys are very self-critical in everything that they do that would be surprising for non-SOF people to believe.

It is the intense drive (read competitiveness) to be the best at everything they do, they’ll nitpick themselves, after all, is said and done. Someone will conduct a textbook operation but afterward, they’ll dwell on the parts of it that went less than ideal.

Embracing the Suck Factor: There will be those times where everything seems stacked against you. The SOF operator will not only drive on and complete the mission but find a sick, twisted sense of humor in it all. This trait is highly desired.

Many civilian types have embraced this phrase for their workouts in nice workout clothes, in state of the art gyms while sipping cold water or juice out of an insulated bottle. While many of those do in fact work out extremely hard, that doesn’t compare to the SOF “suck” factor. Those of you who are veterans of SOF or still active will know exactly what we are talking about. It is the ultimate in being mentally and physically tough. Nuff said.

Good luck in your quest and above all else,…never quit.

Photo: DOD

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 13, Day 4

Shoulders and back day in the gym before heading off to do the SOF (Special Operations Forces) Triathlon. A run, a rucksack march, and a swim with fatigues and boots. If you can do all three of these things well, you will have the inside track for most of the selection courses.

UBRR Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

3 x 12 Lat Pulldowns, behind the neck (go as heavy as possible)

3 x 12 Lat Pulldowns, front

3 x 10 Dumbbell Side Raises

3 x 10 Dumbbell Front Raises

3 x 10 Dumbbell Arnold Press

3 x 8 Shoulder Shrugs

3-mile Run (24 minutes maximum)

3-mile Rucksack march (45lb minimum, 45 minutes maximum)

300-meter swim in fatigues and boots (no time limit)

Stretch well after completion

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 13, Day 3

Tuesdays are always our Leg Day at the gym followed by a 5-mile run. Begin with pull-ups, then squats, lunges, and the sled or Fireman’s carry followed by a 5-mile run.

You must build up your legs to carry you thru the course and beyond. Those are the muscles that tote the rucksack to the nth degree both in the course and in the Regiment. Stay hydrated and log your time in your workout notebook.

UBRR Training:

Continue to prep for the UBRR

3 x Pullups 10 reps

3 x Towel pull-ups 10 reps if no climbing ropes are available

3 x Front Squat 20-15-12 reps (lighter weight)

3 x Goblet Squats 20-15-12 reps (lighter weight)

3 x 10 Deadlifts

4 x Sled push heavier weight (or Fireman’s Carry)

3 x 10 reps Dumbbell Lunges

3 x 20 Side Planks

5-Mile run (40-minute maximum)

Stretch well after completion

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 13, Day 2

A quick workout to start the day and week off right. Start off with the basics of pushups, sit-ups, and crunches, then to the bar for V-ups, pull-ups, and dips before a 5-mile run (40 minutes or less) in a UBRR prep workout.

Remember to stay hydrated and mark your progress in your workout log book.

UBRR Training:

More preparation for the UBRR

2 x 20 Pushups

3 x 20 Sit-ups

3 x 20, Crunches

1 x 1-minute, V-ups

3 x 10 Dips (or to muscle failure)

3 x 10 Pullups as many as possible or to muscle failure (No time limit)

5-mile run (40 minutes maximum)

Stretch well after completion, mark your progress in your workout log book.

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 13, Day 1

Sunday morning Rucksack march. Do a quick warmup of pushups and sit-ups before heading out. Head out over varied terrain and try to go as fast as you can without running. Going to try to make it a little different by heading out in one direction for an hour by going as fast as you can. And then turning around and heading back the same way. How long did it take to get back?

Stretch well both before and after the event. Remember to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated out there.

UBRR Training:

Warm up

2 x 20 Pushups

2 x 20 Sit-ups

2-hour Rucksack march over varied terrain with a 45-pound minimum. Go as hard and fast as you can in one direction for an hour. Then turn around and go back to the start point. And mark your distance in your workout log book. Should have been a minimum of 8 miles if you are sticking to the standard.

Stretch well after completion

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 12, Day 7

Saturday morning and heading back to the gym for a shoulder and back workout. Pull-ups, Deadlifts, and shoulder presses. Followed by a four-mile run in less than 32 minutes. Log your numbers down in the workout notebook

UBRR Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

3 x 10 Lat Pulldowns, rear

3 x 10 Barbell Dead Lift

3 x 10 Wide Grip Pull-ups

3 x 10 Dumbbell Side Raises

3 x 10 Seated Bent-Over Delt Raise

3 x 10 Dumbbell Shoulder Press

3 x 10 Arnold Dumbbell Press

4-mile run (32 minutes maximum)

Stretch well after completion

Rucking Practical Exercise, Dodge the Rain Drops

Against my better judgment today, I decided to throw caution to the wind and go rucking despite having an injured calf/ankle. Last weekend I was shooting a high school football game for one of the newspapers I work for. Yes, that O&I photography class is still paying dividends after all these years. So, near the end of the game, I was trying to get a shot along the sideline of a kid catching the ball right near where I was standing off the field of play.

The defender rode the kid out of bounds and for good measure well off the field, gave him an extra shot, which sent the receiver flying…right toward me. I stepped back but the kid went down and rolled, executing a pretty fair PLF. As he continued his roll, his cleats came down right on my ankle and lower calf. While it hurt, it didn’t get bad until I got home and pulled my boot off. It looked like a lion scratched me with his claws, the middle gash was deep and my foot swelled up to about 3x its normal size.

What’s the best way to recover from an injury like that? Rest? Ice? Both? Nah, Rucking is the answer …right? It seemed like a good idea at the time. Anyhow.

With heavy rain forecast for the area, starting later this morning and running thru the day, the best time to start a ruck march is early. And as being we’re early risers normally, this was a no-brainer.

The morning was overcast and warmer than I envisioned and quite humid as you could tell that there was rain in the air. And before you get to Selection, remember the weather will always, always take a dump on you at the worst possible timing during a gated event.

Going Downhill Really an Advantage?

Recently I had been reading some material about rucking. And in this one piece, the author had stated that the ratio of timed gained going downhill was only about half of what was lost going uphill. Surely, that has to be false, I thought. I have always been one to preach about “making up time” going downhill.

So I decided to test it as scientifically as possible. On the trail that I was using this morning, there is a long upslope followed by about two miles of flat terrain and then two good size hills.

And surprised to say, that what I perceived to be a wife’s tale was the truth. At the start of the two-mile flat terrain, I started my stopwatch on my phone and timed myself until I got to the end. I took the average for the two miles on the flat which was right about where I expected to be in terms of time of the pace.

When I got to the hills, I did them twice to get an accurate look, so I set the watch and timed myself going up, made a note and went back down. At the bottom, I repeated the procedure.

Just as a footnote, the hills in question are pretty steep and much steeper than anything you’ll find in SFAS or at Ft. Benning. However, while it appeared that I had not slowed down much, the pace was knocked back to where it was a good 35 seconds slower than the flat terrain.

And the average time gained from trudging on the downhill side was only half of what was lost by going uphill, which was exactly what I had read in the piece. My times were an average 18 seconds faster but only about half of what I had lost on the upslope. Again, these hills are much bigger than you’ll see in Selection, so the ratio of time lost and gained are probably much higher than you will experience in Selection. Unless of course, you’re going to Delta Selection and then these are almost the flattest terrain you’ll experience there. So, in the SpecialOperations.com version of “Mythbusters”, mark this one down as true! Learn something new every day.

There is something to be said for hitting the trails early in the morning in the fall. To see the leaves turning the bright colors is always a reason that we remind ourselves of why we choose to live up here. Although I then went thru a small section of woods where the leaves are already down and it is depressing thinking of what is soon right ahead of us.

But as we’re out hitting the hills this morning and clearing our head first thing in the morning it is always a good idea to do a checklist to ensure you have everything right before you go.

Correct Socks and boots for the ruck? Check. And even the extra wrap for the sore ankle…check. Is the rucksack packed properly with the sandbag in the radio pouch and the Camelbak ready to go? Check. Walking stick/slash lance for unruly animals…check.

Embracing the Suck…Again:

Lately some of the messages I’ve gotten, I get the distinct tone that some candidates are already approaching rucking as something that is going to suck 24-hrs a day and it is something that must be learned to live with. To a small extent, that is true.

But as we’ve put out in countless times in plenty of posts…too many to count, if you treat rucking as you would getting a root canal, then it will be painful each and every time you do it. “Embracing the Suck” isn’t just a t-shirt design. It is a way of learning to embrace your lifestyle choice. No one is saying that rucking is easy or that it will be any less painful at times. But your ruck is and always will be, along with your boots your primary means of transportation when everything else goes to hell….and it will.

You have to learn to love putting the big green tick, the pain pill etc…on your back or you will be a very unhappy camper in Special Operations. That’s why some of us still do it 30-something years later. While we may not be humping 100 pounds of lightweight kit over the mountains of Shitholeastan, it was and still is, part of the lifestyle.

Check out the FOGs (many of whom I know) that humped the length of the Appalachian Trail last summer for charity. Remember, “it is a normal civilian who looks upon everything that happens in his life as a blessing or a curse. But the warrior looks upon everything thrown at him as a challenge.”

With that said….Let’s go rucking, preferably before rain hits! However, I do have to have a word with my bulldog who used to love to go. Now she runs to the back of the house when she sees me pick up the ruck and boots. She is not “Embracing the Suck”… We need to talk.

If anyone else has any questions, feel free to send them along to [email protected] or at my Twitter page @SteveB7SFG and I’ll be glad to answer them.

Photo courtesy of US Army, author

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 12, Day 6

Friday means that it is Leg Day at the gym. Starting with Squats – (front, dumbbell goblet, and barbell), then some lunges and the weighted sled push. And then finish the workout with a five-mile run. Mark your progress down in your workout log book and stretch well after the session.

UBRR Training:

Continue to prep for the UBRR.

3 x Front Squat 20-15-12 reps (lighter weight)

3 x Goblet Dumbbell Squats 20-15-12 reps (lighter weight)

3 x 10 Barbell Squats

3 x 10 Deadlifts

3 x 10 Dumbbell Lunges

3 x 10 Romanian Lunges

3 x Weighted Sled Push or Fireman’s Carry

5-mile run (40 minutes maximum)

Stretch well after completion

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Prep Week 12, Day 5

Back to the gym on Thursday morning for a Chest and Triceps workout before heading out for a 4-mile run. Look to better the standard of 32 minutes. Remember to stretch well before and after and to stay hydrated. Mark your progress down in your workout log book.

UBRR Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

3 x 12 Bench Press

3 x 10 Dumbbell Flies

3 x 10 Dumbbell Incline press

3 x 20 Pushups (alternate sets with wide, narrow and shoulder width)

3 x 10 ‘V’ Ups

3 x 20 Sit-ups

3 x 20 Cable Push Downs (rope)

3 x 20 Dips or until muscle failure

4-mile run (32 minutes maximum)

Stretch well after completion

Spartan Selection Began At Birth and Lasted a Lifetime

Thanks to the film “300”, the Spartan lifestyle and their iconic Hoplite helmet has become a popular one among military age males and is frequently used ad campaigns or on t-shirt designs. But what was life like, as a Spartan male who would eventually become part of their military? We’ll take a quick look at their life, training and how they fought here.

The Greeks were quite different from their Spartan neighbors who they fought against almost as often as they fought with. There would be no great philosophers from Sparta, and the entire state existed to serve the military. The Spartans built no great temples or buildings, such ostentatiousness had no place in their culture. Their military, for which they were renowned, was admired for its professionalism, their physical and mental hardness and dedication to their beliefs.

Much of what was depicted in the film was true. Spartan children were inspected, shortly after birth and those deemed physically unfit were culled from the Spartan citizenry. The myth that they were thrown into a chasm at the foot of Mount Taygetus is false. They were probably left on a remote hillside to die from exposure or be rescued by strangers or perhaps by the non-citizen laborers and tradesmen class of “Perioeci.”

Spartan parents began their training of the children at an early age. Babies crying were not picked up and children were taught at an early age not to fear the dark. Spartan women were said to be the best nannies due to this harder form of parenting. Babies were washed with wine because it was thought that it would make them strong.

Training at the Agoge:

Spartan boys lived with their parents until age seven. This was the training ground for the boys until they were ready for military service. It was like a military academy where the boys were taught both academically and militarily. The purpose of this was to lessen the ties to a boy’s family and strengthen his ties to the state. Exact obedience was demanded and discipline was harsh.

Food was purposely kept scarce to provide a constant hunger and which encouraged the young men to steal food. Where if they were caught, they’d be flogged. Not for the act of stealing but of being caught.

Hazing and ridiculing others was encouraged in the Agoge. Competition among the boys was intense in matters of games or mock combat to foster the esprit de corps that the Spartan military was so famous for.

By the age of 12, the only clothes a boy own was a cloak winter or summer, while going barefoot and they would sleep on a bed of reeds that they would pick. Discipline became even harsher. They were taught to read and write, not for any cultural reasons but to be able to read maps and issue and receive orders.

Their tough training and living conditions were noted by the first-century Roman historian Plutarch who wrote this:

“Their training was calculated to make them obey commands well, endure hardships, and conquer in battle … When they were 12 years old, they no longer had tunics to wear, received one cloak a year, had hard flesh, and knew little of baths. They slept together … on pallet-beds which they collected for themselves, breaking off with their hands—no knives allowed—the tops of the rushes which grew along the river Eurotas.”

When the boys reached the age of 18, they became trainers for the younger boys. At this time, they also became members of the Spartan reserve army. They would also spy on Helot slaves and kill any who would sneak out at night or speak openly of revolting at their masters.

At the age of 20, a Spartan young man now became a member of the army and the men had a peer evaluation to vote each individual man into becoming a member of one of the messes.

From Wikipedia: The voting was done by Spartan peers who were members of the mess and must be unanimous. Rejected candidates could try to gain entry to a different mess for up to ten years. If a man failed to gain entry into a mess by age 30, he would not gain full Spartan citizenship. At the age of 30, men were permitted to marry and to become full citizens of Sparta who could vote and hold office.

Service in the Spartan Army:

Once a Spartan entered the army, he would serve until he was 60. With a war looming a council of elders would call up the army and select the 300 best hoplites in Sparta to become the hippeis or the King’s guard as was portrayed in the film, “300”.

During a march, the mercenaries from the north, known as the Skiritai and the cavalry would be out front as a screening force. The Hoplites would follow in two long columns followed by the non-combatants.

Each hoplite would carry 20 days of provisions consisting of bread, salted meat, and cheese. They also would carry their armor, helmets, and weapons to include their shields.

Hoplite shield with cutouts for a spear to be thrust through

From National Geographic: The Spartan shield, the hoplon—from which is derived the name of its bearer, the hoplite—the shield was, together with the spear, the most important weapon of the Spartan warrior. Each shield was circular and convex, weighed more than 15 pounds, and measured three feet in diameter. Shields were specially made out of layers of wood that had been rounded off and glued together. The exterior was covered with a fine layer of bronze, whose surface, glinting in the sun and replicated across the formation, would present a daunting spectacle to an enemy. The Spartan hoplites organized themselves into a tight-packed phalanx that then relentlessly pushed forward behind this wall of bronze.

The legend has it that Spartan mothers would give their sons their shields and say to them, “return with it or on it.” Which meant victory or death. They dressed the same as their Greek countrymen with the exception of the Spartans wore a bright red cloak.

Before a battle, the army would exercise but not nearly as strenuous as in garrison. Plutarch would write that “Their bodily exercises, too, were less rigorous during their campaigns, and [they] were allowed a regimen less rigid. They were the only men in the world for whom war brought a respite in the training for war.”

Often in the morning of a battle, they’d polish their shields and arrange their long hair in full view of the enemy. Their battle formation the Phlanx, would be eight men deep and advance in beat with their music played on utes.

The troops in the front would have their spears pointed outward toward the enemy’s eyes, throat, and arms. They’d use their shields to break thru the enemy’s formation. Any soldier who died in battle would be buried nearby where a memorial engraved with an epitaph, like one for the Spartans who died defending the Thermopylae pass against the Persians: “O Stranger, tell the Spartans that here we remain, obedient to their orders.”

Photos: Wikipedia