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Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 3, Day 7

An early spring snowstorm set back our timetable a bit this morning. Back in the gym this morning for some shoulders and back training before heading out for a run. We’ll break up the routine next week with some more speed interval running, that will help to build up your short area quickness and speed. And we’ll do some swimming which is also very important.

UBRR Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

3 x 10 Pullups

3 x 12 Seated Rows (go as heavy as possible)

3 x 12 Lat Pulldowns, front

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

Stretch well after completion

Train Out of Your Comfort Zone When Prepping for Selection

One of the hardest things to do for all of us is to break out of our comfort zone. And that not only goes for training, which we’re talking about today but in everyday life situations. However, that same comfort zone can and will lead to stagnation both personally and professionally. And we have to fight that to reach our goals.

Look, we all have our favorite watering hole, restaurant or diner etc. the list can go on and on. And we stick with those things, why? Because we’re comfortable there and like what we’re going to encounter in those situations…for the most part. In truth, it isn’t really a comfort zone we fall into but a “comfort rut” which isn’t a good thing.

But, when we fall into that trap in training, especially preparing for Selection, you can not only get stagnant but risk failure as well. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, and when working out we all have our favorite exercises which we do religiously. Why? Because we’re good at them.

The biggest fear we all have as Special Operations Forces is failing. Failing is not an option and no one anywhere ever wants to fail at anything. It is why we’re as competitive playing trivia games as we are strapping on a rucksack and knowing we have to beat the clock.

Perhaps the second biggest fear is looking foolish doing something, especially among our peers. And very, very few people are good at things the first time that they try something. That’s why we must ensure to break thru that wall of uncertainty and leave our comfort zone when prepping for Selection.

Are you an excellent runner but not a very good rucker? Chances are that you probably don’t like rucksack marching as a result and avoid it if the opportunity avails itself. It happens to all of us and we’ve all been there.

When I was young, I had a phobia for speaking in public. It wasn’t until college that I finally got over that. How? I had a professor that broke it down what exactly I was afraid of (and those fears were truly nothing to fear) and allowed me to break thru that wall. While no one will ever confuse me with say a Winston Churchill as an orator, now I actually do enjoy it and as anyone on the line when we do a writer’s call will tell you; getting me to talk isn’t the problem, but they’ll probably be wondering when that guy will shut the hell up.

When training for SF, I was a good but not great runner. I could easily run for distance but was never one of the faster guys. I also sucked at climbing ropes, and again, the truth be told, I’m still not great at it. But my training partner was a deer in the running department and as he used to say, “a rope-climbing MFer”. He wasn’t a great rucker so we decided to work out together. Because I liked to ruck, he was forced to do that more than he probably would have on his own. And we incorporated much more rope climbing than I would have done otherwise. We pushed each other out of our comfort rut and both ended up successful in the end.

I never enjoyed leg training back then, but after working together, it ended up being one of our more fun days of the week as we’d push each other to where we could barely walk down the stairs after some of those workouts. Hardly a leg day at the gym now doesn’t come by without my thinking of my buddy back in the day.

It wasn’t until years later, with my running that I was able to get more speed out of these old bones. I met a football coach working out at a local track, he was running some laps and then was doing a series of sprints. We spoke and I told him I had tons of endurance but no speed. “Then do something about it,” he said. By foregoing the normal distance run, we worked on sprint work which not only improved my endurance but my speed as well. Just that little extra push helps.

Today I employ a personal trainer three times a week to push my butt into doing things that I know I wouldn’t choose to do, yes even us FOGs still fall into that trap.

Remember, you won’t be able to truly challenge yourself until you reach a stage that is uncomfortable for you. Don’t let the fear of initial failure stop you from trying. Visualize success and take pleasure in the small victories of progress. Then enjoy the process and push yourself into success.

One last thing, getting out of your “comfort zone” is the path to what professional athletes refer to being “in the zone” which is when you are operating at peak performance.

So today is Leg Day at the gym right? Most of you hate Leg Day… time for that to change. Get you some! DOL.

Photo: US Army

Particle Ray Missile Defense? DOD Plans on Fielding Weapon by 2023

While a lot of the futuristic weapons talk seems like pie in the sky stuff from Marvel Comics, it seems that there is an increasing chance for many of these types of weapons to be actually fielded in the very near future.

NEWSREP’s Alex Hollings penned in an intriguing piece on what the Defense Department hopes to field in as little as three years. Unlike the old SDI initiative of the Reagan era, this is a missile defense system that may actually work.

Missile defense has been a priority in the United States for decades, in no small part because the threat posed by long-range, nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles remains as one of the few direct threats to the American mainland that could arise with little to no warning. In today’s world, it would be all but impossible to sneak up to American shores with a sizable military contingent. Still, for the most part, the only thing stopping a nation from flinging nukes at the U.S. from across the sea is the assurance America will retaliate in kind.
Now, with hypersonic missile platforms nearing service in both Chinese and Russian militaries and both nations fielding new nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles designed specifically to circumvent America’s layered approach to missile defense, Uncle Sam is on the hunt for new ways to counter the threats posed by advanced missile platforms. Some believe it’s been found in a rather science fiction-sounding endeavor: deploying directed-energy weapons to engage and destroy missiles.
Particle beam weapons work, to a certain extent, like lasers and are often referred to as “heat rays.” However, unlike lasers, particle beams work by accelerating particles (usually neutrons) without an electric charge to near-light speed velocities. When that beam of accelerated particles hits an intended target, the neutrons fired knock protons out of the nucleus of particles they encounter, creating heat.
That means particle beams don’t just interact with the surface of a target the way lasers do, but instead, they can penetrate the surface and affect a missile’s internal systems as well. While reflective surfaces can be used as an occasional means to redirect lasers, particles beams have no such issue, penetrating directly though the mirrored surface and wreaking havoc on the intended target.
Deploying such a weapon in space would be no small task. In order to function, a neutral particle beam weapon would require far more than an extremely capable targeting system (to hit missiles traveling at thousands of miles per hour). It would also need a particle accelerator, a power supply capable of sustaining such a weapon, a means of power storage (batteries), and an extremely hardened communications system.
“It’s a very short timeline, first to even know where it (the missile) is coming from,” an unnamed official told Defense One about the project. “It’s less than a couple minutes before it leaves the atmosphere. So you have to have a weapon that’s on station, that’s not going to be taken out by air batteries and so we have been looking at directed-energy applications for that. But you have to scale up power to that megawatt class. You’ve got to reduce the weight. You’ve got to have a power source. It’s a challenge, technically.”
Despite these hurdles, the Pentagon seems confident it can have a weapon of this sort in orbit as soon as 2023.
“We’ve come a long way in terms of the technology we use today to where a full, all-up system wouldn’t be the size of three of these conference rooms, right? We now believe we can get it down to a package that we can put on as part of a payload to be placed on orbit,” the official said.
“Power generation, beam formation, the accelerometer that’s required to get there and what it takes to neutralize that beam, that capability has been matured and there are technologies that we can use today to miniaturize.”

To read the entire article, click here:

Photo: DOD

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 3, Day 6

Friday is always a good day for Leg Day at the gym, we’ll go for the lighter weight in the squats but higher reps that will help with endurance. Weighted sled push builds up some explosion and strength. The leg work will bode well for you in Selection and in SOF units in your future if you are successful in your quest to get Selected.

Continue to prep for the UBRR.

UBRR Training:

3 x Pullups 10 reps

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

3 x Deadlifts 20-15-12 reps (lighter weight)

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

3 x 12 Lying Leg Curls

3 x 20 Leg Extensions

4 x 12 Standing Calf Raises. 4 sets, 12 reps.

3 x 20 Shoulder touch planks

3-mile run

Stretch well after completion

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 3, Day 5

All the workout can be done outside this morning, no gym time today. We are going to max out on pushups, sit-ups, and crunches today before we head back out on the rucking trails. There is no time limit on any of the exercises, obviously, the goal is to get them done as quickly as you can.

With the snow due to hit the east coast today, it would probably be a good idea to start a bit earlier than normal. Stretch well before and after and ensure you hydrate well during the ruck march.

UBRR Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

100 Pushups (no time limit)

100 Sit-ups (no time limit)

100 Crunches (no time limit)

Rucksack march: Go as hard and as fast as you can for 1 hour. Do this without running. See what your distance is and make a notation. This will give a goal to achieve in later training sessions.

Stretch well after completion

Release of Film Combat Obscura Draws Marine Corps’ Ire

Over at NEWSREP in a report written by Stavros Atlamazoglou, he’s saying the Marine Corps is not happy with the way that the Marines were depicted in the film Combat Obscura by former Marine and current Columbia University film student Jacob Lagoze.

In the film, where Lagoze and several other combat cameramen were attached to the Marine infantry battalion during a deployment in Afghanistan, they filmed the troops in the act of some very questionable activities. So much so that the Corps tried to block the release of the film.

U.S. Marines filling their cigarettes with Afghan hash or smoking marijuana while on guard duty. Profound language and unprofessional behavior. Extreme violence. “Combat Obscura” is certainly not your average recruiting film. And that’s the reason why the United States Marine Corps (USMC) doesn’t want you to watch it.
This war documentary was filmed and directed by Lance Cpl. Jacob Miles Lagoze, a former combat videographer and current film student of Columbia University School of the Arts. Lagoze and his fellow combat cameramen were attached to the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines and followed their infantry brethren during an arduous 2011 deployment in Helmand Province. Helmand, situated in southern Afghanistan, is considered one of the toughest places in country because it’s the spiritual home of the Taliban movement. It also contains vast poppy fields used to produce drugs, which complicates the situation on the ground and makes it that much harder for coalition troops to operate. Two huge bases were constructed in Helmand: the U.K.’s Camp Shorabak (formerly Bastion); and the U.S.’s Camp Leatherneck.
“Combat Obscura” triggered an angry response from the USMC. For months, it tried to block the film’s release, citing that it utilizes unauthorized U.S. Department of Defense footage. “The actions depicted in the film of these few betrayed the trust and safety of their fellow Marines; they selfishly put their own self-interests over their unit, and by doing so put their entire team at risk,” said Major Brian Block, a USMC spokesperson, as interviewed by Task & Purpose.
“While we contend that at least some of the content of the film — produced with Marine Corps equipment, during a Marine Corps deployment, and not cleared for public release by any official release authority — is rightly the property of the U.S. Government, we do not plan to pursue any legal action against Mr. Lagoze at this time,” added Major Block, implying to the potential public-relations backlash that would stem from such an action.

To read the entire article click here:

Photo: YouTube

Dunford Shoots Down WSJ Report of US Troops Remaining in Syria

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Joseph Dunford is denying an earlier Wall St. Journal report that the United States is planning on leaving 1000 U.S. troops in Syria, which is more than double what was initially reported. “A claim reported this evening by a major U.S. newspaper that the U.S. military is developing plans to keep nearly 1,000 U.S. troops in Syria is factually incorrect,” he said.

On Sunday, Dunford shot down the WSJ’s story, stating, “There has been no change to the plan announced in February and we continue to implement the President’s direction to draw down U.S. forces to a residual presence,” he said.

The White House said in February that about 200 troops would remain in Syria, on what was termed as a “peace-keeping mission”, something the Department of Defense has pushed back on as too definitive for stabilization operations. DOD’s plan would be for there to be a separate 200 troops at the Al-Tanf airbase. However, they know that President Trump has been adamant about wanting to pull all of the troops out of Syria.

The initial report of U.S. troops remaining quoted sources inside the American government as stating that American troops will continue working with Kurdish fighters in Syria who face threats from Turkey. The Turks regard the Kurdish SDF as terrorists. American troops, mainly Special Operations Forces would provide a buffer between the Kurds and Turks.

This story comes on the heels of thus far fruitless talks between the U.S.-led coalition, the Kurds and the Turks for a safe zone for the Kurdish people. Al-Tanf also runs along a supply route the Iranians use to supply their proxy forces in Syria. There are currently about 2000 U.S. troops inside Syria.

Despite Dunford’s denial, the WSJ stated that they were standing by their story and their reporting. The rest of Dunford’s statement below spells out the difficulty in trying to pigeon-hole an exact number of troops.

“Further, we continue to conduct detailed military planning with the Turkish General Staff to address Turkish security concerns along the Turkey-Syria border. Planning to date has been productive and we have an initial concept that will be refined in the coming days,” he added.

“We are also conducting planning with other members of the Coalition who have indicated an intent to support the transition phase of operations into Syria.”

As the US-led coalition is working with the Kurdish SDF on eliminating the last small ISIS bastion, the United States was planning on withdrawing several hundred troops. But even the 1500 troops that the Pentagon was citing in the interim is not a given. Those numbers were based on having enough troops to ensure a Kurdish safe zone in the north which will be part of a “multinational observer force” numbering between 800 and 1,500, mostly European NATO allies, including France and Britain. But with our European allies not committing any troop numbers, U.S. troop numbers will remain high…for now.

The Europeans have stated that they will not remain if the U.S. completely withdraws, fearing it will already strengthen Russia and Iran’s position there. German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticized theTrump withdrawal plan. “Is it a good thing to immediately remove American troops from Syria, or will it not strengthen Russia and Iran’s hand?” she asked.

Meanwhile, in the fighting in the last Islamic state stronghold in Syria, the progress has been slowed by the presence of mines, tunnels and an increasing amount of women and children refugees streaming out of Baghouz. Most of them, families of ISIS fighters, and an increasing amount of fighters trying to sneak out with them.

Dozens of militants surrendered on Monday night, some of whom the SDF identified as part of the suicide bombing that killed 4 US troops in January. And ISIS fighters are now confined to a 200 x 200-meter perimeter. They are trapped between the Euphrates River and the encampment just captured by the SDF.

Photo: DOD

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 3, Day 4

Shoulder work in the gym is the order of the day along with some speed work. The sprints will help with your overall cardio fitness, build explosion in your legs and will serve you well with your endurance. It is also a functional part of your job in Special Operations.

There will be plenty of times where you’ll have to sprint short distances with your gear on. It will test you in a different manner than a distance run. This is a system that some NFL teams use to increase their speed.

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 Shoulder Press

3 x 8 Shoulder Shrugs

40-Meter Sprint, walk back to the starting point

50-Meter Sprint, walk back to the starting point

60-Meter Sprint, walk back to the starting point

70-Meter Sprint, walk back to the starting point

80-Meter Sprint, walk back to the starting point

90-Meter Sprint, walk back to the starting point

100-Meter Sprint, walk back to the starting point

Stretch well after completion

Get Out And Ruck For a Cause While Prepping for Selection

We have frequently in the past advocated for many of the fine organizations that support our Veteran community here at SpecialOperations.com, especially those who care for our Special Operations Forces and/or are conducting a fundraiser thru rucking.

During the past weekend, the 30th annual Bataan Memorial Death March drew its largest field of ruckers and runners yet with 8,631 registered to run or march through the desert in the area of White Sands Missile Range.

People could register for the full 26.2-mile marathon march/run or a shorter 14.2-mile course. The Bataan Memorial Death March course was started by students from New Mexico State University back in 1989. Just three years later in 1992, the Army got involved and began holding the event on the military installation.

Sunday’s event was a huge success, besides the nearly 9000 event participants, there were 1500 volunteers supporting the course, thousands of spectators to cheer on the participants as well as four of the surviving Bataan Death March soldiers. One of the survivors, Ben Skardon who is 101 years old, led “Ben’s Brigade” on a three-mile course back to the base.

Skardon is a retired Colonel from the U.S. Army and a professor emeritus from Clemson University. This is the 12th time, that he’s attended and walked in the memorial event. He’s an inspiration to many for his “Never Quit” attitude. Way to go Ben.

In preparing for your own Selection courses, these fundraisers are a great way to give back to your own community and to get out and break up the normal Selection prep routine. Many of the rucksack marchers in the “heavy” category, with a minimum of 35-pounds or more, filled their rucksacks with canned goods to donate to local food pantries at the conclusion of the event. That is even more civic-minded.

Our own Selection prep on Sunday consisted of our own weekly Sunday rucksack march. Since I couldn’t attend out there at the White Sands Missile Range in person, I decided that I’d be there in spirit. I got out in the cold a bit earlier than normal and extended my own Sunday ruck march out. I was finishing up about the time, the people in the desert were forming up, due to the time difference. But that event is on my own personal bucket list of events to attend.

This coming weekend is an event being held in places across the United States to bring the public to light on the plight of veteran’s suicides and to reduce the number while assisting military families.

The event called “Carry the Fallen” is not one I had personally heard of prior, however, it is a particularly noble cause and definitely one we can all get behind. According to their website, they hope to accomplish their goal by:

Establishing camaraderie to cope with Post Traumatic Stress (anger, depression, loneliness, substance abuse, and suicidal tendencies). Uniting veterans, families, and supporters to care for each other in times of need.
Training Team Leaders how to interact with suicidal veterans and the steps to assist them.
Developing a Peer Mentor and Ambassador community of veterans, military families and civilians who support struggling families and/or veterans.
Supporting Active Heroes programs including the retreat, community center, home repairs, and active challenges from donations raised by the Carry The Fallen events that will help reduce veteran suicide with outdoor activity programs and educational programs.

Teams form to ruck-march for 3, 6, 12 or 22 hours while carrying the weight that symbolizes the burden that many veterans carry post-war or post-trauma. This weekend the two events scheduled are Carry the Fallen-Boston, MA, March 23 @ 5:30 am – 7:30 p.m. and Roswell’s Salute To The Troops-Carry The Fallen, March 24 @ 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Another big fundraiser coming up is the “Tough Ruck 2019” which honors military, police, firefighters, EMTs and first responders who have fallen in the line of duty. The walk a 26.2-mile course in either the Heavy (35-lb) or Light (15-lb) category. This event is coming up on April 14, 2019, at the Old Manse, 269 Monument Street, Concord, MA (start/finish line), where the participants will raise money for the charity and if they finish the course, will be awarded a Boston Marathon medal.

So break up your training routine and support a good cause, there are plenty out there and take place nearly every weekend, especially since rucking has become the new cool thing for civilians to emulate the military.

It will not only help out those in need, but it will also break up your training regimen a bit and give yourself a chance to push your training a bit. There’s nothing like a bit of healthy competition to get the blood flowing.

Happy Rucking…DOL

Photo of Ben Skardon: DVIDS:

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 3, Day 3

Continue to prep for the UBRR. Leg Day at the gym, our favorite with squats, the sled push, and some lunges. We’ll follow that with a three-mile run at a good pace, faster than the standard. Remember to stretch well before and after the run and to hydrate.

UBRR Training:

3 x Pullups 10 reps

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

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

3 x 10 Deadlifts

3 x 10 Sled push or Fireman’s Carry

3 x 10 reps Dumbbell Lunges

3 x 20 Sit-ups

3 x 25 Crunches

3-mile run (24 minutes maximum)

Stretch well after completion