train your body

Passing SFAS – Land Navigation Tips for Finding Your Way in Hoffman

So, you’ve volunteered to be in Special Forces and you’re getting ready to go to SFAS. This is the time to prepare yourself for the grind that is to come. There are certain tips, such as the PT program which will help you attain the level of physical fitness that you’ll need to not just pass the course but to excel where the course isn’t as tough as you’ll see other people struggling.

Now, we get to the elephant in the room, the Land Navigation course and many students fail at either SFAS or the SFQC because they failed the land navigation course. The course is tough, it is the toughest individual land navigation course you’ll find in the US military.

In previous segments, we touched on Map reading, pace count, orienting the map and plotting your starting location as well as your point. Now we need to get to our points. Here are some of the tips for walking the course in the Hoffman area.

Fold Your Map – Sounds like a no-brainer but it is simple and saves a ton of time without having to unfold your map every time you want to make a map check. Fold it down to where it fits perfectly in your map case so that only the part you are traveling shows, it simplifies your task immeasurably. This way every time you make a quick check of the map, only where you are and where you are going next is visible.

A technique that many orienteers use while navigating is what they call thumbing. I’ve talked to some and what they do is to keep their thumb on the spot on the map where they are and it speeds in finding where you are while walking and doing a quick map check. The thought being as you walk along you move your thumb slightly forward to reduce the confusion of scanning for your location on the map, especially in the dark.

Navigating Techniques – So, you’ve plotted your starting location, your first point that you’re looking for. You’ve folded the map and placed it and your protractor carefully inside your map case. The next thing you must do orient the map into the direction that you are traveling. Now the terrain is laid out exactly the way it is in front of you.

Weapon tied down? Check. Compass tied down and easily accessible? Check. You should have a red lens flashlight a notebook that will allow you to write in it, even if it is wet in your pocket or map case. Ensure you have all of your gear and do a quick check of the area before you leave and don’t forget anything.

Pull out the compass and take a quick reading. If you can see far enough in the distance, do the cheek hold method where the notch is the rear sight, and the wire is the front sight. Pick out a point as far in the distance as you can and get to it as quickly as you can.

If you’re following a basic azimuth, rotate your bezel ring so that your North seeking arrow aligns with the bubble. So, say if you are traveling on an azimuth of 65 degrees, your North seeking arrow will be in the approximate 10 o’clock position, rotate the bezel ring so the bubble aligns with the North seeking arrow and it is a quick way to keep on your azimuth, especially in the dark. Also, remember that each click in the bezel ring is three degrees.

Remember, to read the red ring which is in degrees and not the black which is in mils.

Trust your map, pace count, and your azimuth as you move out on the course. During the practical exercises in the course, you’ll notice you’ll veer a bit in the dark. Everyone’s perception changes during hours of darkness and it will vary.

As you encounter ways around the draws, you’ll no doubt see where others have tread before you and those well-worn paths are a good indicator that this is the best spot to cross a draw…if you must. But the best rule of thumb for the course is to veer around them if at all possible. But if you do cross one, make sure you check your compass every 20-25 paces. It is so easy to get turned around in those, don’t let it happen to you.

In SFAS an instructor will be present at your points but you’ll no doubt come across green engineer stakes with a dog tag on them. If you do, do yourself a favor and stop and check them out. These are an eight-digit grid coordinate that is built in GPS. There’s no better way to check your location.

Don’t talk to other students. Don’t be a road runner. Nothing will get you in hot water faster than doing those things.

When crossing the roads, the rule of thumb is at a 90-degree angle….and they’ll be watching.

Take advantage of the practical exercises and learn the terrain and the area as best you can. Do try to do the minimum, it will cost you in the end. Talk with other candidates AFTER the course is complete every day and share notes and experiences about what you find on the course. It will come in handy. It is no different than doing a debrief of another unit when planning a mission.

Get used to moving at night and make night movement a breeze. It will serve you well once you get in one of the operational Groups.

Move with a purpose but never out of control. Land Nav is like Selection is to a smaller extent. It can be a lot more difficult if you’re not using your head. Think everything thru and don’t let doubt creep in. Your training will get you thru this. Thousands of students have done it before you and you can too.

You get familiar with a bunch of landmarks out there on the course. I researched thru several social media pages and made note of what different people mentioned. Many of the names remain from my time.
Five Points
Puppy Palace
Lake Baggett
Bones Fork Creek
3 Wire Road…and some new names
Jurassic Park
Scuba Road
Dagobah (I don’t know who named this area in the north, but he deserves an impact award) My personal favorite.

Photo courtesy of DOD

SOF Selection PT Preparation 3.14.2017

Today is a gym day, if you’re one of those unfortunate souls who lives in the Northeast, you may have to shovel out from two feet of wet, heavy snow. In which case that may be all the work out you’ll get today as most everything is shut down.

For the rest…hit the weights today and get some running in.

Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

Run 5 miles (record your time) “Do the best you can.” Get used to hearing that.

Then, head into the gym:

3 x Front Squat 10 reps (heavy but doable weight)

3 x Goblet Squats 10 reps (heavy dumbbell)

3 x 10 Pull-ups

3 x 10 reps Standing Arnold Press

25 x Push ups

30 x “V”ups

Stretch well after completion

SOF Selection PT Preparation 3.13.2017

Monday is Fun-day! Special Operations Selection is not easy and demands a lot of upper body strength and stamina. Let’s get the week off to a good start.

Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

Warm Up – 3 x 25 meter shuttle run

100 x pushups (no time limit but go as fast as you can)
100 x situps (no time limit)
100 x crunches
3 x 20 dips
5 Mile Ruck with 45lb minimum under 75 minutes
Rope climb (if you have access to one)

Stretch well after completion

SOF Selection PT Preparation 3.10.2017

Training:

Continue to prep for the UBRR:

3 x 1 minute pushups, as many as you can do correctly.
3 x 1 minute sit ups, as many as you can do
20 Kipups Knees to elbows
20 Pullups or to muscle failure
3 x 25 M Shuttle Run
5 Mile Ruck- 45 lbs minimum in 75 minutes or less

Rest one minute between sets, shoot for the maximum each time.

SFAS Getting Yourself Ready (Part 2)

Read Part One HERE

In the last segment, we talked about getting your boots fitted correctly, ensuring your socks are placed properly and toughening up your feet for the many miles which are to come to prevent blisters.

Well, now we deal with the unfortunate and very case of what happens despite your best intentions. Everyone at one time or another is going to get either hotspots or blisters and probably both. During your train-up prior to selection is the best time to get those and learn how to prevent them in the future.

Hotspots: As you progress in the rucking during your training, you are going to feel contact points on your feet that will begin to burn or ache….these are hotspots. These are the first onset of blisters forming on your feet.

Stop immediately and remove your boots and socks. A good rule of rucking during your train-up phase should be to stop every hour. And not just catch your breath. Take off your boots and socks and examine your feet. If everything is good to go, then you can change your socks if need be and re-powder your feet and drive on.

However, if your feet are developing hotspots, they have to be treated asap. If you need moleskin, this is the time to put it on. Dry and powder your feet and then put your socks and boots back on and continue. If you choose to ignore the hotspots then you’ll end up with something more painful.

Blisters: The bane of any light infantryman and especially to those who are going thru SFAS. Blisters are pockets of fluid between the layers of the skin where a lot of friction occurs. Everyone invariably gets them at one time or another. If they happen in the train-up to selection, all the better since the feet will toughen up after some time under the ruck.

What to do when a blister occurs? If it hasn’t popped, then leave it be, place moleskin over the blister, ensuring that you leave some room around the blister to properly cushion it. Those are the easiest to care for. However, if it is too big and painful or the skin is already torn around it, then further action must be taken.

If the blister is large and not broken, you can drain it by gently sticking it with a needle Be sure the needle is sterilized and don’t get too aggressive with it. Once the fluid is drained out of the blister, apply moleskin and cushion it the best that you can.

If the skin is torn badly, cut it away carefully, clean the wound as best you can and cushion it with moleskin. If the skin flap isn’t cut too badly, an old trick I learned from an EMT is to apply some Superglue to the cut and it will bond it right back together. And be prepared for it to burn like hell. Superglue works wonders if you have a clean slice of a cut elsewhere on your body. Again, it will burn like all creation but it will seal up the cut and allow you to drive on.

During my time out at selection, the medics used to treat the candidates’ feet with tincture of benzoin. And it was some stinky, painful stuff there. Trust me you don’t want to go through that treatment.

Treat blisters immediately. If blisters are not taken care of properly and quickly, you’ll automatically compensate for the pain in your feet and it will change your gait. And once you change the way you walk, it opens up an entirely different can of worms. Other injuries can occur, including shin splints, stress fractures, tendinitis in your Achilles and hip and back pain.

It is much easier to just treat the blisters as they occur and let your feet toughen up gradually. A properly treated blister will allow you to continue your training without missing any time. Let it linger and you will lose days possibly weeks of valuable prep time.

After that, it is simply strapping on your boots and ruck and ruck and ruck some more. Once you get into a rhythm with it, it gets easier and the miles will get eaten up like a bowl of ice cream on a warm summer day.

Proper fitting boots and socks and the correct preventative maintenance of your feet will allow you to ruck on for miles with no worries. Back during my time in Panama, we had back-to-back long rucks during our certification. One night we moved 20 miles and after training all the next day, we moved 16 more miles that night. We stopped occasionally to change socks because even at 2 a.m. in Panama it is hot. We’d dry out our feet, and even changed uniforms as they were soaked.

After approximately 40 miles between the rucks and training during the day, no one on the team had a blister. Were our feet sore? You bet. But no one was any worse for wear.

In our next segment for SFAS, we’ll hit the big elephant in the room….Land Navigation.

Photo courtesy of USAF

SUNDAY RUCK TOMORROW (2/12/17)

Hey Ruckers,

Last weekend a small cohort of about three guys showed up. There were more but the early time and travel restriction kept some of you from making IT. But, there’s much more to come, every week in fact. I’ve set up a meetup.com page for the group.

Here: https://www.meetup.com/meetup-group-soChnNNb/events/237475348/

Please visit and sign up! Even if you aren’t in DC – I may be traveling some and can organize ruck marches as I travel the country.

Last week was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed the March. The National Mall is a beautiful sight first thing in the morning, and there’s a sense of accomplishment rucking 5+ miles before 9 am.

Here’s a breakdown of our movement:

Total distance: 5.38 miles

Pace analysis:

1: 16’01”

2: 15’09”

3: 14’59”

4: 14’13”

5: 14’52”

5-5.38: 15’12”

In all, it was about 9,700 steps, and I was in a fat burning cardiovascular state the entire time. Rucking is good conditionally and for those of you on the fence, good for your beach body.

As you can see from here, it took us a minute to get going and round off a 15 minute pace. You have to settle into rucking, and it’s tough to come out swinging right out the gate. Plus, it was cold and very early in the morning. Although, quite a few runners were scurrying all around D.C. The level of fitness in the city is impressive and motivating.

Also, Rucking kind of sucks – and it seems to suck more as the day progresses. I felt good about the effort and being in a small group it was easier to ruck and maintain the right pace. On the topic of speed – we kept a 15:05 minute per mile pace. I had a 45lb. Pack and wore Nike SFB’s. After that, I went to a grad school class for the rest of the day. Frankly, that was the best part of my day because listening to a professor on a Sunday isn’t something I’d usually opt to do. So, thank you – whoever is coming tomorrow in advance – and to the fellas who came last Sunday.

Featured image courtesy of Core Performance.

Special Operations Forces Fitness: Train your body for the mission

In the Special Operations Forces (SOF) community you’re given all of the best equipment available. There’s a tool for every problem set. But, you can’t take everything on every operation. Along with a basic load common to 99% of missions you’ll also choose from a wide array of special equipment based on mission requirements and contingencies. An operator’s physical fitness is no different. Every unit has a baseline of standards for selection, and a baseline for continued employment in their respective organization. I know it’s a surprise for some to hear, but 99% of us can’t bench press 500 pounds, get up and then run a sub 12 minute 2 mile. You have to train your body for the mission at hand the same way like you load out for one. In order to meet specific requirements.

So when someone asks me “how do I get in shape” I always ask them their why. Are you a new or potential recruit? Already serving and attending an assessment and selection? In how long? Are you Law Enforcement? If so, in what environment? First responder? Or currently in a SOF unit and preparing for a mission with unusual or specific requirements? Or are you a normal guy or gal that just wants to be hard to kill?

From here it’s necessary to establish the specific requirements of your why. What are the minimum requirements? How long is the course? In what event/gate does the biggest attrition take place? Can I eat while I’m there? What kit do I need to operate in? Etc..etc…etc.

Once you know the specific requirements it’s time to take honest stock of your own abilities based on what it is you are trying to do. Brutal honesty is what makes SOF units successful, both self honesty and being honest with your teammates. Measure the differences in your performance and how well you need to do in order to meet your goals. Prioritize, set your gates, and get to work.

Image courtesy of DoD