Learn to ruck like a pro before you get to selection

For our readers who are attempting to become part of our Special Operations Forces, of course after volunteering, the first obstacle in your path is passing Selection. And the biggest key to that is being properly prepared to do so. We went back and recently posted a series of articles on Land Navigation where we […]

Feed the beast! Proper nutrition will help in SOF preparation

When we write about preparing for the rigors of Selection and the qualification courses here in Special Operations.com, one specific area we don’t write about often is proper nutrition. It is an oversight on our part and it is for two very good reasons. Number one, I am not a nutritionist and have no training […]

How can women improve on rucking for Special Operations selection?

Rucking is one of the biggest discriminators for Special Operations Selection. It, along with Land Navigation are two of the biggest problem areas that candidates face when attempting to enter into one of the units in the military. And now with Special Operations open to women, they face the same issues that men face. In […]

SOF Tips: Speed up your recovery after the 12-mile rucksack march

This piece is meant to help prospective candidates prepare for SOF selection with their 12-mile rucksack march. And hopefully for those that followed it and conducted it, (it was a cold 40 degree, rainy morning here), followed our normal rucksack marching tips. Wearing the correct boots and socks, having the correct and comfortable clothes on […]

SOF Tips: Rucking trails in deep snow? Try something new and go snowshoeing

We publish a daily workout regimen that we post for all of the aspiring Special Operations candidates to properly prepare themselves physically for the various Selection courses. And Sunday was supposed to be a long rucksack march. But Mother Nature decided to throw us all a curve here in the Northeast. Our first major winter […]

Why do you put such a premium on rucking in Special Operations?

We frequently get a lot of questions about the Selection part of the training pipeline, what the candidates for the various Special Operations units in the SOF umbrella must pass. Selection, as we say is just the first step, but it is a continuous process and never really ends. Candidates during Selection will be assessed […]

The Pic of the Day: Functional Fitness is the way to SOF

A Green Beret assigned to 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) releases a tire after pulling it and moves to a barrier before he fires his M4 rifle during the four-stage run and gun event June 27, 2019, at Fort Bragg, N.C. The four-stage run and gun was an event held during the first annual 3rd […]

No more half-assing PT: These are the Army’s new combat-oriented fitness standards

The Army’s current Physical Fitness (PT) standard is having its last rounds. Come 2020, the new Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) test will take effect. And now the Army has revealed the long-awaited standards for the combat-oriented test. To ace the ACFT, which is tailored for every Military Occupational Specialty (MOS), Soldiers must: Perform a […]

Not everyone is chiseled like a SEAL: Navy the most obese branch

The Navy has the unenviable honor of being the most obese branch of the U.S. military with an outstanding 22 percent of its Sailors being clinically obese, a Department of Defence (DoD) study has concluded. Sailors, however, face strong competition from their Airmen and Soldier brethren. The Air Force came second with 18 percent and […]

Searching For the Perfect Rucking Boot? Look No Further

Recommending gear is always a difficult proposition. Why? Because everyone is different, has different tastes, is built differently and certain gear that may work perfectly for one guy, won’t work a bit for someone else. Caveat aside, one thing that we’ve harped on is having comfortable, tough, versatile boots on your feet. In Special Forces, […]

Aftermarket Rucksacks for Selection Preparation, Hiking

We’ve gone over the rucking tips quite a bit and everyone preparing for selection should be very comfortable with a ruck on their back and be humping long distances. It goes without saying that rucking and land navigation is the bread and butter of special operations forces. If you can show the intestinal fortitude needed […]