Following Selection, there is the Operator Training Course (OTC), a six-month course that teaches prospective operators the dark arts of close-quarters battle and close target reconnaissance, as well as other skills like military free-fall parachuting and offensive driving. 3.5 Ranger Assessment and Selection Programme One. Related Article US Army Grooming Standards. There was a chaplains assistant, but a hardcore chaplains assistant. I had become lost when I got to low ground where the existing streams were swollen and previously non-existing rivulets appeared. I half shrugged and shook my head no. Delta Force is frequently compared to U.S. Navy SEAL Team 6 (DEVGRU) and rightfully so. I contemplated the progression of the speeds, distances, and payload weights to be carried. None of the enlisted cadre at Key West liked him, and as we barged into his office to tell him so, I noticed I was suddenly all by myself. Finally, he shot a long, slow blast of tar and nicotine from his mouth and said in his best Marlin-Brando-from-the- Godfather-voice, I thinkits about time I explain to you who I am. I held a single pray tell finger to my lips and waited. It has used other tactical terms to describe an elite, specialized unit considering new applicants. Selection is an individual effort. Barrett products are used by civilians, sport shooters, law enforcement agencies, the United States military, and more than 75 State Department-approved countries around the world. I typically started the day off with an early mountain bike ride in the dark to the neighboring annex of the Naval Air Station (NAS) Boca Chica. surviving delta force selection and assessment (pt 4) Posted On . Worse yet, Key West had a mean altitude above sea level of two feetnavigating the nose-bleed hills of West Virginia would be tricky. I carried two canteens with me. Haney reports that new recruits will learn about marksmanship, demolitions and breaching, combined skills, tradecraft, and executive protection. They know not to help candidates," Hand told Insider. It was dawn now, and bright enough to see without the flashlight. Heres to you Hans. Theres been speculation that some soldiers are also considered from other special operations units of the U.S. Military, such as Marine Force Recon, Air Force Pararescue (PJs), and even Air Force Combat Controllers. Did I mention that the old man came to Key West from Delta? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Elie Piha served as a paratrooper in the US Army from 2008 to 2012. These extraordinarily trained soldiers are prepared to handle a number of dangerous hostage or terrorist situations. He planted himself squarely in front of me, totally shattering my concept of personal space, and asked in his toughest quiet-time voice, Are you here for specialized training at Camp Dawson? I flashed back to the fake piss gander at my orders. Those unfortunate enough to finish Selection but not pass the commander's board return to their units with a certificate for finishing an advanced land-navigation course. He is somewhere out in Marlboro Country, I can only suppose. To each his own, I always say. The intense scrutiny and training that advanced soldiers would need to complete the standards were released famously in what was labeled the Robert Redford Paper. 16.8k members in the SpecOpsArchive community. To those in themilitary, I would respond, hooah. To the civilians, I would respond, Sorry no, you must be mistaken. To answer yes to civilians would have been a foolish invitation ofa litany of pointless questions from a foreign species, so why would I subject myself to that? While Delta Force is technically a branch of the US Army, they are a part of the Joint Special Operations Command, or JSOC. Read Next: How the Army Uses the West Virginia Wilderness to Find Out Who Has What It Takes to Join Delta Force. I envisioned them mentally flipping the pages of the selection and assessment rule book, trying to determine if my device did or didnt qualify as accepted equipment for use in the selection course. I couldnt bring myself to be that presumptuous, and instead stuck to wearing the usual garrison cap that looked like a baseball cap. Yes, eventually I did grasp the fact that the Marlboro Man had been married to my current wife for a brief few months while they were both in DLI. I was approached several times in the dining facility on the Naval Air Station and attheSafeway in town by strangers who asked me (words to the effect of), Arent you the guy/maniac I keep seeing rucking/backpacking along the freeway? Of course this was spoken in their most animated WTF tone of voice. What now, then? That said, he would soon find himself riding on the short bus with the flutist back to the airport. I faked a piss to steal one more glance at my orders. There in the wetlands, I ran into an equally lost bud of mineMarkey-Mark Cuz C. We exchanged a few words, which was against the rules, but we had not tried to communicate any navigation details. Minimum age : 21 years old. I stared athim momentarily and blankly, then in my own fashion of dealing with shock, I jokingly asked him if it had been a top bunk or bottom bunk. Nope, there wasnt a clue in there anywhere on what to do next. I returned to duty as usual at the academy. Not at all. It is originally conducted during the aforementioned Operator Training Course, or OTC. I reveled in the chance to get away from this fraternity and stayed on the bus. They both noted the eureka expression on my face, and mission complete: I slapped my forehead and busted out laughing. Camp Dawson had indeed been on my orders somewhere. Special-operators from other services also volunteer for Delta Force's Selection. I sat in back where I could watch my crowd. I sat in back where I could watch my crowd. They also screen records to determine eligibility for service with the unit in terms of rank, time in grade, time in service, record of conduct, etc. My pace was 15 minutes per mile, so I could tell my wife to pick me up at mile marker 20 in 5 hours. for Officers. Barrett is the world leader in long-range, large-caliber, precision rifle design and manufacturing. Although SEAL Team 6 recruits from across the Navy for its various support and enabler positions, it only screens SEALs and Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen (SWCC) for its assault squadrons. Nothing but pompous false macho bravado spewing from gaping cake-holes nonstop throughout the entire trip. 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta receives highly specific training. The whole thing reminded me of when I graduated jump school at Fort Benning some nine years prior. Ultimately, the Mountain Man, as I named him, would be promptly turned 180 degrees by the commanders board and vigorously dropped on his head. I had become lost when I got to low ground where the existing streams were swollen and previously non-existing rivulets appeared. The boots had to be military-issue as a hard and fast rule. destroying the spirit and covenant of death with scriptures "When I realized I was lost on day four I knocked on a hillbilly's door and asked him for help. There was a secret balance of ratio, I thought, between level of physical fitness and speed of cool-guy gear that was required to pass the course. With an attrition rate historically hovering at 90%, Delta Force has one of the hardest and most selective selection and assessment processes in the US military. I had just run out of hands to carry a flashlight. Selection consists of a series of grueling exercises that test the candidate's physical fitness, stamina and mental determination. As I threw my bags into the car, I paused to reflect on what the hell I had just done. I couldnt bring myself to be that presumptuous, and insteadstuck towearingthe usual garrison cap that looked like a baseball cap. The vast majority of what we know about CAG is based on the reporting found in Eric Haneys book Inside Delta Force. I had just gotten a leg up on the long walk. He sat on his bunk and listened to the war-story swapping going on between the Rangers and GBs, all in a nervous attempt to gain some notoriety and respect from each other. He contracted a bout of walking pneumonia while he was there, being exposed to the drafty rooms, the cold snap in the winter air, and being in his state of other-than-impeccable physical health. According to Haney, the selection for Delta Force begins with a physical endurance test. For all of his greatness, I noticed he kept to himself and made no attempt to befriend anyone despite many positive gestures by the other candidates. What does a Green Beret do when he doesnt have something he needs? As the training began, the crowd began to show signs of the endurance scythe slicing into it. It was a towering 12 stories high, and I commenced climbing up and down the outside fire escape 10times with a 50 lb. Over the course of the tests candidates must carry heavy loads in their ruck sacks. My pace was invariable and my wife was punctual, so I seldom had to wait more than just a few minutes post march for my ride back. I would tie a cravat on my head like a pirate, as a sort of saddle blanket, before I strapped on my Rube Goldberg of a device. The weight of the rucksack increases as well as the length of the course over repeated marches. I was approached several times in the dining facility on the Naval Air Station and at the Safeway in town by strangers who asked me (words to the effect of), Arent you the guy/maniac I keep seeing rucking/backpacking along the freeway? Of course this was spoken in their most animated WTF tone of voice. Surviving Delta Force Selection and Assessment: Part 1 | SOFREP Featured Surviving Delta Force Selection and Assessment: Part 1 by SOFREP Jul 3, 2019 Share This: I was stationed in Key West,. They were stories about HALO malfunctions, night Dreagger infiltrations, all measure of hooah. For my part, I did enjoy dropping a call to the little woman to tell her all was just peachy keen-o here in the land of steep mud, snow, and fallen timberand oh, by the way, guess who I ran into out here? He finally explained to me that he could not loan me his Maglight, being that I was probably not going to make it and he would be out a Maglight. That is, they were all missing one thing: a wall locker in a team room in one of the squadron bays of the Delta Force. Key West is only a few feet above mean sea level and flat as a pancake. That is, they were all missing one thing: a wall locker in a team room in one of the squadron bays of the Delta Force. I pulled the bags back out of the car and stood down, relinquishing my intent to try out in West Virginia. I took to the highest structure that I knew of to trainthe bachelor officers quarters (BOQ) building across the tarmac from our campus. They had both been to foreign language training at the Defense Language Institute (DLI) in Monte Rey, California. There was a recommended training outline that Delta published to candidates. 340 votes, 10 comments. As God is my witness, I even saw a pair of jungle boots theresteel shank and all. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ Therefore, Delta Force weapons are highly customized with personal adjustments that account for everything from the stock and grips, to sights and other moving parts. George E. Hand IV. I configured a head harness out of straps and Velcro, a cradle to grab and hold a Maglite securely for at least eight hours, a horizontal stabilizing strap, a vertical stabilizer, and a final anchoring chin strap. a timed 40 mile route while carrying a 45 pound ruck sack over rough, steep terrain. My two buds conversed among themselves intentionallywithinearshot of me so I could eventually pick up on what what happening. Two of my good bros Pat Mac and Mike P. from way back were there at selection with me and both made it through to squadron assignments. He envisioned extremely adaptable and entirely autonomous small teams that could operate with a broad array of skills in highly combative and risky situations. As the training began, the crowd began to show signs of the endurance scythe slicing into it. I still have one of those pairs to this day, never having worn them again after selection. I suggested the route I thought he should take. They only get vanilla SEALs and SWCC guys," a former Delta Force operator told Insider. The next time I walked to my car to load my bags, I was strong and steady, and looking forward to my time away from Key West and the smug glances from the old man. I turned it around for him. surviving delta force selection and assessment (pt 4) Menu. I admit, I succumbed to every shit-house, armchair, shade-tree, self-acclaimed expert who whispered the secret combination for passingselection. Operation Military Kids was founded to be a resource for teens and young adults who are interested in joining the military, but don't know where to begin. There would be no contact made, no attempt at communication at anytime while out on these practice walks. An archive of photos for all Special Operations Forces units internationally By fall of 1979 they were granted permission by the U.S. Armed Forces to begin missions, infamously not long before the Iran hostage crisis. Any candidates making it through the physical endurance phases then move on to extensive psychological testing and evaluations. It was dawn now, and bright enough to see without the flashlight. Male. We would travel from Ft. Benning, Georgiato Ft. Bragg, North Carolina by charter bus. In retrospect, every one of those Albrecht Einsteins had one thing in common. Hand, the Marlboro Man wants to see you in the lounge, ASAP. Priceless. I was either going up or coming down when she saw me and always gave me the most puzzled WTF look. Karma is a motherfucker, aint it? Related Article: 6 Ways To Check If Someone Was In The Military / Verify Military Service. The bottom line? Well, after much anguish and gnashing of teeth, I ended up at a U.S. Air Force clothing sales store and purchased two identical pairs of basic leather combat boots, labeled them pair A and pair B, kept the basic black boot polish on them, and made sure I rotated them evenly throughout my training phase in Key West. Haney, who managed to cover the discreet force in unprecedented detail. I was being sent for by the Marlboro Man. U.S. Citizen. My foot preparation went like this: I painted my feet evenly withtincture of benzoin, all the way up to where the top of my boot would end. It gave way to the eventual rise of Navy SEAL Team Six, which was founded by commander Richard Marcinko. I was LIMPING to selection and assessment. For instance, there was the guy from the Army band; I guess all the marching and flute playing got him in shape for the 30 days of humping through West Virginia. Alas, the day came when we were to venture out into the hills for the first time all on our own. At the time of application have at least two and a half years of service remaining. My commander granted zero quarter, insisting that I engage during my own time. I foolishly bought a watch with an altimeter on it. That being said, I continued to have at it alone. In the next phase, called the "Stress Phase," candidates don't get to return to barracks after each day. The boots had to be military-issue as a hard and fast rule. 2023 The SOFREP Media Group. Lightweight Tactical All Terrain Vehicle (LTATV), Colonel Charles A. Beckwith, founder of Delta Force, Dale Comstock, former Delta Operator & author, Eric L. Haney, former Delta Operator & author, Gary Gordon, former operator and MoH recipient, Randall Shughart, former operator and MoH recipient. Received a high enough score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. DEVGRU was created as a result of Delta Force and has followed many of its methods closely. Neither wanted to explain to me who he was. Haney reports that the final course of physical testing ends with a 40 mile trek carrying a 45 pound rucksack over the rough terrain. I recall seeing his prints many times on the final long walk that gave me a spark of hope that I was on the right track, just on a much slower version of the right track. I remembered he kept totally quiet and to himself in jump school, and especially on this endless bus ride. After three years in Key West, and facing a deteriorating relationship with the company commander, I resolved to engage in a train-up regimen and requested to try out for the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta, the Delta Force, The Ranch, The Farm, Behind the Fence, or, as we jokingly referred to it in A Squadron, The After-Charlie Force or the Before-Echo Forceavoiding the secret letter Delta and opting for its left and right neighbors in the alphabet, Charlie and Echo. My two buds conversed among themselves intentionally within earshot of me so I could eventually pick up on what what happening. There were about nine of us from all over the states: Rangers, Green Beret groups, and even a man from the 10th Mountain Division. I found him easy to talk to and pretty intelligent. On my first couple of mornings at the BOQ, I kept running into a maid who would use the fire escape to move between floors. "The great thing about the Unit is that we'll get candidates from all over the place. I recall one session ended with me blurting out, Sir, youre a dick! He glared at me in disbelief and responded, Well youre a dick, too, Sergeant Hand! A pregnant pause, then I held out my hand. I would open the back hatch on her car and collapse in, unfit to ride up front in the nice bucket seats of her Mustang GT. In retrospect, every one of those Albrecht Einsteins had one thing in common. In the last few years, Air Force Pararescuemen, Recon Marines, and Marine Raiders have passed Selection and moved to the next phase, with some even making it into the Unit. When the dust settled, I could see that I was in the exact same spot I was when I first realized I was lost. In his mad dash to leave, he had rifled through his stack of MREsgutting them for the components that he wanted to keep and leaving the rest behind. Instead, we just expressed an affirmation of how much we both despised our lives at that moment, and our desire to extricate ourselves from our demise. Some poor slobs take it as an in and figure selection is just some annoying red tape they have to endure en route to their locker in a squadron team room. Scores of other misfits went adrift. I laced up my boots and started walking. Having completed the first leg of the 40-mile forced march in twice the amount of time allowed to pass the selection phase, I was sure I was behind the power curve, but felt strong and fast and in good spirits.