surviving delta force selection and assessment (pt 4) Trainees are expected to have extremely high accuracy rates. 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. Me, I found it frankly riveting to finally take in the version of the saga from liar number two. I had become lost when I got to low ground where the existing streams were swollen and previously non-existing rivulets appeared. Considered the cream of the crop of US special operations, Delta Force's selection process reflects its vaunted status. Those eligible would get a form letter inviting them to try out. Before that week was over, I had once again received my expected not no, but hell no from the boss on support for my train-up, and I was back up on the 12th floor of the BOQ, looking for my goddamned room.. I laced up my boots and started walking. When I hit the ground in Morgan Town, it was a very small airport, so it was easy to detect several other gents milling about in luggage claim that looked like they all belonged to the same outdoor-enthusiast club: sturdy foot gear, durable trousers with cargo pockets, Casio G-Shock-type watches, REI this and Mountain Gear that. Once all of my foolishness subsided, I surrendered to my military-issued M2 compass, lensetic, OD green in color, one each. What a piece of junk that altimeter turned out to be, and what a dolt I was for buying it in the first place. Candidates aren't allowed to communicate with each other at any time. The U.S. Army has actively recruited for Delta Force though it does not necessarily define it by the official title. Selection consists of a series of grueling exercises that test the candidate's physical fitness, stamina and mental determination. 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. Hostage situations are therefore presented in a number of different locations from big buildings to aircraft or ships. I ran into the Marlboro Man on the end of a snowy spur somewhere out in the middle of West By God. I envisioned them mentally flipping the pages of the selection and assessment rule book, trying to determineif my device did or didnt qualify as accepted equipment for use in the selection course. I admit, I succumbed to every shit-house, armchair, shade-tree, self-acclaimed expert who whispered the secret combination for passingselection. Surely the correct answer is to not dare speak to anyone. Explore. The Delta Force training wing at Fort Bragg is thought to run selection twice a year, around spring and fall. According to one former CAG operator, for those that get the rare opportunity to attend OTC the attrition rate is high. Notable operations include the rescue of Kurt Muse in. 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. surviving delta force selection and assessment (pt 4) surviving delta force selection and assessment (pt 4) surviving delta force selection and assessment (pt 4) 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. Wait, did he say Camp Dawson? There is little surprise that many soldiers aspire to join what some members simply refer to as The Unit. If it were 20 miles, then mile marker 20 it was. After stress phase, and at the end of the long, 40-mile walk, I sat by the bonfire with my boots off and a canteen cup of hot Long Walker in my hand. 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. I had intentionally sought out that Skip to main content Skip to primary sidebar Search this website The Loadout Room Professional Gear Reviews For those who do manage to pass the commander's board, the journey has just begun. 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. All of these tasks are completed in order to just be approached regarding the opportunity to get selected for Deltas Operator Training Course (OTC). Delta Force operators also train to become highly skilled demolition and breaching experts. In the beginning, I had my good bud Joe T-Bone T. to train with. In the history of United States military operations, members from both units have performed some of the most sophisticated, classified, and dangerous missions authorized by the U.S. National Command Authority. Read Part 1 of Surviving Delta Force Selection here. I promptly requested that he kindly loan me one of his three, as I had none. Received a high enough score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. On the last day of the physical assessment phase of the course, we would stagger-start our long, final 40-mile trek. Assessment and Selection takes place in the mountains of West Virginia and last for about a month. Stay up to date with what you want to know. I reported to the cadre poncho tent at 0130 hoursfor my final departure brief. In the next phase, called the "Stress Phase," candidates don't get to return to barracks after each day. He threw his things together and was gone in a flash. 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. 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. In those days, I had no children and an independent wife. I took to the highest structure that I knew of to trainthe bachelor officers quarters (BOQ) building across the tarmac from our campus. DEVGRU was created as a result of Delta Force and has followed many of its methods closely. The vast majority of what we know about CAG is based on the reporting found in Eric Haneys book Inside Delta Force. I stepped back out in the terminal, where I was finally approached by a way-too-tall Latin American brother with a manchu stache, dark Ray Ban shades, a cartel leather jacket, and a tooth pick in his mouth. My God, was it really that far away? are used. His name tag read, ROK Peter. We just called him hard dick. Hard Dick was married and his wife was pregnant. Yes, I was in fact there for the training at Dawson. I had become lost when I got to low ground where the existing streams were swollen and previously non-existing rivulets appeared. In his mad dash to leave, he had rifled through his stack of MREsgutting them for the components that he wanted to keep and leavingthe rest behind. As I threw open the tent flap and stepped into the red light-illuminated space, the cadre took advantage of the next ten seconds to gawk in utter WTF at the bonnet and straps on my head. As bad luck would have it, there was snow the morning of the first walk. All Rights Reserved. With that said, theres no way to to determine that with certainty. I had just gotten a leg up on the long walk. The two elite forces have reportedly been involved in some notoriously famous secretive missions, as well as separate ones from each other. Praesidus brings homage to the military watch tradition. 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. It was officially recognized on November 19, 1977. He had a unique custom sole on the bottom of his high-speed boots that I would see daily, printed in the mud and snow, as he was always out in front of the entire class. Notices tend to state initial signup requirements for consideration like: Though the exact requirements for Delta Force are not heavily reported since it is such a classified organization, there are some known additional requirements for considering to attend a briefing on admission. I had intentionally sought out that assignment to avoid a mandatory levy into the Special Warfare Center (SWC)duty that all Green Berets inevitably faced in their careers at some point. Haney reports that new recruits will learn about marksmanship, demolitions and breaching, combined skills, tradecraft, and executive protection. He was diagnosed with a not-so-rare affliction that Delta cannot, and will not tolerate: He was a certified, laminated card-carrying asshole. An archive of photos for all Special Operations Forces units internationally "In my time, it was usually about 60% Green Berets, 39% Rangers, and 1% random guys, such as cooks, chaplain assistants, and mechanics. My compass didnt know the first thing about altitude, but it knew everything there was to know about north, no matter where it was, and that is all that really mattered. surviving delta force selection and assessment He decked himself in field attire and kit that made him look more like he was in costume rather than uniform. My God, was it really that far away? I applied a womans nylon shorty stocking directly to the tinctured foot. I packed up my gear and configured my head light contraption in the dark, just like I had practiced at home so many times. Twenty-fiveprivates and I were going to Ft. Bragg, North Carolinato attend the Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC). 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. While most of those that advance in the Delta Force selection process will continue with CAG, the Central Intelligence Agency Special Activities Division (SAD) also receives some recruits from Delta Force. Ahh the "Long March". I foolishly bought a watch with an altimeter on it. 3.5 Ranger Assessment and Selection Programme One. As I threw open the tent flap and stepped into the red light-illuminated space, the cadre took advantage of the next ten seconds to gawk in utter WTF at the bonnet and straps on my head. They had both been to foreign language training at the Defense Language Institute (DLI) in Monte Rey, California. Youre not? he puzzled. That graced me with a stiff bout of worry. With that said, it quickly presented to the American government and people why the talented squad of soldiers was necessary for future American missions. On my initial ruck march with my new altimeter, I noted that it had not budged so much as a foot of elevation, plus or minus the true elevation of Key West in the past ten miles of marching, and it never would! I climbed to the top of the 12-story BOQ building andonly 60 feet? The proverbial hare had once again been beaten by the tortoise. He became the butt of jokes. Candidates must be airborne qualified, or having volunteered for airborne training. I sat in front of him and waited. 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. The realm of the feet was far more complex. Despite the rules, I approached him and asked him how he was doing. Delta Force | SOFREP Nope, there wasnt a clue in there anywhere on what to do next. 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Aug 4, 2017 - Facing a deteriorating relationship with the company commander, I resolved to engage in a train-up regimen and requested to try out for Delta Force. But the actual course was harder. Less than halfway through the train-up it becameclear that I was not capable of the standards published by the Unit. surviving delta force selection and assessment (pt 4) Joining the ranks of CAG is very challenging and only a very small pool of U.S. Military members are ever considered for the elite unit. The U.S. Military launched the beginning of Delta Force as the first officially recognized, full-time counter-terrorism specialized force. I climbed to the top of the 12-story BOQ building andonly 60 feet? One of my cadre in the qual course tried out for Delta. There was also the Marlboro Man. In the barracks, there was the nightly ritual of the preparing of mind, body, and kit. T-Bone had three magnificent daughters and gained even more of my respect and admiration for choosing in their favor. 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. Every shred of their attire was functional, not frivolous. Related Article Green Berets Vs. Rangers: 5 Major Differences. Related Article Army MOS List: A List Of All 159 Army Jobs. On completion of OTC, the recruits become operational and are assigned to one of the active Delta Force squadrons. Candidates must meet requirements regarding: Candidates must also endure a series of land navigation courses that push the boundaries of every conceivable human condition from a physical, mental, and emotional standpoint. Delta Force (SFOD-D): Selection, Training, Motto, And More. Instead, they remain on the field, and every morning they get a set of coordinates for a location that they have to find with just a compass, map, and their wits. backpack (rucksack) twice a day, at lunch and after the duty day. George E. Hand IV. You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article. His glasses got darker and his voice got tougher. Reiterating this may serve in some capacity to stress the irony in the fact that he would not support my train-up for selection during duty hours. I faked a piss to steal one more glance at my orders. That graced me with a stiff bout of worry. Haney, who managed to cover the discreet force in unprecedented detail.