The Loadout Room
Professional Gear Reviews
We are always preaching about staying hydrated during the Selection course as well as in your preparation train up beforehand. And practicing proper hydration has to be practiced during the Selection course, regardless of the season or you will most assuredly fail. The military is unlike almost every other profession because we work outside, regardless […]
About 8-9 months ago we posted a piece on boots and not only having ones that fit properly but having at least one backup, broken-in pair when you start Selection. With new classes starting up, we’ve gotten some questions about the different gates and events at Selection and we’ve posted on those and will revisit […]
Art imitating life? The latest action film to come out on Netflix is a must-see, big-budget production directed by J.C. Chandor, who also co-wrote the script. It has a big name, an outstanding cast including Ben Affleck, Oscar Issac, Charlie Hunnam, Gareth Hedlund, Pedro Pascal, and Reynaldo Gallegos, and an intriguing story. The story is […]
We all know or are ourselves in various stages of a love/hate relationship with the Veterans Administration. And most of us know that the vast majority of the VA is staffed with dedicated doctors that truly want to help our veterans. But that like any huge bureaucracy, that help is often caught up in an […]
Opinion: Coming back to reality was the first order of business for USSOCOM this winter. The command finally admitted that the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit or TALOS project was not even close to being a reality, which we reported after attending the SOFIC Conference in Tampa two years ago. The entire concept was flawed […]
Soldiers with 2-20th Special Forces Group (Airborne) as well as other members of the special operations community prepare to conduct a mock-nighttime assault on the Grenada Dam in Grenada, Mississippi January 20, 2019. The exercise involved a simultaneous assault from multiple points, with the intent of gaining control over an insurgent-held dam. Southern Strike 2019 […]
As always during the winter months, we get a lot of questions about Selection once the cold weather classes begin. And as per usual, the majority of questions pertain to rucking, land navigation (the Hoffman “Dagobah System”) and general preparedness. So, to answer the questions, the best way to answer is to actually go out […]
Because most of our military bases are in the southern United States, one area that can be neglected, especially when preparing for Special Operations training is cold weather training.  It is surprising how many young people who enter the military don’t know or understand the basics of cold weather preparation. First some of the basics; […]
With the winter months upon us, the cold, wet weather has been a frequent visitor. If you are preparing for one of the Selection Courses, you have to prepare for the conditions that you’re dealt with. It is what it is. And when it involves rucking, it can be challenging, but actually, if you look […]
We hope that all of you had a fantastic, happy and healthy Christmas and New Year. And now that the holidays are over we can, hopefully, get back to somewhat of a normal schedule. As we’re all creatures of habit, to varying degrees. And the New Year is the subject of today’s piece here. Specifically […]