The Loadout Room
Professional Gear Reviews
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 […]
U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Steve H. Lopez Special Operations units are famous for their arduous selection and assessment programs. All four service components of the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) boast that they offer the toughest challenge to those aspiring to join their units’ elite ranks. In an attempt to increase the success […]
Much of our writing here has to do with the task of passing Selection and becoming a member of our Special Operations community, the best brotherhood there is. And in our writings we will frequently use the much-used but very true catchphrases that we all use in Special Operations like “Never Quit”, and my personal […]
There’s a limited set of training options for rucking other than rucking itself. But, rucking is the one sport that requires practice in that act, only, to improve. To ruck you have to ruck. But, I say that with one caveat – endurance running helps a ton. Embracing longer runs, ten or more miles every […]
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; […]
CORONADO, Calif. (Jan. 17, 2019) A gift, in the form of a large boulder, from the students of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) class 250 sits in the middle of a parking lot at Naval Special Warfare Center, home to the BUD/S training facility. Class 250 included Medal of Honor recipient Petty Officer Second Class (SEAL) […]
It’s fair to say that service with Special Forces changes a person and that the process of profound change commences on the selection course. Reflecting on the selection course that I underwent more than a decade ago, I can see that it was a pivotal point in my life both personally and professionally. I entered the Australian […]
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 […]
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