My God, was it really that far away? The cadre before me that tried out and left for assignments with Delta all went in pairs. He and I had a distinct rub. There was thisSouth Korean officer in our class whose name tag reflected that he was indeed from the Republic of Koreathe letters ROK were followed by his self-chosen American name. Some of the specific elements of these tests include. I observed that in Hans gear layout on his bunk, he had three Maglights. George E. Hand IV. My God, was it really that far away? Rather than get stuck in some miserable assignment, I went proactively after an assignment with the deeply revered academy. Any candidates making it through the physical endurance phases then move on to extensive psychological testing and evaluations. He is somewhere out in Marlboro Country, I can only suppose. surviving delta force selection and assessment (pt 4) It was during this time in November of 1979 that Delta Force executed its first highly publicized mission, known as Operation Eagle Claw. Although the points might be a few miles apart, the West Virginia terrain requires candidates to cover far more than the map distance between points. Worse yet, Key West had a mean altitude above sea level of two feetnavigating the nose-bleed hills of West Virginia would be tricky. Colonel Charlie Beckwith was a key member in helping create CAG. He sat with me and we looked over my maps carefully. What a piece of junk that altimeter turned out to be, and what a dolt I was for buying it in the first place. Delta Force typically recruits from the Special Forces and the Rangers. "The attrition was 87.5%. I plotted my current position and then the position of my first rendezvous point. 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. 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. As the months went on, I discovered that I had gained a measure of celebrity from the local population, both military and civilian. 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. volunteer. "Brothers of the Cloth" describes Hand's time in Delta, with operations from Mogadishu to the Balkans, and includes stories from legendary Delta Force operators. I awoke from my restless sleep at 0030 hours to find it pissing rain. The initial formal training program for entry into Special Force. In those days, I had no children and an independent wife. They had both been to foreign language training at the Defense Language Institute (DLI) in Monte Rey, California. It was dawn now, and bright enough to see without the flashlight. Too-Tall Tito completely lost his composure and came out of character momentarily. 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. Me, I found it frankly riveting to finally take in the version of the saga from liar number two. surviving delta force selection and assessment (pt 4) surviving delta force selection and assessment (pt 4) by. His name tag read, ROK Peter. We just called him hard dick. Hard Dick was married and his wife was pregnant. 2023 The SOFREP Media Group. With that said, it quickly presented to the American government and people why the talented squad of soldiers was necessary for future American missions. These tests include a series of land navigation tests, during which Surviving Delta Force Selection and Assessment: Part 1 Eventually I remarked to her in Spanish, No me recuerdo en qual piso me quedo. (I cant remember which floor I am staying on.) All in all, Delta Force selection is considered one of the most intense and challenging of any elite force in the U.S. Armed Forces considering that candidates looking to join are already members of other specialized units. I packed up my gear and configured my head light contraption in the dark, just like I had practiced at home so many times. "The [Delta] cadre are very professional. His glasses got darker and his voice got tougher. He took virtually the opposite direction and that was the last time I saw him. 340 votes, 10 comments. Classified in grade of O-3 captains or 0-4 majors for officer positions. I practiced putting it on and adjusting it many times in the dark of my house in Key West. I applied a womans nylon shorty stocking directly to the tinctured foot. Then, tactical rooms are setup for hostage takeover situations. A Delta Force candidate during the Stress Phase of Assessment and I had just run out of hands to carry a flashlight. I had a genius inform me that the most state-of-the-art compass was entirely unnecessary, as the key to navigation in the mountains of West Virginia was an altimeter! 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. Reiterating thismay serve in some capacity to stress the irony in the fact that he would not support my train-up for selection during duty hours. He drove fast and left me in a cloud of dust. That dynamic, however, has gradually changed, with more Rangers and fewer Green Berets trying out for the big leagues. 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! THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ Jul 27, 2016 - I got a letter from Delta. Not at all. Ultimately, the Mountain Man, as I named him, would be promptly turned 180 degrees by the commanders board and vigorously dropped on his head. SF selection was pretty rough. 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. During this phase, candidates complete individual ruck marches and instructor-led ruck marches, during which Delta Force operators will set the pace and candidates have to keep up or quit. Every shred of their attire was functional, not frivolous. Delta Force | SOFREP There was one other man up in front who stayed on the bus as wellone Private Richard P. I remembered him now. The routes and distances were a no-brainer for me: If the ruck march that week were 18 mileswell, Key West is mile zero, and I simply rucked up Interstate US 1 until I reached mile marker 18. As I threw my bags into the car, I paused to reflect on what the hell I had just done. The few that make it this far face the longest ruck-march yet. I couldnt bring myself to be that presumptuous, and insteadstuck towearingthe usual garrison cap that looked like a baseball cap. I was pretty sure I would have to travel at least one time during the night hours. Nope, there wasnt a clue in there anywhere on what to do next. Each day the length of the route and the weight needed to be carried increases. As bad luck would have it, there was snow the morning of the first walk. Delta Force is clearly one of the most advanced units in the U.S. Armed Forces. Haney reports that new recruits will learn about marksmanship, demolitions and breaching, combined skills, tradecraft, and executive protection. CAG primarily deals with hostage rescue and counter-terrorism, as well as direct action and special reconnaissance work regarding high-value targets. Operation Eagle Claw was ultimately aborted due to problems with helicopters, and turned out to be a real mess. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ Just a short couple of days into the course, he received news that his wife was struggling with a complication to her pregnancy. He stayed in the lounge because nobody would allow him to smoke in the sleeping bays. Limping is no way to approach this endeavor, I thought. I found him easy to talk to and pretty intelligent. There was a chaplains assistant, but a hardcorechaplains assistant. He envisioned extremely adaptable and entirely autonomous small teams that could operate with a broad array of skills in highly combative and risky situations. "In my time, it was usually about 60% Green Berets, 39% Rangers, and 1% random guys, such as cooks, chaplain assistants, and mechanics. surviving delta force selection and assessment (pt 4) 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. I won a chuckle and a dismissal as the crazy gringo. surviving delta force selection and assessment (pt 4) DEVGRU forces are ranked slightly differently and also draft new recruits to their team. This guy was a beast. I gawked at the stars in the ink-black West Virginia sky, and I thought of the valiant Hans, his superman cape flapping in the breeze behind him, his Batman belt of worthless trinkets around his waist, his brown scarf in sync with his flapping cape, his Robin Hood-shaped cap complete with feather, and his three Maglights shoved up his ass where he lay upside down in the bottom of some laurel-choked canyon. My final selection of boots? Surely the correct answer is to not dare speak to anyone. "When I realized I was lost on day four I knocked on a hillbilly's door and asked him for help. Surviving Delta Force Selection and Assessment: Part 1 The Unit, as Delta Force operators refer to it, has been involved in all major and minor US military operations and campaigns since its formation, including in Iran, Panama, Grenada, Somalia, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. He seemed to be coping with the phases of the training well enough. A graduation of just two men was not unheard of, and there is even a class graduation of a single man, Ray P., the Million Dollar Man," Hand told Insider. Delta Force is responsible for introducing weapons like: In terms of operational equipment, little surprise that Delta Force also knows how to use and regularly operates some of the U.S. Militarys most advanced and sophisticated machinery. Your email address will not be published. We consulted briefly over maps, mutually offering where we thought we were, and where we thought we needed to go. I went after Tito and recanted. One month of pre-phase, one month at Camp MacKall, one weapons phase, and one Robin Sage later, the only two remaining of that contemptuous mob were one Private First Class Richard Rich P. and one Sgt. Browns Mountain walks, instructor-led walks, admin walks, he was still with us. I am finished with this walk, and I don't have an atom of energy left to entertain your bullshit! surviving delta force selection and assessment (pt 4) The following morning, the fellows bunk was neatly stockaded and he was gone. For those who do manage to pass the commander's board, the journey has just begun. Doing so would provide better grip and ultimately, some comfort. 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. As part of its recruiting effort, Delta sends recruiters to speak and show a hooah film to select groups of troops around U.S. military installations. They sent me a letter., You moron, a Ranger leveled, We all got fuckin letters.. I sat in front of him and waited. The realm of the feet was far more complex. He became the butt of jokes. Founded by Colonel Charlie Beckwith, it was officially recognized on November 19, 1977. He makes it himself. Surviving Delta Force Selection and Assessment | SOFREP Featured Surviving Delta Force Selection and Assessment by George E. Hand IV Sep 8, 2019 Share This: I was stationed in Key West,. He threw his things together and was gone in a flash. 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. The following morning, the fellows bunk was neatly stockaded and he was gone. Every hour I knew thered be a placeto fill my canteensa hose or a spigot. Candidates must be airborne qualified, or having volunteered for airborne training. Ever. Key West is only a few feet above mean sea level and flat as a pancake. 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. That being said, I continued to have at it alone. My gaze dropped to his shiny jump boots, and I was positive it couldnt be going well. 90's TOMMY HILFLGER - hallticket.forumias.com Kaboom, the path to my front lit up nicely and pretty well straight to the direction that my head and eyes were pointed to. In the candidate barracks, we were over 100 strong, and from every walk of the military. surviving delta force selection and assessment (pt 4) There were mostly Rangers and GBs, but there were representatives from many other facets of the Army. The boots had to be military-issue as a hard and fast rule. Moleskin and tincture of benzoin were the staple applications. 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. Selection is an individual effort. The time needed to clear the test has not been reported. 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. Me, I found it frankly riveting to finally take in the version of the saga from liar number two. 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. 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. Selection often produces some hilarious stories. I had no lead on where to procure such a luxury. Tito twisted around and went after the next Cabelas poster boy. He shook it hesitantly, and I left. The routes and distances were a no-brainer for me: If the ruck march that week were 18 mileswell, Key West is mile zero, and I simply rucked up Interstate US 1 until I reached mile marker 18. The Army's Delta Force is among the US's most skilled and secretive special-operations units. The 25 all immediately shoved pizza-head berets on their noggins. I applied a womans nylon shorty stocking directly to the tinctured foot. They will also receive advanced firearm and other weapon training. surviving delta force selection and assessment The boots had to be military-issue as a hard and fast rule. Delta Force operators also train to become highly skilled demolition and breaching experts. He shivered and held his map upside down. It looked unachievable to the inexperienced mind; it proved to be unachievable to the experienced body. I had become lost when I got to low ground where the existing streams were swollen and previously non-existing rivulets appeared. When he returned home Beckwith acknowledged that the U.S. Armed Forces could serve to benefit from a highly specialized unit. Related Article: Top 20 Reasons to Join the Military (and 7 reasons not to). Did I mention that the old man came to Key West from Delta? Therefore, they are also highly trained and knowledgeable operating a number of different vehicles and weapons. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ , How the Army Uses the West Virginia Wilderness to Find Out Who Has What It Takes to Join Delta Force, PO Box 1077 MURFREESBORO, Tennessee 37133 United States, P.O. Army active duty, Reserve or National Guard. Some of the most popular CAG vehicles include: Delta Force (CAG) has several noteworthy members. DEVGRU recruits undergo SERE training. Delta Force is the primary counter-terrorism branch in the U.S. Military along with Navy SEAL Team Six, or DEVGRU. 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. Never convicted by court-martial or have disciplinary action placed in their official military personnel file. The equipment packing and carry techniques were pretty standard and straightforward: Pack heavy stuff low and toward the inside of your ALICE pack, close to your back.