Chris, one of our athletes, recently passed selection for 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR).
We asked him to share his experience so anyone reading this article can get a better idea of what to expect. With the information below, you’ll be able to “dial-in” your training for selection.
Here’s Chris.
Chris, congratulations for passing the 160th selection. Can you give soldiers who are about to take it some advice so they can better prepare for it?
Sure. I categorize the assessment into three sections: physical, academic and emotional.
Physical Aspect
The physical aspect of the assessment is over after the swim test – my opinion is that you’re not there to showcase your PT ability; although, under performing at PT will definitely be noticed.
I did well on the PT test and under performed on the swim test. The swim test was harder than I anticipated, even with as much as I prepared. I swam a decent amount and consider myself a strong swimmer; however, during my preparation, I didn’t wear a vest or helmet in the pool.
My recommendation is to get with your ALSE technician and get a helmet and vest that they don’t mind you putting in a pool – then swim a lot with the stuff on. If you’re not used to swimming with that stuff it will definitely degrade your performance. So, train with them in the pool if you can.
Academic Aspect
I under performed academically (personal opinion). I’m an instructor pilot and I didn’t have a lot of time to study.
But, when I did, I made the mistake of focusing on “general aviation topics” because that’s what they tell you to double down on during the briefing. My interpretation of “general aviation” and their (160th) interpretation of “general aviation” are very different.
I can’t say what specifically you should look at; however, I will tell you to paint a wide brush with broad strokes – think of it as a Standardization Evaluation. Look at the foundational knowledge topics in your ACAT and you can’t go wrong.
Emotional Aspect
The assessment is designed to highlight your weaknesses. It will overload you, and your ability to prioritize will be tested like never before.
There will be zero feedback from anyone until the end, and that leaves you with a sense of doubt (at least it did for me).
Also, you get to determine the sleep you get during the course. If you sleep a lot, you probably won’t accomplish the tasks given to you – sleep a little and you might. I chose the latter.
The self induced sleep deprivation was made easier by my physical conditioning. If I hadn’t been physically conditioned to endure the lack of sleep, Selection would have crushed me.
I was exhausted at the end of the week. My recommendation is to keep your eye on the goal and don’t quit.
What mistakes did you make during the process? What can you tell other soldiers to help them avoid making those mistakes?
I can’t speak to the mistakes that I made or the process. I will tell you that no matter how well you do there will always be something for the assessors to pick apart.
Remain professional, motivated, and use the experience to develop professionally. Even if you don’t assess successfully, the entire process will leave you with something to work on: professionally, academically, physically, and emotionally.
How did you prepare?
Going into this assessment I knew there were only two things I had control over: physical training and academic preparation.
For the physical stuff I went to Clayton (founder of the Para Bellum Athlete Program). I told him what I was going to do and where I wanted to be. He developed a training plan and I stuck to it – most of the time ;).
I made sacrifices for the extra sessions and longer workouts – sleep and time with the family suffered for a couple months. My work around for that was to squeeze out every time I had on preparation during the week. The weekends were spent on wife and kids.
Any other advice?
Don’t quit. The assessment is hard. Look at TC 3-04.4, Fundamentals of Flight, Chapter 5.
Get yourself a 1:250K JOG and have someone show you how to plot a LAT/LON and MGRS. Plan a route from start to finish, and if you are able to fly it, do so using nothing more than a compass, a watch, and a map – both day and night.
Think of it as flight school Basic Warfighter Skills (BWS) but on steroids. Remain professional and keep a positive attitude at all times.
Lastly, a short pencil is better than a long memory – write everything down.
We hope Chris’ information will give you a better idea how to prepare for selection.
If you want to do the same types of physical training that put him in peak condition, check the our Ad Victoriam Track on our Para Bellum Athlete Program.
It’s designed for military personnel who want to elevate their physical fitness to new heights for challenges such as selection for special operations.
Please feel free to reach out to us at support@parabellumathlete.com for any questions about the program.
Si vis pacem para bellum