Great Point, Sir! Whenever I am asked what Ranger School or more recently (and repetitively) what SFAS was like I always tell everyone the same thing. "The hardest part about Ranger/SFAS was waiting to go." The hardest thing is the waiting. You can sit around and come up with the reasons on why it's so hard and you CAN'T make it or you can get up and get busy preparing yourself entirely for the course. I spent a solid 3 months prior to SFAS training for it. I focused mainly on endurance work. I didn't go to the gym and bench 350 lbs. I focused on circuit workouts with light weight and complete body exercises and I would conduct atleast one 8-10 mile run a week. I also didn't kill myself by rucking long long distances. I focused on two rucks a week. One ruck was done cross country in full kit practicing my orienteering skills and the other was a 6 mile ruck with a focus on moving out and keeping a 12:30 - 13:00 min mile. I was able to go into SFAS in great endurance shape and had no problems. A great friend of mine who is a prior service SF NCO told me that when he went to SFAS he wanted to be able to get up every morning and say to himself that "I'm not even tired." I used that saying to my advantage in my preparation and focused on endurance and literally woke up everyday with that mindset and it helped me tremendously.

Get out there and start doing something. Alot of people will say SFAS is all luck. Well my dad always said, "The harder I work the luckier I get."

Right on. One of my mentors, LTC Buckland told me "When you're ready to walk 12 miles in 3 hours, get up the next day and do it again day after day for 3 weeks straight...you're probably ready for SFAS." He was right.

As Requested
 

Sir,

Here is the PM as requested for open view.

Sir,

Please excuse my long overdue response to your request on ideas, changes, and/or additions to GET SELECTED. First, thanks again for the wonderful resource. I felt that it prepared me very well for SFAS and definitely attributed to my success in getting selected. Second, I've been so busy in preparing for my upcoming move to Bragg with airborne enroute that I just haven't had time to throw down my comments and ideas. I apologize for that. So on that note here we go.

- One thing I definitely loved about GET SELECTED was the feet prep section. Big time help! Without reading that section and the little knowledge I had gained through WP and AD time I would have had hamburger for feet like some of my fellow candi's.
- In the section on health I'd recommend something along the lines of taking Vitamin C tablets or some various form of immune system upgrader in the weeks before selection to prepare for the SFAS crud that everyone seems to get...some worse than others. You know as well as I how much that can affect performance, esp the running and rucks.
- Myself and others esp enjoyed your personal experiences in the mind toughness sections. If you could include more of those I believe potentials might see an even greater importance to the mind over body mantra.
- I personally used your workout routine that's in the end of the book, but what I thought might go well with that is a sample nutrition diet. I liked the written section and used it, but some ppl might find even just a one week sampler of proper nutrition even more helpful.

Sir I can't tell you enough how wonderful this resource is for myself and all soldiers/civilians willing to tryout to become one of your brothers. The comments I provided are not to be viewed as guidance or all knowing or to push your buttons. I think your book is amazing and I certainly did well with what is in it now. If I could help in any way than I am pleased my little time could help future candi's get into the lifestyle that I myself have chosen. Thanks again to you and all the "experts" that provided guidance. If there is anything at all that I could ever do for you please just holler.

I report to Airborne on Jan 20th so from Jan 23-Feb 10 I'll have little access to the internet. Once that is complete I finish the PCS move to Bragg and sign in at student company on the 12th. Hope all is well sir and I look forward to hearing from you. Take care.

Sully

P.S. Is there a Cast or Tab line of goodies coming out anytime soon?!?! :lifter :munchin

You have to admit that it would make for a great T-Shirt! I'm sure Ranger Joe's, General Jackson
s or Old Sarge's would sell them like hot cakes!

Just my honest opinion!

Steve

Candidates are allowed to have vitamins at SFAS now?

Razor,

My mistake...post has been fixed to reflect what it was supposed to have said originally.

A lot of guys got extremely sick while at selection and to deter that from happening, it could be beneficial to take vit C or some form of immune booster in the weeks before heading to selection...but you are correct in knowing that no form of medicine or such is allowed unless the medics hand it out at sick call.

Great Book
 

Warrior-Mentor,

Thank you for creating such a great book. I think it more then just a book for getting ready for SFAS. It is a book on how to live your life at the highest level.

Thanks, Chris

Just ordered a copy, cant wait to read it.

Awesome book!
 

I got my copy today. I'm already 2/3 through it. AWESOME information! Well worth buying and reading. Thanks for writting it!

Glad you are getting something out of it.

I keep finding quotes that would have been good to put in there...

"There is one quality that one must possess to win,
and that is definiteness of purpose,
the knowledge of what one wants,
and a burning desire to possess it."
- Napoleon Hill

Because we've already raised over $19,000 for the Warrior Foundation,
our new goal is to raise over $100,000 by 2009. Because the topic and principles are ever-green, it will just be a matter of keeping inbound candidates aware that this resource exists.

Cast or Tab,
JM

Just finished the book, it rocks! Very informative. My copy was even more up to date than my recruiter's knowledge of the pipeline and changes to the various names of courses.

Great material. I have some questions, but I'm sure I'll find they have already been asked...

Thanks,
Jeff

...okay, couldn't find the answers so:
The book mentions various tips on the warrior-mentor site (rucking tips, running, medical conditions...) and even a spreadsheet regarding injuries and illnesses. I emailed the site (probably your email) and requested the stuff. Am I being impatient, or do I need to do something different? I know you are a busy man and the last thing I want to do is bite the hand that fed me such an excellent book. So if I need to be patient, all I have is time until I ship (my savings is allowing me to not work until I ship so all I do is read, train, train, and uh...oh yeah, train).

I appreciate it,
Jeff

Hopefully Jeff, you will read more here before posting again and see where you might be missing something.

Start with the stickies and intros.

TR

Thank you for your time.

Outstanding read...
 

Well, I received my copy of Get Selected on Monday and since I had staff duty, I read the entire book cover to cover. I must say that it was exactly what you guys have described and was filled with useful info. I'm very pleased my "donation". Anyways, my journey starts in two days, I have my first SF APFT on Friday.

Short cut
 

Just realized the short changed to go to the "buy now" page...

http://www.specialops.org/news.asp#book