Becoming a Commando

ON ASSESSMENT A COMMANDO’S PERSPECTIVE ON HOW TO TRAIN SUCCESSFULLY FOR ASSESSMENT

I am a 24 year old Commando and I was originally in the RNZIR. This advice is my own personal opinion based on my experience and that of others. While some of my language is strong and factual, please remember this is only what worked for me. It may or may not work for you and you should approach this with a mind-set that is both open and critical.

Know your why:

This is a very common piece of advice that surrounds Assessment and Selection.

What this refers to is your central and key motivator for wanting to attempt and/or pass Assessment. Often people who fail and re-attempt attribute their initial failure to not having a good enough “why” or not considering it at all. Unfortunately, this whole concept is generally very personal and intangible, so it is hard to explain or talk about. Whatever your “why” is, it should be about you because you’re the one doing assessment. Once you have a “why” that matters more to you than physical hardship, quitting becomes irrelevant.

100% Commitment:

If you aren’t properly committed then you will be building on a weak foundation.

Once committed, it’s fun to see how much you can accomplish when you apply yourself to achieving a single, complex and challenging goal. Be clear with yourself about what you are trying to achieve. Attempting Assessment? Passing Assessment? Or is it the long term goal of wearing a black belt and being a Commando? I would say that setting your eyes on the endstate is a healthier and more mature way to look at it. When people asked me I told them straight that I wasn’t attempting to fail. I did this to make sure I held myself accountable on the day.

Equip yourself:

Olympic athletes are a relatable example of people who are also fully committed to their goal.

They represent their country and succeed against the odds. They resource themselves with advice, facilities and help in their training. They make daily sacrifices because they are committed. Special Operation Forces (SOF) can be seen as the military equivalent. If you are similarly committed, you now need to ensure that you resource yourself and take a holistic approach to your training. You don’t know what you don’t know and there are a number of excellent support people in our organisation who have knowledge that you need. Contact the psychologists, physical training instructors (PTIs), physios and people who have experienced Commando Assessment, for information that will help you in your journey. Assessment is the Commando Selection process. It is four to five days long (followed by three extra days for officers). The first two days are the “Special Operations Force Barrier” component and focus on physical endurance and are carried out as an individual.

The remaining period is the “Commando Phase” which focuses on high performance as part of a small team. It involves a variety of physical activities that each have measureable standards that you must meet throughout. You will be deprived of food, sleep and under extreme physical stress.

Do a training programme:

The NZSOF CDO Training Programme is available on the NZSOF Intranet page (http://org/ nzsof/LP/Commando.aspx).

It was designed by NZSOF PTIs for the purpose of helping people to pass Assessment. I used it, and I recommend you do. It is not perfect, but it is an excellent place to start. Tweak it, personalize it and adjust it to fit your needs. Alternatively, if you are experienced and confident with physical training then build your own training programme with advice from a PTI. Either way a training programme is something to hold yourself accountable to, and with proper periodisation will ensure your training is going to prepare you for Assessment. Periodisation refers to training blocks/periods. Proper periodisation involves a gradual increase in each training week by adjusting the ‘intensity’ or ‘volume’ of training. Each training block should end with a ‘low intensity week’, which allows for recovery, then the following the intensity picks back up. You may complete Assessment and fail due to not meeting timings, standards, or due to other observed behaviour.

For this reason, Assessment is both a marathon and a sprint that tests you physically, mentally and as part of a team. Assessment’s purpose is to select people with the raw materials and potential to become Counter Terrorism Operators in D Sqn, 1 NZSAS. It is a highly structured, refined and challenging test of your aptitude.

Understand that everyone has different physical and mental abilities.

Training the mind:

The majority of unsuccessful applicants on Assessment have been let down by their mind, not body.

Training for Assessment is not only about getting fit, it is about training your mind. Getting fit is a by-product of this and your secondary line of effort. Assessment is designed to strip away physical fitness. It requires you to stay in your head and consistently push yourself while under pressure. Resilience, mental tools, self-motivation and staying “switched on” are all key skills that reside in your top two inches. Just like physical skills or muscles, the mind needs to be trained and conditioned.

The final step is now execution. All the advice in the world is irrelevant if you don’t go and get after it. Don’t forget to enjoy this process; if you are doing it right you will only need to do this once. You need to train in whatever method best suits you and perform on the day. Some people can pass with minimal training or preparation. Some people attempt multiple times with maximum dedication and are unsuccessful. At the end of the day, how much you prepare boils down to how badly you want to succeed.

I am not someone who has ever been naturally fit, nor do I consider myself particularly resilient. I simply put in a lot of effort to develop these skills. I think that my perspective on training is a relatively severe one, but once again this is only what worked

for me.

NZ Commandos are self-motivated operators who are thinkers before shooters. The job of the D Squadron Commandos is to respond to domestic, no-notice call outs and solve the problem regardless of circumstance. Our motto is “Ready to Strike”. These are the chosen values of D Squadron operators: • Be a teammate • Mission focus • Accountability • Win everything These are the tenets of our Regiment: • The Unrelenting Pursuit of Excellence • The Highest Standards of Discipline • The SAS Brook No Sense of Class • Humour and humility Assessment is a standardised and fair process. If you pass then you deserve to pass. The outcome of your attempt is entirely up to you. Good luck.