What do you need to know about preparing for an ARSOF Assessment and Selection (A&S) and/or joining one of these CMFs?

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 19:31:09 -0400

Ask those who have been and gotten selected how to prep for A&S. Whether physically, mentally, academically, ask your questions here and provided the answer is able to be discussed, you can receive the information to not give you an advantage, but to help you prepare yourself.

Those selected: please post what got you prepared and what you are glad you did beforehand.

Those interested in ARSOF: ask away. If I don't have an answer I will find one/refer you to someone who doesl, this is not Civil Affairs centric, this is all three ARSOF A&S, and I'm sure much will probably apply to RASP as well.

goarmysof.com has basic information and packet examples, refer other questions here.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 24 at 2019 8:07 PM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 20:07:24 -0400

Starting off with physical prep/PT

#1 Don't do CrossFit (and definitely not PRT) or other crazy weird workouts, yes that even applies to THOR3 stuff. These do not work muscles in the way you will use them as A&S, especially with the seizures that CrossFit likes to call "pullups". THOR3 is more catered for once you have been selected and are in SOF and operating.

Ruck at least 3 times a week. One short and fast, one medium and kinda quick, and one long no slower than 15 min/mile. 50lbs MAX plus 1/2 gal water, and using your own issued ruck. Do not just ruck on roads, tracks, and sidewalks. Camp Mackall has like 1 paved road, so get on those tank trails and the like to get used to gravel and sand. (boots and socks will be discussed in another post). You will not wear headgear. You will have your issued ruck, your issued fighting load carrier/rig/rack, and a rubber duck/fake weapon without a sling. Train as you fight.

Run - be able to run 5 miles in 40 min - again on unimproved roads. Your 2 mi for the APFT will be on a hardball, but the "long distance" run will likely not. Have good shoes so you don't feel every...single...stone.

General upper body fitness - be able to do 6 REAL pullups (min), be able to climb a rope with a 25lb vest on (tip: climbing a rope is more leg than arm), work on your grip strength (aka forearms) - you will need it. Farmers carry are good to add in your prep regimen.

APFT: The APFT at A&S is not actually an APFT, despite being exactly the same. It is a PFA, Physical Fitness Assessment, so some rules/procedures may be changed. They may not tell you your score, they will grade pretty strict. So what does that tell you. PERFECT PUSHUPS!!! The measure of performance for a pushup is NOT your chest hitting the ground. It is your elbow going 90 degrees, so if your chest is bouncing on the ground and your getting told to go lower, bring your arms closer to your body. Situps, ensure you are going high and low enough AND your knees don't flatten out. For the run...just run as fast as you can (duh). This PFA is the first thing the cadre are seeing you do. Getting to your max score and stopping to get up...you just proved that you do the bare minimum and stop. Don't do that, keep going until they say stop.

Your unit does NOT have to give you extra time to conduct PT prep for A&S. Implied task, you need to make the time to prep yourself. Looking across the Army, daily PRT is not going to do it. Be a grown up and get out there and make yourself ready. It's your career, your unit doesn't care about it and doesn't have to help you. A 240 or 250 on your APFT is not going to cut it. Yes, it qualifies you to attend A&S but statistically (yes, we've had people run the numbers), Soldiers with 290s, and 300s have a 90%, yes 90%, chance of being selected.

That's about it for PT prep, at least that we at SORB recommend. Ruck, run, general upper body, and perfect APFT events. Most of the Army now is grading pushups pretty lenient, find the toughest grader and have them assess you.

The legs feed the wolf!!!

Response by SFC George Smith made Mar 24 at 2019 8:11 PM

SFC George Smith — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 20:11:31 -0400

Good Information For Modern Candidates... Thanks For The Share

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 24 at 2019 8:57 PM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 24 Mar 2019 20:57:49 -0400

Equipment:
#1 You need good boots. Do not use the issued ones. They are built to be as cheap as possible and last a year until your next clothing allowance. Spend the money and invest in your career. Oakley, Rocky, Danner, Nike, etc... Get them broken in, don't just unbox em when you pack to fly to Mackall. They need to be well broken in and you feet used to them. Remember, at LEAST 2 pairs well broken in.
How to break in boots: fill your bathtub, put on 2 pairs of your thick socks (see below(yes 2)), put on your brand new "high speed" boots and lace em up good, now stand in the bathtub. Reach down and rub the water into the boots, they need to be completely soaked, your feet should be soaked. Stand there for at least 15 min to ensure its wet enough. Get out (drain the tub, don't screw your roommate), wear them the rest of the day (don't do anything crazy), just doing normal weekend stuff, walking around the house etc... Once they are dry, take em off and boom they are formed to your feet. Take off those socks and let your feet dry. Now you may begin to use them for rucking, start small and listen to what your feet tell you. Eventually your boots will be g2g as you continue to ruck in them

#2 Socks, like boots, spend the money. Fox River, Darn Tough, or Smartwool. If you wear issued socks to A&S, I'm sorry but you're dumb. Bring lots, you'll thank me afterwards when your feet aren't hamburger and other candidates are in the shack of shame because they are literally on a FLIP-FLOP profile.

#3 Your ruck. You will bring your issued, crappy MOLLE ruck. That is what's required so everyone has the same stuff. That being said, you know all those holes and straps on the ruck? Use them. Size that thing to you, get it perfectly sized. Know what all the adjustments do. There are literally straps that shift the weight more onto your shoulders after your waist strap and shoulder straps are tight and set. Know how to pack that ruck too. You are given a weight that is has to be, how you get that weight is on you. Heavy stuff like a ziploc bag full of gravel (hint) should be high and close to your back, not on the bottom tugging you backward. Ever see a lever work (simple machine)? There ya go. Also, make sure your water (1/2 gal minimum) is balanced with the rest of your ruck. Balance is also key to not ruining a shoulder on mile 16, or tripping and falling and landing badly - now you're a med drop needing a nose job or wrist reconstruction.

#4 packing list - you will get a packing list. FOLLOW IT!! If it's a required item, dammit bring the required item, you deserve to be dropped day 1 because you didn't follow a simple instruction, so bring your summer sleeping bag too! Additional authorized items - Bring em!! They are on that list for a reason. Better to have and not need than to need and not have.

Still #4 DO NOT TRY AND SNEAK UNAUTHORIZED ITEMS INTO THE COURSE!! Don't try to outsmart the cadre and sneak a can of dip or what not. Not only are the cadre assessing you, but the other candidates are (peer evals anyone?). If you're cheating, you're not a team player and your team will rate you last, explain why, and you will be NEVER TO RETURN ARSOF, as in dropped from the course and you cannot try any A&S. So don't do it, it's 10 or 24 days, you can survive without your phone, and hey maybe you can quit that nasty habit at the same time.

#5 Uniforms. You will bring at minimum 4 sets of OCP/Multicam with engineer tape sewn on the following spots...over the name tape (as in covering the velcro), each shoulder, each pant cargo pocket. Yes it must be engineer tape, yes it must be sewn. Go to the sew shop off post and pay for it to be done or else you'll be doing it by hand on day 1 if you want to be in the course. Depending on the course you are attending you may also need a 5th normal/garrison uniform. So don't be cheap and whine about money to spend on this stuff. Get a Star card, give up booze for a month, and remember you're making the $5 per diem while in the course. Are you going to let a little cash interfere with your career? Did you not hear your ARSOF recruiter tell you how much extra money you'll get once in these MOS'?

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 25 at 2019 1:23 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 01:23:53 -0400

I was selected in SFAS and RIP. RIP was a bit before RASP and shorter, but much more intense. Definitely, the hardest course out of Preranger, SFAS, and Ranger School in my opinion.
I disagree with rucking three times a week because rucking is SO impact heavy. I've had a lot of success bringing people from never rucking to rucking twice a week. One for speed, one for weight. As with training for marathons, weight, distance and intensity should never increase over 10% per week in order to avoid injury.

I absolutely agree about socks. I spent $150 on new socks the last selection I went to. That was 2006 and I still have some of those same socks. Socks are worth their weight in gold. While many courses will dictate what boots you wear, socks are all up to you. If your pair of socks costs less than $10 a pair, they're probably crap. Pick the thickest pair. Not those thin hiking pair, but the ones which actually provide cushioning.

Have a "run forever" pace. If you can't run for 10 miles at the same pace, you might not be ready. Selections like to see that you can be consistent and have endurance. You don't have to be fast, you just have to have stick-to-it-ness. No one wants to be walking down the side of a mountain with 100 pounds of gear and a guy who decides they quit. Sure you can run a 5k in 20 minutes... But what happens when you finish the 20 minute 5k and find you still have to keep running an unknown distance with your ruck and kit? Will you keep that pace, or quit to rest?
If I can trust you to run an hour straight at a 10 minute mile pace, at least I can rely on you.

For me, I think the thing that had the biggest impact was my contributions during team week. Be the last to sit down and the first to stand up during breaks. Recheck and retie all lashings.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 25 at 2019 11:53 AM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 11:53:11 -0400

Languages, DLAB, and DLPT

OK. CA and PSYOP require a DLAB score for the Q course, SF does not, but you will take it at SFAS. You MAY be able to have some time "off" if you take the DLAB before going to SFAS. There really is no reason to not take the test. It doesn't expire. Take the test now so when you do want to apply for another MOS you have it done already. There are plenty of jobs/assignments that require a DLAB, it does go on your ERB and it's always nice to fill more stuff on that, especially when you're E1-E4 and it's pretty blank.
How to study for the DLAB. Study basic English grammar. Like that 2nd grade stuff. Be able to identify a noun, adjective, verb, adverb, subject, object, pronoun, and know what they do and how they interact. Become a grammar Nazi for a bit and you should do fine.

DLPT. If you went through 3 years of French in high school. Take The DLPT!! If you can have a valid DLPT, no matter the score a + is better than nothing, you will stand apart from your peers. If you speak Spanish, take the tests for Portuguese, French, Romanian, Italian and anything else remotely similar. What's the worst that happens? You waste a couple hours? What looks better, having one language or having 5? There are tons of languages we can test for. Weird dialects just ask the Ed center what you can test on.

Here's how language assignments work. #1 your DLAB score. Also taken into account are GT score, other languages you learn, demographics, education, and if you by chance have a family member who speaks a target language. If you try to play the game and weasel an easy language by tanking the DLAB. They will see your GT and other stuff and be like "Nice try, welcome to Chinese". If you do only score like a 77 on the DLAB, but your spouse speaks Korean fluently, we'll probably give you Korean because you have your own tutor. Make sense? If you're of African descent or really, really dark complexion, you probably aren't being assigned Russian.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 25 at 2019 6:35 PM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 18:35:14 -0400

Tips and Tricks

Know some knots. Knots are good to know regardless but chances are they may come in handy at something like A&S. Know a Bowline, square knot, clove hitch, a square and diagonal lashing. At worst you learn some knots, at best you're the hero of your team.

DON'T ARGUE WITH CADRE. Why would you even do that? Well, I'm writing it because it happens. Don't do it! Don't do it! If you do it be ready for the letters N, T, and R. Cadre are there for basically 3 things: Tell you what your task is, evaluate your performance, safety. There is a reason for anything they say. This course is a multiday job interview, you wouldn't argue at an interview, right?

Don't get in a pissing match with other candidates. You should never have to yell/raise your voice in these courses really. It's professional. It's for grown ups. If there's a candidate who is being a jerk and diming people out, being unprofessional, not being a person you would want to deploy with, etc.. Don't get in an argument. Just take a mental note, there's 2 rounds of peer evals for a reason.

Peer evals. Be honest. Cadre don't see everything. You, as candidates, are helping to build these regiments through peer evals. Rate your team honestly. I didn't rate myself #1 on either, because there were people that were damn amazing and better than me, there were also some bad soldiers too, they got rated dead last. BE HONEST.

Listen to your instructions. Listen to what is said, That is your left and right limit. If they don't say you can't do _____, then I guess it's not against the rules. Outside the box thinking is desired!!

Be able to communicate your point in a 5 paragraph essay format. You don't need to be at graduate writing yet, but you went to high school, remember the basics of writing. That being said, don't write like you are on Facebook. "I'm good 4 CA cuz I got promoted quicklier than the others, they didn't have nothing better than me." If that's how you write, you probably won't get picked up. Double negatives, spelling, made up words (conversate is not a word! and don't use orientate when talking land nav!), using the correct they're/their/there and to/two/too. These are all things that can make or break you.

Catch up on current events the days before you ship.

Stop exercising 4-5 days prior to flying out (light stretching is fine), stop all alcohol a week before flying out, stop energy drinks 2 weeks out, you have to quit supplements/other meds/vitamins 30 days out, and quit nicotine as far out as possible. You want this stuff out of your system before you show up or you will be having residual effects. I went to SERE going cold turkey off a Monster a day, you wanna talk caffeine headaches? That sucked.

Hydrate while you travel. Flying in an airplane dehydrates you, continue to hydrate the entire time. It doesn't matter if you hate using an airplane bathroom, you have a PFA probably the next day and that is only the beginning of your physical exertion. Drink water and eat decent food.

If you are injured, go to the medic. Yeah, they won't do much to help you, but now the medic and cadre know you are injured and that is a good thing! The guy that late in the course is slowing down on his rucks but is still pushing on that saw the medic will be seen as the Soldier that has perseverance - an ARSOF attribute, the other soldier that is slow later on but didn't see the medic, with the same injury, will be seen as someone who isn't persevering, and isn't motivated. Get it?

Don't keep to yourself. You may be the best at every event, but if you aren't working as a team and helping your teammates, you won't be desirable. Another ARSOF attribute is Team Player. If someone is struggling, and you aren't forbidden from helping - HELP THEM. SOF works in small teams. It's not a 40 man Infantry platoon where a couple slackers can easily be made up for. You have 12 people or less on a team, one person not doing his/her share and it all fails. On that note, make friends, enjoy your time at A&S, I met some of my best friends there, still hanging out to this day. If you can have fun and encourage your team, it'll be a pretty good few weeks, if your whole team is grumpy and hating life, it'll be a loooong couple weeks.

Remember that math in high school? Of course you don't. Study up on algebra and geometry. You should know this basic stuff just as a grown up and soldier. It comes in handy to know formulas for slope, area/volume of shapes, etc... Think about it 18D/38BW4 - drug calculation, 18C/38B - construction and demolition calculation, 18E - antennae theory, 18B - bullet drop and spin drift calc, think these jobs don't use algebra and geometry? Try again. (yes PSYOP does too, I just don't have an example for them).

Be in shape - see the PT post.

Show up with a regulation haircut. You are not on relaxed grooming. You are not even in SOF yet. So don't show up with long hair trying to "look cool". We only get beards and stuff if the mission dictates. Again, it's a long job interview, look professional (but no black hawk down high n tights - ew).

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 26 at 2019 7:56 PM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 19:56:17 -0400

Medical stuff

Know how to treat a blister. Don't pop it, sew a thread through it and leave 1-2 inches on each end hanging out to drain it and glue the skin back down. Know how to use moleskin.

Chafing. Yes it'll probably happen. Bragg is humid, very humid, plus you have OCPs on and are walking a lot, with a ruck. So between the legs, between the cheeks, shoulders, waist all have rubbing going on and are prime for chafing. Build up resistance and/or use body glide (it's authorized...for now). You don't want to med drop or quit because you got chafed. No spandex allowed.

Hydration. Your urine should be as close to clear as possible as a measure of hydration. If they are still giving oral rehydration salts (ORS) at A&S, use them. It was required when I went, 1 a day. They taste pretty bad, but they have all the electrolytes you need to replace what you lose. Don't chug it all at once, drink it throughout the day. Same with regular water, always be drinking it. Pounding it out will get you hydrated well quickly, but then itll fade as you sweat, breathe, urinate, digest, etc... Constant upkeep. Your body saying "I'm thirsty, drink water" is already too late. Water takes time to absorb, it doesn't just go into your blood from the stomach. What you drink right now, takes time. Think about when you're partying, you don't feel the booze as soon as you drink it, right? It takes time. So drink water always.

Nutrition. Can't help you during A&S for eating right, so eat what you can. If you are given a choice of food, be smart. You are in a very physical course. You need sugars, carbs, and fats, plus veggies and protein (vitamins and amino acids). Sugar - energy now, carbs - energy later, fats - energy tomorrow (provided you need it), is your typical way it works (correct me if I'm wrong SOCMs), but you are rucking like crazy and stuff. Your sugar will be burned out pretty quick, probably within mile 1, now you're already running on carbs and have 16ish miles to go, get it?. During A&S is not the time to be KETO, you won't be able to stay on it.

If hurt, SEE THE MEDIC (yes I'm repeating myself). It will not hurt you to see the medic, just don't expect much. If you are asked "Hey, do you want to stop and see the medic?" in the middle of an event. No, that's quitting. Make them force you to see the medic and/or med drop you. You are quitting if you stop, if they stop you it's not quitting.

Know how to fall with a ruck on. Don't break your wrists.

Be as acclimated as possible for the weather during your course. If you're going in January, get out in the cold and ruck. If you're going in June, pack a swimsuit.....jk. It will be humid as hell and hot. Try to get ready for it. Yeah at Carson we're at 6200 ft, but the humidity is so bad then it essentially negates the altitude.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 10 at 2019 12:39 PM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 12:39:02 -0400

Just because you get Selected does not mean the hard part is done. The Q courses are still very intense, maybe not as much physically but academically you will be drained and tested like you never have in the military. Learn some effective study habits, learn how to write an essay in APA format (yes more than just 5 paragraphs), maybe discover Operational Variables (PMESII-PT and ASCOPE).

Response by SSG Carlos Madden made Jun 8 at 2020 10:09 AM

SSG Carlos Madden — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 10:09:15 -0400

We really have to pin this information in the About section of the SFAS group page.