Training the Mind

[NousDefionsDoc]

The question is often asked "How can I prepare myself for the challenges that lie ahead?" or "How can I harden my mental attitude while hardening my body?" referring to SFAS, SFQC, life on a Team or life in general.

Look around you and consider what others are doing. You can learn much, about them and especially yourself.

If you are a young person, watch your friends. Do they have to be told repeatedly to perform routine tasks? Or do they take the initiative? Are they focused on the task at hand? Are they aiming at the 25 meter target? Or are they always trying to get over? Are they flitting from one goal to another, not really achieving anything substantial in the process?

Take a moment and consider the person or persons you admire most. What traits do they exhibit?

If you have the opportunity, go to your local shooting range. Before you jump in there, watch the others for a few minutes. We're looking for a specific type here. If you talk to them, they will probably claim to be a "regular shooter". They will readily tell you they shoot "X" number of rounds a month. (You may need a mirror!)

They go to the range. Put the target perfectly square to them. Then they proceed to slow fire the box of ammo into the absolute tightest shot group they can. Then they brag to their buddies they shot this tiny hole.

A professional trainer calls the phenomenon Marksmanship Masturbation. Why such a derrogatory term? Because the only reason they train that way is to make themselves
feel good.

You want to be like that guy at the end of the range by himself repeatedly clearing malfunctions with only his weak hand, then firing two to the chest, one to the head. Not fun training, good training.

It is human nature to want to do things we do well, especially when others are observing. This tendency is not conducive to self-preservation or self-improvement. You are not developing new skills when you train in this manner.

Just like hardening your body, you must train your mind in order to get it to peak condition. And just like your body, as your mind adapts to the new challenges, you must increase the load.

Here are a few ways to harden your mind.

Always do the hard thing first - ALWAYS. For example: If you would rather go hungry than eat spinach and your Mom serves spinach for dinner - eat it first and ask for seconds. If you hate math and have math and science homework - do the math first and do extra work. If you really want to sleep in on Saturday -go mow the lawn without being told, then clean the garage. If you would rather work your biceps (beach muscles) than your legs in the gym - do your legs twice. You will not be asked to curl your rucksack.

Make a conscious effort to be positive as much as possible. Look at life's daily challenges as opportunities for excellence instead of problems to be suffered.

Also, read, research - everything. Find out why most books have pages in multiples of 9. Learn about current events, especially those that pertain to your goal Group's area of operations. Study history - those who do not are doomed to repeat it. Learn as much as possible about whichever group is considered the primary threat to the US at the time. Find out what a joule is. Learn the anatomy and physiology of the human body. Learn the principles of radio wave propagation. Research the history of explosives. Read a book. Sit up straight. Walk with a sense of purpose. Be disciplined in everything you do.

Always do the right thing, in your dealings with others and yourself. Do the right thing even if you know the decision will be unpopular and you will be criticized.

They call it "Special" Forces for a reason.

Perfect practice makes perfect. Train Hard. Never Quit.



Inspriation from the Way and the Power by Fredrick Lovret.

[The Reaper]

Great advice.

Thanks, Teammate.

TR

[NousDefionsDoc]

A sus ordenes

[Surgicalcric]

Thank you NDD.

Your thoughts on life and SF in particular, are insightful as always. You have a way of getting right to the point of the matter.

James

[CPTAUSRET]

NDD:

Great post:

Terry

[Kyobanim]

That's advice for everyone. Outstanding.

[NousDefionsDoc]

Further thoughts on the topic. Just my thoughts and rantings in no particular order.

If you are attempting to enter into the Special Forces way of life, there are some things you need to think about.

I have read several books about SF, SAS, SEALs, etc. In many of them, the principle theme seems to be "We wore our hair long" or "We wore blue jeans" "Or I punched my CO in the face". Now, I realize that a lot of this is written to make people go "Oooh" and "Aaah". But that is not the mark of a professional in my book.

Every profession has a uniform and a code. I love lawyers, because believe it or not, they are very regimented, like a soldier. Look at a lawyer. What is he selling? He's selling knowledge of the law yes, but more than that, he's selling confidence. He knows he's going to win. Look at how he dresses. Conservative suits. Why? Because a conservative suit is his uniform. It exudes seriousness, confidence. Most of them are very well-groomed and well mannered most of the time. They are in a serious business. People's lives or millions of dollars hang in the balance. There are always exceptions of course. The guy that wears the leather jacket with fringe and the pony-tails.

I have seen schoolteachers that could silence a roomful of 9 year-olds just by walking in the room and Moms that could freeze halt a kid on a dead run from 50 meters with a look. Its not fear so much as it is respect.

A soldier is in a serious business as well. If he is in a leadership position, he must exude that same serious confidence to his subordinates.

The best SF soldiers I ever knew wore their uniforms with pride. You could hear the starch popping from down the block and shave in the shine on their boots. If they were ever told they needed a haircut, it was when they were already on their way to the barber shop.

Looking like a rag bag isn't cool because its different. Its the mark of a sloppy amateur.

Without exception, every SF troop is at least an NCO, if not by paygrade then by position. Leadership by example is the hallmark of an NCO. How can you set the example when you look like a duffle bag?

There are cases when it is simply not possible to be squared away. My partner and I came off a week in the field with host nation forces once in which a real world incident occured while we were out. So we were tasked to do some other things not on the training schedule. Our uniforms were rags when we finished, but the insides of our weapons were spotless and first chance we had, we got cleaned up.

Look at the private sector guys on the news from Iraq. Even though they are not in anymore, they don't look like a clown show. They have gear that works, and they LOOK squared away. Even with their little ball caps.

Looking professional doesn't necessarily make you professional, but rarely is it the case where someone that looks like a ragbag is a professional.

The old Samurai had some good thoughts on this. Looking professional, handling your weapons and equipment with quiet confidence and skill, walking erect and with a sense of purpose, always being area and situation aware - all these are what I look for when trying to identify potential friends or professional adversaries. These are the dangerous people.

I had a Team Sergeant once that in the 3 years I worked for him, I never knew for sure if he was carrying a pistol or not. He was so professional I didn't care and really didn't think to ask. I just knew he would be there if I needed him with whatever the situation required. I couldn't imagine anyone even thinking about trying to lay a hand on him, his attitude and demeanor made it unthinkable.

That is a Quiet Professional.

[mdb23]

Originally Posted by NousDefionsDoc

The best SF soldiers I ever knew wore their uniforms with pride. You could hear the starch popping from down the block and shave in the shine on their boots. If they were ever told they needed a haircut, it was when they were already on their way to the barber shop.

Looking like a rag bag isn't cool because its different. Its the mark of a sloppy amateur.

That is a Quiet Professional.

This is great advice fpr those in the LE community as well. If you look at the studies conducted on offenders who had assaulted Officers, the offenders stated that their main factors when determining whether or not to "take on" the LEO were appearance based....... Was his uniform ironed and well maintained, was his leather gear polished, did he look like he was in shape, were his boots shined, what was his demeanor, etc......

If you look like an individual who takes his chosen profession seriously, then people will treat you as such.

Unfortunately, this theory is lost on a large segment of those in my careerfield. Their boots are only shined on inspection days, their uniforms look slept in and have yesterday's lunch on the front, and their leather gear has faded from black to brown. It's ridiculous.

I always made sure that my uniform was pressed with sharp creases, that my boots were highly shined, and that my leather gear was well maintained. I have kept myself in shape like my life depends on it, because it does, and thugs on the street can see that. I never got messed with the way that some of the "Joey Bag O' Doughnuts" cops did, and in my opinion it was based on the way that I presented myself. I never treid to talk ghetto slang to suspects, maintained a professional manner, and kept the boundaries clear.

Was I tested? Sure. But not to the extent that some of the overweight, wrinkled shirt wearing cops were.

Great thread, great advice for people in any number of careers. Great read.

[Ryval]

Thank you all for this thread. As mdb23 stated, the information here is golden to L.E. as well.

I am putting together a 'Warrior Mindset' course for recuits and I teach an Active Shooter course. Requesting permission to use some quotes from this thread in my courses?

[Team Sergeant]

Originally Posted by Ryval

Thank you all for this thread. As mdb23 stated, the information here is golden to L.E. as well.

I am putting together a 'Warrior Mindset' course for recuits and I teach an Active Shooter course. Requesting permission to use some quotes from this thread in my courses?

As long as you quote the source have at it.

TS

[Ryval]

Originally Posted by Team Sergeant

As long as you quote the source have at it.

TS

Copy, Team Sergeant. Thank You.

[tinmanHRSO]

Originally Posted by NousDefionsDoc

Even with their little ball caps.

lol, That one really got my chuckle box going sir. I really do enjoy reading your posts. And I've learned a great deal from them. I've learned a bit more about myself. I hate to admit I was one of those who wasn't always squared away when I was enlisted, it's taken alot of time to grow into the operator I am today. And still, the more I learn the more I realize how much I still don't know. Maturity is humbling I think, but there's great strength in humility.

[NousDefionsDoc]

I have also seen, especially recently, people complaining about the prices of weapons and equipment, settling for less than what they need because of cost or trying to "bargain" for a better deal.

With furniture or a used car, that's fine and I'm all for getting the best possible deal and not wasting anything needlessly.

But think about it for a minute. These are the tools of your trade. You are betting your life on them. Do you really want to buy your Body Armor from Crazy Eddie who just went insane and slashed prices?

Do you want to be running through the streets of Bagdead in front of your principle and have your assault pack dump your Kit Kat bars all over the street because you got it for $10 less than the good one?

I would imagine that the Samurai, Roman soldiers, etc., probably spent every last dime they had on the best swords and armor they could find. They knew they were going into battle and soon.

Well guess what?

If you want to save money, do it somewhere else. When it comes to your kit and weapons, don't scrimp. Get the best, pay for it, and when you get back, thank the maker for his pride and professionalism.

[NousDefionsDoc]

The first step to becoming a warrior is to start thinking, dressing, walking, talking and most of all acting like one.

I'm not talking about wearing BDUs to school. I'm talking about dressing and acting appropriately for the situation.

Your Company Sergeant Major has better things to do than tell you to get a haircut or shine your boots every week.

PT uniform is a uniform. Flashing red lights on sneakers are a no go.

Professionals push the envelope in battle, not with hair, mustaches and shoe shines.

Would you want to see your surgeon fumble screwing around with the scalpel right before you go under? Well that's how I feel about the way a lot of people handle weapons. Learn to use them appropriately. Learn to load, unload, clear, clear malfunctions, etc., in your sleep or send the thing to me and I'll use it.

Same with the blade. If you're going to cut yourself, do it away from professionals and don't come to me to sew you up. (Unless your fingers get in the way while slitting terrorist throats - that one's a gimme.)

Don't be flagging people with weapons, even when there's a red box on the end.

Practice wearing a beret correctly before you don one in public. If I see you in the street with the pizza chef look, I will take it away from you and mail it back to The Reaper.

Don't be the Ugly American in public. Loud obnoxious behavior will get your ass kicked or worse in a lot of places. Smile, consider the incident to be cultural awareness training, and move on.

If you haven't read The Ugly American - do it immediately.

[NousDefionsDoc]

A former NCO's view on officers:

Officers don't hate you and they do serve a purpose.

Think about it from their point of view for a minute. There is one of them for eleven of you on a Team. (WOs are former enlisted). Eleven experts in their fields, eleven chances to be out run, out PTd, out shot, etc. The Team may have been together for a couple of years and he's the FNG. Everybody's watching him. Can you see how it can be a little overwhelming? Who can he have as his friends until he earns his Team's trust? He'll rarely see the other TLs. The Old Man won't make friends with a cherry Captain. SGM or CSM? Hahaha.

The CO has 6 teams plus the B Team. Figure a full Company with 66 enlisted and WOs on the Teams, plus the Company SGM and NBC dude (?). So 68. And there are a total of 7 officers.

5% rule is always in effect, so 3 or 4 are going to be screwups. They'll take up 90% of the time.

Plus he has to deal with new Team Leaders coming in, the BC, etc.

For every 10 minutes you stand at attention in front of the CO's desk because you screwed up, he probably spent 20 in front of the BC's desk.

The way I see it, the officer's function in SF is to ensure that what the Team is doing fits in with what the Company is doing and right on up the line. Do you, as an 18 NCO, want to go sit in the battle briefings and bring back the poop? He is the strategist. His other job is to take the heat from on high when it comes through that side of the line. Do you want his job?

It takes time to train a Team Leader, both for the Team and the CO. Don't say "He doesn't know anything." He knows what he was taught, just like you. He knows his job, which isn't the same job you have.

I was very fortunate. In my time, I served with the finest officers the Army ever produced. There were a couple that weren't so hot along the way. But guess what, they still beat out an awful lot of their peers just to get to the Team. And the other officers took care of them and sent them on their way. Many of my old Team Leaders are LTCs and above now. The man I admired as a Captain (P) next door is a General.

I recently had a conversation with a young Recon Marine NCO. He was assigned to Embassy duty in a benign country and was unhappy about it. Now, I had heard about this NCO before I met him. The story was that he imbibed and thought it would be funny to call out the Embassy React as a joke. So they all came out armed to the teeth, etc. All the enlisted thought it was funny, as did he after he got his ass chewed and got over it. His LT took the heat for him.

The night in question, we were sitting at a nice bar and he was wearing one of those T-Shirts. He was hitting on the waitresses and talking rather loudly about how he was a Marine and should be in the war. Then he started complaining about his LT. Know nothing, wet behind the ears, officers aren't needed etc.

So I took the opportunity. I said "Look at yourself."

"Huh?"

"Look at you, the Corps gave you a job to do. You've been here two years, you haven't made the slightest effort to learn anything about the language or the culture, you dress like you're in the barracks in one of the better places in town, you're loud and obnoxious and your claim to fame is an alcohol-related incident."

"Yeah, well..."

"As long as the NCO corps continues to act like privates, we will always need officers to take the heat and keep us from doing even more stupid things. Now, can you imagine that new LT of yours getting drunk and calling out the React? Even green and young as he is?"

"No."

"And THAT'S why the military needs officers, among other reasons."

That Marine NCO, thanked me. A couple of months later he was in Iraq as a Platoon Sergeant and sent me an email. He had a green LT over there, but he treated him with respect and they all came home alive. And he and the LT are friends.

An SF Officer is a warrior. He is a professional. That "college boy" with the railroad tracks on his flash could probably stomp a mudhole in your ass if he wasn't duty bound by the code not to do so - some of the really good ones will anyway.

Next time you have not the obligation, but the opportunity to salute one of them, think about that and do it with pride and the respect he deserves.



Or I'll kick your ass.