Who is recruited into special forces: how is selection for elite troops carried out?

Do you think all conscripts run away from the military registration and enlistment office, hide with distant relatives, don’t sign on summons, and invent illnesses? No! There are those who want to serve in the army. If earlier such people were told in jokes, today this is a pattern. Guys come to the military registration and enlistment office on summons or earlier, before they reach conscription age, and ask how to get into this or that branch of the military. Many people are interested in the Marine Corps, airborne troops and, of course, special forces. So they ask: how to get into the special forces upon conscription. The military registration and enlistment office is not omnipotent, but it answers such questions.

Life time

Before we touch on the service itself, let's consider how its conditions have changed over the years. In the Soviet Union, since 1925, the Law on Compulsory Military Service has been adopted, and every man has the honorable obligation to serve 2 years in the army, and junior officers - 3 years. Before the start of World War II, the army size was about 5 million, by the end of the war there were more than 11 million people in ground units alone. In 1948, post-war demobilization ended, the number decreased by almost four times. And in 1949 a new law on service in ground units and aviation was issued. Its duration is 3 years, in naval units - 4 years, with conscription once a year in winter. Please note that at that time conscript soldiers were actually trained to pilot an airplane and operate various complex equipment; the training was complete and varied. After Stalin's death, the size of the army was reduced, the length of service was reduced by one year, and spring conscription was introduced. Institute graduates had the right to serve only for a year.

In those days, a guy who asked how to get into the special forces by conscription could well end up in a situation where he was taken to an unknown place, on an unknown basis, brought to the tent where his military unit was located, the street was dirty, but at the entrance there was clean checkered towel. This was the first test, if the conscript did not understand the meaning of the towel, then his life became very difficult, if he understood, it was also difficult, but a little easier. Do not forget about the tough confrontation between the two poles of the world, the USA and the USSR. A lot of attention was paid to the training of soldiers.

In October 2007, the service was shortened to 18 months, and in January 2008 - to 12 months. It seems like we are serving less, we should be happy. But this system has some disadvantages. The period for training soldiers has been significantly reduced and it is now difficult and sometimes impossible to train them as specialists.

How to get into special forces

You won't be able to serve in the special forces - the real one - by conscription. Sorry, but that's how it is. The very name of the special forces lies its essence - it is a special forces group that performs non-standard tasks, not general military ones. That is, carrying out sabotage is the task of reconnaissance groups, which are in every military formation, and special forces are specialists, masters of their craft, ready to carry out the task in any conditions.

Everyone knows the Alpha group. Is it possible to get into special forces by conscription? Here are some brief conditions, and you will understand everything yourself. The FSB special forces recruit warrant officers and officers; you must have a recommendation from current FSB employees or veterans. Your height must be at least 175 cm. This does not take into account psychological and physical tests.

Selection criteria

To serve in special forces, desire alone is not enough - you must go through a careful selection process. Special forces soldiers must have a stable psyche and good physical and tactical training.

Physical data

Young people (and girls) who meet certain requirements can count on enrolling in special forces:

• age - from 19 to 27 years;
• height - 175-185 cm;
• weight – 75-100 kg.

It happens that the leaders of special forces accept fighters who do not meet the above physical standards. For example, a lack of a few centimeters in height can be compensated by extraordinary intellectual abilities, which can be useful in the GRU.

Health fitness

The most important criterion when selecting fighters is ideal health. Suitability is determined during a medical examination. And it is extremely difficult to pass; the slightest problems in the body can become a reason for rejection.

There are 5 main categories of suitability:

• A - fit;
• B - there are some restrictions;
• B—limitedly suitable;
• G - temporarily does not comply - the medical commission gives a deferment;
• D - not suitable.

Suitable categories:

• A. It is possible to serve in any army, including elite ones.
• B1. The presence of minor problems in the body.

A suitable category mark is a prerequisite for admission to the special forces, but it is not the only reason for enrollment. To become a special forces soldier, iron health is not enough.

During the medical examination, candidates are carefully examined to ensure that they do not:

• tattoos;
• piercings, noticeable defects.

It is also not allowed for a special forces soldier to stutter or have speech impediments. In a word, a special forces soldier should not have any signs by which his opponents could identify him.

FIZO standards

To become a super fighter, you must have remarkable physical abilities. A physical fitness and endurance exam helps verify this.

Standards:

• Speed ​​check. You need to run 3 km in 10.5 minutes and a hundred meters in 12 seconds.
• Test of strength. You need to stretch on the bar at least 20 times. Perform standard parallel bars exercises.
• Flexibility testing. Performing splits, bending the body.
• Endurance test. The challenger must run for 12 minutes. In this case, the distance covered by the test taker during this time is taken into account.

And these are not all the tests that candidates have to pass. They must also demonstrate their agility and strength endurance by doing a certain number of strength exercises. You need to be able to do somersaults, and also show your skills in hand-to-hand martial arts.

When taking the martial arts standard, the test taker will have a sparring partner. His role is performed by an active special forces officer or trainer. The fighter's ability to change tactics and get out of difficult situations is tested.

The following sports are encouraged during the selection process:

• boxing or kickboxing;
• struggle of different types;
• shooting;
• mountaineering;
• diving;
• parachuting.

Experience

The minimum experience for service in special forces is military service in the Russian Army or service in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. And the higher the military rank, the greater the chances of being enlisted in a special forces unit.

Good recommendations from the previous place of service will also help you pass the selection - they are given by the unit commander or the candidate’s immediate superior.

You need to have a real, honestly earned military ID. No fakes are allowed. Every line of it will be carefully checked, and nothing should be in doubt.

Psychotests

Psychological testing involves answering dozens of questions. Each of them has several possible answers, and the test taker must choose one of them.

Based on the test results, professional psychologists assess the candidate’s emotional preparation and determine his positive character traits. Based on the tests, if the candidate is accepted, the optimal specialty is selected.

Psychological tests for special forces candidates:

• level of intelligence - IQ;
• Luscher test - to determine personality type;
• MMPI - to identify schizophrenia;
• CAT - determination of the speed of thinking and the ability to analyze a situation.

A psychological profile is attached to the personal file. The fighter’s direct commander needs it in order to understand his motivation and potential capabilities.

Education

Young people planning to serve in special forces must have a higher education. The best option is a document confirming graduation from a military school or university. Graduation from the special forces department is welcome - it is available in several military schools, including Moscow and Novosibirsk.

To select suitable candidates for special forces, representatives of these units personally visit educational institutions to read the personal files of cadets and select fighters for the elite troops.

GRU special forces must speak several languages, and English is a must. Therefore, preparation for service in the elite troops must begin from adolescence and even childhood.

Biography and special verification

A special forces candidate should not only have no criminal record, but also no questionable biography. A special forces soldier must come from a decent and trustworthy family, without alcoholics or drug addicts.

Every applicant for service in special forces undergoes a lie detector test. During the check, the entire previous life of the potential special forces soldier will be clarified - information about his activities, work, passions, desires.

Permission from relatives

A mandatory procedure when selecting and making a decision on admission to a special forces unit is a conversation with relatives of potential special forces soldiers. During the conversation, the nuances of serving in the elite troops are explained to the relatives and their consent is obtained.

FSB special forces standards

Physical standards do not look scary and are quite achievable for a sports man. These are 25 pull-ups, 90 push-ups, presses - 100 times, in the 100-meter dash you need to do it in 12.7 seconds, do 10 times bench press of your own weight, run 3 km in 11 minutes. In addition to all this, you need to show your skills and perseverance in hand-to-hand combat.

In addition to close work with a psychologist, immediate family members will be checked for criminal records, and the candidate himself must undergo a polygraph test.

Airborne Forces

Before you think about how to get into the airborne special forces, get into the airborne forces itself. Airborne troops are units with great history and traditions. Today, in order to get there, you need to have absolute health, athletic shape, otherwise you’ll be forced into forced marches, and desire.

Details such as smoking, alcohol, and heart disease should not be included in your personal file. Even if you have already quit or recovered, they will most likely take another candidate.

If your dream is special forces, then you need to be in an air assault battalion. This is the best power unit that a conscript can get into; reconnaissance battalions already recruit only contract soldiers. It will be a plus if you have a rank or belt in some martial art. All that remains is to prove yourself in the DSB and, perhaps, you will receive an invitation to transfer to a contract in an intelligence or special forces unit.

Disadvantages of being a special forces soldier

• Constant threat to life and health.
• Frequent business trips.
• Irregular working hours.

There are a lot of special forces in Russia. Main formations:

• Main Directorate of the General Staff.
• Ministry of Defense.
• Naval reconnaissance groups.
• Airborne troops.
• Navy.
• Federal Security Service (for example, “alpha” and “pennant”).
• Border Service.
• Foreign intelligence.
• Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation.
• National Guard troops (“Bulat”, “Skif”, “Kuzbass”, “Rus”, etc.).

We offer another interesting video: “USA vs Russia. Whose special forces are cooler?

Marines

This is the most multifunctional type of troops in the Russian army. Soldiers can land from water and air, act in isolation from the main forces, in naval operations, capture and hold positions. Although they have small physical requirements, it is believed that everything else will be instilled in the troops. Health requirements are similar to the Airborne Forces.

You are probably thinking, why write about different types of troops when there is a specific question: how to get into the special forces by conscription? The fact is that soldiers of the airborne assault units of the Airborne Forces and Marine Corps most often receive an invitation to join special forces with the condition of switching to a contract, since no one will spend money to educate and train a special forces soldier for a year, and then he will go to civilian life.

Intelligence service

In addition to the FSB, there is also the Main Intelligence Directorate; their security forces stand apart from everyone else. The advice (how to get into the GRU special forces is the question that interests us) will be similar, the same as for the FSB special forces, with the only difference being that soldiers and sergeants can also get here. Physical parameters and psychological stability are very important for this type of work. According to instructors, it is not enough to be able to shoot well and cover long distances while maintaining combat capability; you also need to be able to think and maintain a sober mind in any situation.

Therefore, special forces impose requirements on intelligence, physical capabilities and psychological ones. Unfortunately, the answer to the question of how to get into the GRU special forces by conscription is the same. This cannot be done; at best, you can receive an invitation with a subsequent transition to contract service.

Characteristics of special forces soldiers

Service in special forces is the choice of a real man!

The performance of combat missions by special forces units places high demands on its soldiers. Unlike the average soldier, a special forces soldier is characterized by:

• Constant readiness to complete the assigned task: physical, moral, psychological and ideological.
• The ability to perform their duties at any time of the day, year and in the most difficult conditions, at risk to life.
• The ability to use assigned equipment and weapons, equipment, improvised means and objects in order to complete the assigned task.
• Understanding the responsibility entrusted to special forces, voluntarily concluding a long-term contract and recognizing the need to constantly improve their skills.
• Knowledge of regulatory legal acts that regulate the activities of specific special purpose units. Special forces of the GRU, FSB, Airborne Forces or OMON perform various tasks and at the same time comply with the norms of the law established for each department separately.

Military registration and enlistment office

For a conscript who does not have an official deferment from the army, the military registration and enlistment office looks like a king and a god who can send him anywhere and give a certain recommendation. If you have decided for yourself, then it is better to immediately ask the commission how to get into conscription to serve in special forces. They will make a note about your desire and zeal, and perhaps give you practical advice. Most likely, you will end up in the Airborne Forces or the Marine Corps; this is entirely within the capabilities of the military registration and enlistment office, if you are physically prepared, healthy and pass all the tests.

The military registration and enlistment office knows when and from which troops buyers are coming, and can send you to the collection point at the right time and with the right recommendations. The rest will depend on you, because the interview will be conducted by the buyer himself.

Primary requirements for the candidate

1. Special forces usually include officers or warrant officers. Moreover, the first must have a higher education, and the second must have at least secondary education.
2. A recommendation from a fighter who previously served in the GRU would not be superfluous.
3. Preference is given to candidates studying at the special forces department.
4. The candidate must be at least 175 centimeters tall. This requirement involves wearing heavy equipment. However, if you compensate for your lack of height with your professional qualities, an exception may be made.
5. The applicant's age is no more than 28 years. The exception is soldiers transferring from other units.

Preliminary preparation

Are you determined to qualify for special forces? Do you agree to contract service and the physical and psychological stress that you will have to overcome? And besides this, have time to study, learn new things, get military specialization? Great! People like this always make me happy.

In this case, you need to lead a healthy lifestyle, not smoke, drink to a minimum or give up alcohol altogether. Playing sports and receiving sports awards is a must. Sports will teach you discipline and it will be easier in the army. Do exercises, douse yourself with cold water, boost your immunity. If you have a patriotic club in your city, start visiting it. Usually you can learn to shoot in them and learn basic army skills. If there is little time left before conscription, then also learn army combat, it is brutal, but it pays off when training a large number of people in a short time. If you have more than a year left before your draft, then you need to find a good martial arts trainer. Many people love martial arts, but Russian martial art is better, it is closer to our mentality and is better applicable in life.

Where to study and for how long

Fighters for elite units are not specially trained. The squads are formed from experienced military or law enforcement/security officials. Some end up in army special forces for conscript service, and then sign a contract with the Ministry of Defense.

Photo: rosgvard.ru

Other demobilized soldiers come to work in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, from where they end up in special forces units. The most elite strategic special forces are selected from FSB officers and excellent students of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It is necessary to prepare yourself for service in a special detachment in advance, from adolescence: play sports, lead a correct and healthy lifestyle.

Table 1. Standards for a riot policeman

Source: omon-mvd.ru

Photo: av-specnaz.ru

While passing the standards, the applicant is observed: how tired he is, showing the will to win, how his body works for endurance, how he confronts his opponent in sparring. A few days later, personnel officers announce the commission’s decisions on all candidates.

Special Forces Day is celebrated on October 24. The military unit was founded in 1951 for sabotage at enemy strategic targets.