After Your Athletic Career Consider Tactical Athletics

Don't Want a Desk Job Yet?
Take Your Strengths and Apply Them
to Something Tactical

(Military, Special Ops, Police, SWAT, Fire & Rescue Services)

Now, we all come into the tactical professions with a series of weaknesses as well.  These need to be developed as well because weaknesses are exposed immediately at boot camp, police / fire academies, and especially special ops selection programs. Regardless of the level of athletics you played, chances are you have some elements of fitness you have neglected / did not need during your competitive years.  Check out this diagram of all the athletic / physical fitness elements of fitness that apply to the tactical professions:
(Check out the OODA Loop Article as thinking through stress is key to the job)

 Athletes have an uncanny ability to learn a new skill and apply it quickly. The ability to think quickly and react with precision that is related to the advanced tactical training received makes former athletes ideal to become great tactical athletes. The best part is though, you do not have to be an athlete at all to be a smart, quick reacting tactial athlete. You do have to be fit and GOOD AT EVERYTHING.  This means you develop competency of all of the elements of fitness above to a high level (not great like an athlete needs BUT really good at all events). 

You will often hear the difference between the athlete and the tactical athlete is the competitive athlete has to be great at a few of the elements of fitness (unless a decathlete) as the others do not matter, while the tactical athlete needs to be good at ALL of them. 

It Does Take Time to Transition from Athlete to Tactical Athlete 

It takes time doing activities you may not enjoy (yet) because you are not good at them at first. But, it is this very hard work to reduce weaknesses that will help you become well rounded enough to handle the rigors of the tactical professions. YOu need a cycle or two to focus on your weaknesses and smart programming to maintain your strengths at the same time. Every athlete who seeks to serve will start this process with a few strengths and more weaknesses than they may realize. You must assess or you are just guessing.

Assess your strength and weaknesses!  Depending on the job you want to do in the military, some preparation training will take longer than others. If an athlete seeks to serve in regular military jobs (not special ops), the transition may not require a significant transition time as most people in decent shape and a good athletic history can join most branches of service and be ready to go. Regardless, you shuold thoroughly understand the two phases of preparation you need:

Tactical Fitness Phase 1 - Getting TO the Training:  Getting accepted into the training program / branch of service of your choice requires thorough testing.  Physical Fitness, Academic (ASVAB / OAR), Medical, and body composition (height / weight standards) are the first challenges you will face in phase 1 of tactical fitness. 

Tactical Fitness Phase 2 - Getting THROUGH the Training: Getting through and graduating the pipeline of training requires preparation to make you durable enough to withstand injury with the work capacity to work long days and nights learning and performing new skills. Some journies will be more difficult than others and it is your responsibility to understand the challenges of that choice you made and prepare properly for the future. 

Do Your Research

Go to ALL the official websites of the Department of Defense and read about the job opportunities, physical fitness requirements, and ASVAB scores you need for certain Army or Marine Corps MOS, Air Force AFSC, or Navy and Coast Guard Ratings.  Military Occupational Specialty (MOS), Air Force Specialty Codes (AFSC), and Ratings are also known as professions in the military and will be what you sign up to do (if you qualify). 

Air Force Careers

Navy Careers

Marine Corps Careers

Army Careers

Coast Guard Careers

Official Military Special Ops Recruiting Links:

Navy SEAL / SWCC  - SEALSWCC.com (if going SEAL or SWCC)

Army Special Forces - Special Forces, Ranger, 160th SOAR, Civil Affairs / Psy Ops are jobs within Army Special Operations Command.  

Air Force Special Warfare - ParaRescue, CCT, TACP, Special Recon, SERE are jobs within Air Force Special Operations Command - ground fighters. 

Marine Corps - RECON Recruiting and MarSOC Info 

Who Is The Coach, Trainer, Author Stew Smith?

I'm the former Navy SEAL that military recruits and special ops candidates go to for books, ebooks and online coaching to prepare themselves to get to and through intense tactical assessment and selection programs and qualify for service in their chosen tactical profession.  See More at StewSmithFitness.com

Check out the Complete List of Training Programs (Spec Ops, Military, Police, Fire) 

OR Do You Want my REAL TIME Seasonal Periodization Training - Delivered Weekly?