Specialist Selection Cadres Of The Ringerike Armed Forces

Overview
The Ringerike Armed Forces runs a series of specialist selection cadres to determine the suitability of applicants aspiring to serve in certain specialist units, including Jeger units and the Special Forces. These courses include:


 * Jeger Screening
 * All Arms Jeger School
 * All Arms Jeger School (Officer/Combat Support Arms)
 * Mountain Warfare Cadre
 * Parachute Assault Cadre
 * Marine Jeger Cadre
 * Long Range Patrol Cadre
 * Air Force Jeger Cadre
 * Special Forces Selection (HSK)
 * Special Forces Selection (MSK)

With the exception of the Special Forces Selection Cadres, which require 3 years prior service, the above courses, or a combination of them are available as enlistment options to access certain units.

Jeger Screening
All potential civillian recruits take a psychometric test and are interviewed at the Armed Forces Careers Office (AFCO) to assess their suitability. A series of physical assessments are conducted including a sight test and medical examination. Then the Pre Joining Fitness Test(PJFT): two 1.5-mile runs (2.4 km) on a treadmill, the first to be completed within 12 minutes 30 seconds, the second within 10 minutes and 30 seconds, with 1 minute of rest in between. If these are passed, they will move onto the formal screening, a 4 day course held at Jeger School consisting of, transferees and in-service candidates also conduct the screening course prior to attending the Jeger Course:
 * Day 0- Arrival at Jeger School and opening brief.
 * Day 1- Repeat the PJFT, Plus a VO2 Max test, and set cadenced exercises with perfect form, maximum score is 60 Press Ups, 85 Sit-Ups and 16 Pull-Ups. Following this a swim test will also be conducted.
 * Day 2- Team Tasks conducted over the low assault course, individual tasks conducted on the high assault course and the Determination Test, a roughly 2 hour evolution conducted on harsh terrain designed to test the physical and mental limits of candidates. The applicants will then spend the night in the field.
 * Day 3- Candidates will be informed of their success or failure at this point, successful applicants will be briefed by PTIs on interim training and issued two sets of boots.

Jeger School
All successful applicants to Jeger designated combat units, regardless of service and destination, on completion of basic and phase 2 training will then attend Jeger School. Candidates will not have any interaction with their future or parent service until the end of their Jeger training.

Officers of the Jeger Regiment conduct the same course once they have completed their training. In order to serve alongside the Jeger Regiment soldiers and officers must pass in-house screening within their units and then complete the Jeger School course.

The course is a minimum of 10 weeks long and consists of three phases; Indoctrination, followed by the Jeger and then The specialist phase indoctrination phase consists of high intensity physical training events, land navigation exercises, and field training serials. The Jeger phase consists of advanced marksmanship, basic breaching and climactic conditions training. The Specialist phase varies in length and content depending on the unit to which the candidate is assigned, for example combat engineers will learn advanced demolition techniques whereas infantrymen will continue to develop with live fire exercises integrating a wider variety of arms. All officers complete an additional bolt on ‘officers week’ which consists of a series of challenging physical and mental exercises designed to challenge the judgemental and leadership abilities of the candidates.

Service Specific Cadres
Upon successful completion of Jeger school, candidates will be forwarded on to their respective specialization courses, and will receive official association to their service branch for the first time, these courses are:


 * Mountain Warfare Cadre, Available to all Jegers, as well as other individuals subject to operational requirements.


 * Parachute Assault Cadre, for those joining 1/15 (Parachute) Jeger Regiment, this cadre prepares recruits for the high intensity requirements of serving with a parachute assault force and concludes at the end of the Basic Parachute Course.


 * Marine Jeger Cadre, for those joining the Marine Jegers, it teaches all aspects of amphibious and riverine warfare, amphibious reconnaissance and special operations tasks.


 * Long Range Patrol Cadre, for those joining 101 (Independent) Reconnaissance Company, this course instructs on Special Reconnaissance, Covert Urban Surveillance and Undercover Operations.


 * Air Force Jeger Cadre, for those joining any of the Air Force Jeger units, this course provides instruction on Air Integration, Specialist Airfield Assault tactics and helicopter interdiction.

Special Forces Selection
Special Forces selection is overseen by a joint team from the HSK and MSK and the only variation is what courses are during the 'employment skills' after the course is complete, during the process, instructors will not reveal which of the two units they come from. It is broken into the following phases however all official details are classified:


 * Aptitude-4 Weeks- Informally named "Hell on the Hills" the phase is primarily consisted of long distance, heavy weight and fast paced marches across mountainous terrain in Ringerike's north, applicants will also conduct the SF swim test at this point. The phase is designed to determine the suitability of candidates for further training.


 * Induction-9 Weeks- Those who pass the Aptitude Phase will undertake an intensive period of instruction and assessment of SF Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs), including SF weapons and SOPs (standard operating procedures). The majority of this period is spent in the field, an environment that is suitable for SF training and ideal to achieve the purpose of this phase. Much of the training is aimed at discovering an individual's qualities. The suitability of volunteers is assessed by their reaction to, and ability to cope with a series of situations when under physical and mental pressure, and by close observation by instructors at all times.


 * Employment Skills- Variable This is the phase in which several key skill such as free-fall parachuting, combat diving and other specialty courses, it is also during this phase that applicants will conduct SERE (Survive, Evade, Resist, Extract) Training, during which they will be expected to complete an evasion exercise, before 'being captured', even if successful in evasion and subjected to a 36 hour captivity period during which enhanced interrogation techniques will be used to try to force candidates to break, this is said to be the ultimate test of a candidate's moral fiber. At the end of the interrogation, if successful, candidates will receive their unit insignia and be officially inducted into their units.