PETAWAWA, ONT.—So you fancy yourself as a special forces soldier?

The good news is they are looking for members. But be prepared to be tested.

As a small command within the armed forces, special forces can be picky about who it chooses. The selection and the lengthy training are designed to screen out candidates unlikely to succeed.

For starters, military experience is a must, usually at least two years in uniform.

What does it take to succeed? Those doing the job say it demands emotional maturity, physical fitness and drive.

“We look for a specific mix of attributes. That’s being a cognitive warrior, motivation, perseverance, the ability to work in small teams, the right psychological makeup,” said Maj.-Gen. Mike Rouleau, who heads the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command.

The selection process is meant to push would-be operators to the limits. U.S. Navy SEALs drill candidates in the bone-chilling surf of the Pacific Ocean, driving them to exhaustion. The British Special Air Service sends its candidates on marathon treks over the Weslsh hills as part of its selection.

Canadian commanders are tight-lipped about their methods but say they are meant to assess candidates in the same way — get them cold, wet and tired and then test their abilities to work through problems.

Indeed, special forces units in Canada, Britain, the United States and Australia compare notes about selection.

“We have a very similar selection and assessment process. We go for the same type of individual,” said Col. Andrew Milburn, of the U.S. marines, who commands coalition special forces in Iraq.

Before his current assignment, he was involved with the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command.

“We like to think we select guys who are very good at operating in an uncertain environment,” Milburn told the Star.

“Obviously a very high level of physical fitness. Good intellect. Good level of what I call emotional maturity. They can read their environment very well and respond to it accordingly,” Milburn said.

The Canadian Special Operations Regiment invites about 100 applicants to its weeklong selection and typically only about 25 make the cut.

“We have a very vigorous selection. It’s relatively ruthless at times but it ensures we are identifying the right people for the right jobs,” one veteran operator told the Star.

It may look brutish and cruel, but there is science behind the gruelling selection.

The physical standards for screening and selection are based on the real-world requirements of the job, says Sue Jaenan, senior officer, human performance for the special forces command.

That’s because Jaenan and her team have wired up special forces soldiers during training and taken detailed measurements of physical demands, such as heart rate, breathing and core temperature.

“Then we have the true demands of what is required to do that job,” she said.

She says the level of fitness among special forces soldiers is “way above anything else we have in the military.

“These are very unique people. They have very, very physically demanding tasks and therefore they actually have the highest fitness standards in the Canadian forces,” Jaenan said.

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Now attention is turning to the mental demands as special force takes a page from the world of elite athletes.

“Most sports teams have used sports psychologists ... we are moving toward that in our domain,” she said, adding that two psychologists are now on the team.

The focus is giving soldiers the “cognitive and behaviour skill set that is going to make them more resilient to the sort of work they are going to be doing,” she said.

The goal is to enhance the success on the missions, but Jaenan said there is hope that it will help reduce post-traumatic stress as well.

Here are the minimum — and officials stress “minimum” — fitness standards for operators serving with the Canadian Special Operations Regiment.

Day 1:

• 20-metre shuttle run

• Minimum of 40 continuous push-ups

• Minimum of 40 sit-ups in one minute

• Minimum of 5 continuous pull-ups

• Combat Swim Test (25-metre swim in combats, boots, rifle, no flotation — no time limit)

Day 2:

• 13-kilometre load march with 35 kg in 2 hours 26 minutes, 20 seconds

• Casualty evacuation of a soldier of similar build/weight for a distance of 100 metres in 60 seconds or less