Editing Commando (section)

== Selection ==
[[File:Servicemen of the Turkish Special Forces Command, led by the Captain Harun Ergin 3.jpg|thumb|[[Turkish Land Forces]] commando units with their distinctive blue berets]]
Due to the special mental and physiological requirements made of the applicants, there are restrictions entering "commando" units. Applicants have to fulfil special requirements. Selecting applicants with the highest motivation, modern special forces run special selection processes.

Historically there is evidence of selection for the ''Otdelnly Gwardieskij Batalion Minerow,'' predecessors of the modern Russian [[spetsnaz]]. Soldiers had to be younger than 30 years, were mostly athletes or hunters and had to show the highest motivation. During training and selection some participants died since they were exhausted and left to their devices.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/75619581 |title=Eliteverbände der Welt Ausbildung, Bewaffnung, Einsätze |date=1995 |others=Terry White, Karl P. E. Veltzé |isbn=978-3-613-01688-0 |edition=1. Aufl |location=Stuttgart |pages=120 |oclc=75619581}}</ref>

The German [[Kommando Spezialkräfte]] (KSK) demands from their applicants high levels of physical resilience, teamwork, willingness to learn, mental resilience, willpower, sense of responsibility, flexibility, secrecy and adaptation. These skills are proven during assessment.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Werde Teil des Teams beim KSK |url=https://www.bundeswehr.de/de/organisation/heer/aktuelles/werde-teil-des-teams-beim-ksk-5083388 |access-date=2022-09-21 |website=www.bundeswehr.de |date=5 July 2021 |language=de |archive-date=2022-09-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220921141617/https://www.bundeswehr.de/de/organisation/heer/aktuelles/werde-teil-des-teams-beim-ksk-5083388 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The fitness test of the [[United States Navy SEALs|U.S. Navy SEALs]] tests swimming speed over 500 yards, number of push-ups and sit-ups within 2 minutes, pull-ups and running 1.5 miles.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Physical Screening Tests |url=https://navyseals.com/nsw/physical-screening-tests/ |access-date=2022-09-21 |website=Navy SEALs |language=en-US}}</ref>

[[Long Range Desert Group]] hired their personnel after a very long interrogation. First [[Special Air Service|SAS]] members had to complete a march of 50km, and the [[Royal Marines|Royal Marine commandos]] tested their applicants' motivation during an obstacle course using real explosives and machine gun fire close to [[Achnacarry|Achnacary]] in Scotland. The [[French Foreign Legion]] assesses their applicants through medical, intelligence, logic, and fitness tests as well as interrogations, small drills and solving small tasks. 

Commando soldiers are supposed to think independently. This is unusual in the context of most [[Military recruit training#Control and conformity|military training]], but is necessary for work in small groups and avoiding enemies' reconnaissance.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/75619581 |title=Eliteverbände der Welt Ausbildung, Bewaffnung, Einsätze |date=1995 |others=Terry White, Karl P. E. Veltzé |isbn=978-3-613-01688-0 |edition=1. Aufl |location=Stuttgart |pages=14–18 |language=de |oclc=75619581}}</ref>