Question for 16 OBR SPN

[papasmerf]

Hey bud, I read your thread about Chechnya conflict, I must say it's very interesting, I enjoyed reading it all, and thanks for your time with posting! p-) Anyway, I have a question about Spetznas selection, what is it like? Where do you guys conduct the training? How many people are usually in one "class"? What is the duration of the entire selection process? Is it only for volunteers? What is the whole selection divided like (for example, first phase conditioning, second phase diving, third phase demolitions, etc. I'm kind of using US Navy SEALs "selection" just to make sure you understand my question). What are the instructors there like? What are the ways you get dropped from the training? Can you request to Drop on Request at anytime? In general, what do you guys do during selection, how is it like? I'm very interested.

Thank you

[George W. Bush]

I think the instructors just punch them in the head and kick them in the chest a lot

[papasmerf]

I think the instructors just punch them in the head and kick them in the chest a lot

And jump on their stomachs, so I've heard lol

[16 OBr SpN]

Hey bud, I read your thread about Chechnya conflict, I must say it's very interesting, I enjoyed reading it all, and thanks for your time with posting! p-) Anyway, I have a question about Spetznas selection, what is it like? Where do you guys conduct the training? How many people are usually in one "class"? What is the duration of the entire selection process? Is it only for volunteers? What is the whole selection divided like (for example, first phase conditioning, second phase diving, third phase demolitions, etc. I'm kind of using US Navy SEALs "selection" just to make sure you understand my question). What are the instructors there like? What are the ways you get dropped from the training? Can you request to Drop on Request at anytime? In general, what do you guys do during selection, how is it like? I'm very interested.

Thank you

Hi,

I will tell you about selection to SpN GRU on my personal experience. Again, I will not tell you everything, sorry. :)

During times of Soviet Union we never even heard of anything like that. In the mind of a regular person, our best soldiers were VDV.

I always wanted to serve in the army. While being a youngster I participated in DOSAAF. This government organization dealt with preparing children some aspects of military service. I did my first parachute jump when I was 15 years old. Along with that I also went to local wrestling school. English language was also among my personal hobbies.

Anyways, I received a notice from local authorities to enroll in military. When I went there, I took all my certificates and diplomas. After seeing all that, they put me in VDV. I was happy to say the least!
I served in VDV for 6 months. Training was very very rough. It included almost everything: parachute jumping; hand-to-hand combat; shooting. Along with that we had marches with full gear for 12 to 40 km. The theoretic part included the brief history of different military conflicts, and their analysis from the military standpoint.

During the 6th month of my service, I was called to the commander's office where I saw two strange men sitting in his office. They had a thick file on the table, and it included everything about me, even name of my kindergarden teacher. They started asking me different questions.
Then asked if I wanted to serve my country, and my answer was pretty obvious.
The next day I heard an order from the commander which was read to us. It said "due to their unsatisfactory service, they are transeferred to regular infantry". I was in shock along with the newbies in my platoon, while old guys were looking at me, and smiling.

Anyways, the very same day me, and 4 other people from my unit were sent to rail station. We were given one-way tickets to destination X. They gave us a uniform of regular infantry. Upon arrival, we were picked up by a very old truck which transports food. The trunk was metal with doors in it. But the driver seemed very untypical for a truck driver. We arrived at the base after a certain period of time. The base didn't have anything unusual. Everything was painfully simple, and we began imagining ourselves being in "punk-ass infantry" :)

When I made my first step inside that place, all previous training and challenges seemed like a playground.
We slept 3 hours per day, 4 days per week; and 5 hours per day, the remaining 3 days. And they were changing the schedule every month. The training included: parachute jumps; shooting from all known pieces of weaponry; explosives; hand-to-hand combat; swimming; first aid. We were taught different aspects of guerilla warfare, and anti-guerilla activities. Foreign studies included: military doctrines; weapons; military units; geography.

On late levels of training they would wake us up in night with "red alert", and we had to move to a certain destination on the map, and destroy/capture it. All within strict time frame. The place was being guraded by "enemy soldiers", and we had to quickly lay out our plan, and attack. Number of people varied from 8 to 30, depending on the type of mission. If objective is not complete, some don't sleep the following 48 hours guarding the perimeter of the base, while other losers had to "infiltrate" it. Ones who fail, get 3 months probation period.

I'll continue later....

Regards,
16 OBr SpN

[ShotOver]

So, what do you do now? Since you are no longer in the military?

[16 OBr SpN]

So, what do you do now? Since you are no longer in the military?

NOTHING ;)

[ShotOver]

Aaah, i see.

[16 OBr SpN]

Most important training was of course tactical excercises.
Usually it meant for a small group to be dropped in a certain area, while the second group is trying to locate and "destroy" us. First group receives an order to move to certain position.
Missions took place in different locations, but mostly in dense woods. Destination was usually on a distance of 2-3 day movement. Food ration was enough for only one day, while we had to get food for ourselves. Absolutely no fires, no smoking, no radio contacts. That was especially challenging during winter and early spring.

Selection to SpN GRU was not voluntary, they picked the candidates themselves either from other units and/or local army conscription offices.
But you can divide the training process in two types: for conscripts, and for officers.

Service in SpN GRU goes on for 2 years. After that, you can decide to continue as an officer and further master your skills. Officer training is much more rigorous and has a regional direction to it (North America, Western Europe, etc.). We studied in different military schools where we were tought language in our country of operation; thorough study of geography; location of its strategic facilities; etc.

Regards,
16 OBr SpN

[ShotOver]

Sorry to sound like a total ****head, but what is

"16 Obr Spn"

All i know it that it's some super elite Russian SF..

[16 OBr SpN]

Sorry to sound like a total ****head, but what is

"16 Obr Spn"

All i know it that it's some super elite Russian SF..

16 OBr SpN: stands for 16 Otdel'naya Brigada Special'nogo Naznacheniya.

The full and "correct" version of my nick would be: 16 OBr SpN GRU GSh MO RF. :)

It means: 16th Separate Special Purpose Brigade of Main Intelligence Directorate of General Staff of Defence Ministry of Russian Federation. :)

Regards,
16 OBr SpN

[ShotOver]

****, that's a mouthfull... :|

[16 OBr SpN]

****, that's a mouthfull... :|

But some people like to call it 16th Brigade of Spetsnaz GRU.

I guess guys did that so the westerners wouldn't spell it! :)
Conspiracy is the mother of success! :)

Regards,
16 OBr SpN

[ShotOver]

Aaaah, so it is Spetznaz... Thats what i was wondering.

Geeez, i need to learn a bit more about Russian Units.

[Dmitri]

So when did you actually find out that you were in Spetsnaz instead of regular infantry?

[MolliG]

Very interesting 16 OBr SpN, my thanks, along with the others, for posting the infomation. It sounds like something you would only expect in a movie (the 'destinationX' (etc) thing)! :)

[MolliG]

Double post.

[papasmerf]

A bit confusing process, thanks for the reply tho... p-)

[16 OBr SpN]

So when did you actually find out that you were in Spetsnaz instead of regular infantry?

When they made us sign the papers under which we were not allowed to leave the territory of USSR for another 25 years, it also included members of my immediate family. Exceptions were only "state sponsored work trips" ;)

We were under the State Security Law.

Regards,
16 OBr SpN

[ßå$tĮТHÏ¿ð]

A bit confusing process, thanks for the reply tho... p-)

I think its made that way so you have no bloody clue whats going on....if they advertised it and let you know right away weres the fun in that? :P