Naval Education and Training Command: Warrior Toughness

Every U.S. Navy Sailor, enlisted or officer, could face life-threatening situations from combat or casualty. Each and every one needs to have the ability to persevere and perform under both immediate danger and long-term stress, both on the job and at home.

Warrior Toughness (WT) is a holistic human performance skillset that enhances the toughness of our Sailors with a focus on the pursuit of peak performance. The system emphasizes coequal development of toughness in the mind, body, and soul. WT combines performance psychology skills with character development, and teaches the Warrior Mindset, whose concepts were initially developed by members of the Naval Special Warfare community.

Designed to increase the Navy’s warfighting capabilities, WT is an enabler of the Culture of Excellence as part of the first line of effort – Developing a Lethal Warfighting Force. In place at Recruit Training Command since October 2018, the curriculum is now incorporated across all Navy accessions at Officer Training Command Newport, the United States Naval Academy and the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps. WT will improve the performance of Sailors under stress and throughout their everyday lives, building lethal warfighters ready for the next mission.

Video by Sara Barger

Fuel for the Fight

Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs/Military Health System

March 31, 2025 | 3:39

Service members who have healthy diets, including higher amounts of fruits and vegetables daily, are less likely to have medically diagnosed heart conditions. Uniformed Services University cardiologist Dr. Marc Alaric Franzos discusses why you should eat heart healthy and what not to eat, including how to best fuel warfighter performance. Learn about nutrition geared for readiness and how to “look at those foods that can fuel us for the fight,” Franzos says.

Franzos is a retired U.S. Navy captain who flew the P3 Orion early in his career. He became a U.S. Navy physician and a flight surgeon and ultimately specialized in cardiovascular disease and internal medicine. He is an associate professor of medicine at the Department of Defense's premiere medical school. “Picking a diet you like and you can stick with, but that is also somewhat healthy—and will get you to your goals—is really critical,” Franzos said. His top nutritional lifestyle suggestion is the long-popular and varied Mediterranean diet. The diet includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, potatoes, beans, nuts, and seeds; olive oil as a primary fat source; and dairy products, eggs, fish, and poultry in low to moderate amounts. It centers on minimally processed, plant-based foods to prevent heart disease and stroke and reduce heart risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.