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 Staff Sgt. Tawny Kruse

Air Assault Course at Camp Dodge - Zero Day

Joint Force Headquarters - Iowa National Guard

Aug. 30, 2022 | 2:22

National Guard and active duty Soldiers, along with a few Airmen and two members of the Kosovo Security Force, kicked off zero day of Air Assault instruction with an early morning two-mile run, a lot of diamond pushups and the confidence course at Camp Dodge in Johnston, Iowa, on Aug. 30, 2022. Cadre from the Army National Guard Warrior Training Center at Fort Benning, Georgia, will be teaching the Air Assault course along with Pathfinder and Master Rappel courses during the next few weeks.

A few students working hard to earn their wings shared their reactions to the obstacle course:

Spc. Theresa Haskin, a Story City, Iowa, native and avionic and survivability equipment repairer with Company B, 248th Aviation Support Battalion, Iowa Army National Guard.

Staff Sgt. Bayquan McDonald, a Mount Pleasant, Iowa, native and combat engineer with Company A, 224th Brigade Engineer Battalion, Iowa Army National Guard.

Sgt. Benjamin Godinez, a Jonesboro, Illinois, native and infantry Soldier with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 230th Infantry Regiment, Illinois Army National Guard.

Sead Berisha, an illustrator with a psychological operations unit in the Kosovo Security Force.

(U.S. Army National Guard video by Staff Sgt. Tawny Kruse)