I was extremely close to my grandfather growing up, we spent a lot of time together, which I am eternally grateful for. He was part of what has been colloquially called the “greatest generation,” a proud American, my grandfather dropped out of high school and enlisted in the Marine Corps at 17. He always took great pride in being a Marine in WWII, which included combat in the Pacific where he served in the early days of August 1944. The formative years of his life were spent in the Marines where he learned and embraced the Marine Corps tenets, such as Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful), honor, courage, and commitment.
He always had a strong belief in taking personal responsibility for his safety and instilled this into me. With these thoughts in mind, I’ve been wanting to enhance my family’s awareness an. preparation around personal safety. My daughter is now driving and will soon be heading off to college, and my oldest son will be driving before long. My children are now out and about, getting gas, shopping, etc., which is now happening without their dad’s watchful eye. So, the timing for getting the best professional training was important, and I wanted the training to cover various aspects of personal safety.
Fortuitously, I recently heard a retired Delta Force operator on a podcast, and his background and demeanor were exactly what I was looking for. Link here ninjabobsolutions.com/about/
He served in the United States Army for 20 years in a variety of capacities, most of which were in elite Special Forces units. While most have heard of the Army Rangers, the Green Berets, and Navy SEALs, there is an even more elite unit in the Army, called Delta Force, officially known as the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, the U.S. Military’s most elite and secretive special operations unit. It was established in 1977 in response to the increasing need for a highly specialized force capable of counterterrorism, hostage rescue, and other high-risk direct-action missions.
Delta Force quickly became known for its rigorous selection process and intense training regimen. The unit recruits from all branches of the U.S. military, though most candidates come from the Army Special Forces and Rangers. The selection process is grueling, with a focus on physical endurance, mental toughness, and the ability to operate independently under extreme stress. It is known that a very small percentage of candidates successfully complete the training and are admitted into “the Unit.” Some numbers floating around suggest a failure rate of 90+%, confirming that the standard at Delta is never compromised.
Former Delta Force operators have said, “It’s the hardest job to get, and the easiest to lose,” and “You never really make it; selection is an ongoing process.”
Over the years, Delta Force has become a key contributor to the United States’ counterterrorism efforts, conducting missions around the world, including hostage rescues, direct action operations, and high-value target captures. The unit operates typically under a veil of secrecy, and its missions are rarely publicized.
This was the world my instructor operated in for years, and after a full career in Delta, he spent an additional years working for the CIA. So, to say he was qualified to teach what I was looking for is a gross understatement. When I reached out to set up training, he was gracious enough to travel out with his wife to provide 3 full days of instruction for my family, which included:
- Day 1 – Situational Awareness
- Day 2 – Introduction to Pistol Marksmanship (dry and live fire)
- Day 3 – Home Defense
The training more than met my expectations, and we all learned a tremendous amount. We learned so many valuable life skills that we will take with us wherever we go, and with all that is going on, personal safety is more important than ever.
The added benefit of our training is that my children now want to go shooting at the range as they feel very comfortable safely handling a handgun, and their dad now gets more quality time with them. A win/win.
Thank you for your service to our country.
-Paul R. Rossi, CFA