Ones Ready
A team of active duty Combat Control (CCT), Pararescue (PJ), and Special Reconnaissance (SR) leveraging our 69 years of special operations experience to make the next generation of operators smarter, faster and stronger than we ever were. We are the PREMIERE resource for all things Air Force Special Warfare. The Ones Ready Podcast is honest talk about what it is like to go from a know-nothing high school graduate to an elite Special Operator. We will cover important practices for success including physical training, nutrition, recovery, and mindset traits essential to any team. Join us in The Team Room to get all your questions answered!! With battle-tested operators from across USAF SPECWAR and far-reaching web of recruiters, subject matter experts, and friends, there are no questions we can’t answer- and if we can’t, we know exactly where to look. See you in The Team Room!Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the OnesReady team are those of the team and do not reflect the official policy or position of the DoD. Any content provided by our Podcast guests, bloggers, sponsors, or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign the DoD, any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone.
Ones Ready
Ep 512: Air Force Special Warfare Pipeline: Training, Selection, and How Not to Fail
Aaron takes the mic solo and unloads on pipeline myths, training excuses, and bad packet habits. Forget the rumor mill—he explains why the Air Force keeps tweaking Special Warfare selection, why “pipeline optimization” isn’t a conspiracy, and why faster runners are always the ones who graduate. He drags combat controllers over pistol skills, laughs about swim cap questions, and gives the blunt truth: stop wasting time and train specifically for what actually matters. It’s snarky, savage, and brutally useful—classic Aaron, unfiltered.
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 – Intro chaos and tech fail shoutout
02:05 – Pipeline rumors: water vs land
04:15 – Why change is constant in selection
08:55 – Pipeline optimization explained (no more wasted time)
11:05 – The real mission: why operators exist
15:40 – Selling the new pipeline in one sentence
17:50 – The Zulu Course: common skills, common pain
19:25 – Combat controller pistol roast
21:40 – What you should actually train for
23:55 – Why fast runners always win
28:40 – Pull-up standards and the Pose Fitness app
33:05 – Grip strength is king
35:20 – Swim efficiency and wall push-offs
39:50 – Stowe Phase I vs Phase II: packet perfection
44:30 – What Phase II really feels like
46:45 – Officers, packets, and dumb mistakes
49:05 – Who actually camps more: PJ, CCT, or SR?
55:35 – Underwaters in OCPs: why it sucks and how to prep
57:55 – Could the Air Force run its own schools? Nope
🎯 Call-to-Actions
👍 Like the episode if Aaron roasted your weakness
🔔 Subscribe for more unfiltered pipeline truth
💬 Drop your pipeline or training questions in the comments
🌟 Leave us a review—it helps the algorithm gods
🪖 Join the Ones Ready Membership for exclusive prep content
👕 Snag merch at OnesReady.com
Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERE
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
CardoMax - Promo Code: ONESREADY
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
Hoist - Promo Code: ONESREADY
Kill Cliff - Pr...