NBS candidates face night swim in special forces selection
Monday 21st September 2026 on 20:30 in
Latvia
Several dozen soldiers are undergoing an intense final stage of selection for the National Armed Forces Special Operations Unit, LSM reported. The candidates are being tested for physical endurance, psychological resilience and teamwork.
The latest challenge took place at a lake in the middle of the night, with temperatures outside at about 10 degrees Celsius. Wearing uniforms and boots, the candidates had to swim as a group to a buoy and back, a task that lasted about an hour.
The exercise was designed to test more than physical stamina. The candidates also had to maintain their psychological resilience under pressure, and not everyone was able to withstand the stress.
“I was surprised that it was not as cold as it initially seemed, but towards the end I started to feel it anyway. When the lights disappeared, there was also this slight feeling of emptiness. Everything around was pitch black, but everything was fine,” one candidate said.
Another candidate said the main focus had been on working as a team while swimming. “To complete this task, we are like one organism and everyone has to do everything together. If one person starts to panic or does not function as required, the whole team will automatically slow down and the task will either become more difficult or not be completed. So neither I nor the team focused on the cold, but on completing the task.”
The Special Operations Unit is a specially trained National Armed Forces unit intended for special operations, including direct action and counterterrorism operations, special reconnaissance and military support.
Becoming a member requires more than physical strength. Candidates first undergo an initial selection process, followed by 14 weeks of intensive training and evaluation, during which psychological resilience is also considered essential.
The unit, which has developed the ability to operate on land, in the air and on water over 35 years, is continuing to train new professionals as it marks its anniversary.