Disclaimer: The Sugar Cookies is NOT affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. or any foreign military
Participation is 100% voluntary and not required by any branch of the military
Unlike most programs, we are not here to simply “beat up” candidates
EVERYTHING we do has an important lesson
The workouts are designed to teach team building, discipline, intentional practice, mindfulness, mental toughness, injury prevention, nutrition, and preparing the ligaments/joints for training
We guarantee that if you follow our detailed instructions you will become a better person whether you make it through training or not
We do keep data on candidates, but this is purely for our own personal information and is not being used in any official capacity
Emergency contact information
Information about what program a candidate is signed up for
Reasons for successes/failures
Notes on candidate issues or areas needing improvement
OK, here we go!
The stuff included in these requirements is basic
If accomplishing these tasks is too complicated or not something you find important then I would recommend you save yourself the heartache of failing and quit now
It is extremely expensive to send someone to special forces training so you have to think about the millions lost to recruits who go to programs and quit
If you cannot follow basic instructions, do not put the burden on the American taxpayers and quit now because you are most likely not cut out for the highly disciplined lifestyle of special programs
This is not rocket science and should be easy for any moderately dedicated individual
The first rule of Sugar Cookies is that you don’t talk to anyone about the specifics of what type of training we do
This policy is not for secrecy, this is because chances are you will spread misinformation
You do not know (even if you think you do) the planning that goes into each evolution or mental exercise, and we do not want people trying to replicate things without proper safety equipment, personnel, or taking all risk factors into account
You may say the following:
We are an unofficial training group that gets together to work out together, learn about safety, and practicing mindfulness. The areas of focus are:
Pool competency
Building grit, mental toughness, and resilience
Building the right type of muscle for each body type to be most successful during training
Building the strength of joints and ligaments to help prevent injuries during training by doing specially tailored, weighted-endurance events
Mindfulness and meditation techniques needed for making it through training
If you have further questions contact an instructor directly
For your safety and the safety of others, DO NOT discuss the specifics of how we do what we do with anyone
ACTIVE DUTY RECRUITERS ALWAYS HAVE PRIORITY
It is very important to separate your DEP mentors and recruiters with The Sugar Cookies mentors
Anything pertaining to DEP or Navy requirements should take priority over The SCs
If there is a major scheduling conflict, a Sugar Cookies instructor can speak with recruiters on your behalf to work something out, but when in doubt always refer to active duty military recruiter personnel
You should always follow the instructions of your recruiter
I truly cannot believe I have to put this in here, but due to many incidents I have to make this clear:
You MUST get proper sleep before SC workouts
Some of the stuff is dangerous and if you are not mentally aware you could hurt yourself or others
You cannot come in and say, “this girl/guy was really hot and I HAD to stay up all night before a 16-mile mountain hike with heavy gear” (I wish this wasn’t a true story)
You MUST eat a proper meal before coming to a workout
Typically candidates can burn anywhere from 2000 to 7000 calories in a single workout, so EAT ACCORDINGLY
You MUST hydrate the before, during, and after all workouts
ANYONE failing to follow these 3 rules will not be allowed to participate with the group
Must sign and return liability form before your first workout
If under 18, parents must sign the waiver
Must complete “goals” form after first workout and before second workout
Must be continuously listening to audiobooks and give verbal feedback reports on the following material each month, all the way until training begins at your program
Listening to audiobooks trains your mind to listen to detailed instructions given during training
If your mind drifts during listening, rewind the book and listen to anything that you miss
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
The Upside of Stress by Kelly Mcgonigal
Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright
This is not about Buddhism or any religion, it is about mindfulness meditation and the science behind it
Being aware of your internal dialogue and your surroundings is imperative for success in any high-stress job
You must learn to accept suffering
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
Download “10% Happier” meditation app
Complete all introductory courses on mindfulness meditation before leaving to boot camp
Special warfare programs are about mental strength and stamina, much more than physical strength
This type of practice is much more important, than hitting the gym every day
Prioritize The SCs’ workouts over everything including friends and family
Before leaving for boot camp these must be your priorities
Those who are making other things more important will be asked to not return to the program
#1 Physical Health
(always see a doctor for any injury right away and never push through an injury)
#2 Work/School
#3 Workouts or Sugar Cookies functions
#4 Family Gatherings
In the event of a death or some type of serious family-related issue we can make adjustments
#5 Friends
#6 Fun/Vacations
Anytime workouts
You will be required to participate in workouts anytime, anywhere, and for any reason, if instructed by SC staff
Uniform policy for workouts
White shirt
Last name stenciled in center of the chest and center of the back
Print should be between 1 inch and 1 1/2 inches in size
Make print neat and clear in black ink
Shorts
Running shoes
Once a candidate is well trained they can move up to combat boots
No jewelry of any kind
Shave policy
All candidates must be cleanly shaven for any workouts or official SC functions such as fundraising or business meetings
No drinking
ZERO tolerance for alcohol usage even if you are 21+
This is one of the fastest ways to disqualify yourself from a military program
Alcohol leads to poor decision making, arrests, or other legal issues
Do not even hang out at places where excessive drinking is happening
One small fight or ticket can turn into a lost career/contract
No drugs
ZERO tolerance for any drug use
No dipping or smoking cigarettes
This will result in severe punishments if caught
No dangerous activities
NO CROSSFIT
Skiing
Skateboarding
Ice skating
Football
Basketball
Moshpits
Use your brain and fill in the blanks on any dangerous sport or activity, injury prevention is #1 most important part of training
Must workout as a group once a week
Either with or without the instructor present
We ask that regularly participating cadidates participate in some basic fundraising once every other month
This is mandatory to do at least once for candidates who participate for longer than a month
May include holding signs in public, washing cars, selling merch
This pays for our monthly recurring expenses for the website, GPS, maintaining gear, etc.
You can also replace this with doing work for SC
Agree to candidate chain of command
Chief Candidate
Arranges and schedules all workouts
Responsible for all recruit uniform requirements
Responsible for communicating with the CMC/Instructor
Candidate Recruit
Any lawful order given by a superior officer must be followed or you risk being eliminated from the SC training group
We want to facilitate people learning leadership and this is part of learning how to lead a group
Donate all gear before going to boot camp
You will be issued all new gear by the military
Know listed knots by week 4
Square
Clove-hitch
Right angle
Beckett’s
Bowline
Know all Navy ranks
Enlisted and officer
Make sure you know what the rank insignias look like as well as the corresponding E or O designations
Work on getting E-3 before you leave
Talk with your recruiter for options, and explain that you will need to obtain E-3 before leaving for boot camp
If you don’t do this you are losing thousands of dollars
Employment
MUST work/school a minimum of 20 hours a week
If not employed now you have 30 days to find a job or enroll in school
If you get a job that doesn’t start for a few weeks, find somewhere to wash dishes or deliver food or anything that can be gained quickly
Free time is your enemy and leads to making bad decisions
Driver’s license
MUST be actively working towards obtaining a driver’s license
MUST have a license within 8 weeks of joining the SC training group
Saturday swims
Must participate once a month in S.M.OG. swims at Torrance beach
They meet at 8 am every Saturday at Ave A, Torrance Beach