Even though Switzerland is not known to be a powerhouse in military terms and also known for their neutrality, they have an armed force available for combat. Furthermore ARD, Army Reconnaissance Detachment 10 is the special force unit of the Army of Switzerland. Only a handful of swiss soldiers belong to this prestige group. Formerly trained by the U.S. Navy Seals and the S.A.S. of the U.K., this unit is as specialized as any other special unit around the world.

Established in: "2003"

Motto (same as US Marines): "Semper Fidelis"

To join, one must have Citizenship in Switzerland. There is no age requirement to join this unit. Only 10 out of 300 Candidates will make the cut. This unit is effective, yet did not see combat. Some people believe that it would be best that they would be included in the regular army.

Pre-Selection ARD

This test involves 7 different exercises and is spread onto 2 days. It starts with pushups, sit-ups, and pullups with a cut of time of 2 minutes each. This is followed by a 5 KM Run. There is a 4-hour break and then the candidates will start their first ruck with 15 KG. The second day starts with an early in the AM 300 meter swim. It is followed by a second Ruck with 25 KG. There is a 1 hour and 30 minutes break in between. Those candidates who make it through this phase will be medically and psychologically tested. Furthermore, candidates need to be able to be bilingual, English included. The candidates will be tested. Candidates' Leaderships skills will also be tested. Pre-Selection lasts a total of 3 weeks. If they make it through this phase, they will be allowed to join Basic ARD Training.

Selection ARD

The candidates are not yet members of this special force. They now have to go through 18 months of selection. 6 months are dedicated to Selection Phase. 40 weeks are dedicated to basic training. Again, candidates will be tested to make sure that the right candidates are selected. Candidates will also go through the mountain phase, ambitious phase (Diving), Parachute, and Advanced Driving Phase. They will go through Survival Training, lots of hand-to-hand combat training, lots of orienteering, Reconnaissance training, and theory classes such as geography, tactic, diplomacy, leadership lessons, ethnology, and more.