JW Formoza, Jednostka Wojskowa Formoza, also previously called JW 4026 Formoza, is a special force military unit in Poland. They are the frogman of Poland and are highly specialized, not only in maritime situations but also in reconnaissance. A lot of their missions are joint missions with another special force unit of Poland, the JW Grom. JW Formoza can be compared internationally to the U.S. Navy Seals.

Motto: "Zaufaj morzu, ono cię ocali"
Translation "Trust the sea, it will save you"

Established in: "1975"

To join, one must have Polish Citizenship and must be under the age of 32 before joining. He cannot have a bad reputation, nor have anything on his record. One can join, who does not have previous military experience. Only 10% of the recruits make it through selection.

The physical requirements listed below are only a small part of the whole process someone has to go through.

The pre-selection test involves 10 different physical exercises that are followed by further testings, just to get into the "Selection Phase". The test starts with a 50-meter swim that will be performed in an indoor pool, where the candidate needs to jump off the blocks. After the underwater swim and the 400-meter freestyle swim, the candidates face a water test, which is very specific. Legs and hands are tied. You have to submerge underwater and stay for 1 min. When the candidate comes up, he will be splashed with water for 1 min by the instructors. The candidate then must swim another 15 meters to pass this test. The candidates then switch into sports clothes for the 3K Run, performed on a track. The pullups are dead-hang and the situps are elbows to the knee. After the dips, the candidates have performed 10x 10-meter suicides around flags. Those candidates who pass those exercises will be judged on their hand 2 hand combat skills. 3 more fail-pass events follow. There is a 10-meter tower jump into water blindfolded, a SPELEO ladder climb, and a rappel into water.

Selection Process JW Formoza

The initial test is followed by psychological tests and then a six-day selection process starts. This survival test is performed in the polish Bieszczady Mountain, where candidates will be sleep and food-deprived. Candidates will undergo various team exercises, individual challenges, lots of calisthenics, orienteering, marching, and hiking. It can become very cold in those mountains, and in combination with rain, can make this survival training extremely difficult. After the 6 day test, a final interview is conducted, where the candidates will find out if they made it.

Characteristics of a JW Formoza Operator

Those candidates that are prone to make it through Selection and into the teams, usually have most skills listed here. They have impeccable physical conditioning, are hard workers with a responsible mindset, mentally resilient, and come with the ability to adapt to any situation. They are disciplined, loyal, and team players. They keep their emotions in check and can act intelligently under pressure. They are self-learners, they identify their weakness and work on it, and are truthful and in compliance with laws and rules. They accept and understand that this is not a 40 hour a week job.