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 XXX: AFSW Attribute - Stress Tolerance
This episode is only available to subscribers.
Ones Ready MBRS Only
Exclusive access to bonus episodes!This episode closes out the Attributes Series with one of the most mission-critical traits in Air Force Special Warfare: stress tolerance. Aaron breaks down what stress tolerance actually means—not being emotionless, but staying inside the performance window when stakes are high. From eustress vs distress to stress inoculation, breath control, visualization, and recovery, this is a practical blueprint for how instructors evaluate candidates under pressure. Mass casualties, buddy breathing, danger-close CAS—this attribute decides whether you freeze, spiral, or perform. Stress is guaranteed. Your response is what’s being tested.
⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 Ones Ready intro and closing the Attributes Series
01:30 Defining stress tolerance (RAND framework)
04:10 Eustress vs distress explained
07:00 The performance window and arousal levels
10:30 Why dead-eyes and panic both fail
14:00 Stress + recovery = growth model
17:10 Buddy breathing and hyper-arousal examples
20:45 Real-world stakes: medicine, CAS, mass casualties
23:30 Breath control: physiological sigh
27:00 Box breathing and CO₂ tolerance
31:00 Visualization as stress prevention
35:30 How instructors actually evaluate stress tolerance
39:00 Stress inoculation across the pipeline
43:00 Final charge: train the response, not avoidance
🎯 Call-to-Actions:
👍 Like the episode
🔔 Subscribe
💬 Comment how you manage stress
🌟 Leave a review
🪖 Join the Ones Ready Membership
👕 Check out the merch store
📍 operatortrainingsummit.com
Join this channel to get access to perks: HERE
Buzzsprout Subscription page: HERE
Register for our Operator Training Summit: OperatorTrainingSummit.com
Collabs:
Ones Ready - OnesReady.com
18A Fitness - Promo Code: ONESREADY
ATACLete - Follow the URL (no promo code): ATACLete
Danger Close Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
DFND Apparel - Promo Code: ONESREADY
Hoist - Promo Code: ONESREADY
...