 Over 70 US service members recently signed up for the French Desert Commando course or FDCC, a course designed by the French to act as the ultimate test in a service member's physical strength and versatility only the strongest can pass. So the question is, are you strong enough? If the answer is yes, then before you can start the course, you have to pass the American pre-assessment. You have to complete a 5 mile run, pull-ups, sit-ups, push-ups or own climb, be able to trip water, side-stroke, breast-stroke, and swim underwater for 15 meters in order to make it as one of the lucky 35 that get to take part in the FDCC later. That's right, 35. That's less than half the group already present. And if you think that pre-test was tough, the course itself is roughly 12 days long with an even more challenging assessment and commando and combat phases, each with their own set of tests and obstacles. Which begs the question, are you strong enough? If you really are strong enough and pass the course, consider yourself a part of history. The French forces in US have been bolstering their interoperability through the FDCC since 2015. The course not only strengthens US and French partnership, for US forces in Djibouti, it provides valuable training on desert combat operations, terrain familiarization and platoon operations.