APPROXIMATElast verified 2026-10-18Army Ranger Wing (ARW) — Óglaigh na hÉireann
SOFQ Module 1 — fitness test and loaded marches (Special Operations Forces Qualification)
The Army Ranger Wing is the special operations unit of the Irish Defence Forces (Óglaigh na hÉireann); selection is open only to serving members, with no direct entry from civilian life. It takes the form of the 36-week Special Operations Forces Qualification Course (SOFQ), run once a year: Module 1 opens with a fitness test — pull-ups, sit-ups, push-ups and a 3.2 km run — and loaded marches, then ten solo navigation marches and a final 60 km march with 29.5 kg. The published minimums (ARW, September 2021) apply to all candidates, men and women, of every age.
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What an Army Ranger Wing operator earns
- Overseas Peace Support Allowance on missions abroad, Private to Captain (OPSA)€73.07 – €96.68 per day
- Extra on armed peace-support missions (Overseas Armed Peace Support Allowance, OAPSA)€28.14 – €29.76 per day
Department of Defence tables from 1 June 2026, the last increase under the Public Service Agreement 2024–2026; no new pay deal has been published since it expired, so rates may still rise. Enlisted pay and allowances are set per week; the annual amounts here are weekly rates × 52.18 (our conversion), officers’ pay is annual. Shown: scales for those who joined after 1 January 2013, the Military Service Allowance and the ARW Allowance (€320.58 a week for enlisted, €310.48 for officers — the officer rate differs from a May 2026 parliamentary answer); not included: duty allowances, overseas missions and overtime. The rules for moving between pay points are not published.
provisional = official source with a provisional legal status, a secondary source or our own calculation; see the sources.
- Department of Defence — Approved Enlisted Pay Scales wef 01 June 2026 (Oct 18, 2026)
- Department of Defence — 26-06-01 Approved Officers Class A Pay Scales (Oct 18, 2026)
- Department of Defence — Approved Allowances – Post 2013 – Enlisted Personnel – 01 June 2026 (Oct 18, 2026)
- Department of Defence — 26-06-01 Approved Officer Rates of Allowances Class A and C (Oct 18, 2026)
- Dáil Éireann — Written answers, PQ 33170/26 (Army Ranger Wing Allowance), 6 May 2026 (Oct 18, 2026)
The test, event by event
| Event | Minimum — all candidates, men and women, every age |
|---|---|
| Pull-ups, overhand, no kipping (pull ups) | 7 |
| Sit-ups (sit up) | 31 |
| Push-ups (push up) | 37 |
| 3.2 km run (3.2 km run) | 14:35 |
| 12.8 km battle run with 25 kg (12.8 k Battle Run) | 109 min |
Also required
- Only serving members of the Permanent Defence Force — officers, NCOs and privates — can apply; there is no direct entry. A civilian first joins the Defence Forces (age 18 to under 39, induction fitness test: 20 push-ups and 20 sit-ups in 60 s, 2.4 km under 11:40 for men), completes about 24 weeks of recruit training to Private 3 Star and only then applies for SOFQ.
- Module 1, phase 1 also includes the Foreman-Aftman Test: 17 km over hilly ground with 45 lb (about 20.4 kg) without water, rations or weapon — no time limit is published, the recommended pace is 4 km/h, and it accounts for about 40% of all Module 1 drop-outs. Confidence tests: two bridge jumps, a claustrophobia test and two abseils — two refusals mean a fail. There is also a written map-reading test.
- Module 1, phase 2 (weeks 2–3, Wicklow Mountains): ten individual navigation marches with 45–65 lb (about 20–29.5 kg), roughly 25 km a day at an average of at least 4 km/h; distances and times are not disclosed to candidates. The final exercise, ENDURANCE, is 60 km with 29.5 kg. Officers are additionally assessed on planning and decision-making.
- Course structure: SOFQ lasts 36 weeks in five modules and runs once a year, preceded by a one-week SOF-Q Prep & Orientation course, usually in April–June. The Fianóglach tab is awarded after Module 3 and the green beret after Module 4. A swim test is part of the ARW standards but is not required in Module 1; its distance is not published.
- Minimum — all candidates, men and women, every age — ARW HPP — Module 1 – Test Overview, Special Operation Forces – Qualification (SOFQ ECHO-TWO, September 2021), military.ie (2026-10-18)
Questions
Can I apply to the ARW straight from civilian life?
No. The Defence Forces state that ARW selection is available exclusively to serving members and that there is no direct entry route. You first join as a recruit or cadet, pass the induction fitness test and basic training, and then apply for SOFQ, which runs once a year.
Why 7 pull-ups and 14:35, when the document says “more than 6” and “under 14:36”?
The ARW document writes the standards as “> 6” pull-ups, “> 30” sit-ups, “> 36” push-ups, “< 14:36” for 3.2 km and “< 1 h 50 min” for the battle run. We take them literally, so the minimum is 7, 31, 37, 14:35 and 109 minutes. The document gives no time limit for sit-ups and push-ups; it refers to Defence Forces instructions that are not public.
Where do the numbers come from?
From the ARW document “Module 1 – Test Overview” (SOFQ ECHO-TWO, September 2021), still linked from the SOFQ page on military.ie (read 18 October 2026). It is the only official document with these figures, so we cannot confirm that the 2025–2026 courses used the same standards; the entry requirements come from the Defence Forces Terms and Conditions 2026.
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