ABSTRACT
The special operations forces comprise soldiers who are specially selected, and highly trained and equipped. This chapter identifies the Swedish rangers in general seem to be characterized by a duality in terms of motivation, identity and perceived important professional qualities. It provides noteworthy results regarding perceptions of risk and safety among the rangers. Compared to other military groups, such as infantry and logistic soldiers, the rangers showed a pattern of significantly higher risk propensity and a more skeptical view towards safety and safety measures. Both civil and military research indicates that sensation-seeking is associated with negative risk behaviors and with higher accident frequencie. The chapter indicates that the rangers had a negative attitude towards safety issues. This attitude was particularly strong among individuals with a stronger warrior identity. Battistelli's typology of soldiers' motivation to seek and participate in military missions abroad comprises three motivation categories: Post-modern, Paleo modern, Modern.
