US Navy SEALs
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The U.S. Navy's SEA, AIR, LAND (SEAL) Welcome to the US Navy SEALs. SEALs are the elite Naval Special Operations unit of the US Navy. The U.S. Navy's SEA, AIR, LAND (SEAL) teams are one of the most respected commando forces in the world - they are often cited as the most elite, flexible and highly trained Naval Commando force. When it comes to Maritime Special Operations and Anti / Counter-Terror operations the SEALs are hard to beat.
Formed in 1962 by President J. F. Kennedy as a maritime counterpart to the U.S. Army Special Forces (the "Green Berets"), the SEALs have amassed a remarkable history of successes and have become legendary in their exploits. The Teams have operated in every hellhole known to modern warfare and come away with many victories, some bruises and a vast history of achievements. Most SEAL missions are unreported and unknown to the general public. Due to focus, dedication, training, and an attitude that "Failure is NOT an option" the Teams have have been very successful.
SEALs are trained to operate in small units of one or two men up to platoon strength of sixteen. However, they work best in squads of eight or fewer. Most missions are clandestine in nature, planned in exacting detail and executed with precision and swiftness. During peacetime, SEALs find themselves with the same rigorous training as during war. Training remains strict to enforce the belief that the more you sweat in peacetime, the less you will bleed in war.
During Vietnam, SEAL Teams One and Two amassed a combined kill ratio of 200:1, with only 46 deaths resulting mostly from accidents and poor intelligence, rather than enemy direct fire. See the History section for an in-depth look at this conflict. Many Vietnam era SEAL vets have written some great books about this episode in SEAL history, which are covered in the Navy Seals Books section.
The SEALs performed heroically in Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada; Just Cause in Panama; Desert Shield/Storm in Iraq (200 combat missions without casualty); Restore Hope in Somalia and most recently in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Iraqi Freedom. Look for these operations and more in the Operations section. Further, the SEALs are operating on all continents and in/on or under all conditions right now?s you read these words.
Whenever the Commander in Chief needs a no-nonsense, decisive and lethal solution to a foreign policy problem, including counter-terrorism strike forces, the U.S. Navy SEALs are the force of choice. -
TRAINING
Pre-BUDS | BUDS | Airborne | SDV | STT | SEAL Platoon
So you want to be a frogman, and think you have what it takes. Or you have a friend who has a friend whose brother was a SEAL and you don't think he's that tough. Lots of rumors and legends have been spurned by the training that occurs during the dark hours on the cold, wet beaches of Coronado, Ca. and underwater in the San Diego Bay and San Clemente Island. These are places where the term "nobody can hear you scream" sends a shiver up a new tadpole recruit's spine. Navy SEAL training is designed to be tough - reputedly the toughest military training in the world. Why so? SEALs are modern day warriors who volunteer to fight as commandos, doing the dirtiest, toughest and most miserable jobs you could imagine - jobs that no one else in the military wants to even look at. These missions - such as reconnoitering an enemy beach from the surf zone, taking down a moving vessel at sea, laying awake in ambush for three days and nights up to your neck in mud - all require a stamina and threshold for pain so enormous that the average man wouldn't attempt it. Most can only imagine what a SEAL endures- and then you could multiply it by ten to come close. There is no fame, fortune or public recognition for what a SEAL commando accomplishes - most of it is classified. Quiet, professional job satisfaction is the norm for the seasoned frogman. With that in mind, let's take a look at what it actually takes to become one of the elite - a U.S. Navy SEAL Commando. -
PRE BUDS
First things first - you have to want to be a SEAL. You watched NAVY SEALS and thought Charlie Sheen had a cool lifestyle, or you have read every word ever printed that mentioned the SEALs (including pouring through all of CDR Richard Marcinko's Rogue Warrior series) and this is it for you. Or you could be like a few of the students in BUD/s who just sort of ended up there because it seemed better than chipping paint on the USS Never sail. In any event, you must first have a strong desire to be a SEAL and be willing to set out upon the journey of a lifetime. Why? Because it will seem like a lifetime if and when you are one of the lucky 5 percent of students who apply for the program to actually make it into the Teams.
TADPOLES
Tadpoles (pre-trainees) must first attend either Navy Boot Camp (for enlistees) or an Officer Selection Program such as Officer Candidate School, the Naval Academy or Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). It is at this indoctrination phase of your Navy career that you must volunteer to undergo the initial screening for acceptance into BUD/S training. The initial requirements are as follows:
Pass a diving physical exam
Have eye-sight no worse than 20/40 in one eye and 20/70 in the other and correctable to 20/20 with no color blindness (strict on this one)
Minimum ASVAB score: VE + AR = 104, MC = 50 (for enlistees)
28 years old or less (strict on this also, although there have been guys who persuaded the powers that be to ignore the cut-off)
Only men are eligible
Pass the physical fitness test (remember it is maximum effort they are looking for - not the minimums!)
o 500 yd swim using breast/side stroke in 12:30 - ten minute rest
o Minimum of 42 pushups in 2 minutes - two minutes rest
o Minimum of 50 sit-ups in 2 minutes - two minute rest
o Minimum of 8 pull-ups - no time limit - ten minute rest
o Run: 1.5 miles wearing boots & fatigues in 11:30
Piece of Cake gents. However, if you are not able to demolish the above times and minimums, you will not cut it in training. Having met all of the above qualifications, you must successfully complete the indoc program; you must also complete a follow-on school called "A" school for enlisted, which further qualifies you in your specialty (called a rate - fireman, electrician, weapons technician etc.). Then you wait for a billet to open up - at which time you can report to Coronado, Ca. for BUD/S training (if your Commanding Officer lets you transfer - so you don't want to make yourself too indispensable at your first command or they may keep you - you want out and fast because the only place for you now is in your newfound hell called Fourth Phase)! -
BUD/S
Click here to see FAQs about BUD/S training.
The official recruiting brochure states that: " as a prospective Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL student, you will participate in training that will challenge you both mentally and physically. You will also encounter obstacles that will develop and test your stamina and leadership. BUD/s training itself is extremely tough both mentally and physically, but through adequate preparation and a positive attitude, you can meet its challenges with confidence." Okay, sounds good. What exactly are these physical and mental challenges that you will face? That question is one of the corner stones of the Navy SEAL mystique - the almost unbelievable physical and mental training that the student is subjected to on a daily basis. It starts immediately upon checking into BUD/S and your assignment to the Fourth Phase.
FOURTH PHASE
Like many things in the military, the end comes before the beginning here. Fourth Phase of training varies in length depending upon when you go through training and when you check in. For many classes Fourth Phase is seven weeks in length and is a time to get physically and mentally prepared to START training! Currently it is two weeks in length - just long enough to find out which students are prepared to train and which are not. Those not prepared are sent back to the fleet to try their luck again at a later date. The length of Fourth Phase is at the whim of the Commanding Officer Du Jour who wants to make his mark on the training of new recruits. Basically, Fourth Phase is a time to get your feet on the ground and get to know the basic nuts and bolts of how BUD/S training operates. The trainees swim, pt, run and get dogged pretty hard - but you still know that training has yet to begin. During Fourth Phase, or indoctrination phase, the instructors decide who is ready to "class up" for the next BUD/S class. Prior to classing up - or commencing training, a class-up party is held at Gator Beach on the Coronado Strand where trainees paint helmets the First Phase green and shave their heads to prepare for the intensity of the ensuing 25 weeks of training.
FIRST PHASE - First Phase starts with a bang and ends with a boom. It consists of two mile and three mile timed runs, physical training (PT - or calisthenics), 1 -2 mile ocean swims with fins and a gut burning obstacle course that are almost daily delights. The minimum times required for pass become increasingly difficult for the timed evolutions, as does the intensity and difficulty of the PT and soft sand runs (yes the soft sand runs are in boots with fatigues on). During the first five weeks, students learn life saving, knot tying, underwater knot tying (a difficult skill which has claimed the budding careers of many a tadpole), basic first aid and surf passage in small inflatable boats (see video 1(3.4 mb). Underwater swims of 50 yards must be accomplished, and the student is usually revived when they pass out.
Drown Proofing - (see picture at left)came into being after an tragic accident in the late 60s when a Team member whose hands and feet were tied to simulate being a prisoneer was being transported in a small Vietnamese-style sampan. The boat rocked, tipped, filled with water, and the occupants were dumped overboard. The water was only a few feet deep (very similar to the canals and waterways in Vietnam), but the man whose hands and feet were bound was tragically drowned. It was determined that this situation should NEVER be repeated, and the concept of drownproofing was created as a solution. It was folded into the existing pool training that BUD/S students were undergoing, including rescue swimming, lifesaving, etc." (Thanks to SEAL Steve Robinson for this info) The training is very valuable in building confidence and relaxation skills in the water (also the small chance that it may come in handy some day. The evolution begins with students tying their feet at the ankles and hands behind your backs at the wrist then entering the pool for some bobbing followed by a 50 meter swim.
Another fun filled event during first phase is surf torture. Torture? You bet it is. It all stems from the theory that a frogman must be intimately familiar with the water. During BUD/S training, the student is wet and sandy for most of the six months. Even the classroom sessions often include a trip or two to the surf zone to facilitate an alert posture during the class. Periodically the instructors include a little "cold water conditioning" in the training schedule - hence the term "surf torture". Basically the entire class must wade into the surf zone to their waste line, then sit down with arms linked. Mind you that the water in San Diego never gets above 68 during summer months and 58 during winter.
Soon the insipid cold sucks all of your body's warmth and the whole class shivers in unison as the waves crash over your heads. The plan calls for submersion to the brink of hypothermia, then to pull you out for some calisthenics to warm up - then back in the drink for some more conditioning. The "training session" lasts for about an hour. It's been shown to be a very effective way to teach a prospective SEAL to mentally fend off the effects of hypothermia - which could likely save your life in the future.
Oh yes - almost frog-ot to discuss HELL WEEK! My favorite week of training during BUD/S. It occurs the sixth week of First Phase, after about 30% of the class has already rung out. Hell Week is the real make or break test during first phase - and a defining moment in the lives and careers of most SEALs. Five days and five nights of non-stop training - with a total cumulative sleep time of about 2 hours! The class is broken into boat crews, which run everywhere with their IBS (Inflatable Boat-Small) on their heads.
Hell Week starts with "break out" on Sunday night - which is a simulated combat experience with absolute chaos reigning.
After break out, the boat crews begin a series of well-choreographed training events that pit boat crew against boat crew, student against student and the individual against himself. The true enemy becomes the cold. Students are kept wet and sandy and cold and exhausted every minute of each day - the only respite coming in the warmth of the chow hall where about 5000 calories are consumed during breakfast, lunch, dinner and midnight rations.
The cold makes the weak quit and the determined seek strength through teamwork and helping their fellow students. Hell Week is a defining moment in the life of every SEAL because it makes them confident that they can endure and accomplish twenty times what they had previously thought possible. But it isn't easy (see video (1.3 mb) quicktime required. By the end of the week, the average BUD/S class is down to about 25 to 35 students - from well over 100 at the start. Some of the exciting adventures during the week include night rock portage on the rocks in front of the Hotel Del Coronado; an around-the-Coronado-Island boat paddle after three nights without sleep (15 miles); timed runs and swims; obstacle course running with the IBS and a trip down the strand (running with boats on heads) to a fun filled afternoon of low crawling through the famous mud flats, the demo pits, steel piers and many other exciting and tortuous games refined through the years by many a "creative" BUD/S instructors. Finally, on Friday afternoon a bleary eyed, torn, blistered, sunburned and scabby headed class- a fraction of the original size- is secured from Hell Week for a weekend of rest before resuming training on Monday for the Hydrographic reconnaissance training. For some more great insight on Hell Week and BUD/S in general, see Jeff Kraus' book "You Want Me To Do What?" more>>He graduated from U.S. Army Special Forces Q course, The U.S. Army Ranger course and Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL School. -
The final three weeks of First Phase teach the students the basics of what the old Underwater Demolition Teams did during WW II, the Korean War and Vietnam - reconnoitering beaches to find underwater obstacles and to determine the feasibility of landing a Marine landing force on a particular beach. There are numerous ways to accomplish this task. The easiest is the daytime administrative recon - used when the beach is not considered to be a hostile beach. Nighttime combat recons are more common during times of conflict and are conducted covertly, often submerged. However they are conducted more effectively from a surface swimmer line methodically working its way into or along a beach testing the depths and diving for obstacles. A follow-on UDT mission (now a SEAL mission) is to return to the obstacle laden beaches a later night to emplace demolition on the underwater obstacles and blow them up, with the hopes of clearing enough room for landing craft to approach the beach. These underwater demolition skills are taught to the BUD/S student during Third Phase at San Clement Island.
SECOND PHASE
video (3.9 mb) quicktime required
During Second Phase, physical training becomes more intense as the qualifying times for the timed runs, swims and obstacle courses become more demanding. A four-mile open ocean swim and a 12-mile rucksack hump are thrown in as additional gut checks. Grinder PT's become more intense and the soft sand runs as grueling as ever. However, one major difference begins to become apparent in Second Phase: you are doing real SEAL mission training (on a much less intense scale than in the Teams, as you will see later). Diving is a critical SEAL skill and a Team member can expect to log thousands of dives during his career. At BUD/S you will start off with the basics - open circuit diving in a pool. In typical fashion, nothing is made easy. During week three of Second Phase "Pool Comp" is the next big hurdle to test the SEAL candidate. In Pool Comp you will assume full dive gear with double hose regulators on the dive tanks and swim along the deep end of the Combat Training Tank. Soon, as swift as a shark attack, you are tossed around like a rag doll and will have all of your gear and tanks torn from your body (see video (2 mb) quicktime required. The regulator hoses are tied in outrageous knots by the relentless underwater aggressor (instructor Psycho)(see video (2.2 mb) quicktime required. You are in a precarious position and could easily panic and bolt for the surface. However, if you don't want to fail the test and be rolled from training, you find your source of air and untangle the knot to be able to breathe underwater. If you accomplish this you must re-don all of your gear properly and return to the surface. This is no small chore - just another day in the life of a Tadpole trainee.
Closed circuit dive training begins with Dive Physics and a sense that you are finally learning to be a Frogman! Students learn the ins and outs of the Draeger LAR V closed circuit, 100 percent oxygen diving system. This rig is worn on the chest and is a closed system - thus emitting no bubbles (when used with skill). You can appreciate how valuable a bubble less system can be to a Frogman trying to infiltrate an enemy harbor at night to blow up a ship or recon the area. However, diving the rig is the easy part. The hard part is learning how to get where you want to go underwater - at night - especially if you need to travel several miles underwater while facing currents, tides, obstacles, marine life (yikes!) and of course the enemy. This is the knowledge and courage that separates SEALs from ordinary military men. BUD/S students will learn the basics of underwater navigation in second phase - but many say that these skills must be honed over a period of several years before a level of competency can be reached that tilts the scale toward mission success. You will also learn about the limpet underwater explosive devise and how and where to attach it to the hull of a ship. You can expect to conduct close to fifty dives (both day and night) during this period of training. -
THIRD PHASE
Third Phase of BUD/s is Land Warfare Phase. Utilizing the "crawl, walk, run" principle, students learn basic marksmanship with the primary SEAL weapons, the M-16 and pistol
(SIG Sauer 9mm and Colt .45). Basic Patrolling and Immediate Action Drills are taught in both the classroom and in the field (Immediate Action Drills: in a firefight the SEAL squad will execute a number of football play type maneuvers to out-gun and out-flank the enemy, often providing enough firepower to subdue a much larger force and extract from the danger zone). Heavy weapons like the M-60 machine guns, M-79 and M203, 40 mm grenade launchers, hand grenades and Anti-Tank weapons are taught. Basic field demolitions round out the commando training. The field explosives include drop off charges, the claymore mine, shape charges and improvised explosive booby traps. Hand to hand combat training continues at a higher intensity level. Of course the physical training picks up in intensity as well. The trainees, whose bodies and minds are already hardened from four months of non-stop physical training, are broken down once again to reach new limits. A 5.5-mile ocean swim and a 14-mile run mark the physical milestones of Third Phase. (Note: the swim and run are for completion, but are timed and superior performance, as usual, limits the post event verbal abuse by the instructor staff).
The first four weeks of Land Warfare Phase are spent on the Coronado Strand learning the basics. Next the class moves to San Clemente Island to Camp Billy Machen (named after the first SEAL killed in combat in the Vietnam war). Many SEALs remember Camp Billy Machen as a dust filled hell with a few Quonset huts thrown in to keep you dry when they were allowed to sleep. Where "nobody can hear you scream" is Camp Billy Machen, and some say an entire book could be written about what a student usually endures on that rock. In past times, this portion of training was considered the most grueling because the remote and isolated camp offers the SEAL instructors few distractions from conjuring up devious and painful "training" exercises. -
Today, San Clemente sports a brand new multi- million dollar training facility that offers all of the comforts of home. Still the students are put to the test. One of the more lighthearted training exercises are "flights" up a steep hill carrying a wooden pallet - the student must follow proper flight procedures such as staying in the flight pattern and requesting permission to land - or he goes back up for another "pass". Some students will log hundreds of hours in flight status and may even receive their wings on the rock!
At San Clemente, students learn the art of breath-hold diving to emplace demolitions on obstacle submerged in 20 feet of water. Utilizing the Hydrographic reconnaissance skills taught in First Phase, the class conducts a simulated night combat beach reconnaissance, prepares a hydrographic chart, then returns the following night to stealthily place demo on the obstacles and blow them up! Night patrols, ambushes and direct action raid skills are honed in preparation for the final battle problem.
The Final Field Training Exercise (FTX) is held over a five-day/night period. Each squad enters isolation to begin the mission planning process and conducts four back-to-back night operations utilizing most of the commando skills taught during the six month BUD/S training. This is an exhaustive yet exhilarating time and brings to a culmination the long days and nights of the most intensive and comprehensive military training in the world.
Graduation Day - The day a budding tadpole could barely imagine a few short months previously. The 20 or so men who muster with stern faces and hardened bodies - sporting well earned BUD/s graduate "thousand mile stares," bear little resemblance to the wide eyed kids who arrived on the quarterdeck of the Phil Buckelew Naval Special Warfare Center six and one half months earlier to embark on the journey of a lifetime. The moment of reflection and rest is short lived though. It's off to jump school at Fort Benning, Ga., then assignment to a SEAL or SDV team on the East or West Coast. Once at the SEAL Team, training has just begun, for now you must prove worthy of wearing the coveted "trident" Naval Warfare insignia.
BUD/S FAQs
This FAQ was designed to answer some of the more common questions asked about BUD/S training, this website and the SEAL Teams in general. It is not intended to break down the BUD/S application process, nor does it intend to list the requirements for BUD/S, although it does include some relevant information pertaining to this. I highly recommend all interested future-BUD/S applicants (and any other interested parties) visit the "Official Navy SEAL website" at http://www.sealchallenge.navy.mil This is also the official website for Special Warfare Combatant Crewmember (SWCC) and the Leapfrogs (Navy SEAL parachute demonstration team). That website is extremely informative and it breaks down the entire process to make it simple and easy. All wanna-bees should thoroughly navigate this website as well as the one listed above BEFORE emailing or posting any questions. 9 times out of 10 you will find your answer. This makes everything easier and more available for everyone. Thank you and have fun!
1.) In regards to this website, if I am not, nor ever was a SEAL, may I respond under the "Ask A SEAL" forum?
- Absolutely NOT. We only want legitimate SEALs responding to the posted questions - this helps us ensure that people asking questions are getting accurate, up to date information. NO EXCEPTIONS!!
2.) Are there any questions that should NOT be asked on this website?
- Yes. Under the Ask A SEAL forum, ask only SEAL-related questions (not about games such as SOCOM, etc.). Do not ask about why female's can not be SEALs. Research the forums - it has been brought up in the past but should not be brought up anymore. DO NOT ask active duty SEALs where they are stationed and specific information about themselves. Former and retired SEAL will usually give you their duty stations and it is ok to ask them. Simple rule of thumb - if you ask a SEAL (active/reserve/retired/former) a question and he says he will not answer that specific question, STOP asking it. If you think he is a fraud, report him to the AuthentiSEAL website. DO NOT ask about SEAL Team 6 or Development Group (DevGru) or about Red Cell. Read some of Marcinko's books for information on these units. Do not ask about specifics on potentially classified information (such as the SDV program) for obvious reasons. Operational Security (OPSEC) should be forefront in your mind before asking a question for the safety and maintained security of the SEAL Teams and the men that comprise them and have comprised them. You will be told if you ask about a forbiden topic. If that happens, let it go - do not try to solicit more information on the subject. Also do not ask "which Special Operations group is the best?" There is no answer for that question. ALL are elite and have their specific functions - not ONE is "the best."
3.) I know a guy that claims he was a SEAL. Is there any way to verify his claim and how positive is the verification?
- There absolutely is a way to verify anyone's claims that they are or have ever been a SEAL. Visit the website www.AuthentiSEAL.org for information. There is a link for that site on this site. The verification accuracy is definite! They have a database of every man that has ever graduated from BUD/S training with some information on each man. (Please not: there has NEVER been any "SECRET" SEALs or BUD/S Classes). Have as much information as possible about the subject who claims SEAL status before submitting your request for verification. Visit their website for specific information.
4.) Can females apply for BUD/S training?
- No. The reasoning for this is due to the Ground Combat Exclusion Law passed by US Congress. The program is strictly for men only. No female has ever been accepted to BUD/S. Females may look into other Special Warfare/diving-related programs though, specifically - Explosives Ordnance Disposal (EOD). Call 1-800-USA-NAVY for more information.
5.) Can I be in a branch other than the Navy and be a SEAL?
- No. The title NAVY SEAL should be pretty much self-explanatory. Other branch service members desiring BUD/S training should try to get an inter-service transfer to the U.S. Navy first. Talk to your chain of command or contact the Naval Special Warfare Center (NSWC) for more information.
6.) I am not a U.S. citizen. Can I go to BUD/S to become a United States Navy SEAL?
- No. To attend BUD/S for the United States Navy, you must be a United States citizen. A few "foreign nationals" are accepted into most BUD/S classes (from militaries other than our own), but that is a totally different issue and decided at the discretion of the Naval Special Warfare Center (NSWC) and worked out between the Center and our military allies that may be interested. But for U.S. Navy SEAL hopefuls, you must first obtain U.S. citizenship, then you may apply for BUD/S.
7.) Are there any ASVAB waivers available if I don't meet the required scores?
- Yes. A maximum of 5 point waivers may be requested.
8.) What are the specifics on eyesight requirements for BUD/S applicants?
- 20/40 in one eye; 20/70 in the other with both being correctable to 20/20. Waivers are typically given to those applicants with at least 20/70 in one eye and 20/100 in the other. Eyesight corrective surgery IS now acceptable provided you meet the above listed requirements. In addition to all of this - NO colorblindness is acceptable and that is NOT "waiverable." There are very specific reasons for these requirements (which I will not get into here). Eyesight is the #1, most common disqualifier for BUD/S applicants. -
9.) The BUD/S age limit is 28 years old or younger. Can I get a waiver if I am "too old?"
- Yes, no and maybe. Age waivers are fairly standard and common for 29 and 30 year old applicants. Men above the age of 30 have been accepted and have graduated, but it is on a case-by-case basis and it is rare. For example, a 35 year old applicant with no military background will probably NOT get a waiver, while a 37 year old former Army Special Forces soldier may get one because of his SpecOps background experience. It is the decision of the higher authorities as to whether or not they will approve an age waiver. Anyone above the age of 40 years old will probably NOT get a waiver, regardless of background.
10.) How many different waivers may I obtain?
- There is no specific number of waivers allowed, but obviously you want the least amount of waivers, if you need any at all. One waiver should be your max. Of course no waivers is ideal.
11.) What is a "BUD/S package?"
- All of the forms, requests, documents and waivers, etc. that you need to submit to apply for BUD/S training. Visit www.sealchallenge.navy.mil for more specific information.
12.) What is the "SEAL Challenge" contract? How does it work?
- It does NOT guarantee you will go to BUD/S, What it does guarantee is that if you successfully meet all of the requirements and you pass the BUD/S Physical Screening Test (PST), then you will be given a slot in a BUD/S class. It also provides you with 3 opportunities to pass the PST if you fail it initially. Again, more information is available at www.sealchallenge.navy.mil.
13.) What if I have been to BUD/S before, didn't make it and want to try again?
- Officers are given one shot only. So Officers are NOT afforded the opportunity to re-apply. Enlisted men, on the other hand, may re-apply as many times as they would like provided they still meet all of the requirements. They must also submit a BUD/S package just like everyone else, but must also include a form 1070 explaining why they were voluntarily or involuntarily disenrolled and what steps have been taken to correct those deficencies.
14.) Should I expose myself to freezing cold water to help prepare myself for BUD/S training?
- Absolutely not! Not only is it very dangerous and stupid, but it is also non-beneficial. It is not possible to "get used to" cold water. So why expose yourself to unnecessary punishment and danger? You will get all the cold water you can handle once you get to BUD/S. The Teams need guys that can persevere and endure through ANY conditions and not just "quit" if placed in an uncomfortable situation. So it's not about "getting used to it," but it IS about "dealing with it." -
15.) What type of physical preperation and workout should I do to help prepare me for BUD/S?
- If you navigate through this site and others, you will find the US Naval Special Warfare's "recommended" workouts. There are also numerous books and videos available to assist you with this. Whatever workout(s) you decide to do, you should be sure to include lots of push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, dips, flutter kicks, running and swimming. Lots of it! Weight training is NOT necessary nor is it recommended for prospective BUD/S candidates. Also, proper, healthy nutrition is very important. Eat right and follow a proper work-out routine and you will go to BUD/S with a healthy mind, body and spirit which will increase your possibilities of making it to graduation!
16.) Is there any type of academic preperation I should do before BUD/S?
- It may be a good idea to review basic mathematic/algebra skills, basic laws of physics and some basic chemistry (mainly the "elements"). This is not absolutely necessary but would be very beneficial and not at all detrimental. Of course ANY additional education is an outstanding idea! Learn as much as you can!!
17.) Should I learn how to SCUBA dive before going to BUD/S?
- SCUBA classes teach RECREATIONAL and other types of "civilian" diving. Prospective SEALs are taught how to be COMBAT divers. Two completely different things. Second phase of BUD/S will teach you all the diving you need to know - much more extensive than ANY other program anywhere. No previous civilian (or other) diving experience is needed nor recommended. If you go in with NO diving experience at all, that is a good thing, because the instructors are then able to "mold you" into the type of the diver needed in the Teams. You won't have any old "bad habits" to break, etc. It's easier to teach someone from scratch than to have to "re-teach" someone things that they THOUGHT they already knew. -
18.) What type of H2H fighting (martial arts) system do they use in the Teams and should I take martial arts classes prior to going to BUD/S?
- The Naval Special Warfare community does NOT recognize only one specific form of martial arts or system of fighting. All of the advertisements that say "The OFFICIAL Navy SEAL Hand 2 Hand Comabt System..." or anything similar is just a sales technique - nothing else. These "systems" or "programs" may have been used in platoon work-ups or in the Combat Fighting Course (CFC), but not one specific style is exclusive in the Teams. Some arts that are effective for application within the SEAL Teams include Ninjutsu and Israeli Krav Maga. Martial arts training is NOT able to prepare you for BUD/S (or the SEAL Teams in general), but it is beneficial in conditioning your mind, body and spirit.
19.) Is "quitting" the only way to not make it through BUD/S?
- No. A Drop on Request (DOR) is the most common way to be disenrolled from BUD/S, but is not the only cause. There are also "performance drops," "academic drops," "medical drops" and "staff decision drops." A performance drop is when you continuously fail a timed/graded physical evolution or evolutions. An academic drop is when you are not able to pass a written/academic test/exam. A medical drop is of course a drop due to a medical condition or injury. The "staff decision drop," is very rare, but if the instructor staff all concur that you are not fit for the program (for whatever reasons), they will disenroll you from BUD/S. You would have to be a serious problem to the class in order to receive this punishment. But don't go into BUD/S and be an arrogant ass-clown, because it can be and has been done!
20.) If I get hurt or fail a timed/graded evolution or test, will I be immediately dropped from BUD/S training?
- No. If a student is injured, he will be examined by the medical department staff at BUD/S to determine the extent of the injury. It is their decision as to whether or not the student is fit to continue training with his class. If not, the student will usually be "rolled back." That means that he will be placed in the Physical Training Rehabilitation and Recoperation (PTRR) division until the next upcoming class reaches the point in training where the injured student stopped at, and at that point, the injured "roll back" will re-join regular BUD/S training with that class. Sometimes an injured student may have to be rolled back more than one class if the injury requires such action. If the injury is too severe, prolonged or reoccuring, the student may be dropped from training at which point he would be assigned to the fleet and may re-apply for BUD/S later, once the injury has healed and he is back to 100% health again. Obviously if you continuously fail physical or academic tests, you can not graduate from BUD/S. Periodic "review boards" are conducted, the first one being right before Hell Week. All students with one or more failed evolutions will appear in front of the board of instructors to discuss their deficiencies (one student at a time). The instructor board will all concur on one of three possible decisions: continue with training as regular (usually approved if there is only one small hurdle standing in your way which they think you will be able to overcome very soon), "roll back" into the next class most common decision - but only one roll back permitted for performance or academic reasons, or of course they can drop you from training (usually only if the student is already a "roll back" and still failing evolutions). There is a saying at BUD/S that "every student has ONE silver bullet." Translation being that if you do have to appear in front of a review board for the first time - you will be "rolled back" rather than dropped. Then you "used your silver bullet." If you have to appear in front of a review board again for a second time, you already had your second chance and you will most likely be dropped from training. Also make note that in each class, you are usually afforded about 3 chances to pass each evolution if neccessary, so there is NO excuse for consistent failure anyway. If dropped from training , you are sent to the fleet (regular Navy) and (enlisted men) may re-apply after at least 2 years service in the fleet. Officers, as stated earlier are finished for good as they may not re-apply for training at any later date. -
21.) Does BUD/S get easier after Hell Week.
- Hell no. It gets harder and the required times for evolutions drop as you are expected to show improvement every time you perform an evolution. And if you make it to the Teams - it only gets harder so you better love it! But I personally guarantee you that it is ALL 210% worth it!!
22.) What "tips" can you offer to someone that has received his orders for BUD/S and waiting to ship out to Coronado?
- Purchase a COMPLETE new dress uniform that you will wear when you "check-in" to BUD/S on day one. Bright ribbons, NO stains ANYWHERE, nice new white hat, shiny shoes, etc. Use extreme attention to detail! Dress as if the President of the United States was going to inspect you. This is very imoprtant as you want to make a positive first impression for yourself. The instructors want to see students that are "squared away" to the MAX! Be clean shaven with a fresh haircut (even though you'll be cutting it all off shortly) and do not wear any cologne (after shave is ok). Make sure your orders, service record and all other documents and papers are neat and organized for presentation. Carry a black ball point pen with you at all times (but be careful to NOT get any stains on your uniform). Be courteous and professional at all times to everyone. During BUD/S training (even the instructors will tell you this) - lay low. Do what you are told, pass all evolutions on the first attempt (never be last) and don't be a cocky loudmouth. Do not become a problem. Take extreme care of all of your gear (that should go without saying). Shiny helmet, neat uniforms, well-cared for boots, sharpened K-Bar at all times, neatly organized lockers, clean diving gear, etc. BUD/S should be your ONLY concern when you are there. If you have a secondary agenda in mind (such as, getting drunk in Tijuana every saturday night) don't even waste your time going to BUD/S. Don't worry - you will have a little time to party. Class party's are great! Throughout BUD/S always have fun and be able to laugh (not out loud though - on the inside I mean). And always utilize TEAMWORK!!! If you can successfully do everything stated above, stay healthy and never quit, you WILL make it to graduation!!
23.) I want to become a SEAL sniper. How do I do this?
- First off, if you are asking yourself this question - STOP! You are thinking WAY TOO FAR ahead. Get through BUD/S, jump school and SQT first. Then, maybe you can look into whether or not your unit needs a sniper. If so and if you are known as an outstanding marksman, you can submit a request to attend a sniper school or program. No guarantees that you will get it though. The needs of your unit will ultimately be the deciding factor on what schools or additional training may be available to you. So get to the Teams first! Also, please note that a Sniper's job is not like in the Tome Berenger movie, "Sniper." A SEAL Sniper is not sent out with a "mission to take out someone." A SEAL Sniper's main objective is as a position of security for his Teammates. He (and a "spotter") will typically remain a significant distance away from the operational target. He will gather as much information as he can about the target objective from a distance. He will make note of where personnel are stationed in the area. He basically will oversee his Teammates. He will take a shot and snipe someone only if the safety of his teammates is at stake. So he is usually assigned to the unit to act as a sniper and fire a shot only if it is absolutely necessary. SEAL Snipers are not sent out with the sole purpose of assassinating anyone. This is not Hollywood.
24.) What is the difference between a SEAL Team and an SDV Team?
- Guys that are assigned to an SDV Team (SEAL Delivery Vehicle Delivery Team) are SEALs just like any other SEAL. On an SDV Team, you will do and perform the same training and functions that the other SEAL Teams are doing. Only difference is you have an added capability (a very valuable one) - SDV's and ASDS's. You will, of course, focus more of your training actually in the water working with the "mini-submarines," but you do get to partake in all of the other training as well. Most of the SDV program is classified so detail will not be discussed here. All you need to realize is that an SDV Team IS a SEAL Team just as much as the Teams called "SEAL Team _." You are just trained more with an added capability. A common misconception that many people have is that an SDV Team only "delivers SEALs" to their objective. The truth is that an SDV (or ASDS) delivers the SEALs to their objective. The SEALs that it delivers come from the SDV Team. The team of guys that only deliver SEALs to their objective (insertions and extractions) and provide ship-to-shore support are the SBU's, or, Special Boat Units, which are comprised of Special Warfare Combatant Crewmember (SWCC) personnel. These units are not SEALs, but SWCC guys. -
AIRBORNE
Picture yourself standing in the side door of a C-141 cargo aircraft traveling at 120 knots. The windblast is deafening. Your stomach is churning, as you contemplate leaping out the door into the sky 1500 feet above the ground. Many things could go wrong - you could trip and hit your head on the door, your static line could break, or, heaven forbid, your parachute could malfunction. Jump, two, three, four, five - check canpoy, look for other jumpers, uh oh, got a tear the size of the grand canyon and you are coming down fast. Through 1,000 feet, seconds tick away as the terror of the moment grips you. Finally, the three weeks of airborne training kick in and you remember instinctively your points of performance in this situation. Reserve deployment. Look, reach, grab and pull the reserve handles. Watch as it cuts away your main chute and deploys your reserve -1B parachute. 500 feet, not much room to spare as you drift to the ground preparing to do a PLF (Parachute Landing Fall) or land on your fifth point of performance (your butt). Grab your chute and report into the Army instructor - Congratulations! You have completed your first Airborne jump at Basic Airborne training in Fort Benning, Ga. Four more to go and you can pin on the lead wings and report in to your SEAL Team for STT.
Airborne school is meant to teach SEALs how to jump out of a perfectly good airplane at night with a full combat load. In the old days, the teams spent three days to teach this same skill. But as safety concerns overrode the Team's old ways, the Army was assigned basic jump training and they work hard to pack three days of training into three weeks! So prepare to be repetitious - because, as they say, repetition is the mother of perfection. At the end of three weeks of ground school, tower training, and jumping from or bouncing in every type of contraption you could imagine, the students finally get to jump out of a REAL Airplane. Most claim it to be a hairy experience - so you might expect a few butterflies on your first jump. The standing joke is that your first jump will be a night water jump - because your eyes will be closed and you will pee your pants! However, most SEAL Airborne students learn to enjoy jumping and are eager to get to Free Fall school when in the Teams. Accruing over 1,000 free fall jumps and 50 - 100 static line jumps is not uncommon during a career in the Teams. -
SDV
SEAL Delivery Vehicle School: BUD/S graduates who receive orders to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team ONE in Hawaii or TWO in Little Creek, Va. must attend the three month SDV School in Coronado, Ca.
This course teaches the students how to dive the MK-16 mixed gas dive rig and to pilot and navigate the MK-VIII SEAL Delivery Vehicle. The SDV is a "wet" submersible, which SEALs use to conduct 100 percent long-range submerged missions; they also use it to secretly deliver SEALs and other agents onto enemy territory from a submarine or other vessel at sea. It takes a formidable amount of training to be able to pilot and navigate the SDV well, and the best SDVers usually stay at an SDV Team for the bulk of their SEAL careers. We discuss the SDV more in the equipment section of this site. Since this training is highly technical and very dangerous, it is considerably more relaxed and is a refreshing transition for the BUD/S graduate from the harassment of BUD/S training to the professional attitude at the SEAL Teams. Still, SEALs are expected to perform at a high level; it is not unheard of to be expelled from this training. Also the new SEALs reputation starts while he is at BUD/S, and reputation is the cornerstone of the professional SEAL's career. To be known as a good "operator" is as highly coveted in the Teams as a six-figure paycheck is on Wall Street! Many aspects of the SEAL Delivery Vehicle program are classified and beyond what we can discuss here - so you will have to join the Navy to find out. -
STT
SEAL Tactical Training - Tired yet? Well the fun is just beginning. It takes about five years to train a SEAL up to a high level of competence in all skill and mission areas. BUD/s are BASIC individual training. Now the prospective SEAL must check into his SEAL Team, assume the "new guy" role and start to learn how to operate as an elite commando unit. This mandatory four-month course is the first step.
SEAL Tactical Training primarily focuses on the basics, but takes the individual's skill levels to a higher plateau. Also, students start to learn how to operate as a team. The course is a little over four months in length and starts with classroom training in mission planning and intelligence gathering/reporting. Students then begin a series of "blocks" of training covering the major skills required to conduct SEAL missions. These include Hydrographic Reconnaissance, Communications, Field Medicine, Air Skills, Combat Swimmer, Land Warfare, Maritime Operations (long range ocean navigation) and Submarine Lock-in/Lock-out.
During Air week the class can expect to conduct day and night static line jumps, a water jump accompanied by a "rubber duck" - a zodiac boat with motor and gear sent out of the back of a C-130 under canopy, followed by six frogmen to chase it to the water. Fastrope techniques, whereby a SEAL slides down a nylon rope for 80 feet using only gloved hands to brake, and rappelling are taught. Finally, the "Special Insertion/Extraction" (SPIE) rig is introduced - allowing six to eight SEALs to be removed from an area too rugged or dense to land a helicopter.
During combat swimmer training the class will conduct over 25 day and night compass dives, starting again from the basics and progressing to full mission profile combat swimmer submerged ship attacks against Naval Vessels.
Land Warfare training is usually conducted at the Naval Special Warfare training facility at Niland, Ca. for the West Coast Teams or at Camp A.P Hill for the East Coast teams. This training lasts three weeks and is similar in content to the San Clemente Land Warfare - except at a much more advanced level. Students enhance their skills in patrolling, improvised booby traps, stalking, weaponry and military demolition. They begin to practice the fine art of live fire immediate action drills, which have the team firing and maneuvering in well-choreographed sequences. These drills become quite interesting at night using pop up targets and pop flares and smoke grenades - all creating confusion and chaos - which emulates the "fog" of battle pretty well.
Often the squads get split up and disoriented - especially during the famed "gauntlet" at Niland where the squad patrols through a course with multiple and simultaneous "hits" that they must analyze and react to, suppress fire and get out of the kill zone! WOW, what a rush! Bullets fly all over the place, team members scream to communicate over the noise, smoke grenades go off and pop flares light up the night sky then fizzle out. All this is going on while SEALs endure sweat, fear, exhilaration and confusion, along with the ever- present desire to perform the drill better each time because they know that their life depends upon the level of competence of the team in a real firefight. The motto the more you sweat in peacetime the less you bleed in war is constantly drilled into your head. Train as you would fight - this is Navy SEAL Training at it's best folks!
An Insert by Lieutenant Commander Mark Divine
One particularly memorable portion of my STT training was land navigation in Washington State. We parachuted into the pitch-black night and landed on a pitch black Drop Zone lit only by four chemlights. Met by the organizer of this delightful event, First Class Petty Officer Jefferey Kraus (who by the way is the only military man to hold the distinction of having attended U.S. Army Ranger School, U.S. Army Special Forces School, and U.S. Navy SEAL training! WOW what a glutton for punishment Jeff is - a super great guy though and just a little devious too.)
Jeff handed us a coordinate of our destination - said to be there before 9 am the next morning, told us there were dogs lined up to trail us in one hour, then sent us on our way through the thick, pitch black forest. ALONE. Man was that spooky - no flashlights because it would blow your night vision - knowing you were being tracked by dogs and thinking that there were people out there looking for you - pretty close to what it was like in the jungles of Vietnam (well not really-but there is only so much you can do to simulate war in peacetime!).
That first night it was so dark that I read my Sylva Ranger Compass upside down and moved stealthily for six miles in the exact OPPOSITE direction I was supposed to move! When I finally figured this out I was in some farmer's back yard with his dog barking at me and I remember thinking that I shouldn't have to climb over so many fences in this exercise! Well I had to find my exact starting point if I had any hope of finding the target by 9 am in the morning - a mere 7 hours away. So I ran with full rucksack - through the farmers fields and over fences and by pure magic found my start point then started on my way in the right direction.
At about 0400 in the morning I was totally lost in the forest - so much for my navigation skills, a feeling of desperation was coming over me when I looked up at a tree about 100 feet in front of me and saw a white sign. My curiosity aroused, I wandered over to see my exact grid coordinates posted on the sign! God bless the Army! In the middle of the forest, lost with pretty much no hope of figuring out where the heck I was, the U.S. Army had the foresight to place a sign on a tree telling me EXACTLY where I was. What service! -
SEAL PLATOON
Platoon Training is where the rubber finally meets the road. Armed with a year of individual skill training, hardened by thousands of hours of physical training, diving, jumping, shooting and blowing things up, now the SEAL (if he passes the remaining tests and boards and earns the privilege to wear the SEAL Trident) gets to put his fledgling talent to work with seasoned veterans of Naval Special Warfare.
A SEAL Platoon consists of two officers, one chief and thirteen enlisted men. Responsibilities are divided into positions in a patrol (such as Point Man, Patrol Leader, Radio Man, 60 Gunner, Corpsman and Rear Security), department leadership (such as Diving Department Head, Air Department Head and Ordnance/Demo Department Head) and by rank. The senior officer is the Platoon Commander, the junior officer is his assistant, the senior enlisted is the Platoon Chief and the next senior enlisted is the Leading Petty Officer who is in charge of the day-to-day management of the enlisted platoon members. SEAL Platoons have a training cycle, which includes either a 12 or 18 month training work-up, then a 6 month deployment overseas in an operational ‘combat ready’ status at a Naval Special Warfare Unit or Detachment. These platoons are incredibly highly trained and can accomplish most any task thrown at them. The training that must be accomplished during the year-plus training cycle is based upon several factors:
Advanced individual and platoon level skills necessary for the conduct of all Special Operations Missions.
The methods of delivery, insertion/extraction most likely to be utilized while on deployment.
The geographic area of responsibility of the SEAL Team.
Wherever there are troops on the ground in the world, you can be pretty sure that the SEALs, along with their Green Beret counterparts, are either there now or were there first!
The first three months of the training cycle, it is usually back to the basics. Hydrographic reconnaissance is covered once again combined with underwater demolition of submerged obstacles. Next, air training lasts two weeks and builds upon STT skills, including several -Duck- drops out of different aircraft, both day and night combat equipment parachute jumps, fast-roping, rappelling and SPIE rig, mission planning in a classroom environment followed by intelligence gathering and reporting.
Next, is another Combat Swimmer course. It takes several years before a SEAL becomes an ‘expert’ combat diver (expert is a relative term here, because compared to 99 percent of all the divers in the world, a BUD/S student is an expert after Second Phase of BUD/S!). Combat swimmer training in the platoon is a very arduous and intense training block. The platoon will conduct over 30 dives during three weeks - including a Full Mission Profile, where SEALs are inserted by aircraft or surface vessel for a 30 mile ‘over the horizon’ transit in the CRRC, followed by a demanding turtleback (kicking on the surface toward the dive point in full dive gear), then a four hour, multi-leg dive into the enemy harbor to emplace limpet mines on the hulls of the target ships, then extracting after evading the anti swimmer measures put in place by the training cadre. Many SEALs say that the Combat Swimmer course is exhausting.
The typical training day begins at seven a.m., when you come into the team to set up your dive rigs and prepare you gear. The officers then brief the dive, and SEALs plan their dive profile for the day dive. The day dive takes place from about 10:00 a.m. until about 2:00 p.m., at which time you return to the team to post-dive the dive rig, then set it up again for the night dive. You re-prepare all of your gear, plan the night's dive, then cut out for a couple of hours rest and much needed food. You return to the team at 6:00 p.m., for another dive brief, make final preparations and depart for the night dive at 7:30 p.m. Insertion at 8:00 p.m. and dive until completion at about midnight. Then it is back to the team to post-dive the rigs and cleanup your gear. Finally, you de-brief the dive and go home for five hours of much needed sleep before doing it all over again the next day. Needless to say, divers don't have the energy to PT much during Combat Swimmer; however, some might say that swimming six to eight thousand yards underwater, often against the current, qualifies as exercise!
Land Warfare training occurs again out at Niland or Camp A.P. Hill (sometimes at a different location like Camp Roberts in CA., if the teams want a change of scenery). This starts with the basics, once again, in small unit tactics and builds to Full Mission Profiles conducted in a simulated combat environment.
This training is as close to a 24-hour a day work schedule that you can get (besides being on a submarine). Training begins immediately after breakfast at 6:00 a.m., and it continues until about 12:00 or 1:00 a.m. the following morning. There are breaks for lunch and dinner – and, if it gets above 105 degrees during the day, the platoon will seek shelter in the classroom for some academic classes.
The platoon will shoot thousands and thousands of rounds during this training and will blow up more demolitions than you could imagine. Immediate Action Drills are again a favorite of the SEALs and are the most intense portion of the training. Navy SEAL tactics cannot be discussed in this publication, due to their sensitive nature and to protect the troops; suffice it to say that SEAL IADs are unique and have been said to mislead an enemy force into believing that they are up against a whole company (100 men) of Army GIs. There are some great books on the market by Vietnam era SEAL vets. Darryl Young's ‘The Element Of Surprise’ is excellent as is Dick Couch's SEAL Team ONE. See the Navy SEAL Books section of this publication for a quick look at the other good ‘been there, done that’ SEAL books.
Land Warfare training ends with a week long Field Training Exercise where the platoon is put in semi-isolation in a simulated combat environment. Each squad will conduct several independent missions - usually a special reconnaissance, stand-off weapons direct action raid, body snatch, point ambush or combat search and rescue (CSAR-downed pilot rescue). The platoon combines to conduct a platoon-size direct action mission, which is supported by helicopter assets, Desert Patrol Vehicle (only if a Desert Platoon), and incorporates much of the training accomplished during the Land Warfare phase of training. This mission is very comprehensive and, if the platoon is detected by the training cadre, they are ‘contacted’ with enemy fire from which they must utilize the fire and maneuver Immediate Action Drills learned during training and evade the pursuing force.
Most SEALs say that this training is a great learning experience and superb conditioning for combat. It provides the platoon with the foundation from which to conduct the remaining year and one half (or so) of training. Some other training highlights are Jungle Warfare Training in Central America. In Navy SEAL lore, these jungles are said to be a living nightmare. The Army lost a man training there a couple of years ago - just flat out disappeared. Man-eating crocodiles and poisonous sea snakes are just two of your bedfellows as you patrol through the rivers and streams deep within the dense jungle foliage. The platoon learns the value of a pump action shotgun to clear foliage when contacted – especially if you can't see your target and he may be only a few feet from the platoon.
Jungle hammocks are mandatory - ask anyone who has attempted to sleep on the jungle floor - yikes! Patrolling one klick (one thousand yards) can take hours, as the point man cuts his way through the bamboo and vines - humidity of 100 percent will probably send a constant stream of sweat down your back. This training emulates, in many ways, the environment of the Vietnam era that SEALs endured and thrived in. Operators from SEAL Team FOUR have also found this very valuable in their efforts fighting alongside the DEA and foreign nationals in the war against drugs.
SEAL Teams TWO and FIVE are responsible for regions of the world that are often blanketed in snow – so their platoons conduct extreme cold weather training and winter warfare training. -
Usually conducted in Alaska, Montana, Upstate New York and Norway, the training covers cross country skiing, snowshoeing, winter orienteering and mountain warfare tactics, building snow caves and fire and maneuver tactics on skis and snow shoes. Winter survival and escape and evasion are particularly arduous skills to master, and the winter warfare platoons become quite adept at this unique form of warfare. The remaining Teams that do not require a winter warfare background still attend cold weather training and cold weather maritime operations in Alaska. This Naval Special Warfare Detachment has a seasoned training cadre. The cadre's sole purpose is to train each platoon in the requirements of conducting commando missions in a mountainous environment, where the platoon needs to rope in and traverse steep cliffs and ravines in cold weather.
Also, supported by a Special Boat Unit Twelve detachment of two Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBS), the platoons conduct long range maritime operations (over 60 mile open ocean transits in a Combat Rubber Raiding Craft, or CRRC) and the very high threat ‘over the beach’ crossing in a cold weather environment, while utilizing dry suits to preserve warmth. SEAL Team TWO platoons often conduct joint training exercises with their Norwegian and German counterparts in the mountains of Europe. These men are quite adept at winter warfare, but the U.S. Navy SEALs hold their own and excel when put to the test - as usual.
Submarine Lock Out/Lock In (LO/LI) and Dry Deck Shelter Mass Swimmer Lock Out/Lock In (DDS MSLO/LI) are another insertion skill practiced by the SEAL platoon during training work-up. Imagine being on a fast attack submarine at hover 100 feet below the surface of the ocean. You enter the escape trunk for a ‘Lock-Out’ cycle with a 35 HP motor and some other SEAL gear. It's cold, it's dark and the escape trunk hatch closes while you ‘flood the trunk’ with water. With just your nose above the surface, you then pressurize the trunk to depth until the outer door cracks open. You take a deep breath and submerge to push the door all the way open to reveal the dark and vast ocean depths. Returning to the trunk, you signal that you are ready to send the motor and gear to the surface on the tethered line set up by the two SEALs who went out before you. The gear goes up - then so do you - blow and go to the surface to prepare for a long, cold CRRC transit to your unknown fate on the enemy shore. That is a small taste of what working off a submarine is like - and SEALs do a ton of it. Sending a platoon of frogmen out of a large Dry Deck Shelter at the same time is a more time effective and endurance saving method than the escape trunk method - but both are taught because the DDS equipped subs may not be available when required.
Soon the SDV teams will take delivery of the first Advanced SEAL Delivery System (ASDS). The ASDS is the first dry submersible owned by the SEAL community. It has a Submariner pilot and SEAL navigator, and it can carry a SEAL squad of eight men. The submarine will have a relatively long range and high speed (these figures are classified) and can hover above a mother submarine or the bottom and send the combat swimmers out of the pressure chamber. The chamber is pressurized with a well similar to the Seaquest DSV TV series so the SEALs just slide into the water and swim out the bottom. This is hot stuff. You can bet that other services and government agencies (read CIA) are salivating and can't wait for their first free bus ride.
Close Quarter Battle - this skill is a favorite and one in which Team guys take great pride in. Taking down a house room by room, or an airplane or bus in a hostage rescue, securing a vessel space by space after boarding from the sea or air - these all require an incredible amount of training and experience. Explosive Methods of Entry is a specialized skill taught in Close Quarter Battle training and other advanced courses. The focus is on room entry techniques utilizing MP-5 submachine guns, side arms and the CAR-15; mostly at night with MP-5 flashlight attachments, flash bangs (to stun any occupants). Technically, the regular Teams do not advertise target recognition in a room entry situation - everyone is expected to be a bad guy.
CQB is a valuable skill when performing the fine art of Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS). An at-sea terrorist situation may call for the ship to be boarded, while underway, and taken control of through force. This is a very dangerous proposition - as learned by the SEAL Team FIVE platoon in the movie Under Siege. A typical VBSS mission includes a platoon of SEALs, a follow on force like a Marine Maritime Special Purpose Force (MSPF) to secure the ship after taking control, an insertion helo (either a H-53 or H-46). The insert bird is escorted by two UH-1s or MH-60s for spotter and sniper support. The Assault force is launched under cover of darkness from an amphibious vessel or Aircraft Carrier. At the target vessel, the SEALs can beon the deck in less than 15 seconds to set security. The sniper helos take up position and relay information to the assault team leader. The platoon begins movement through the vessel toward the bridge, utilizing Close Quarter Battle skills. Once on the bridge, they will secure and stop the vessel and call in the follow on force to secure the ship. By this time, the bad guys should have been rounded up and hog-tied for interrogation. Just another easy day in the life of a Navy SEAL! A related mission, called shipboarding, has the platoon board a vessel at berth.
Mission Specific Training - Naval Special Warfare forces have five primary missions. These include Unconventional Warfare (UW) - which is basically behind the lines guerrilla warfare during times of conflict; Foreign Internal Defense (FID) - which includes the training of foreign nationals and relationship building during peacetime; Direct Action (DA) which involves any mission that a SEAL element may undergo against an enemy target including the use or potential use of force - these missions can consist of ambushes, stand off weapons attacks, hostage rescue, target assaults on maritime and land based targets, amongst others; Counter Terrorist (CT) - which is just what it sounds like and is the primary mission of DEVGRU; and finally Special Reconnaissance (SR) - which entails hydrographic reconnaissance and SDV Beach Feasibility studies, point and area recons, Indications and Warning missions and any other overt, covert or clandestine mission where the primary purpose is to gather information. Most SEAL platoon work-up time is spent training to hone skills, which are utilized regardless of the mission category - such as shooting, demo and insertion/extraction methods (diving, parachuting, SDV, patrolling, Desert Patrol Vehicle, skiing etc). -
However, there are more specialized skills that must be learned in order to effectively conduct the broad range of missions that fall under the five categories mentioned above. Therefore, SEALs attend most of the entire advanced individual training courses offered by the Teams and other Special Operations communities. Some of these include: SERE school, Diving Supervisor, Parachute Rigger, Army Ranger school, Naval Gunfire Support, Sniper school, Breacher, Submarine trunk operator (OJT), Emergency Medical Technician, H & K repair, Free fall School and Free fall Jumpmaster, Static Line Jumpmaster, Target Analysis, Intelligence Photography, Stinger Weapon School, Cooper/Shaw shooting school, Hand to Hand Combat Fighting Course (formerly SCARS) 40 hour operator and 300 hour instructor courses, NSW Communications school and Applied Explosive Techniques, and more.
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Are you from the US Navy SEAL?
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No other topics to discuss liao > Same old story
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i wan to be the CIA u god dam fkin shyt
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the only easy day... was yesterday
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NO I WAS FROM SAF SCHOOL OF MAN POWER. IM A CLERK-COMMANDO. OK!!Originally posted by acwire_2125:Are you from the US Navy SEAL? -
HI MISSQI FEEL LIEK WANNA KICK ASS TAKE NEAMES OH YEA U BETCHA MY ASS YOU DAM HIGH AND HORNNREEEEEYYYY LITTLE BEACHY~~~~~WOOOOOHAAAA!!!!Originally posted by missqi: -
Since u like SEAL so much.. let me ask u.. what are SEAL favour quote?
And when their officer finish debriefing his men, and ask if they understand what he said. His men will answer "Hoooowa" Which Stand for "H-UA"
so what is HUA??
Last question.. the HQ of SEAL is in which state, which county which city?