I had one of the best birthdays in a long time.

i met up with Frogman80 with a buddy of mine, and took a tour of BUD/s. while not have that much sleep the night before from pure excitement, i was standing outside of City Hall with chris. i was jumping u everytime a car would drive by thinking it was Frogman80. when he finally showed up Chris, James ( SEAL contract leaves on monday HooYah!!!)we all jumped into frogamn80's truck, and when he saw all of us, he said that we looked like a bunch of tough guys. He talked to us for about 15 minutes getting to know all of us and finally we headed over to the NAVY SPECIAL WARFARE CENTER. when we got in the front office where we had to check in, i rememebr wondering off checking out the pictures of SEAL trainies going through BUD/s, and when i saw those pictures for some reason i felt like i was actually there watching them and wanting to get under the boat with them, wanting to join them in their push ups, log PT, running, and the "O" course. now the other side of the hall there were pitures of the past SEAL/s who have gave their life for the teams, MOR's( Medal of Honor Recipients). I knew of only two of them Lt. Micheal Murphey(Lone Survivor) and MA2 michael monsoor. i was just so amazed of the atmosphere in that whole office but standing next to those pictures i knew that they didn't become SEALs for medals and ill tell you why they became SEALs at the end of this blog.

  After we checked in and got or passes, we walked straight into the grinder and thats when it really hit me that i was at BUD/s, where it all begins. Chris, James, and I stood next to the Frogman Statue took a couple pictures and Frogman80 had a story to tell us about when he came here and how much its changed, and let me make this clear, not the training but the facility has more building. Frogman80 graduated with class 80, we were there the day before of class 271 graduates. after the grinder we headed up to the XO's (Executive Officer) office. There we met SWCC & SEAL Scouts I think they were all SWCC operators. While frogman80 was inside with us he left us with a SCOUT to hear more facts about BUD/s and how to better prepare us for BUD/s. This guy was really cool he talked about his time in africa as a SWCC operator. he told us about how the ages between 18-21 have the most drop outs. He then asked us why we havent joined yet and what we were waiting for, with james already signed and ready to go he just asked him how much he has been running, he said about 8 miles a day and the SCOUT said he needs to run more. He asekd Chris what was his deal, and Chris was explaining how he was interested in USAF Pararescuemen. The SCOUT said nothing bad about that, all he told him was the good and bad about the Air Force and the bad stuff, the only thing i remembered was that it was really hard to Rank up. He then told us a story about out how easy it is to Rank up in the Navy. Then the SCOUT turned to me and asked me what was holding me abck and i told him how i has surgery last year and how it hasnt healed yet, and i was scared that he was going to say, and why is that stopping you from doin push ups pull ups and sit ups. NO!!! Not at all, all he said was take your time to heal take as much time as possible to heal and gett better prepared. i thought that was cool.

When Frogman80 came out we went back downstairs with a guy that was returning to go through BUD/s again and this guy was the coolest. he took us down to the O course and ran through it all, but aat the last part he had all three of us run through it with him, lol we screwed up on the first obstacle because we kept holding on to the rope which was funny, we then went through some more obstacles and then we went to this wall where your climbing on the side of it, the guy told us how there was an easy side and a harder side he told us to take the easy side but i jumped up there and took the hardest side i got all the way to the top but when i got there i really didnt know how to balance and manuver my way down then he showed me how and told me to take the easy side again, but did i?NO WAY!!! i jumped back up there and did the the hard side like it was nothing. once we finshed to O course, Frogman80 was telling us about his days back in BUD/s. we then headed back to the grinder and just before we got back in we stopped next to this rock the was engraved and had a plack on but we started talking aboutthe running part of BUD/s we then were asked what the statement on the rock meant "THE SECRET TO BUD/s IS UNDER THIS ROCK." right then and there i knew exactly what it meant, im not going to tell you but if you saw the size of this rock and you knew what the statement meant then you belong at BUD/s. we then met some more SEALs, we went to the pool area saw some trainies and then we just sat around basically and saw all these SEALs just working out.

I swear people seeing all these guys doing what they love most and how easy they make it look, just makes it sit in my head if they can do i can do it because right now i feel i have the same desire they had when they went to BUD/s. when i was meting and talking to the UDT/SEAL instructors I got this feeling inside of me that just made me crave it even more, just thinking about how being a SEAL isnt just a job you live it, breath it, and eat it. You strive on success all day everyday. also how they never really said "I", was the coolest part it was always the "TEAMS" "WE" and "US" and that right there showed  why LT. Murphey and MA2 Monsoor became SEALs, it was because of the comradre of brothers you make and how being part of a team with the same goals, desires, missions, with the same training, can accomlish anything and everything and not doing it for money, glory, or fame, they do it because noone else can or want to. that right there makes me want to be and Elite Warrior, Commando.......

A UNITED STATES NAVY SEAL

Thanks again Frogman80, you have made the burn just as feirce and strong as ever imagined and i hope that anyone who reads this takes up any opportunity to take advantage of , when come to dealing with becoming a SEAL or anything you want to be...HooYah!!!!!!