View Full Version : To Doug, Wetwash, Wazz or any other SEAL...
shocker
11-23-2002, 10:21 AM
I would really appreciate your opinion on this, cause I really respect you guys and you seem to know what you're talking about. I can't seem to get a good answer from the recruiters (or get a hold of them for that matter).
Eventhough I am not currently a U.S. citizen, I still want to become a SEAL, I realise you have to be one to pass BUD/S, but not to go through it. A recruiter said that "former" foreign guys has gone through BUD/S so I know it's possible. I'll do last year of high school in the US so i'll geet my high school diploma, got the green card thing worked out already, and then i'll join the Navy.
Now for the question: will the time in A school, boot camp and the time before San clemente be enough to get a citizenship? Is the Navy capable of speeding the citizen process up?
I realise ofcourse that they prefer selecting guys from The States, but are there any things I can do to my advantage?
If you don't know the answers could you please refer me to a recruiter that I can get a hold of.
Thanx in advance, Shocker
Eventhough I am not currently a U.S. citizen, I still want to become a SEAL, I realise you have to be one to pass BUD/S, but not to go through it.
A little confusing here. To go to BUD/S, you do not have to be a SEAL. If you pass BUD/S, that is your first huge step toward becoming a SEAL. To go through BUD/S with the United States Navy, you do have to be a U.S. citizen.
A recruiter said that "former" foreign guys has gone through BUD/S so I know it's possible.
Yes, some foreign military members do get acceptance to BUD/S. This was something I was completely unaware of until I actually got to BUD/S. I do not know how the entire process goes, but of course it has to be a United States Allied Country and the U.S. Navy offers like 1-3 BUD/S class billets to certain country's armed forces. Those country's forces (I do not know how the country's are selected) test and choose who they want to go to BUD/S to represent their country's military. Obviously they are going to send the absolute best of the best that they have because they are representing their country and expected to pass (I understand most of them do). The foreign military guys I met while I was in (1 officer from Tanzania and 2 guys (1 enlisted, 1 officer) from Singapore) were unbelievable. They were the some of the most "squared away" guys I had ever met. Very impressive.
Also, yes in the United States Navy there have been guys that were born in another country but became U.S. citizens and went through BUD/S in the US Navy and made it. There is no preference given when in the Navy of who goes to BUD/S based on anything but the PRT test and making all the other requirements. Enlisted anyway.
will the time in A school, boot camp and the time before San clemente be enough to get a citizenship?
If I am correct, I thought you had to be a citizen to even join. If not, joining may be able to work something out to make you a citizen. I don't know. Maybe you could check with a U.S. Navy recruiter (call 1-800-USA-NAVY or try 1-888-USN-SEAL) or maybe INS (United States Immigration Naturalization Service - search online). Also you mentioned San Clemente - that is where the last part of third phase in BUD/S is at, it is a part of BUD/S, not before it.
Is the Navy capable of speeding the citizen process up?
Not sure. Like I said check with INS and/or recruiters.
Sorry I couldn't answer you better. Your concerns are very in depth and uncommon. I highly suggest getting in touch with a U.S. Navy recruiter to see what you can do. I hope this has helped and I wish you the best of luck with everything! Never give up - theres always a way to make dreams a reality...
gus2001
11-23-2002, 11:49 AM
Hey man,
Got a similar problem.
Wanna be a SEAL and I'm not a citizen.
But you're half the way to citizenship if you got the green card, From what I've read you typicaly need 5 years as a green card holder to get citizenship, but if you are in the armed forces it only has to be 3, that is, 3 years in the Navy for example to get citizenship.
Let me Know if you have info I haven't got.
Gus
lauren78
11-23-2002, 11:50 AM
My husband said that when he was at BUD/s there were some Egyptian people going through the training as well. I dont want to start controversy here, but i just dont agree with that, esp after 9/11. You never know who they Navy could be training so i cant believe that they let these people in. My husband said that these guys didnt even make it thru hell week but for some reason they still showed up the next week in brown shirts. I guess the navy just has to let them through. they dont end up becoming SEALs, but they get the SEAL training. What next, should we enroll bin ladin and saddam in a class?
childofgod
11-23-2002, 04:23 PM
My husband said that these guys didnt even make it thru hell week but for some reason they still showed up the next week in brown shirts. I guess the navy just has to let them through.
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH THAT MAKES ME MAD! TELL THEM TO EARN THEIR OWN SHIRTS!
sorry SEALs, but that makes me mad, I had to say something
gus2001
11-23-2002, 04:56 PM
Hi,
I think Only Americans should do BUD/S and SEAL Training, let the a******* from other countrys to do their own training, but who listens to us.
Bullrider
11-23-2002, 05:46 PM
I agree with you as well. There were none in my class, however, there were some foreign guys in classes before and after mine. I know that they are only allowed to go through certain parts of training. Most of BUD/S does not deal with classified information, so we're not giving away any secrets. Most of that is covered in advanced training and beyond.
-Mike
shocker
11-24-2002, 06:19 AM
A little confusing here. To go to BUD/S, you do not have to be a SEAL. If you pass BUD/S, that is your first huge step toward becoming a SEAL. To go through BUD/S with the United States Navy, you do have to be a U.S. citizen.
Sorry, a recruiter ( Dennis Ketcum i believe his name was) told me that you don't need to be a citizen to get into BUD/S, but that you had to be one when you signed up for a Team. then another guy at this site told me that you need citizenship for San Clemente Island, for security reasons.
Thanx anyway, guess I'll have to keep trying to get ahold of those recruiters. they're kinda slippery..=)
shocker
11-24-2002, 06:21 AM
Hey man,
Got a similar problem.
Wanna be a SEAL and I'm not a citizen.
But you're half the way to citizenship if you got the green card, From what I've read you typicaly need 5 years as a green card holder to get citizenship, but if you are in the armed forces it only has to be 3, that is, 3 years in the Navy for example to get citizenship.
Let me Know if you have info I haven't got.
Gus
shoot me an e-mail at dive_deeper@hotmail.com an we'll talk...
Sully
11-24-2002, 06:14 PM
I think the problem is that most (if not all) of the special programs (SEAL, EOD, Diver) source rates require a security clearance i.e. you have to be a U.S. citizen in that sense. However, that doesn't mean you can't join in say, a supply rate and cross rate after becoming a citizen.
I actually thought it was a good idea - I havent seen anybody, regardless of country "skip" any part of training whatsoever. I do know that the instructor dont hammer those guys as hard though because they aren't even fighting on our Teams. I think its a good inter-twined idea though - it also opens the doors when we may need some kind of help from one of these country's. As stated above, nothing in BUD/S really classified, so no harm there. And through BUD/S your NOT a SEAL yet, just took the first step. Just my own opinion but I do understand why it is disliked heavily......