Please give incite on recruiters

[determined91]

Okay i went to MEPS with my recruiter today to take the ASVAB. i scored a 72. now i am very close to enlisting. He says that to get a SEAL rating, i must first enlist with another rating(im gonna choose aircrew), and then once i pass the PST, he will switch it over. Is this all true? I want to be ABSOLUTELY SURE before i sign my life away. Sorry, my dad's been making me paranoid.

[coronadodreamin]

Yes, that's true : Just be sure to give yourself ample time to pass the PST and then some.

[oldswabbie]

Okay i went to MEPS with my recruiter today to take the ASVAB. i scored a 72. now i am very close to enlisting. He says that to get a SEAL rating, i must first enlist with another rating(im gonna choose aircrew), and then once i pass the PST, he will switch it over. Is this all true? I want to be ABSOLUTELY SURE before i sign my life away. Sorry, my dad's been making me paranoid.

Determined...Make absolutely sure of the rate you want OTHER than SEAL. What type of Aircrew job do you want to do? ASW Aircrewman? Flight Engineer? Check the PFT (above under the TAKE THE CHALLENGE link) requirements and make sure you can do these. If you cant - you wont even get close to bud/s. So, just just put any old thing down as a base rate, you COULD very easily be ending up with it... remember, the odds are against you.

I'm not saying this to discourage you ~ just stating the facts of the DOR rate in both Navy Boot Camp (48% DOR Rate SEAL candidates), and 66%+ DOR rate bud/s (includes Hell Week).

See what I mean? You do NOT want to spend 4 years doing something you have just jotted down on paper or "settled" for. Make your second choice the BEST choice you can and get the best school lined up if you DOR bud/s.

Now ~ Tell me WHY you want to be a Navy SEAL? What is your motivation?

(fix your spelling - not incite.. its INSIGHT)

OldSwabbie

[mike0318sti]

Just one word of advice, you should have your recruiter contact the SEAL or Spec War Mentor about two things, first the mentor should be able to check your line scores and make sure you do qualify. A 72AFQT is good, but line scores are the determining factors, just make sure. Also your vision, from what our Mentor told me, thats the biggest problem. People DEP in thinking they are going to get a SEAL Challenge contract and then find out they can't due to vision. Your are at the limit (20/200 in each eye). Just suggesting to make sure, sometimes recruiters get real busy and in a hurry and forget to check these things. Good luck.

[bud/s 184]

Determined...Make absolutely sure of the rate you want OTHER than SEAL. What type of Aircrew job do you want to do? ASW Aircrewman? Flight Engineer? Check the PFT (above under the TAKE THE CHALLENGE link) requirements and make sure you can do these. If you cant - you wont even get close to bud/s. So, just just put any old thing down as a base rate, you COULD very easily be ending up with it... remember, the odds are against you.

I'm not saying this to discourage you ~ just stating the facts of the DOR rate in both Navy Boot Camp (48% DOR Rate SEAL candidates), and 66%+ DOR rate bud/s (includes Hell Week).

See what I mean? You do NOT want to spend 4 years doing something you have just jotted down on paper or "settled" for. Make your second choice the BEST choice you can and get the best school lined up if you DOR bud/s.

Now ~ Tell me WHY you want to be a Navy SEAL? What is your motivation?

(fix your spelling - not incite.. its INSIGHT)

OldSwabbie

Swab....what's up.....hey my advice is gunna be a bit different than my buddy swab's......I'm gunna reccomend that you pick the ABSOLUTE most shiiiitttty job you can find in the NAVY....the job that if you end up with it.....you would consider it....to be like 4 years in the State Pen.....pick that shiiiit.....cuz that is gunna motivate you to make it.....and I promise you....that's what your gunna need to make it thru....BUD/S!!!!

By the way...I enlisted with a AWS....or some aircrew rate....passed the PST in Boot....changed rates to OS....went to OS A School.....from there orders to BUD/S....rest is History!!

[oldswabbie]

Swab....what's up.....hey my advice is gunna be a bit different than my buddy swab's......I'm gunna reccomend that you pick the ABSOLUTE most shiiiitttty job you can find in the NAVY....the job that if you end up with it.....you would consider it....to be like 4 years in the State Pen.....pick that shiiiit.....cuz that is gunna motivate you to make it.....and I promise you....that's what your gunna need to make it thru....BUD/S!!!!

By the way...I enlisted with a AWS....or some aircrew rate....passed the PST in Boot....changed rates to OS....went to OS A School.....from there orders to BUD/S....rest is History!!

He's got a point - if you know you got S*** ahead of you if you fail.. it WILL give you a Heck of alot more incentive NOT to quit. Good way to look at it.. I guess I was playing it safe the old man way. LOL.

Bud/s184 ~ you owe me a keyboard... I just spit Gatorade all over it.. D*** it... I know better than to take a drink and start reading ANYTHING you write! :D

< note to self.. DO NOT EAT OR DRINK when reading bud/s 184's posts - Mental note made, stored, compiled.... Rejected... bud/s184 does not compute... Redirect, recompile... DO NOT EAT OR DRINK when reading bud/s184 posts... compiled and stored... Bud/s184 does not compute>


OldSwabbie

[determined91]

Hey thanks alot guys, alot of good advice in here. I can easily pass everything except the swim. i have NO idea if i can pass the swim or not because i dont know the frickin side stroke. thats what im worried about, is that in the 60 days i have to pass the pst i wont get good enough at it. I need someone to teach me, the video's on youtube dont help much

[oldswabbie]

Hey thanks alot guys, alot of good advice in here. I can easily pass everything except the swim. i have NO idea if i can pass the swim or not because i dont know the frickin side stroke. thats what im worried about, is that in the 60 days i have to pass the pst i wont get good enough at it. I need someone to teach me, the video's on youtube dont help much

Glad we could help, at least you know we wont dance around the dog pile...we will tell you like it is.

I suggest you find a YMCA or something and get to work swimming and training. Find someone to help you if you can. I believe you can also buy the training video/dvd. Its worth it to invest in your future.

OldSwabbie

[mburns3]

i have NO idea if i can pass the swim or not because i dont know the frickin side stroke. thats what im worried about, is that in the 60 days i have to pass the pst i wont get good enough at it. I need someone to teach me, the video's on youtube dont help much

Just a word of advice if you want it- get the stroke down and be confident that you're GTG on the PST before you sign. If you're serious about this then you can afford to wait a couple extra weeks, it can't hurt you and the SEALs aren't going anywhere. That's my .02 anyway. Then again, if you're determined enough, passing the swim in 2 months shouldn't be a problem, so do what you feel is right. As for me, I waited.

[determined91]

Oh i guess i should have mentioned that, i got a ymca membership a couple of months ago and i lift there just about every day of the week. Ive started swimming recently too, and i think ive got the side stroke down now. But on the pst, do i have to do just the side stroke, or the combat side stroke? if its the CSS then i need to find someone to teach me it. And im going to wait now that i noticed the 60 day completion time for the pst. Im confident in everything else, but i just dont know for sure about my swimming yet.

[sickle]

Determined...Make absolutely sure of the rate you want OTHER than SEAL. What type of Aircrew job do you want to do? ASW Aircrewman? Flight Engineer? Check the PFT (above under the TAKE THE CHALLENGE link) requirements and make sure you can do these. If you cant - you wont even get close to bud/s. So, just just put any old thing down as a base rate, you COULD very easily be ending up with it... remember, the odds are against you.

I'm not saying this to discourage you ~ just stating the facts of the DOR rate in both Navy Boot Camp (48% DOR Rate SEAL candidates), and 66%+ DOR rate bud/s (includes Hell Week).

See what I mean? You do NOT want to spend 4 years doing something you have just jotted down on paper or "settled" for. Make your second choice the BEST choice you can and get the best school lined up if you DOR bud/s.

Now ~ Tell me WHY you want to be a Navy SEAL? What is your motivation?

(fix your spelling - not incite.. its INSIGHT)

OldSwabbie

The first contract isn't a backup contract either, you completely change it when you get SO, so if you drop or whatever from training you will pick a new job (or maybe the Navy picks one for you). Besides it's just another thing to motivate you "BUDS or stuck in some submarine fixing rusted bolts".

[mburns3]

You can use the breaststroke or regular sidestroke on the PST, it doesn't have to be CSS. Obviously at some point you'll need to learn it, but to just pass the PST you don't have to know it.

--
Another thought: your recruiter will hook you up with a SEAL mentor once you're in the DEP program. From my experience and from what I've heard from others, the mentors are more than willing to assist you as much as they can. My mentor holds a swim clinic every week to help guys with their stroke, all you have to do is show up. So there's your teacher for the CSS if you're still trying to find one.

[determined91]

Yeah thanks man. Thats the only reason im in a hurry to enlist, is so i can start training with the coordinator and other SEAL wannabe's like myself.
Idk, right now what i do know for a fact is that i can do 70 pushups, 8 pullups, not sure about situps, i know i can do 50 in 1:12 secs, but i havnt tried to max out yet. And i can run TWO miles in 14 minutes, so i know i can pass the 1 1/2 mile run just fine. Im just gonna keep doing what im doing and start swimming more often before i DEP

[Shady8Dozen313]

Okay i went to MEPS with my recruiter today to take the ASVAB. i scored a 72. now i am very close to enlisting. He says that to get a SEAL rating, i must first enlist with another rating(im gonna choose aircrew), and then once i pass the PST, he will switch it over. Is this all true? I want to be ABSOLUTELY SURE before i sign my life away. Sorry, my dad's been making me paranoid.

WOAH, I am so absolutly confused on whats going on with this guy. Someone correct me if im wrong but a 72 SHOULD be alright to enlist under the SO rating,because i know my dumb *** self got a 63. So i have no idea why your recruiter would try and get you to do AW-->SO just doesnt make since. Please if im missing something then tell me

[determined91]

Well shady, from what i understand thats how it always works. i know i have a good enough asvab score, but it sounds like this is how it works for everybody. people im correct arent i? Im gonna crap myself if i find out that i can go straight in as SO..

[Shady8Dozen313]

Well shady, from what i understand thats how it always works. i know i have a good enough asvab score, but it sounds like this is how it works for everybody. people im correct arent i? Im gonna crap myself if i find out that i can go straight in as SO..

Man i went to BUD/s in Oct 2006 and left April 2007. I have friends who have been there after me and Im 100% sure you do NOT have to choose ANY OTHER RATE BESIDES SO. BUD/s is now an A-School as of March'ish of 06. Think of this logicly. If you want to be a SEAL where do you have to go? BUD/s, well since BUD/s is an A-School why would they said you to a 2 year course to be an AW? If I'm wrong about this than something has serously changed and it wouldnt make since. Call the dive motivators in your area and talk to them about this. He will set this all streight. Ask him to speak to your recruiter if the information you are recieving is wrong but if you want to be a SEAL and not an AW then GO TO BUD/s...to be a SEAL.

[mike0318sti]

Yes SO is a rate and you go to boot camp with that, but you can no longer just pick it...you have to earn it. Thats why the job you pick when you go down doesn't really matter, as soon as you pass the PST, they will re-classify you.

[Shady8Dozen313]

Yes SO is a rate and you go to boot camp with that, but you can no longer just pick it...you have to earn it. Thats why the job you pick when you go down doesn't really matter, as soon as you pass the PST, they will re-classify you.

You have to EARN the rate? SO doesnt mean SEAL, it means Special Operator...my buddy passed BUD/s and recieved the SO rating. He was an SO2 when he got dropped in SQT. Still an SO2. I dont know. This just sounds *** backwards of how they are doing things now. Just seems like a way for them to screw people over in bootcamp and blame them for not going to BUD/s because they did not have a contract to go to BUD/s. I wouldnt want to go to boot if i wasnt 100% sure in writing I had a shot at BUD/s. Just my 2cents

[mike0318sti]

Ok, YES you have to EARN SO, as in a SEAL Challenge Contract, and it will say SO on the contract paper. From what I've read http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=25916
you get SO once you complete BUD/S, and most go on to complete SQT and pick up their Warfare Designator (SEAL). It is a bit confusing though, not sure what point there would be to keeping them as an SO, unless they plan to send him back through SQT. Hopefully someone more knowledgable on it will give us some incite. As far as wanting to be 100% sure you have a shot at BUD/S, thats what the SEAL Challenge contract is, you have to pass the PST after you DEP in, before you ship and again in Boot Camp and Indoc before you get to BUD/S. Its your obligation to keep passing the PST, the Navy can't guarantee that for you.

[mike0318sti]

One thing I forgot, the reason you have to earn the SEAL Challenge Contract is when you could pick it at MEPS, a lot of people who were not even capable of passing the PST were getting the SEAL Challenge Contract, then couldn't ship in that program because they fail their PST before they ship, or in Boot Camp. Now, we make sure you can pass the PST before you are given a SEAL Challenge Contract.