Going to bootcamp without a SEAL contract

[josh128]

I leave for bootcamp June 12. I plan on taking the SEAL Challenge at bootcamp. Does anybody know how exactly this will work? I asked my recruiters and they really dont know. What happens if i pass the SEAL pst? Do i automatically get to go to BUDS or is there a chance of me going to the fleet? Also if i pass do i get put into the specops division of bootcamp or do i stay in regular bootcamp? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[keganb88]

Im just going to state what I know, and it isn't from personal experience. I do know that they ask anyone in bootcamp if they want to try out for SEALS/SWCC/diver/etc. You then take the PST with tons of guys. From there I do not know.

[MrParker]

How it used to be, you used to have 3 chances to pass, on you 1-3 day...and I have forgot the others. Once you pass you were allowed to get up early and go to the PT session, from there you went to 'A' school, then to BUD/S. Again that is how it was, this new pipe line probably makes it different. Again, this is the "old" way...I am sure their is someone with more recent experience that can help. But why would you want to go without a contract...I HIGHLY recommend holding off on joining until you pass you PST and get a contract, don't **** yourself!

[josh128]

Well getting my SEAL contract is not a choice at this point. I took my pst in DEP back in March and failed the run by 15 seconds. After that i got a sinus infection. Soon time started to slip away. I was soon on the deadline for passing my pst and i showed up to take a pst last month. I drove about three hours to get there to find out it was cancelled. Now my times up and i have to ship out under my rating and try out in bootcamp. Its my only option really.

Appreciate the help guys.

[sickle]

That is defiantly NOT your only option. You can just get your ship date pushed back. Talk to your recruiters and tell them to push your ship date to a later time. You can be in DEP for ONE year, so unless you have been in DEP for the last 11 months I doubt that trying in bootcamp is your only option. You shouldn't try in boot if you couldn't pass the PST either, that's not a good idea.

[mmaakuma]

That is defiantly NOT your only option. You can just get your ship date pushed back. Talk to your recruiters and tell them to push your ship date to a later time. You can be in DEP for ONE year, so unless you have been in DEP for the last 11 months I doubt that trying in bootcamp is your only option. You shouldn't try in boot if you couldn't pass the PST either, that's not a good idea.
Exactly, you need to be able to pass the PST pretty easily on your worst day. From what other people have discussed here who have gone through boot is that your times will be around 20 seconds slower on the swim as there are so many people in the lane. Although it was the run that got you, you should expect to take it very early in the morning without a good night's sleep.

Do what sickle says, try to push your date back and PT so you just don't pass, but crush the competitive scores.

[oldswabbie]

Well getting my SEAL contract is not a choice at this point. I took my pst in DEP back in March and failed the run by 15 seconds. After that i got a sinus infection. Soon time started to slip away. I was soon on the deadline for passing my pst and i showed up to take a pst last month. I drove about three hours to get there to find out it was cancelled. Now my times up and i have to ship out under my rating and try out in bootcamp. Its my only option really.

Appreciate the help guys.

I would STILL talk to someone Before, cant hurt. There is also an issue of $$

OldSwabbie

[mhw9505]

I am in the same situation as you are and would really like to know what the whole process of getting a contract at boot entails. I got a DUI while in DEP and was able to get a waiver to stay in and ship out on June 19th. The problem is I was not able to get the waiver for SPECOPS. My recruiter tells me my only option is to take and pass the PST at boot. I am shipping in the seaman apprenticeship program. Im just gonna annoy the hell out of whoever is in charge of SEAL contracts at boot until I get what I want. My PST scores are above competitive so I hope that will help my situation.

[josh128]

I think its a little late to be pushing my date back considering its seven days away. When i signed my contract i agreed to leaving on June 12 if i couldnt pass the pst and i didnt so i dont feel like i should be trying to get my date pushed back. Also i can pass the pst now without a problem.

[danodec]

I think its a little late to be pushing my date back considering its seven days away. When i signed my contract i agreed to leaving on June 12 if i couldnt pass the pst and i didnt so i dont feel like i should be trying to get my date pushed back. Also i can pass the pst now without a problem.

It's your life, take charge of it. Go after the things you want and don't settle. If what you want is to push your date back don't worry about pissing off your recruiter or whatever, push it back! Besides, he'd probably be a lot more pissed if you were trying to get out of your contract! Sometimes you have to do what's good for YOU.

[MrParker]

Push your date back, use up all of your DEP time if you have to. Do not go in without a contract. I would have KILLED for the system you guys got now-a-days. Don't blow it and end up dishearted in the fleet. My RDC didn't let me take the PST until half way through boot, that's when you are the sickest and most out of shape. Then at 'A' school I had some bitter 1st class that believed because he went to th fleet before he tried BUD/S that everybody should...long story short, their are a lot of people that will **** you over in the navy! It's just the way it is, don't start out getting screwed, by yourself or anyone else. You are not in until you ship, they want you so make them work for you! Like the other guys have said, don't go until you can crush it.

[oldswabbie]

Push your date back, use up all of your DEP time if you have to. Do not go in without a contract. I would have KILLED for the system you guys got now-a-days. Don't blow it and end up dishearted in the fleet. My RDC didn't let me take the PST until half way through boot, that's when you are the sickest and most out of shape. Then at 'A' school I had some bitter 1st class that believed because he went to th fleet before he tried BUD/S that everybody should...long story short, their are a lot of people that will **** you over in the navy! It's just the way it is, don't start out getting screwed, by yourself or anyone else. You are not in until you ship, they want you so make them work for you! Like the other guys have said, don't go until you can crush it.

Mr. Parker is ABSOLUTELY correct. DO NOT RUSH IT. I didnt take my first opportunity to go to bud/s out of boot because of my best friend. The second was the XO of Communications school (and my best friend again). The XO was a Squirrely little B******, I went to see him and asked him about it. I was almost through RM A school and asked him about SEAL training and how would I go about it...Naive little guy I was... He said IF I wanted to do that he would drop me from school until I classed - meaning NO RATE...meaning swabbing decks in transient barracks for months. Found out much later that was NOT the case. By my estimation I could have actually finished my A school and only had a short time to wait.

Whatever reason he had to lie to me changed the course of my future. My best friend was just trying to be my best friend and was worried about me.

DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU ~ SCREW EVERYONE ELSE! (Sorry for the language in mixed company) Its your life, you get ONE SHOT at it. Dont rush thinking that you will MISS something ~ the Navy isnt going anywhere!

OldSwabbie

[ki55ofdawn]

I'm not quite like Josh because I have already passed my PST and my scores were decent. 9:45 Swim, 112 push ups, 95 sits, 14 pulls, 9:24 run. The only thing is, I'm working on getting a waiver because of bad behavior in the past. 2 underage possesions of alcohol and 1 destruction of gov't property (just took a road sign). My recruiter is trying his *** off to get my SO contract. The only other thing is my father passed away no more than a month ago and the recruiter said I could push my **** date back. The only thing is my father was so proud that I had passed the PST and wanted me to go after my dream more than anyone. I'm just more worried about the waiver not going through. If that were the case would I still be able to take it at Boot and if my scores are as above or better would I still have a chance at BUD/s?

[oldswabbie]

I'm not quite like Josh because I have already passed my PST and my scores were decent. 9:45 Swim, 112 push ups, 95 sits, 14 pulls, 9:24 run. The only thing is, I'm working on getting a waiver because of bad behavior in the past. 2 underage possesions of alcohol and 1 destruction of gov't property (just took a road sign). My recruiter is trying his *** off to get my SO contract. The only other thing is my father passed away no more than a month ago and the recruiter said I could push my **** date back. The only thing is my father was so proud that I had passed the PST and wanted me to go after my dream more than anyone. I'm just more worried about the waiver not going through. If that were the case would I still be able to take it at Boot and if my scores are as above or better would I still have a chance at BUD/s?

You really need to have your contract. Alot rides on that, School, money, alot. Keep training and working out. I am very, very sorry to hear of the loss of your father ~ You were fortunate to have a father that was proud of you. Lets hope the waivers go through, usually they do, non-violent stuff. Let us know how it turns out ok.

OldSwabbie

[MrParker]

I'm not quite like Josh because I have already passed my PST and my scores were decent. 9:45 Swim, 112 push ups, 95 sits, 14 pulls, 9:24 run. The only thing is, I'm working on getting a waiver because of bad behavior in the past. 2 underage possesions of alcohol and 1 destruction of gov't property (just took a road sign). My recruiter is trying his *** off to get my SO contract. The only other thing is my father passed away no more than a month ago and the recruiter said I could push my **** date back. The only thing is my father was so proud that I had passed the PST and wanted me to go after my dream more than anyone. I'm just more worried about the waiver not going through. If that were the case would I still be able to take it at Boot and if my scores are as above or better would I still have a chance at BUD/s?

Hold out till you get your waiver. Odds are if they can't wave it now, how are they gonna wave it at boot...you are just a number, just a body. Hold out till you get it or you are pretty much gonna end up 'Haze grey and underway..."

[Shady8Dozen313]

I think its a little late to be pushing my date back considering its seven days away. When i signed my contract i agreed to leaving on June 12 if i couldnt pass the pst and i didnt so i dont feel like i should be trying to get my date pushed back. Also i can pass the pst now without a problem.

Josh I was in the dept program before they made the SO rate. I was organally IT with on completion of A School i would be shipped out to BUD/s. 2 months before i shipped out i was told that my rating has been dropped and that I would have to sign a new contract and they tried telling me the same bull that i was under contracts and that i was obligated to go IT because it was my first school, yada yada yada. Well needless to say i had to get some big guns to help my out, my dad a 26 year ret SR Chief, a total saltly ***** of a Chief. After a few 'nice' words to my recruiters they finally said that the contract can be waieved at any moment during DEP because you are not currently in the military, they broke their contract, you can break yours. and im not saying to drop out of the dep program im just saying its YOUR CHOICE of when you leave. You are not obligated to do anything until the day you step into meps and say that oath before you hop on that bus/plane to great mistakes.

[vinnysgirl]

Definitely listen to what these guys are saying! My hubby went to Boot with every ounce of ambition to get to BUD/s right away. He passed the SEAL challenge on his second try with pneumonia starting no less and then was set back because of medical screen with the corpsmen there. He's had to spend almost 3 years now in the fleet and will be re-enlisting if he makes it to BUD/s to be able to complete BUD/s... that's 3 1/2 years he's had to spend wondering what the hell went wrong. Hasn't been easy on him, but he's going to try again.

If you want the contract before you get to boot then you get it. Don't let the recruiters tell you yes or no, it's YOUR contract and YOUR decision!!!

[MrParker]

To Josh,

Listen, I totally get your pride, your mind set of not wanting to let your recruiters down. You want to be a stand up guy and do what you said and you said that you would ship passed or not...well I am a similar kind of guy. I hate letting anyone down, if I say am gonna do it, it's gonna get done one way or another **** everybody else. Their is one thing that is inherintily wrong with that...it doesn't always mean that you are doing what is right for you and you almost always know it too. But you don't want to let anyone down. Well let me tell you, I left for boot back in the day, both shoulders had over use injuries and I was on the verge of stress fractures in my shins...I shipped cuz I said I would. If I knew I could push my date back you better BELIEVE I would have. My hind sight is 20/20, take advantage of my corrected vision. We didn't have this pipe line you guys got. We just went and screened. Well I didn't have internet then, I didn't have all these great people around to ask my questions. Man just reading what BUD/S 184 writes makes me want to jump through a window and kick the first thing I see cuz he pumps me up so damn much!

What I am getting at is you asked us a question and you seem to be a good guy and you don't want to dissapoint the first 'Navy' people you are in contact with (recruiters). Well **** them too, they just don't want to roll a doughnut, ie. not enlist somebody that month. Remember, to 'most' recruiters you are a number, you are gonna fill a billet some where. They may want to help you but in the end you are not in the Navy yet...you won't be in until you swear in at MEPS the second time and fly out to Great Lakes. Why would you want to make becoming a SEAL harder then it already is, seeing how it's pretty freaking hard as it is. It only gets hard trying to go to BUD/S from the fleet. Boot camp is not the place to try and get what you want. You need to make sure you go to boot with what you want written in your contract.

You will still be a stand up guy if you tell your recruiters that you need more DEP time to get your SO contract settled. But don't piss it away. Prove it to them and pass...

[mmaakuma]

I am in the same situation as you are and would really like to know what the whole process of getting a contract at boot entails. I got a DUI while in DEP and was able to get a waiver to stay in and ship out on June 19th. The problem is I was not able to get the waiver for SPECOPS. My recruiter tells me my only option is to take and pass the PST at boot. I am shipping in the seaman apprenticeship program. Im just gonna annoy the hell out of whoever is in charge of SEAL contracts at boot until I get what I want. My PST scores are above competitive so I hope that will help my situation.
A DUI might not just be an issue to get a contract, but it might also kill your chances of getting a security clearance which is needed if you want to be SOF.