Coul any real seal or retired seal give me a short story on how you felt when you be came a seal

[kahuna_seal]

Could any real seal or retired seal give me a short story on how you felt when you were training. What made you what to become a seal. Im doning a social studies fair project and need some info. And what you felt like during mission. I will really apreciat it. Thanks ............

[Tagpole-2]

Just look around... There's a story about a SEAL on this massage borad. If you can't find it I'll get it for you.

[sealpup121]

Could any real seal or retired seal give me a short story on how you felt when you were training. What made you what to become a seal. Im doning a social studies fair project and need some info. And what you felt like during mission. I will really apreciat it. Thanks ............

When I checked into the training unit at Coronado I was a young 19 yr. old like most going into the service at the time so what I knew was nothing and being apprehensive was everything. Training at that time was "HARDER" than anything I had thought about in my life. But it was the Teams that was the overiding influence that convinced me to enlist. I never had a thought about becoming a furry critter, but a member of the best military unit in the world. I was in great shape at enlistment due to gymnastic competition for many years before my enlistment. So consequently I found out very fast it is the mental aspect of training that would weed the "bananas" out faster than the physical shape a man was in when they start training. The cold water is the killer of most.
I made three trips across the pond and everyone of the "ops" for the first couple of weeks kept you high on adrenalin. Seemed like my heart would explode in my ears every "op". After a bit of time patrolling the rush settles down, until a noise you couldn't place made your heart pound so hard, you knew every team mate could hear and every VC had your location. After a short time of operating, the rush becomes an addiction, and you want to operate as much as possible. Then you are as natural on a patrol in enemy territiory, as your enemy is in his back yard. That is when you and your team will be the most dangerous and effective.

[Doug]

PUP -

OUTSTANDING post...reminds of why I still to do this day look up to you Nam SEAL vets. Noticed you hadnt posted in a while - was good to see one.

My feelings were and are very similar to Pups response. I knew going into training that it was known for being some of the toughest military training in the world. But no matter what you hear or how much you hear about it, nothing really prepares you for the kick in the balls you get there. Everyday in BUD/S, you just had to take it step by step and feed of the positivity of your fellow classmates that endured through everything. And you feed of the non-hackers that quit. When I made it to the grinder on graduation day - I was overwhelmed with a feeling of great pride. But I knew my journey to become a SEAL had only just begun.

Then there was Jump School, STT and other schooling...It is the greatest feeling to earn your trident and finally become a SEAL. I was reminded of all the people in high school and life in general that told me, "You will never make it...it's too hard...You can't make it..." Because I had made it - I had become a SEAL. I had accomplished my goal - my dream.

During an op it is, like pup said, a huge adrenaline rush. Although I never experienced anything like Vietnam, I have been on real life ops and have felt the adrenaline and fear that rushes through your body. You use that to your advantage. It all comes together and is all worth it in the end. It is the best life to have...go for it....

[GreeZBhal]

Thanks to all the real SEALs that responded to this post. Truely motivational.


V/R
Greez

[Tagpole-2]

If you havn't read this one already... From Chickenhawk.


First off, I couldn't imagine doing anything else. I had always been
fascinated by frogmen--the UDT guys who were swimming in on enemy beaches,
blowing up obstacles, and recovering our space capsules, but I didn't
realize the Navy had its own special forces until 11th grade (1981, for me).
I was planning on joining the Army and volunteering for Special Forces, and
a friend of mine handed me a book called, "Everything We Had", by Al
Santoli. It was a collection of short stories from the Vietnam War, and he
told me to read one in particular: "The Green Faced Frogmen". This was my
first impression of anything more high speed than Underwater Demolition
Teams and Army Special Forces.

After that, I re-dedicated my life to joining the Navy and becoming a SEAL.
I wasn't a runner, but I started running 5-7 miles a day, in addition to my
regular high school sports (wrestling and rifle team). After I graduated
from high school, I did some time at Northern Virginia Community College,
taking classes toward a degree. After about 6 months, I met a huge black guy
who had just left the Navy and the Teams, in order to pursue his education.
It was tough coaxing any war stories out of him, since I was a wannabe and
he was a Been there, done that. He encouraged me to try out for the program,
but told me not to get my hopes up, since 75% of the guys quit in training.
I enlisted within a week under the Delayed Entry Program, and left for boot
camp in October 1984.

I was company and division honorman in my boot camp class, but I didn't find
the training at all challenging. I took the SEAL screen test, and did really
well. 4 out of 15 passed the swim, but only two of us passed the pullups and
run at the end. I graduated with honors from my Hospital Corpsman "A" School
in January 1985, then went on to the Field Medical Service School at Camp
Pendleton, CA, to learn how to be a corpsman with the Marines. I had to take
the Marine Physical Fitness Test while I was there, and scored a 300
(perfect score).

I checked into BUD/S in Late May 1985, and classed up with Class 135. We
started with 119 guys on the first day of Pre-Training. 2 weeks later, at
the start of 1st Phase, we had 109. At the start of Hell Week, we were down
to 99, and wrapped up Hell Week with 66 original guys. I don't remember the
numbers for 2nd and 3rd Phases, but we graduated with 35 guys total, of
which only 19 were originals. The rest were roll backs from other classes.

I never really thought of quitting, since I knew I would be back after two
years in the fleet, kicking myself. I suppose Hell Week is the toughest
point in training, since you are exhausted, cold, wet, and watching your
classmates quit in large numbers. There are other points in training that
are just as tough, though in a different way. Underwater knot tying, for
example, is challenging for guys who are not comfortable in the water, as is
Pool Comp, the 50m underwater swim, and Drownproofing. The thing that scared
me the most was night rock portage, or landing rubber boats on the rocks in
the dark.

My favorite parts (the same with most of our guys) were Diving Phase (once
we started diving Draegers), and all of Land Warfare Phase (2nd Phase for
me, but now it's 3rd Phase once again), especially shooting and demolition.
Graduation was pretty cool, of course, but we still had a long way to go.
Three weeks of Jump School, 2 weeks of Special Operations Technician
Training (Dive Medicine) for those of us who were corpsmen, then six months'
probation at our respective Teams, where we completed SEAL Tactical Training
(now called SEAL Qualification Training). My Team awarded me my trident at
the six month mark, after a professional review board.

The real fun, however, begins once you are a deployable SEAL at your new
Team. The place to be is in a deployable platoon, training to go to war.
You'll go through all sorts of blocks of advanced training, pick up a school
or two, and hone your skills as an operator. The only way to go to war is
normally as a forward deployed platoon, so that's where the money is. Any
time you are not in a platoon, you should be training or otherwise getting
ready to join an operational platoon.

I won't go into much more detail about life in the Teams, since a lot of it
is classified (especially right now). All I can say is that you'll work with
the best people on the planet, complete some of the toughest missions
imaginable, and have the best time of your life. I would do it all over
again, including the long hours of waiting, the constant loading and
unloading of gear, the forward deployments that turned out to be for
nothing, etc. I can't think of a better place to be.