diesel828
09-20-2002, 08:08 PM
I was wondering, was BUD/S as difficult 20 years ago compared to how it is now? Has it progressively become harder, tougher, longer? Was it just as hard to become a SEAL in the '70s? Thanks for the info.
diesel
Excellent question that a lot of users will want to know the answer.
When the mission of the SEALs originated it was really a group of SeaBees that was expected to boat in, then swim a short distance, then almost walk up to obsticles on the beaches and eliminate them by blowing them up. This required strength, boating, explosives and self protection training. This was in WWII. These were the S&R and NCDU, and ultimately the Frogmen units. And ultimately it was the Frogmen who were dropped off as sea, swam great distances in with explosives and measuring devices, blew up obsticles, then retreated by swimming a great distance, then where picked up by a boat and a hoop.
With Korea the needs of the war took it to a higher level where Frogmen also infiltrated beaches like infantrymen, or commandos. They blew rail lines, tunnels, assaulted encampments, blew up port faciilities. This requied the Frogman to train as his WWII prdessesors, but also train as commandos.
But here in the interim allow me to underscore that Frogmen and SEALs are called upon to perform rescues under very dangerous and hazardous conditions. I myself almost drown in one resuce, and in less than an hour a fellow Frogman had to be resued by his accomapnying Frogmen, I being one of them. The ex-almost drown rat.
When the SEALs were created the needs of air entry and added commando tacticts were required. This again was additions to the WWII and the Korean Frogman. The SEALs being created in 1962 added training programs that selected the right man for the task to be performed. And as time went on demands while in combat roles demanded a more experienced participant, a greater SEAL.
Describing where SEAL training has advanced from the 1970's to today I am a poor counseler as I have long past been gone from the Aquatic world of Frogs and SEALs. But in a broad sentence I can feel that the needs of combat have caused the BUDS training to be increased in the last 30-40 years to the extreme degree it is today.
elpaninaro
09-21-2002, 10:13 AM
Great post Wazz! Thank you for the insights.
To diesel- I would suggest reading a few books that will give you a pretty interesting picture of how things have changed. Reading all of these written by different men who went through at different times will tell you a lot. Here is a reading list I would offer that has given me my own perspective- as a civilian- on this topic,
"Death in the Delta" by Gary Smith
"Rogue Warrior" by Richard Marcinko
"SEAL" by Michael Walsh
"One Perfect Op" by Dennis Chalker
"Commandos" by Douglas C. Waller (account of a 1992 Hell Week)
"The Warrior Elite" by **** Couch (account of the full training for Class 234, late 1990s.)
Hope this helps. The first three go almost back to UDT days (I believe Smith started in UDT actually, I do not recall for sure), then Chalker's book is late 1970s, with the other two cover the beginning and end of the 1990s. All have excellent accounts of BUDs training at the time.