For anyone who is aspiring to join the military’s finest special operations group, the Navy SEALs, there are a few things you should know before enlisting.
History of the Navy SEALs
The SEALs began operation in the summer of 1941, just after World War II broke out, and were known as Amphibious Scouts and Raiders. The group instantly became known for its reliability, eliminating enemy threats from the water such as clearing beach obstacles as well as planting underwater demolitions used to blow up enemy submarines. Then in 1961, President John F. Kennedy spoke before Congress, instituting the Navy SEALs. SEALs is an abbreviation which stands for Sea, Air, and Land, and are the elite special operations forces the United States Navy. To become a SEAL, recruits must achieve the minimum qualifications to even be considered before a group of people commonly referred to as a board. If they are accepted, this is only a 1/4 of the battle to becoming a SEAL. They must then undergo a 6-month training program called BUD/S, which stands for Basic Underwater Demolition Seal school. During their stay at BUD/S, almost 80 percent of recruits drop out due to the intense training that is designed while they are there. The Navy SEALs are most commonly recognized by the special warfare community for their “hell week”, which is a period from Sunday to Friday night where recruits only get around 3 hours of sleep total. They undergo sleep deprivation, as well as being pushed to the absolute limits of the human mind by their instructors.
Training for the Navy SEALs
Unlike some other military programs where you receive your physical conditioning while there, the Navy expects you to be in top physical shape before going into BUD/S. The minimum requirements before you can even be considered to go into BUD/S are a 500 meter swim in under 12:30, at least 42 pushups in two minutes, 50 sit-ups in two minutes, six pull-ups total, and a 1.5 mile run in boots in under 11:30. These are only minimums for the training, and recruits are expected to far exceed these minimum scores. Recommended scores for future Navy SEALs are a 500 yard swim in seven to eight minutes, 100-120 pushups in two minutes, 100-120 sit-ups in two minutes, 20-30 pullups from a dead hang, and a 1.5 mile run in boots and long pants in between 8:30 to 9:30. Once you are accepted into the SEAL community, you then undergo 3 phases before graduation from BUD/S. The first phase takes five weeks and is known as Indoctrination. This is a period where potential SEALs split up into boat crews, which usually consists of six to eight men. These men go through intense physical as well as mental stress, where they perform push-ups and sit-ups on a daily basis. During the third week, the men must go through the most intense training in military operations worldwide, known as hell week. The trainees are constantly covered in sand, and are almost always wet and cold. Many trainees will decide during BUD/S that they do not have the training or motivation to continue on, and may Drop on Request.
The Navy SEALs are the most respected group of military special operations world wide, and anyone who is applying to become a SEAL must realize before they go what kind of training they are going to endure. The strongest will power for any potential SEAL to overcome is not exactly the training, but the human mind. If you can tell yourself that you are going to go out there and accomplish this task ahead of time, your chances are much higher than a candidate who does not.
