Forty One Year Old Long Island Woman Sues Navy For Crushing Her Dream of Becoming A Navy SEAL

Amanda S. Reynolds, a 41-year-old attorney from Long Island, has taken legal action against the U.S. Navy, alleging that bureaucratic delays in processing her application effectively barred her from becoming the first female Navy SEAL officer. I kid you not. Reynolds claims that the Navy’s inaction led her to surpass the maximum age limit for Officer Candidate School (OCS), thus denying her the opportunity to serve. 

Now, I remember my mom was about 41 when I graduated from college, and I know for a fact that she sure as hell wasn’t ready for BUD/S at that point in her life. But who knows, maybe this woman is a hardcore badass that makes GI Jane look like Olive Oyl.

Who am I to judge?

Come to think of it, lots of people in my life have told me I could not achieve everything I have (too short, too slow, not driven enough, too dumb, too smart). I’ll do my best to suppress my innate smartass side here and be fair.

Intense Pursuit of Goals

To those who know her, Amanda Reynolds is known for her intense, Viking-like pursuit of personal challenges, especially in endurance sports and SCUBA diving. She has demonstrated a passion for pushing her physical and mental limits through activities such as ultramarathon running. For example, in April 2024, she completed the Troublesome Hollow 50K, a 31-mile ultramarathon in Bristol, Virginia, which highlights her commitment to endurance events.

Plus, she’s also an accomplished attorney who has worked in litigation for over a decade. No easy feat there.

Reportedly, her application to the Navy was accompanied by a personal statement expressing her relentless drive: “As an American, I was born with what I can only describe as an inexpressible, indefatigable nature to dream“.

Bureaucratic Hurdles

Reynolds claims she was sworn into the Navy in 2018, but was never assigned or deployed. She contends that the Navy’s failure to process her application in a timely manner resulted in her exceeding the age limit for OCS. “I could have gone to officer candidate school in February, [but] they delayed my application without reason or cause, and then they told me I was too old,” Reynolds stated.

According to the Navy, Reynolds filled out “enlistment paperwork” in 2019, but they had “no record of service” for her.

The New York Post reports that Reynolds approached the Navy a second time with the goal of joining a SEAL Team, but the recruiters suggested that maybe she try the Judge Advocate General’s office instead.