(U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Kathryn Whittenberger).
In an apparent move to attract more candidates, the Navy has released a new recruiting video about the Navy SEAL selection and training process.
Many people don’t realize that shiny military career fields in special operations—such as SEALs, Green Berets, Rangers, Pararescuemen, and Marine Recon—serve as a great way to recruit quality people for the big Navy, Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps. The high attrition rates of selection and training programs for any special operations unit mean that most people who enter the military with the dream of becoming a hard-charging pipe-hitter end up failing and serving out their enlistment in a comparatively unremarkable military occupational specialty (MOS). Recruiters and their commands, of course, understand that SOF is a recruiting gem—as should any aspiring commando—and thus place added emphasis on them. Enter a Navy recruiting office, and chances are you’ll be greeted by a huge poster of a tough SEAL challenging you with his gaze rather than a poster of a mass communications specialist.
This video was released at a moment when the reputation of the Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC) isn’t at its best. With the legal affairs of Chief Gallagher and numerous other incidents—such as the murder of Green Beret Sergeant Logan Melgar, in which two SEAL Team 6 operators were involved—fresh in mind, the Navy seems to wish to divert attention to the positive aspects of the SEAL community.
As the video states, Special Warfare Operators (SOs) are a collective group of Navy SEALs trained in everything from clandestine underwater operations to High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) or High Altitude High Opening (HAHO) free-fall parachuting.
The video goes over the equipment that SEALs might use downrange (it mentions only the very basic stuff, such as M4 rifles, Sig Sauer and Glock pistols, etc., without exploring the more high-speed options available to a SEAL operator once he’s in a SEAL platoon).
The video also covers some of the different environmental training that SEALs undergo. It specifically mentions the arctic warfare portion of SEAL training that takes place in Kodiak, Alaska. SEAL candidates are plunged into freezing-cold water for carefully calculated lengths of time (wind, water, air temperature, and the physical state of the candidates determine the duration of the forced ice bath).
A great point that the video makes is that foreknowledge about the selection process isn’t going to help an aspiring SEAL succeed. The fame of the SEAL teams, which has swelled to absurd levels since Operation Neptune Spear (the mission to kill Osama bin Laden), means their selection and training process has been studied and scrutinized relentlessly. Even before the Global War on Terror began there were documentaries about Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training. As a result, candidates enter the pipeline better prepared than any of their predecessors. But it matters not if one knows when Hell Week is coming or how many log PT sessions per week he will be doing. It’s the mental stamina and grit that will make or break a candidate. It has always been and will always be.
In an apparent move to attract more candidates, the Navy has released a new recruiting video about the Navy SEAL selection and training process.
Many people don’t realize that shiny military career fields in special operations—such as SEALs, Green Berets, Rangers, Pararescuemen, and Marine Recon—serve as a great way to recruit quality people for the big Navy, Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps. The high attrition rates of selection and training programs for any special operations unit mean that most people who enter the military with the dream of becoming a hard-charging pipe-hitter end up failing and serving out their enlistment in a comparatively unremarkable military occupational specialty (MOS). Recruiters and their commands, of course, understand that SOF is a recruiting gem—as should any aspiring commando—and thus place added emphasis on them. Enter a Navy recruiting office, and chances are you’ll be greeted by a huge poster of a tough SEAL challenging you with his gaze rather than a poster of a mass communications specialist.
This video was released at a moment when the reputation of the Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC) isn’t at its best. With the legal affairs of Chief Gallagher and numerous other incidents—such as the murder of Green Beret Sergeant Logan Melgar, in which two SEAL Team 6 operators were involved—fresh in mind, the Navy seems to wish to divert attention to the positive aspects of the SEAL community.
As the video states, Special Warfare Operators (SOs) are a collective group of Navy SEALs trained in everything from clandestine underwater operations to High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) or High Altitude High Opening (HAHO) free-fall parachuting.
The video goes over the equipment that SEALs might use downrange (it mentions only the very basic stuff, such as M4 rifles, Sig Sauer and Glock pistols, etc., without exploring the more high-speed options available to a SEAL operator once he’s in a SEAL platoon).
The video also covers some of the different environmental training that SEALs undergo. It specifically mentions the arctic warfare portion of SEAL training that takes place in Kodiak, Alaska. SEAL candidates are plunged into freezing-cold water for carefully calculated lengths of time (wind, water, air temperature, and the physical state of the candidates determine the duration of the forced ice bath).
A great point that the video makes is that foreknowledge about the selection process isn’t going to help an aspiring SEAL succeed. The fame of the SEAL teams, which has swelled to absurd levels since Operation Neptune Spear (the mission to kill Osama bin Laden), means their selection and training process has been studied and scrutinized relentlessly. Even before the Global War on Terror began there were documentaries about Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training. As a result, candidates enter the pipeline better prepared than any of their predecessors. But it matters not if one knows when Hell Week is coming or how many log PT sessions per week he will be doing. It’s the mental stamina and grit that will make or break a candidate. It has always been and will always be.
As someone who’s seen what happens when the truth is distorted, I know how unfair it feels when those who’ve sacrificed the most lose their voice. At SOFREP, our veteran journalists, who once fought for freedom, now fight to bring you unfiltered, real-world intel. But without your support, we risk losing this vital source of truth. By subscribing, you’re not just leveling the playing field—you’re standing with those who’ve already given so much, ensuring they continue to serve by delivering stories that matter. Every subscription means we can hire more veterans and keep their hard-earned knowledge in the fight. Don’t let their voices be silenced. Please consider subscribing now.
One team, one fight,
Brandon Webb former Navy SEAL, Bestselling Author and Editor-in-Chief
Barrett is the world leader in long-range, large-caliber, precision rifle design and manufacturing. Barrett products are used by civilians, sport shooters, law enforcement agencies, the United States military, and more than 75 State Department-approved countries around the world.
PO Box 1077 MURFREESBORO, Tennessee 37133 United States
Scrubba Wash Bag
Our ultra-portable washing machine makes your journey easier. This convenient, pocket-sized travel companion allows you to travel lighter while helping you save money, time and water.
Our roots in shooting sports started off back in 1996 with our founder and CEO, Josh Ungier. His love of airguns took hold of our company from day one and we became the first e-commerce retailer dedicated to airguns, optics, ammo, and accessories. Over the next 25 years, customers turned to us for our unmatched product selection, great advice, education, and continued support of the sport and airgun industry.
COMMENTS
There are on this article.
You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article.