SEALs Launching Public Recruiting Effort

[NVMojo]

Hide yer kids ...

CORONADO, Calif. (AP) -

The Navy SEALs prefer to operate in the shadows, but the Pentagon's need to increase the ranks of the elite terrorist-hunting commando force is prompting an unusually splashy recruiting effort.

Navy SEAL Mitchell Hall, who won a Bronze Star in 2001 in Afghanistan, hopes to use the upcoming Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii to spread the word about the need for more recruits.

The competition will make the 31-year-old chief petty officer a spokesman for the community of self-described quiet professionals and put him in front of the cameras he spent years avoiding.

more...

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nat-gen/2005/oct/10/101005205.html

[BeHereNow]

1. Ha-ha-ha...

Good luck !
I imagine they'll have NO trouble at all
finding high school drop-outs with no employment
hope on the near horizon to recruit.
GOOO Seals!
Gather in the disenfranchised and unemployed!
Only the best and brightest (not) will apply.
Bush has DESTROYED the US military.
BHN

[ret5hd]

6. actually...

(and don't think i'm on their side...see post #3)
SEALs have to be intelligent, able to act independant of direct orders, and self motivated.

[GrumpyGreg]

7. A friend of my daughter became a SEAL and he was college-

educated---I doubt that they want dropouts.

[BeHereNow]

9. Welcome to DU- Apparently you missed

the Pentagon proposal to pursue
the untapped demographics though.
The Pentagon recently proposed relaxing
recruitment standards as so to include
high school drop outs.
That's how DESPERATE they are to enlist recruits.
I assure you, I know that prior to the period of history
we are in, the standards for recruits was high-
However, those days are GONE.
Thye are even offering citizenship to the disenfranchised
in other countries to enlist...
BHN

[hughee99]

10. The pentagon recruiting dropouts to the military

and the SEALS recruiting dropouts are not the same thing. Those who weren't able to finish high-school will, in all likelihood, not make it through the SEALS rigorous training, and the SEALS will not want to waste their time and money on someone they don't believe can handle the training.

[BeHereNow]

12. Gee, I hope you are right...but:

We have a "moran" occupying in the highest office in
the country- he has repeatedly appointed completely incompetent
individuals for extremely sensitive jobs requiring extraodinary skills.
Somehow, those facts do not bode
well as far as who and who can't be a Seal these days...
Just thinkin' out loud...
:evilgrin:
BHN

[hughee99]

13. I hope I'm right, too...

Thankfully, SEALS aren't appointed by *, and those in charge of candidate selection and training take a lot of pride in what they do. Though they may have to let their standards slip a little as to who they'll allow into training, I'm sure that the training process itself will remain just as difficult.

[GrumpyGreg]

21. Thanks for the welcome and yes,I did miss that.

My daughter's friend went in 18 years ago so I guess I should have kept my mouth shut.

For some reason I thought that the standards were still high.

[Shipwack]

26. Never, never, ever "just keep your mouth shut"

You shouldn't have to worry about voicing your opinion here. I've seen plenty of people with 1000+ posts say the most boneheaded things.

If you post something that in retrospect you regret, you can always edit, self delete, or at worst reply to your own post with an apology or retraction.

BTW, I doubt the graduation standards have slipped significantly for the SEALS, nor do I doubt that someone without an HS diploma could do well, if they were otherwise well motivated and not stupid.

[6th Borough]

35. I don't think that the SEAL force is large enough to warrant reduced...

standards.

Worse comes to worse, they could always recruit from within, say, the Marines; only inviting the best of the branch for the specific skills they require.

I thought that was the way the SEALs added to their ranks all along; I didn't think anyone could simply enter the SEALs straight from a recruiter's office.

Furthermore, if the Pentagon simply can't get the qualified men the SEALs need, I doubt they would water them down...I'de think they would enlarge or create more "task-forces" with the lower standard recruits. Possibly water down the Rangers before the Seals, if it came to that.

[GrumpyGreg]

60. Well,thanks ---nice response,I appreciate it.

[driver8]

45. Their standards are still high!!

The SEALS will never lower their standards just to get guys through the program -- too much depends on their being trained correctly.

These guys go into "hot spots" with just their team. Who would want to go on a mission knowing that one or more of the guys are not up to "SEAL standards"?

The SEALS take care of their own...that includes training and making sure that everyone is qualified and capable for the job. Believe me...these standards are still very, very high.

[brainshrub]

29. SEALs aren't dummies.

I've known a few, they are exceptionally smart.

[MildyRules]

30. You are correct

99.9% of people do not have what it takes to be a SEAL.

[driver8]

46. That is absolutely right...

99.9% of people would not make it through the intense physical training that they endure. That is not including the diving, sky diving, swimming, weapons training, ordinance demolition...these guys know their shit.

[IA_Seth]

38. Ignorance is Bliss, right?

Because that has to be your mantra after spouting the things you did with this post.

Bush is a terrible leader, correct.
The military has been forced to lower recruitment standards due to Bush's insane foreign policies and illegal wars, correct.

But for you to imply that the Navy Seals are anything but intelligent, responsible, and driven human beings who HONESTLY join to serve their country...well, you are just plain silly.

Read up, learn up, do what you have to do..but please don't spew this sort of thing, you only make us all look ignorant.

[MildyRules]

39. Actually SEALS

ARE intelligent, responsible, and driven. They may be other things as well, but they are definitely intelligent, responsible, and driven. What you said was 100% correct.

[Freedomfried]

58. Thank you, but you forgot handsome...

And we are.(were?)

FF

[Zynx]

54. Get a clue. Special Ops won't take dumb people, period.

Among many other things, you are thinking independently most of the time, frequently have to have self discipline to stay still/quiet for hours, and have to be able to learn multiple languages.

If someone pulls a "boneheaded" move, there's a very good chance he and his entire team are DEAD. So no, they won't take morons.

The physical requirements also are utterly brutal in comparison to normal training and won't be waived to buff up numbers because that sort of conditioning and mental toughness is *very* important for their jobs.

[politicaholic]

2. Are they going for the "chip eating fat ass" demographic?

Those are the only people watching the Ironman on a Saturday afternoon for godssake.

They might as well poop out another horrible Steven Segal movie.

[MADem]

24. I'll bet they'll target the IRONMAN PARTICIPANTS

more than the barcolounger warriors, actually!!!

[ret5hd]

3. do ya' think it's cool to kill a man "one on one"?...

do ya' think it's cool to do "secret stuff"...
do ya' think it's cool to be told you're the "baddest mofo on the planet"?

if the answer to the above three questions is yes, then you are either a 13 yr old u.s. male or a candidate for the Navy SEALS.

[MildyRules]

33. So that means every man

on the planet...

[ret5hd]

34. ha...maybe, but at least i got over it before i was eligible. (nt)

[jody]

4. Do like the Army, lower your standards. n/t

[bpilgrim]

5. SEALS advertising & Bush BEGGING for WAR $$$ is the neoCONs sad legacy

to us Americans... our leaders MUST say STOP, now!


more...
http://GlobalFreePress.com

peace

[Bravo411]

15. They took a lot of crap for that ad

It was suppose to be pulled but ended up being ran in a few publications. It was to promote the Osprey (that's the plane in the photo). Some dumb-shits at the PR agency thought it would look cool if they had Special Forces guys rappelling down to a building. Unfortunately they choose to put a Mosk as the building being sieged. It really pissed off the Muslim community.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

31. Is the Osprey still flying?

Were they not grounded after a several crashes with a number of fatalities?

[MildyRules]

32. About to become operational.

[6th Borough]

37. I thought the crap would be be that it crashes as often as it descends.

[oneighty]

8. Recruiting tool and

or lowering standards. Used to be most flunked the training and went straight to sea.

Sailing sailing.

180

[Freedomfried]

11. Hell Week is now called "Ah Shucks Day"

gotta fill the billets

[oneighty]

17. Darn.

Has it fallen to that level?

Damned shame if it has.

180

[MildyRules]

28. It hasn't.

They are still the badest Mofos out there.

[Algorem]

14. just saw a TV ad for a Navy Seals video game.Sick psy ops shit.

War's just like a cool video game,kiddies,enlist soon,enlist soon.

[Zynx]

55. Most videogamers would flunk SEAL training in a hurry.

[MildyRules]

56. 99.99% would.

[Orsino]

16. The name alone should be valuable in recruiting.

"Ironman" just has to be someone to look up to or to emulate. Good idea.

However, spec ops troops perform above and beyond the ordinary call of duty because they believe in the mission of the armed forces. That sort of devotion will only get harder to find as the lies that began and continue this war become more apparent.

We won't be hearing much more about Pat Tillman as a recruiting tool.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

18. Kill and die for the greater glory of our emperor!

And earn money for college... if you live!

[rppper]

19. SEALS are not a group of mindless robots.....

they do not want order takers, they want motivated go getters...McGyvers with muscle. seal training is among the most difficult of all of the services special forces, probably the most difficult. it is a combination of navy diver training, underwater demolition and advanced combat infantry. their combat training ranges anywhere from HALO airborne, standard amphibious assault, dropping out of a low flying aircraft into the water....to popping out of the water after floating up from a submarine.

i spent two years onboard a special ops submarine...we hosted spec-ops from all of the services including the air force...i can tell you through experience that while these men are all sharp at what they do...the seals were absolutely the most hardcore sons of bitches i had ever seen. when they are not on a mission, they are training...constantly...24/7/365.

fat assed potato chip eaters wouldn't make it through the first week of basic seal training. seal basic has something approaching an 85% dropout rate...if you cringed watching "GI JANE", you didn't see the half of it. they may get more volunteers, but only the best will make it. it is also voluntary and only available to sailors after boot camp...perhaps E4 or above if memory serves(i could be wrong here...).your evals must be stellar as well.they do not want slackers or GW bush's.....

you may not like what they do or what they are about...but they are not mindless "HOOO RAAAAA" marines storming a beach to eat a bullet. most are quiet and reserved, whip smart and very focused...at least those i met were. i don't agree with the way * uses them like ground troops...it's not their mission...thats for the army units. look on the bright side though...the more who fail seal training, the more sailors safe on a ship and not a target for some roadside IED?!

[MADem]

23. Out of curiosity, was your sub one of those converted diesel-electrics?

Couldn't go as long, but damn, quiet as a mouse!

[rppper]

27. diesel no...converted yes...

we were a converted SSBN...a START boat was what the navy called them(from the strategic arms reduction treaty)...the 16 missile tubes had concrete pillars fitted in them....we were initialy a testbed sub for later SSBN conversions(the USS Polk and the USS Kamehameha), and our first missions were mainly training, but we did stuff later on that i can't talk about...seriously...i had to sign a waiver when i got out!!!

[DS1]

44. Yay for mindless HOO RAAA marines storming a beach to eat a bullet

:bounce:

[MildyRules]

47. Yo

SEALS are not Marines...BAFC

[Name removed]

49. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[NorthernSpy]

50. if you re-read post #19...

... you'll understand the comment made in post #44.

I think everyone knows that SEALS are not Marines.

[MildyRules]

51. I missed it. Thanks

I don't think that everyone knows that SEALS are not Marines though!

[NorthernSpy]

52. one thing I (for one) don't know...

... is what exactly "SEAL" stands for. Swimming Everywhere Armed... Lightly?

That's probably not it...

:think:

[MildyRules]

53. Sea, Air, Land. N/T

[Cocoa]

20. Navy SEALs Rock!

[MADem]

22. That training is nothing short of BRUTAL

The SEALs have a legendary reputation as an elite, highly skilled fighting force, but it is hard to find candidates with the necessary physical conditioning.

Just to get a chance to try out, SEAL recruits must swim 500 yards, then breeze through a series of push-ups, sit-ups and pull-ups and run 1.5 miles - all within strict time limits. This year, 500 of the 823 SEAL recruits - or 60 percent - failed the test in the first days of boot camp.

"We can't survive on that any longer," said Master Chief Petty Officer Andy Tafelski, 51, who has a key role in the recruiting effort. "The pipeline has to become more efficient."

For the SEALs, who consider themselves the best of the best, lowering their standards is out of the question.

It really is no walk in the park, here's hoping they aren't planning on lowering the standards or we will really know that things are getting to the point of desperation.

This recruiting tactic is rather unusual--they've had the best success by recruiting from within the ranks in the past. Guess the cachet is overridden by the prospect of some really grueling duty...

ON EDIT--one thing about that article kinda bothered me, and makes me wonder why they need this particular increase right now: Driving the changes is the need to add 400 men by fiscal 2008, bringing the total number of SEALs from 2,600 to about 3,000. Special operations units in the Army and Air Force also are planning to increase their ranks, and U.S. Special Operations Command is offering bonuses of up to $150,000 to keep the most experienced operators from bolting to the more lucrative private sector.

The SEALs are looking to the fill the grueling Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training program at Coronado, outside San Diego, to its full capacity of 850 students - something that has never happened, Tafelski said.

Who has a littoral where these skills might be used? Not Iraq. But then, IRAN sure as hell does....

[pinniped]

25. An elite terrorist-hunting commando force.

Is that their new official mission?

[6th Borough]

36. This reminds me of when the Mossad put up help wanted posters.

No joke, if I wasn't so lazy I'de do a Google Image Search for it.

[sofa king]

40. Very special applicants needed for SEALs

Not only do they have to be high-to-genius level smart with excellent reading and mechanical comprehension, they also have to be big and burly--NFL linebacker-sized is a good start.

SEAL training is an offshoot of UDT/diver training; it still emphasizes cold water training, and having the muscle mass to fight body temperature drop in cold seas is a top-level requirement (I'm told that physical size becomes even more important because after a few weeks of training, aspiring SEALs lose their instinctive ability to shiver). There is no size requirement per se; rather, the considerable time spent in the water is guaranteed to weed out those who can't retain body heat, and small people can't do that.

http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:3UeRI3AvXxIJ:www.navyseals.com/community/navyseals/navysealworkout_main.cfm+SEAL+requirements&hl=en

SEALs are very nearly the proverbial one-in-a-million find, so opening up recruiting for the SEALs isn't likely to bring more than a handful of new candidates to the program. But to be a SEAL you have to be a squid, so it opens the opportunity for a lot of suckers to find themselves doing something far less glamorous, but equally important.

[MildyRules]

41. I know several SEALS

who were about 5'10 165. It's much more mental than physical. Of course they were all muscle and as tough as nails, but they were not linebackers by any stretch.

[sofa king]

42. Here's a pic of a graduating class

http://www.military.com/NewContent/0,13190,Smith_042604,00.html

More linebackers than cornerbacks, eh?

[MildyRules]

43. Looks about half and half to me

I see some who MAY be 6'2 220. The rest are about 180-200 (cornerback size).

[Fleshdancer]

48. I wonder if the other elite forces are facing a shortage

These are not easy people to replace and even when you do find someone who is physically and psychologically suitable, it takes a while to train them.

Through all this the Bush admin is still toying with the idea of invading Syria and/or Iran? Am I the only one surprised that we don't have a draft yet?

[northzax]

57. it's an interesting tactic

using the physical fitness aspect to recruit a more fit group of people to an elite force. and, by extension, using the best specimens they have to recruit for the entire navy. hmm.

if the special ops groups were in fact, lowering their specialized admissions standards, they could easily fill the spots with people already in the military.

[me b zola]

59. And women are still locked out.

If a woman can pass all of the physical requirements, there is no reason to discriminate. x(

[The_Casual_Observer]

61. terrorist-hunting commando force

What a fucking lie.