Any Special Forces/Navy Seals vets who will share their experience? Looking to enlist for OCS and pursue finance afterwards.
Former student-athlete that got soft in college and stayed that way post-graduation much to my horror. Now that I've been working for ~2 years FT I've gotten back into shape jumping into combat sports and distance running during this pandemic along with reestablishing a solid routine. I feel like a million bucks and plan to start competing in the former in my free time but I know that I want/need something more meaningful in my life. I come from a military background on my father's side (Marines, Army, and Air Force throughout for the last few generations). A couple years ago I started listening to Tim Kennedy & Jocko Willink talk about their experiences (thanks JRE) and the challenges + opportunities to develop leadership qualities in the Special Forces/Navy Seals sound both honorable and appealing.
For now my plan is to keep working for at least another 1-2 years (have some non-student debts to pay off + helping family + want some work experience pre-military) while I build my strength/endurance beyond the requirements I've read online and continue to thoroughly research both processes. I'm thinking about enlisting and going for OCS by the time I'm 25/26 (24 now) that way when I get out I'll still be young enough to reasonably apply for MBA programs.
Would love to hear from Vets who have gone down either of these tracks and are willing to share their experiences. I'm currently leaning towards Seals because I've always been a water guy (scuba certified, multiple water sports). If you're willing to talk 1-on-1 off of WSO even better, let me buy you a drink and thank you personally for your service.
Have been really thinking about this a lot over the last year, and ever since my friend joined the USAF, he's been pushing me to join. Being in the SF would be amazing, but if I'm not cut out, spec ops would be cool too. Gotta get in better shape though, which is doable. It would be easy to get a cushy job in finance, but I feel I'll have time for that after serving, the time to join something like the SEALs or SF is more limited. Related to the above should I go enlisted or as an officer?
You can definitely just enlist nothing wrong with that, most of my family were enlisted. I don't see any reason why not to try for officer status if you're willing to put in the extra time + effort though, someone feel free to correct me if there's something I'm not aware of.
Yeah, but I think if I'm going to do it, I want to do it as an officer. Especially if I can be an officer in the SF, which actually takes some time - you have to be a 1st Lt. or Cpt to be eligible. Hopefully some guys on here can give us more insight.
What do you mean by this? SF is special operations...same with SEALs, Pararescue, MARSOC, etc. No offense, but the "spec ops would be cool too" comment kind of shows you need to do more research. If you don't pass SF selection, you really think you can just hop to the Navy and go to BUD/s? Nope, you're part of Big Army now.
Anyways, everyone commenting needs to really consider if this is something they want to do, for real. If you go to r/navyseals, you'd find better info and responses. But beware, everyone in that sub had a revelation during COVID and now all of a sudden they want to a be a cool guy and do cool guy things.
I meant the rangers if I cant be a green beret. Yeah, you're right I have to do more research.
Ignorant Euro dude here - what's the difference between SF & Spec Ops?
I stand corrected, square (SF) is a rectangle (SpecOp) but not all rectangles are squares.
SF = Green Berets
SpecOps = Special Operation Forces (Green Berets, SEALs, Pararescue, MARSOC, etc)
Special Forces is part of the US Army. Special Operations refers to USSOCOM (US Special Operations Command).
Also, SF is part of SOCOM, but that doesn’t mean that special operators are part of SF.
I'm an Infantry vet and I may be able to provide some insight.
The SOF community is not necessarily something that is a quick transition in/out of. Most of the dudes that I know that have gone that route served their initial 4 year service obligation in the infantry, both officer and enlisted, and then went through a long SOF pipeline. Also they're not looking for the most physically fit guy, they're looking for the right guy. Surpassing all physical standards is just a pre-requisite to be taken seriously.
If you want to go SEALS something that you're going to have to accept is that if you fail out of BUDs you are still obligated to fullfill your service how ever long that may be. Most likely you'll be placed wherever the Navy needs manpower to serve the remainder of your contract.
As far as MARSOC is concerned, they do not offer contracts like the SEALS do. You would be required to commission or enlist in the marines first and hold an MOS before going to A&S.
I don't really know anything about the Army, but i'd imagine their SOF pipeline is similar to the aforementioned.
To be completely honest the military is probably not what you think it is. We're currently not at war and even the SEALS aren't getting the sexy direct action missions that you see in the movies. If this is a route that you're seriously considering, you should commission first and see if the military is right for you. Even SEALS and MARSOC deal with the day to day bullshit and micromanagement that regular Infantryman deal with. In my opinion you should stay in finance and enjoy the freedom that being a civilian affords you.
Commenting because interested as well.
If you're looking at SEALs, look up Stew Smiths bud/s prep workout. Helps many SEAL/SpecOps wannabes.
I also hope you are aware that with each year that goes by, you are doing yourself and your body a disservice. 28 is the SEAL cutoff (29 with waivers, but they ain't giving those out like in 2010). How fit are your shoulders, knees, and neck? What type of running are you doing? I certainly hope not streets or a track. You will be competing against 17-24 year olds - the prime age of new SEALs. Also know that Officer Candidates are expected to lead from the front with everything, so the standards for the enlistees? You need to being doing double or triple.
SEALs/SpecOps community has gotten more competitive than ever. Not only do you just need to "not quit" or be the "gray man", no, you need to put out 110% of the time, especially as an Officer. If the instructor cadre sees an Officer slacking, it's over. I can almost guarantee you would quit by the amount of torture they put you through, mental and physical. Just watch BUD/s Class 234 - nothing really has changed in 20 years.
OCS can be a challenging and grueling process. Sometimes Officer Candidates just enlist because there was too much tape to go around within OCS, just something to watch out for.
Overall, just make sure you are joining for the right reasons. Why do you want to join? Are you trying to be a SEAL to say you are a SEAL? Or do you really want to be outside the wire, risking your life and those of your teammates, for something you may or may not agree with? Have a solid, concrete, unbreakable reason as to why you want to do this. The whole "I'll die before I quit" is extremely prevalent in this community. Otherwise, people quit because their "why" was a bunch of self-obsessive bullshit and that simply won't carry you through Hell Week, let alone 2 years of actual training before you head to a team.
Source - uncle was a snakeater and instructor for 12 years and brother-in-law just got out of Force Recon. If you are actually serious, I can get in touch with them. But do not waste anyone's time if you know deep down this is a fantasy. There is no problem admitting that, I went through the same thing and finally decided it wasn't for me.
OP here. I deliberately waited a couple days to reply to you because you made me think, so I appreciate you've said. I've checked out the Stew Smith BUD/S prep and will be getting it soon, still need to find a pool reasonably close to me where I can practice all of the swim stuff but this looks like a fantastic resource.
I hear you on the aging with each passing year, I can see it in my face and the thinning hairline. I kind of lied in the OP, I turn 24 in <1 month but I hear where you're coming from. If 17-24 y/o is the prime age do you think a well conditioned 25 approaching 26 would be that big a difference if I'm being consistent in my endurance and strength training?
I honestly hate myself for getting soft in school because when I started I was by all accounts a monster, but I view that doughy individual I became as another person at this point since in the last 6 months I'm down ~40lbs and on my way to being utterly shredded by the end of the year. My knees and shoulders are pretty great, though I do have some neck stiffness from a car wreck I got into when I was a teen and am saving up to get an Iron Neck after some recommendations to help with strengthening.
For running I'm putting in ~5-6 miles a day in 85-90+ degree heat while averaging ~8-9 min mile the whole time with one of those altitude training masks, reasonably pacing myself because I'm also grappling 2 hrs a day/5 days a week in separate classes in the early morning/late evening. Once I get Stew's manual I'll definitely work to exceed all the benchmarks by a healthy margin. I like to think I can put in 110% with consistency, if it weren't for my trainers beating the importance of pacing into my head every time we're together I'd be pushing till I puke almost every time I'm getting after it. The sleep deprivation I've seen highlighted is what I imagine would be the hardest part so that'll come down to mental toughness.
I want to join because I love what this country stands for and the vision I have for it, I feel like I'm a hypocrite lying to myself unless do my part to kill enemies whose beliefs I view as so evil they encroach upon that vision and endanger our citizens, and I want to work alongside (and hopefully earn the privilege to lead) people who feel the same. I honestly won't know how strong that conviction truly is until I test it, and I think the biggest indicator will be to see if that conviction feels as strong as it does now after I've spent at least a year working towards and training for the SEAL team. If it's still there when I feel ready I'd love to talk to your uncle. I'm setting this goal somewhat far out because I know I need something to fixate on and work towards, and I can't imagine a more worthy goal at this point in my life. A career sitting on my ass and fiddling with numbers in an office can wait.
Hey man, you are not the only one who thinks the office life is fucking lame and will still be there 10 years down the line. I respect what you're considering, I just want you to know what you are gonna get into. No one will know what they're made of until they put their moxie to the test, so good on you.
Now, I'm not gonna talk like I train SOF folks or anything, but I do know that 25-29 year olds can and have passed BUD/s before. The younger guys can take more body pain than the older guys, but they lack the maturity/real world skills that someone like yourself would bring. I personally think the best age for BUD/s is 24-26. Perfect amount of real world experience, but still youthful enough to withstand some pretty heavy training for two years. FYI, SF (Green Berets) age limit is 35 or something like that, just something to think about if you delay enlisting with SEALs or decide you want to switch branches.
When it comes to running, again I'm not gonna talk like I train these guys so I'm betting a smart guy like yourself can find some running programs online. Think Stew's workout incorporates some running. Otherwise look up Jake Zweig's youtube running plan he gives someone, think it was pretty legit and seemed difficult. What I do know is that you will want to start running hills and 400m/800m sprints (yes, sprints). The endurance you need to compete at BUD/s is unparalleled.
Which brings me to swimming. Are you a better swimmer or runner? Whatever you are not good at, focus on that. Swimming will boost your endurance and cardio, same way running would, so if you suck at swimming, get on it. Hell, I have heard the INDOC swim training is hard as fuck. So just imagine what BUD/s is gonna be like (if you make it through INDOC) after a 3-mile timed run, then a 500-yard ocean swim with fins - will you be able to complete that in the time allotted? Things to think about while you train. Train smarter, not harder.
All in, just look up former SEAL/SpecOps workouts and you will find a ton. Some are cheap and meant to get a quick buck, but some programs like Stew's and Jeff Nichols' have been tried and true and have helped potential candidates get A SHOT at BUD/s. Know that Olympians, college athletes, professional athletes, all have failed BUD/s. Yet, engineers, math nerds, cross country freaks, gangsters from the Bronx, have all made it. There is no formula to make it. It all comes to down your "why" that I mentioned in my previous post. If you find a concrete reason as to why you want to be there and want to finish, nothing but yourself (or injuries, unfortunately) can stop you.
I've been with you until the paragraph - seems pretty immature. Feel like a hypocrite unless you kill your enemies, lol.
My take based on what you've written is you don't seem to want this for the right reasons. You seem more infatuated with joining special ops than serving under any capacity - thus its more about you than your desire to serve. Also, you're going into it with the goal of still want to do finance on the back end - ie this is just a short stint. I have a lot of friends that have been in special ops across branches, recon, seals, green beret and rangers. None of them speak in the same vein as you do. There might be a lot more to your story but you're definitely coming across as someone that wants to parachute in, do something you perceive as macho due to your own insecurities of having got out of shape (you've referenced this many times), and then drop into a normal life again which you checked it off the bucket list. Not trying to be harsh but I think this is a fair criticism about something that shouldn't be taken so lightly.
Hey man check out my post on your original comment. The military is NOT what you think it is, even SOF. Theres a good chance that if you make it, you'll never get the chance to pull the trigger and thats the unfortunate truth. Even MARSOC and SEALS are not getting direct action missions, they mostly serve in an advisory role and train foreign units. Also some of the most intelligent, physically dominant, and hardworking guys that I served with still were not selected to become operators. It's literally a coin flip in some cases. Think long and hard about this decision, you don't want to leave your seemingly "boring" life for something that may not be what you think it is.
I would go to OCS and put in a Ranger Regiment packet(RASP2) after doing your required regular Army time. After doing your minimum time in Regiment, you could decide whether you want to exit to Finance/MBA program (highly recommended), tryout for SFAS/Special Mission Units, or Fed LEO (FBI has some cool gig for ex Infantry/SOF guys).
my nephew is 22, just graduated from military academy and tried out for army ranger school....kid has been an athlete all his life...now in his prime...he missed the cutoff by one pushup within the allotted time (for example, after a 1 mile run with a loaded pack, do 60 pushups in 60 seconds...and he did 59)....the standards are incredibly difficult now
Shit....so close. Is he able to try it again? Or do you only get one shot?
He will have multiple opportunities to pass the school. RASP and serving in Regiment is a different type of monster.
I'm pleasantly surprised to see this thread. I'm in a somewhat similar situation, having just finished my SA stint in IB and coming to the realization that no amount of compensation is worth the exercise in superficial banality that is being an IB analyst. I'm in the process of submitting my package to Navy OCS as an aviator, and I also started undergrad at West Point with the intention of ending my career with Delta (transferred out to pursue finance... not worth), so maybe I can shine some light on both sides of your question.
First off, as someone who has wanted to fly grey jets off big boats since early childhood, if you want to pursue a cool guy job in the military, do it. Now. The rat race will still be there when you get out. That advice comes from a few of my mentors who have successfully combined careers in the military and in finance. I'll do my best to describe the tradeoffs between the Army and Navy sides, but do also consider the fact that MARSOC and Air Force Pararescue and JTACs exist too. Not saying those are easy, but I think they're slightly more forgiving selection-wise.
If you're leaning towards SEALs, I'll start with the Navy side. If you want to be a Navy SEAL, and as said in a previous comment, BE a SEAL, not SAY you're a SEAL, my advice would be to contact your local USN recruiter and ask if there are any BUD/S billets available, take the Physical Screening Test, and ship. The nice thing about the Navy is you'll know what you're going to do before you go to training (for the most part, and as long as you meet the respective standards), whether that's basic or OCS, so in my mind that's the path of least resistance. I suggest enlisting over OCS simply because a SEAL platoon will have around 16 enlisted men, but only 2 officers. Thus, getting a BUD/S billet through OCS is extremely difficult because most officers at the teams stay there for a while. Every BUD/S class will have way more enlisted men than officers, and many times the attrition rate for officers in a given class is 100%. The instructors don't really care how many pushups you can do or how fast you can run (yes there are standards, but you wouldn't be at BUD/S if you didn't pass the PST); they care about identifying those who are willing to push themselves to their physical breaking point and separating them from the quitters. If you need to drown to complete an element in pool phase, then drown. Someone will save you. As an officer, not only do you need to demonstrate those qualities, but you need to consistently bring them out of the enlisted candidates. Most can't do that. Those who are successful officers at BUD/S and in the teams use the high attrition rate as motivation, so you must be able to do the same. Keep in mind that if you wash out of BUD/S, you will have to complete your officer contract somewhere within Surface Warfare. That's where the cons begin. As an aviator, if I fail something in pilot training, I can separate from the Navy and avoid getting stuck on some boat for the next 3-4 years. That's not the case for every other officer designation. So if you go the Navy route, be dead set on becoming a SEAL officer or be dead set on serving in the Navy in some capacity. You will be doing at least one of the two. Assuming you pass BUD/S, you then have to attend and pass SEAL Qualification Training. SQT is 26 weeks and will teach you the very bare minimum required to be an operational SEAL. From there, it's onto the teams. It's going to be a lot more difficult as an officer vs enlisted. You'll have to prove yourself as a leader to guys who have been there longer than you've been alive, and respect is most definitely earned. Prepare to be hazed just as much as the enlisted guys, but take all of it in stride and make sure you show that your only goal is to lead SEALs. Ask Eddie Gallagher what happens when the team loses respect for its leaders.
The Army treats their officers a little differently. You'll submit your OCS package and if you pass the board, you'll go to Army OCS. Once there, your performance will determine how much weight your preference gets when you fill out your dream sheet. Needs of the Army outweigh everything, but generally speaking the best officer candidates will branch their first choice. For you, that means branching infantry. It's fairly competitive, second only to aviation, but most people who are motivated can do it no problem. But there is a chance that you won't, so have fun in field artillery or logistics for 5 years. That adds a bit more pressure to Army OCS vs. Navy since you're competing with your classmates, but it's still vital to your success that you help your classmates wherever you can. Assuming you branch infantry, your next step will be the Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course. Assuming you don't fail IBOLC and you meet the qualifications, you can go straight to Ranger School. If you can't get a spot at Ranger School you'll most likely have to do a regular infantry platoon before reapplying through the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program, since the Army doesn't want its officers sitting around between schools. That's not hard compared to BUD/S selection, but it's not easy. You still need to be extremely motivated. Once at Ranger School the same principles apply. You will not quit, and you will motivate those beside you to do the same. Ranger School isn't as physically demanding as BUD/S, but they don't give tabs away either. Once you pass, congrats, you're a platoon leader in Ranger Regiment. But if you want to get to SF you still have a lot more work to do. You need to select for and pass SFAS, which is an approximately 8-week selection program designed to weed people out of the pipeline for the Special Forces Qualification Course. That's where the fun begins. It's about a year long, covers all aspects of being a SF operator, and it is extremely difficult. The attrition rate isn't as high as BUD/S, but they also run smaller classes less often. A lot of the specifics of Q Course are classified, but you can get a general overview from the Army's website. 100 men will test today, but only 3 win the Green Beret. Once you pass Q Course there are a few more follow-on schools you need to attend and pass, and you'll be a platoon leader in a SF regiment. The leadership qualities required are the same no matter what branch you're in, so again make sure you show that your only goal in life is to lead operators. All told the process from zero to hero in the Army takes about 3 years, vs about 1.5 years in the Navy. It is possible to keep going, but Delta has to come to you. Nobody outside of The Unit knows anything about how their selection and training works. They are the elite of the elite, comparable to Navy DEVGRU, but more selective.
So there's a general overview of the interview processes for some of the best jobs in the world. Keep doing research, and be 100% certain that you want to lead highly motivated men and kill bad guys. While the process is one of the hardest things you could possibly undertake, don't ever let a single doubt or negative thought enter your mind. You can, and you will.
Thanks for starting this thread. It's nice to see other people on this forum see more to life than money, and I appreciate the reason to do something other than bs homework. Best of luck man!
Thanks for this.
One major point of clarification: passing Ranger school *does not* mean you join the 75th Ranger Regiment. In fact most people who pass Ranger school never join the regiment.
Also, basically every single Infantry officer in the Army will go to Ranger school and is expected to pass. They will keep sending you back if you fail out.
OP here. I appreciate the overview you've shared here. Particularly the note with regard to the advantage of enlisting vs OCS if my plan is to aim for SEALs. I definitely think I need more time to train using the programs mentioned by the above poster before I'm ready to contact a recruiter, but this is all very helpful for planning out how I'm going to do what's needed.
ZZYZX
Sitting at my house at Fort Benning (home of the Army infantry) right now. I graduate IBOLC (Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course) in the next few weeks. Going to airborne school next month. Going to Ranger school after the New Year. Did not do OCS, but I know a lot about the process.
Some things you need to consider. If you want to be an officer, your path will look like this. Basic Training (10 weeks) --> OCS (12 weeks) --> BOLC (5 weeks - 100+ weeks depending on the branch within the Army)--> Relevant training. During OCS, you get branched. There are around 15-20 (it always changes so I don't bother to keep up) branches available immediately following OCS. None of those branches go directly into SOCOM. You have to go to regular Army first, except for a few selections in the Cyber and Intel space. I have guys in my class who just finished law school, enlisted, went to OCS planning to become an Army lawyer, and are now slumming it out in the infantry. You're not guaranteed to get what you want.
Additionally, please realize what you see on TV is not what it's like. You spend so much time sitting around and wasting time because the Army caters to the lowest common denominator. For combat arms branches, you will be in training for almost a year before you get to lead soldiers. And TRADOC can suck the life out of you.
There will be days when you're pulling security and it is just pissing rain all over you. It's 45 degrees outside, you can't stop shivering, you really have to pee, and you're already so wet you just piss in your pants because you don't want to move. The camaraderie makes it way better, but don't think it's all fun.
To continue, the only officers guaranteed a slot to go to Ranger school, which makes you Ranger-qualified, not a Ranger / a member of special operations command, are infantry second lieutenants. Armor, engineering, and to a lesser extent, field artillery, second lieutenants also have a very good shot at getting a slot.
Let's just discuss infantry, since that's what I know best. My path is IBOLC --> Airborne School --> Ranger School --> Line unit (IBCT, SBCT, ABCT). After this, this is where the options start opening up. As a 1LT you can become an executive officer, work on staff, be an aide-de-camp to a general, or be a specialty platoon leader (mortars, heavy weapons, scout).You can go to RASP2 as a 1LT. If you pass, and get selected, you can go to Ranger Regiment. This is your first chance in hopping into SOCOM as a combat arms officer. It is highly competitive. Only the top rated lieutenants in the Army, from each branch, get the opportunity to go. Once you are a 1LT promotable, you can go to SFAS (Special Forces Assessment and Selection). This course is incredibly tough. Almost all my buddies who went, failed. They are all Ranger-qualified and top-rated LT's in their units.
If you wanna go to BUD/S that's a whole different animal and would be better off finding alums from your school who went that route. I could have never seen myself going that route.
While I am not in any of the "cool guy" units, I am going to try out when the time comes. I have buddies in Regiment, SF, and one in SAD. I know a lot about their processes. PM me if you want to discuss further.
Is your buddy in SAD gonna have to silence you after you posted that?
Lol, that's pretty freakin sweet he's on that team. Any clue how he managed it?
He passed CAG selection, but washed out of CAG's "Q" course (not sure what it is actually called), but had no desire to return to the regular Army. Got picked up by SAD.
His only goal in life, which he has stated to me on numerous occasions, "Kill terrorists and rescue the innocent."
Congrats on the path brother, you sound like you're crushing it. Best of luck shipping out to airborne. I will admit this sounds very interesting, but between this comment and the other above it's sounding more and more to me like SEAL team is the path I'm going to take. Thank you for commenting under your user name because I have no doubt your inbox will soon be flooded with people who are inspired to pursue the Ranger path.
Don't they have some things where when you enlist, if you're lucky enough to get it granted, you can basically say I want to either make it through special ops or get out? I recall that was a thing at one point granted to people that were probably deemed high value recruits.
So that program is two-pronged. I think you are referring to the first prong, which is direct 18X enlistment. But I will touch on both.
1) Prong one is 18X enlistment. During the ramp-up in the late 2000's / early 2010's the Army initiated a program to get soldiers straight from basic training into SFAS (Special Forces Assessment and Selection). This would give junior enlisted soldiers the opportunity to join the 18 series of MOS (military occupational specialty). SFAS is highly selective, insanely difficult, and the soldiers who go straight from basic training have a way higher attrition rate than NCO's / officers going through SFAS. They will be members of the Special Forces community.
2) Prong two is enlistment into Ranger Regiment. Soldiers will go to their basic training and AIT or OSUT. After that those new soldiers will head to RASP1. These are numerous MOS's who will go to RASP1, Ranger Assessment and Selection Program, which is 8 weeks long. This is the opportunity for soldiers to go straight into Ranger Regiment. They will be members of the special operations community.
Neither of these direct from training options are available to officers with the few exceptions being intel and cyber officers able to go directly to the Ranger Regiment after RASP2.
double post
Generally speaking has anyone heard of anyone enlisting in Army/Navy in their early 30s? Guessing its too late by then just curious
You'd probably have to be in ungodly good shape to be considered. Plus wouldn't most people be looking to start a family/getting serious with an SO at this point?
I don't know any personally, but they exist. I have heard stories of guys in early 30s who got up and decided to join the Army and try out for SF. SF has the oldest average age of guys compared to other SOF groups. They are more experienced and mature, but I think that is due to the overall culture within SF.
I'm just assuming you want to be an operator given this thread, otherwise not sure why you'd really want to join besides maybe Navy Diver? But to answer your original question, you could join at that age, but probs wouldn't be a cool guy unless you went SF.
Chris Kyle was 30 when he became a SEAL. 9/11 had a bunch of middle-aged men enlist and serve as special forces/SEALs.
The Army is much more forgiving of age. Navy, if NSW is your target, is probably a lot harder.
And Air Force Combat Controllers allow up to age 39.
Take my advice with a grain of salt since I am nothing but a civilian, but I'd advise you not to see being a SEAL as a means-to-an-end but rather an end in-and-of-itself and then see if you still want it. SEAL officers usually stay on for 6 years not the typical 4 for most commissioned officers, so you'd be early thirties if you decide to get out by then. In one of Jocko Willink's interviews, he talks about how he doesn't like to speak too much about BUD/s or his training to be a SEAL. His point was that all the glamour that comes with those challenges and pushing yourself hides the true purpose of a SEAL which is essentially to kill and be ready to die in high-risk situations. Definitely a noble job and something that would add the purpose you're looking for in life, but I'd advise you not to think of it as a stepping stone for something else because the only way you can succeed in being a SEAL: going through BUD/s, knocking down doors not knowing if you're about to get blown up, having to face the fact that there's a good chance you'll die is if you accept that there's nothing else you'd rather do. Or else its just too much sacrifice.
Again take everything I said with a grain of salt, obviously any vet/active duty/special forces or SEAL would be much more valuable, but just my 2 cents here.
I actually just watched the video you're talking about from Jocko's podcast the other night where he says doesn't talk about BUD/S because it's not what being a SEAL is about, so I totally get where you're coming from. Below is what I replied to another commenter who got the same impression that I'm viewing SEALs as a stepping stone. That's not the case, I'm just making a point to think about what life post-service will entail, but it's entirely my fault that you're getting that idea for not explaining myself better. Would be interested to get a few more cents out of you after you read it if you'd do me the kindness.
Yeah it definitely sounds like you have the right mindset. At the end of the day its a very personal decision that only you can make from yourself (with people who know you very well giving insight). But my personal take is that everyone is quite a different person than they were 5-10 years ago. And that'll be especially true after a life-changing experience as a SEAL, so it's pretty difficult to plan that far ahead. However, you want to do everything you can to not close any doors, meaning make sure you're continuing to have good work experience/potential recommenders etc. I doubt, though, that after 5-10 years as a SEAL that you'll be putting much focus on your post-grad job in your application haha
If you want more concrete answers, you could always go the "People" section of LinkedIn and add Navy as a filter with "SEAL" in the search bar, even putting the MBA schools you're thinking of as a filter as well to see what type of jobs/fields those people end up in. And reach out to those people, I'm sure you'll find at least 1 that can maybe provide guidance. It seems like that's what you're already trying to do through here on WSO, so good on you. Best of luck with your journey, you seem like a strong-willed, intelligent, disciplined person, so I'm sure you'll succeed as a SEAL and whatever you want to do next in life.
But bro imagine being a former seal and be at GS - I mean so much win, prob end up with a sick podcast too bro...
Friend of mine’s brother-in-law was a navy diver/medic attached to seal team six. They invited him to try out but he’s going to be a doctor instead. The guy literally runs 20+ miles a day and is in just godly shape with an unbreakable will.
He literally doesn't.
I spent some years in SOF and 95%+ of the time was as/more boring than my time as an IB analyst at an EB. I like the people I’m with now better too. The 5% of the time was dope as hell but also a huge pain in the ass and my body hurts now. But hey, they paid for my 70k+ /yr elite private university after so that’s cool I guess.
Straight facts. My joints remind me of that grunt life everyday🤣🤣🤣.
I am familiar with these programs - do you have a good GPA? Its pretty competitive to get a SEAL slot to BUD/S as an officer. But, that's good you're planning ahead. I'm not sure what physical shape you're in right now, but there are a few core essentials you will need to develop:
- pushups (all the way down breaking 90 degrees and sometimes onto a persons fist)
- situps
- running
- pullups (lock your arms - all the way down)
- flutter kicks
You want to max out the PT tests, so conquering these should be part of your current prep. If you can't get an officer slot would you enlist? Also, you might want to check out some other special operations programs for officers including the Air Force. But, they are all competitive for officers. Also, practice your swimming and underwater holding breath swimming (usually 2 lengths).
Typically, the Air Force pipeline is the most comprehensive as you go to Combat Diver School, US Army Airborne school, HALO/HAHO training, and SERE school in addition to specialized skillset training. The Navy usually sends SEAL officers to Ranger school as well for their training.
Why do you want to be a SEAL?
Have friends in both the British Military (SAS commandos) and a few that served in top units stateside as well.
I don't like how you think you have to "kill for your country". If any of the guys I've met heard that they'd laugh you out of the room.
You need to be ready to die for your country not kill. "I Will die protecting her majesty's government" is what my british commando friend says (old money aristocrat who will inherit his father's dukedom in a few). You need to be able to sacrifice yourself for others, nameless others, and that I imagine is what makes one ready to begin a journey similar to the one you're thinking of right now. If you're not willing to sacrifice yourself than you don't belong in anywhere near the SEALS, regardless of how bad you want to be like rambo and how much of an edgelord you think you'll sound to strangers when you say something like "I joined to kill".
It's not about loving violence, and that sounds like something some mentally deranged wanker would say. If that's what you want join an MMA gym and get your ass kicked by the future GSPs and Anderson Silva's. It's about loving your country, knowing you would sacrifice your very life for it, and being happy and content if that is ultimately your fate in the end......like it has been for so many.
Also, just to get the language down, you don’t ‘enlist for OCS’. You either get a commission to become an officer or you start at the bottom and enlist.
Quick question, if I go and sign up for OCS tomorrow (in any branch) what is my commitment. 3 years? 5 years? Additionally, if I do OCS are there programs that would help me pay for an MBA afterward?
It’s an 8 year commitment. You might have to do 3-4 years active duty, then could possibly go reserves.
Here is a general idea of how the post 9/11 GI bill helps with MBA expenses:
https://militarymba.net/schools-and-programs/best-value-mba-programs.ht…
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