| Navy SEAL |
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The term Navy SEALs (SEa, Air, and Land Forces) is hallowed in the rank and file of the US Army, Navy, and Air Force. The reason is that they comprise an elite group of officers and men who undertake special operations involving unconventional warfare, direct combat, and reconnaissance.
During the last more than five decades, they and their precursors, the UDTs (Underwater Demolition Teams) have earned quite a name and war medals for themselves in Normandy, the South Pacific, Vietnam, and Korea. It is not surprising that most Defence personnel would want to be in the shoes of a Navy SEAL. To become a Navy SEAL, you need to be a US citizen, currently under active duty in the US Navy or in the US Coast Guard. You need to be at the most 28 years old and at least be a high school graduate or one having an equivalency certificate. You must have an uncorrected vision of at least 20/200 that can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses to 20/20. You also need to have earned a GT of at least 110 on the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocabulary Aptitude Battery). You cannot have more than two dependent minors. Even after you qualify these requirements, you need to undergo a rigorous six months training that also serves as an elimination round. To enable you to enter this training course, you will need to master certain minimum physical requirements. The requirements include a minimum of 42 push-ups in 2 minutes, 50 sit-ups in 2 minutes, and 6 pull-ups from a dead hang without any time limit. They also include a run of one and a half mile in trousers and boots within eleven and a half minutes. They also include a 500 yards swim using either side stroke or breast stroke within twelve and a half minutes. The above requirements only grant you entrance to the six months long BUDs (Basic Underwater Demolitions) rigorous training course. During the course you will need to better your skills even further in respect of the above physical requirements. You will be expected to complete 79 push-ups and 79 sit-ups within 2 minutes each, and 11 pull-ups from a dead hang without any time limit. You will also be expected to run one and a half miles in trousers and boots within ten minutes twenty seconds. The 500 yard swim you will need to complete within 10 minutes using breast stroke or combat side stroke. Candidates who fail to meet the above requirements during BUDs will be rejected. So, it takes a lot of heart to become a Navy SEAL. During the course, you can either train to become a diving, a demolitions, or a land warfare expert. The culmination of the course is the Hell Week in which you are expected to pass some of the most impossible tests of physical endurance and skills. Most of the eliminations take place during this stage. After you pass BUDs, you earn the right to enter service as a Navy SEAL. You earn the gold Navy SEAL badge which has a trident, an eagle, an anchor, and a gun. Thereafter begins the rigorous 18 month training to fine tune your skills as a Navy SEAL. Related Articles
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