Naval Special Warfare

C

CJP

NAPS '25 USNA '29
Joined
Nov 29, 2023
Messages
146
USNA is my first choice but i have the NROTC scholarship(with plans to reapply to USNA until i cant).
My top 3 list for what i want to commission as if i go to USNA is
1. Seal
2. USMC Ground
3. Pilot

Ive wanted to be a seal since 7-8th grade and originally i wanted to enlist until i heard about the academies.

Are there any resources i can use, both now and at the academy, to talk to seal officers or people who are more knowledgable of it.

Ive done loads of research but what ive learned is not everything on paper is 100% correct.

Thank You
 
Once at USNA, you'll be surrounded by countless officer and enlisted from every warfare community. A big part of their job is to educate mids about the different career paths (and to a degree, to assess fit). You'll get as much real-world information as you could possibly want.

A word about the Marines (as the father of a 2LT): The Marines are very choosy about who they select. They want future Marines to want to be Marines, above all else. There are exceptions, of course, but the general expectation is that a Marine aspirant will have Marine Ground and Marine Air in their top two, in one order or another. And now you can add Marine Cyber to that list. You need to want to be a Marine first, with MOS coming second.
 
You should consider SWO if you want to be a SEAL. Easiest community from which to apply for a lat transfer to SEAL if you do not get a direct accession slot out of USNA or NROTC.

Also consider EOD.
 
You would need to be in the top 100 of your class to get a SEAL billet directly out of USNA. There are very few seats available and they go fast.
 
GirlDad said:
You would need to be in the top 100 of your class to get a SEAL billet directly out of USNA. There are very few seats available and they go fast.
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This does not seem to be accurate to me. There is a lot more to the equation then class ranking. A lot more….. Things like fitness level, commitment, NSW screener and SOAS to name a few.
 
GirlDad said:
You would need to be in the top 100 of your class to get a SEAL billet directly out of USNA. There are very few seats available and they go fast.
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This is not true. The SEAL community has a very extensive process at USNA for selection. Mini-BUDS or SOAS or whatever it’s called today plays a large part in selection. There are screeners at USNA to even make it to that. Then there are final PT tests. There are other things evaluated as well. But I have seen those who graduated 1 in a call get SEALs and seen those in the bottom 25%. Bottom of the class isn’t the ideal place to be.
 
NavyHoops said:
This is not true. The SEAL community has a very extensive process at USNA for selection. Mini-BUDS or SOAS or whatever it’s called today plays a large part in selection. There are screeners at USNA to even make it to that. Then there are final PT tests. There are other things evaluated as well. But I have seen those who graduated 1 in a call get SEALs and seen those in the bottom 25%. Bottom of the class isn’t the ideal place to be.
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This is what i thought. Im pretty sure, from what mids told me, in your 1st class summer(i think) youll do the specific training, like the mini-BUD/S and leatherneck, and that there is a Seal that chooses who can take the chip and who cant based off of everything. From what ive noticed from class portraits is normally around 30 take the service assignment. Something ive also been told is there are assignments that have to be number 1 on your list or else they wont even consider you for it, only exception is if you have one of the others that need to be #1(ex. Seal, Marine, EOD)

But what im trying to figure out is life as a Seal, Im sure its different for each team, but just a general basis. Ive done as much research as possible about the 24 weeks for BUDS and then another 18 months of pre-dep training. Id also want to know how BUDS is, i know its LITERALLY the hardest training the US Military offers but im talking more of the "back-end" kind of stuff like communication through BUDS, if you get to go home ever(Not that any of this is a make or break just something to look forward to).
 
CJP said:
Id also want to know how BUDS is, i know its LITERALLY the hardest training the US Military offers but im talking more of the "back-end" kind of stuff like communication through BUDS, if you get to go home ever(Not that any of this is a make or break just something to look forward to).
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Appreciate your passion for SEALs. That's to be commended -- wanting to serve in one of the hardest roles out there.

Now tap the brakes a bit. Take it one step at a time. First, land that offer of appointment. Then excel in plebe summer and plebe year. Then participate in the various prep activities and eventually in the SEAL screener. If you get past that -- mentally and physically -- you can really start digging into what a SO career might look like. At the same time, don't stop considering Plan B, C, D...should SEALs not come to fruition, for reasons either in or out of your control.

In other words, lean in but don't get too far ahead of your skis. Best wishes.
 
MidCakePa said:
Appreciate your passion for SEALs. That's to be commended -- wanting to serve in one of the hardest roles out there.

Now tap the brakes a bit. Take it one step at a time. First, land that offer of appointment. Then excel in plebe summer and plebe year. Then participate in the various prep activities and eventually in the SEAL screener. If you get past that -- mentally and physically -- you can really start digging into what a SO career might look like. At the same time, don't stop considering Plan B, C, D...should SEALs not come to fruition, for reasons either in or out of your control.

In other words, lean in but don't get too far ahead of your skis. Best wishes.
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I echo this. Yes, you get to go home. Training cycles are different, but even then you get weekends mostly at BUDS. Once on a team you live out in town. Training and deployments are high in SEALs. Divorce rates are astronomical. These are the things you will learn at USNA from those who go before you in training and from the SEALs on the yard. Focus on getting into USNA and then look at the next step. Probably the top candidate in my class did well in mini-BUDS and eventually did not put SEALs on his final list. He was scheduled to get married after graduation and did not want to risk his marriage. Nuances like what should be your final service selection list if you want SEALs are things you will learn at USNA.
 
OP, @MidCakePa offers great advice. Additionally I would caution (all applicants) that they should be happy to serve in any capacity, including SWO, as about 10% do not get their first choice. Concentrate on making your best competitive application to get appointed first.
 
Another Question to add to this which i was just told by my NJROTC Instructor, If i become a seal straight from the academy and go straight to buds but fail out is it true that im discharged from the military?

I was asking him about the SWO to Seal thing and how easy it is to transfer and he said a good thing about it is if you decided to go Seal from being a SWO and you ring that bell instead of being discharged you can get sent back to the fleet as a SWO.
 
CJP said:
Another Question to add to this which i was just told by my NJROTC Instructor, If i become a seal straight from the academy and go straight to buds but fail out is it true that im discharged from the military?

I was asking him about the SWO to Seal thing and how easy it is to transfer and he said a good thing about it is if you decided to go Seal from being a SWO and you ring that bell instead of being discharged you can get sent back to the fleet as a SWO.
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I find it hard to believe the Navy would discharge someone just for quitting BUDS after all of the time and money they just spent at USNA, NROTC, OCS, or wherever. I understand if it was for a medical reason during training that makes continuing in the Navy not feasible, but not just for quitting. They will find a new community for you. Same for student aviators and subs.
 
CJP said:
Another Question to add to this which i was just told by my NJROTC Instructor, If i become a seal straight from the academy and go straight to buds but fail out is it true that im discharged from the military?

I was asking him about the SWO to Seal thing and how easy it is to transfer and he said a good thing about it is if you decided to go Seal from being a SWO and you ring that bell instead of being discharged you can get sent back to the fleet as a SWO.
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I have seen several flight students in Pensacola that are BUD/S drops

You would go to a POCR board, just like a flight or nuke attrite would go to, list your preferences for a new designator, and the board would decide what you’ll become. You still owe the Navy 5 years Active Duty after going to USNA, and they will get their money’s worth out of you. It’s not “oh I can’t be a SEAL anymore, so I will just get out” oh no, not if you did USNA or NROTC.

If you suffered a very bad injury at BUD/S and are no longer fit for active duty because of that, then medical separation is probably what will happen instead.
 
CJP said:
If i become a seal straight from the academy and go straight to buds but fail out is it true that im discharged from the military?
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Ihavenoidea said:
I find it hard to believe the Navy would discharge someone just for quitting BUDS after all of the time and money they just spent at USNA, NROTC, OCS, or wherever.
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Anything is possible.... I've seen a situation where a USNA graduate in the last 10 years voluntarily attrited from Flight School, and was not reassigned to another warfare specialty. I don't think there was anything wrong with him...seemed like a good kid and really wanted to serve, but Navy just didn't have a place for him. Bottom line, needs of the Navy control, and if you voluntarily quit anything, you are at the mercy of the Big Navy and the Needs of the Navy.
 
Old Navy BGO said:
Anything is possible.... I've seen a situation where a USNA graduate in the last 10 years voluntarily attrited from Flight School, and was not reassigned to another warfare specialty. I don't think there was anything wrong with him...seemed like a good kid and really wanted to serve, but Navy just didn't have a place for him. Bottom line, needs of the Navy control, and if you voluntarily quit anything, you are at the mercy of the Big Navy and the Needs of the Navy.
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One of our USNA sponsor sons DOR’ed at flight school, realized flying was not for him once he was doing the more advanced stuff, was doing okay but not great, had graduated in upper third of his USNA class, would happily have gone SWO or any other Navy community, but there was no room anywhere. He was separated. It happens, rarely, because the Navy hates to leave a potentially good officer without a path, but is occasionally too flush with endstrength in that paygrade in that particular year - and of course officer endstrength for that service and paygrade is controlled by statute.

Happy ending for that grad. We steered him toward his home state’s veteran’s agency and the state vet benefits program unique from the fed VA program benefits, as he was not eligible for Fed VA educational benefits. He met his state’s criteria and got his Master’s program paid for a a choice of 3 state universities. He has gone on to a successful career in corporate finance.
 
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Old Navy BGO said:
Anything is possible.... I've seen a situation where a USNA graduate in the last 10 years voluntarily attrited from Flight School, and was not reassigned to another warfare specialty. I don't think there was anything wrong with him...seemed like a good kid and really wanted to serve, but Navy just didn't have a place for him. Bottom line, needs of the Navy control, and if you voluntarily quit anything, you are at the mercy of the Big Navy and the Needs of the Navy.
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Capt MJ said:
One of our USNA sponsor sons DOR’ed at flight school, realized flying was not for him, was doing okay but not great, had graduated in upper third of his USNA class, would happily have gone SWO or any other Navy community, but there was no room anywhere. He was separated. It happens, rarely, because the Navy hates to leave a potentially good officer without a path, but is occasionally too flush with endstrength in that paygrade - and of course officer endstrength for that service and paygrade is controlled by statute.
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I completely understand that anything can happen and that a officer that didn't make it in their chosen community was separated because there is no room at another. I'm sure it happens, but I don't believe that seperation is the #1 result of this type of situation. To me, It seems a waste to just separate a officer just because they quit a school or didn't make it. Now if they tried to find a spot and it didn't work out. That I understand more.

Is separation after a officer can't continue in a specific community more prevalent than finding a spot at another community? I get that a O-4 or higher might be pretty stuck in a community because of rank, but we are talking about new ensigns and LTJG's here in this thread. Surly transfer is atleast really tried before separation is chosen.
 
I’m probably the only person who chuckled a bit reading this thread. I had surmised that DD had a certain attraction to SEALs….. right up to the moment she found herself surrounded by them.
 
Ihavenoidea said:
I'm sure it happens, but I don't believe that seperation is the #1 result of this type of situation. To me, It seems a waste to just separate a officer just because they quit a school or didn't make it.
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Of course.. I didn't mean to suggest that it occurs frequently , but does happen. Probably more common is being assigned to a something less than desirable billet, e.g., BOQ Officer in Keflavik. (Is there such a billet ? That was always the threat if we screwed up in the VP community).

Ivy22 identifies the process...and in most cases Navy will find a home for you. However, sometimes Big Navy is oversubscribed, and there is no longer room. Is it a waste ?? LOL, yes but we could probably fill a whole 'nother thread with things the DOD (and Government in general) do that would be considered a waste !
 
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