Hagerman Christopher - Navy SEALs BUD/S Preparation Guide: A Former SEAL Instructors Guide to Getting You Through BUD/S

Navy SEALs urban combat, courtesy of the official Web site of the USN

Becoming a Navy SEAL is something that many young American men have aspirations of achieving. From the time they were young children running around with water guns or setting booby traps around the house, they have wanted to become one of Americas elite. As teenagers, they may have watched a special operations movie that lit the fire within their souls to become an operator. Then there are others, answering the call of duty after an event such as the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. If you are one of them, there are a few things youd better know up front. Whether your motive is patriotism, challenging yourself personally, or just wanting to be a part of one of the worlds most elite special operations units, the same advice applies: You had better come preparedprepared mentally, physically, and emotionally, or you will fall by the wayside like the other 70-plus percent who dont successfully complete the program. That percentage probably seems a bit daunting, and it is. This program is not for those lacking inner strength and mental fortitude. Becoming a SEAL is only attainable if you possess a never quit attitude that trumps all circumstances. With the right attitude and proper physical preparation, your odds of making it through this rigorous program will most certainly be increased. Then you, too, may be standing tall with the Navy SEAL Trident pin upon your chest.

What I am going to tell you here is not a matter of national security, nor is it even a secret in the simple sense. The information in this book is available by means of thorough research on the Internet, thanks to many years of media attention and recruiting ploys by high-ranking military brass. What I am going to tell you differs from your Internet research in that it is straight from the mouth of one who has been through the system: a rootin, tootin, shootin Frogman.

BUD/S students IBS run, courtesy of the official Web site of the USN

As a school or training program, whichever you choose to call it, BUD/S is truly in a class of its own. Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) Training takes place primarily on the sandy shores of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California at the Naval Special Warfare Center (NSWC). The average daily high temperature is 70 degrees. Tourists from around the world flock to the shores of this paradise to enjoy the sun and sand. If this sounds like a nice place to be, it is, unless you happen to be a BUD/S candidate. For you, that balmy temperature will be tempered by many trips into the Pacific Ocean to get wet and sandy. Although the ocean temperature averages around 65 degrees, I can promise you it will feel much colder after repeated visits.

In my opinion, one of the primary things that sets BUD/S apart as a training program is the instructor staff. BUD/S instructors are Frogmen; they come straight from the SEAL community. They are very current on whats going on at the team level and with our various combat and training operations overseas. They all go through an instructor training program both at the regular navy level and at the NSWC. They are picked for this duty based on proficiency in their jobs, ability to teach at the team level, personality, and, perhaps most significantly, their remaining operational life. The vast majority of instructors have a long operational life remainingthat is, for quite some time to come, they can and will be deployed overseas to do the work SEALs do. To put it another way, there is a