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BUD/S

Click here to see FAQs about BUD/S training.

The official recruiting brochure states that: " as a prospective Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL student, you will participate in training that will challenge you both mentally and physically. You will also encounter obstacles that will develop and test your stamina and leadership. BUD/s training itself is extremely tough both mentally and physically, but through adequate preparation and a positive attitude, you can meet its challenges with confidence." Okay, sounds good. What exactly are these physical and mental challenges that you will face? That question is one of the corner stones of the Navy SEAL mystique - the almost unbelievable physical and mental training that the student is subjected to on a daily basis. It starts immediately upon checking into BUD/S and your assignment to the Fourth Phase.

FOURTH PHASE

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Like many things in the military, the end comes before the beginning here. Fourth Phase of training varies in length depending upon when you go through training and when you check in. For many classes Fourth Phase is seven weeks in length and is a time to get physically and mentally prepared to START training! Currently it is two weeks in length - just long enough to find out which students are prepared to train and which are not. Those not prepared are sent back to the fleet to try their luck again at a later date. The length of Fourth Phase is at the whim of the Commanding Officer Du Jour who wants to make his mark on the training of new recruits. Basically, Fourth Phase is a time to get your feet on the ground and get to know the basic nuts and bolts of how BUD/S training operates. The trainees swim, pt, run and get dogged pretty hard - but you still know that training has yet to begin. During Fourth Phase, or indoctrination phase, the instructors decide who is ready to "class up" for the next BUD/S class. Prior to classing up - or commencing training, a class-up party is held at Gator Beach on the Coronado Strand where trainees paint helmets the First Phase green and shave their heads to prepare for the intensity of the ensuing 25 weeks of training.

FIRST PHASE - First Phase starts with a bang and ends with a boom. It consists of two mile and three mile timed runs, physical training (PT - or calisthenics), 1 -2 mile ocean swims with fins and a gut burning obstacle course that are almost daily delights. The minimum times required for pass become increasingly difficult for the timed evolutions, as does the intensity and difficulty of the PT and soft sand runs (yes the soft sand runs are in boots with fatigues on). During the first five weeks, students learn life saving, knot tying, underwater knot tying (a difficult skill which has claimed the budding careers of many a tadpole), basic first aid and surf passage in small inflatable boats (see video 1(3.4 mb). Underwater swims of 50 yards must be accomplished, and the student is usually revived when they pass out.

Drown Proofing - (see picture at left)came into being after an tragic accident in the late 60s when a Team member whose hands and feet were tied to simulate being a prisoneer was being transported in a small Vietnamese-style sampan. The boat rocked, tipped, filled with water, and the occupants were dumped overboard. The water was only a few feet deep (very similar to the canals and waterways in Vietnam), but the man whose hands and feet were bound was tragically drowned. It was determined that this situation should NEVER be repeated, and the concept of drownproofing was created as a solution. It was folded into the existing pool training that BUD/S students were undergoing, including rescue swimming, lifesaving, etc." (Thanks to SEAL Steve Robinson for this info) The training is very valuable in building confidence and relaxation skills in the water (also the small chance that it may come in handy some day. The evolution begins with students tying their feet at the ankles and hands behind your backs at the wrist then entering the pool for some bobbing followed by a 50 meter swim.

Another fun filled event during first phase is surf torture. Torture? You bet it is. It all stems from the theory that a frogman must be intimately familiar with the water. During BUD/S training, the student is wet and sandy for most of the six months. Even the classroom sessions often include a trip or two to the surf zone to facilitate an alert posture during the class. Periodically the instructors include a little "cold water conditioning" in the training schedule - hence the term "surf torture". Basically the entire class must wade into the surf zone to their waste line, then sit down with arms linked. Mind you that the water in San Diego never gets above 68 during summer months and 58 during winter.

Soon the insipid cold sucks all of your body's warmth and the whole class shivers in unison as the waves crash over your heads. The plan calls for submersion to the brink of hypothermia, then to pull you out for some calisthenics to warm up - then back in the drink for some more conditioning. The "training session" lasts for about an hour. It's been shown to be a very effective way to teach a prospective SEAL to mentally fend off the effects of hypothermia - which could likely save your life in the future.

Oh yes - almost frog-ot to discuss HELL WEEK! My favorite week of training during BUD/S. It occurs the sixth week of First Phase, after about 30% of the class has already rung out. Hell Week is the real make or break test during first phase - and a defining moment in the lives and careers of most SEALs. Five days and five nights of non-stop training - with a total cumulative sleep time of about 2 hours! The class is broken into boat crews, which run everywhere with their IBS (Inflatable Boat-Small) on their heads.

Hell Week starts with "break out" on Sunday night - which is a simulated combat experience with absolute chaos reigning.

After break out, the boat crews begin a series of well-choreographed training events that pit boat crew against boat crew, student against student and the individual against himself. The true enemy becomes the cold. Students are kept wet and sandy and cold and exhausted every minute of each day - the only respite coming in the warmth of the chow hall where about 5000 calories are consumed during breakfast, lunch, dinner and midnight rations.

The cold makes the weak quit and the determined seek strength through teamwork and helping their fellow students. Hell Week is a defining moment in the life of every SEAL because it makes them confident that they can endure and accomplish twenty times what they had previously thought possible. But it isn't easy (see video (1.3 mb) quicktime required. By the end of the week, the average BUD/S class is down to about 25 to 35 students - from well over 100 at the start. Some of the exciting adventures during the week include night rock portage on the rocks in front of the Hotel Del Coronado; an around-the-Coronado-Island boat paddle after three nights without sleep (15 miles); timed runs and swims; obstacle course running with the IBS and a trip down the strand (running with boats on heads) to a fun filled afternoon of low crawling through the famous mud flats, the demo pits, steel piers and many other exciting and tortuous games refined through the years by many a "creative" BUD/S instructors. Finally, on Friday afternoon a bleary eyed, torn, blistered, sunburned and scabby headed class- a fraction of the original size- is secured from Hell Week for a weekend of rest before resuming training on Monday for the Hydrographic reconnaissance training. For some more great insight on Hell Week and BUD/S in general, see Jeff Kraus' book "You Want Me To Do What?" more>>He graduated from U.S. Army Special Forces Q course, The U.S. Army Ranger course and Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL School. 

The final three weeks of First Phase teach the students the basics of what the old Underwater Demolition Teams did during WW II, the Korean War and Vietnam - reconnoitering beaches to find underwater obstacles and to determine the feasibility of landing a Marine landing force on a particular beach. There are numerous ways to accomplish this task. The easiest is the daytime administrative recon - used when the beach is not considered to be a hostile beach. Nighttime combat recons are more common during times of conflict and are conducted covertly, often submerged. However they are conducted more effectively from a surface swimmer line methodically working its way into or along a beach testing the depths and diving for obstacles. A follow-on UDT mission (now a SEAL mission) is to return to the obstacle laden beaches a later night to emplace demolition on the underwater obstacles and blow them up, with the hopes of clearing enough room for landing craft to approach the beach. These underwater demolition skills are taught to the BUD/S student during Third Phase at San Clement Island. 

SECOND PHASE

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During Second Phase, physical training becomes more intense as the qualifying times for the timed runs, swims and obstacle courses become more demanding. A four-mile open ocean swim and a 12-mile rucksack hump are thrown in as additional gut checks. Grinder PT's become more intense and the soft sand runs as grueling as ever. However, one major difference begins to become apparent in Second Phase: you are doing real SEAL mission training (on a much less intense scale than in the Teams, as you will see later). Diving is a critical SEAL skill and a Team member can expect to log thousands of dives during his career. At BUD/S you will start off with the basics - open circuit diving in a pool. In typical fashion, nothing is made easy. During week three of Second Phase "Pool Comp" is the next big hurdle to test the SEAL candidate. In Pool Comp you will assume full dive gear with double hose regulators on the dive tanks and swim along the deep end of the Combat Training Tank. Soon, as swift as a shark attack, you are tossed around like a rag doll and will have all of your gear and tanks torn from your body (see video (2 mb) quicktime required. The regulator hoses are tied in outrageous knots by the relentless underwater aggressor (instructor Psycho)(see video (2.2 mb) quicktime required. You are in a precarious position and could easily panic and bolt for the surface. However, if you don't want to fail the test and be rolled from training, you find your source of air and untangle the knot to be able to breathe underwater. If you accomplish this you must re-don all of your gear properly and return to the surface. This is no small chore - just another day in the life of a Tadpole trainee.

Closed circuit dive training begins with Dive Physics and a sense that you are finally learning to be a Frogman! Students learn the ins and outs of the Draeger LAR V closed circuit, 100 percent oxygen diving system. This rig is worn on the chest and is a closed system - thus emitting no bubbles (when used with skill). You can appreciate how valuable a bubble less system can be to a Frogman trying to infiltrate an enemy harbor at night to blow up a ship or recon the area. However, diving the rig is the easy part. The hard part is learning how to get where you want to go underwater - at night - especially if you need to travel several miles underwater while facing currents, tides, obstacles, marine life (yikes!) and of course the enemy. This is the knowledge and courage that separates SEALs from ordinary military men. BUD/S students will learn the basics of underwater navigation in second phase - but many say that these skills must be honed over a period of several years before a level of competency can be reached that tilts the scale toward mission success. You will also learn about the limpet underwater explosive devise and how and where to attach it to the hull of a ship. You can expect to conduct close to fifty dives (both day and night) during this period of training.

THIRD PHASE

Third Phase of BUD/s is Land Warfare Phase. Utilizing the "crawl, walk, run" principle, students learn basic marksmanship with the primary SEAL weapons, the M-16 and pistol

(SIG Sauer 9mm and Colt .45). Basic Patrolling and Immediate Action Drills are taught in both the classroom and in the field (Immediate Action Drills: in a firefight the SEAL squad will execute a number of football play type maneuvers to out-gun and out-flank the enemy, often providing enough firepower to subdue a much larger force and extract from the danger zone). Heavy weapons like the M-60 machine guns, M-79 and M203, 40 mm grenade launchers, hand grenades and Anti-Tank weapons are taught. Basic field demolitions round out the commando training. The field explosives include drop off charges, the claymore mine, shape charges and improvised explosive booby traps. Hand to hand combat training continues at a higher intensity level. Of course the physical training picks up in intensity as well. The trainees, whose bodies and minds are already hardened from four months of non-stop physical training, are broken down once again to reach new limits. A 5.5-mile ocean swim and a 14-mile run mark the physical milestones of Third Phase. (Note: the swim and run are for completion, but are timed and superior performance, as usual, limits the post event verbal abuse by the instructor staff).

The first four weeks of Land Warfare Phase are spent on the Coronado Strand learning the basics. Next the class moves to San Clemente Island to Camp Billy Machen (named after the first SEAL killed in combat in the Vietnam war). Many SEALs remember Camp Billy Machen as a dust filled hell with a few Quonset huts thrown in to keep you dry when they were allowed to sleep. Where "nobody can hear you scream" is Camp Billy Machen, and some say an entire book could be written about what a student usually endures on that rock. In past times, this portion of training was considered the most grueling because the remote and isolated camp offers the SEAL instructors few distractions from conjuring up devious and painful "training" exercises. 

Today, San Clemente sports a brand new multi- million dollar training facility that offers all of the comforts of home. Still the students are put to the test. One of the more lighthearted training exercises are "flights" up a steep hill carrying a wooden pallet - the student must follow proper flight procedures such as staying in the flight pattern and requesting permission to land - or he goes back up for another "pass". Some students will log hundreds of hours in flight status and may even receive their wings on the rock!

At San Clemente, students learn the art of breath-hold diving to emplace demolitions on obstacle submerged in 20 feet of water. Utilizing the Hydrographic reconnaissance skills taught in First Phase, the class conducts a simulated night combat beach reconnaissance, prepares a hydrographic chart, then returns the following night to stealthily place demo on the obstacles and blow them up! Night patrols, ambushes and direct action raid skills are honed in preparation for the final battle problem. 

The Final Field Training Exercise (FTX) is held over a five-day/night period. Each squad enters isolation to begin the mission planning process and conducts four back-to-back night operations utilizing most of the commando skills taught during the six month BUD/S training. This is an exhaustive yet exhilarating time and brings to a culmination the long days and nights of the most intensive and comprehensive military training in the world.

Graduation Day - The day a budding tadpole could barely imagine a few short months previously. The 20 or so men who muster with stern faces and hardened bodies - sporting well earned BUD/s graduate "thousand mile stares," bear little resemblance to the wide eyed kids who arrived on the quarterdeck of the Phil Buckelew Naval Special Warfare Center six and one half months earlier to embark on the journey of a lifetime. The moment of reflection and rest is short lived though. It's off to jump school at Fort Benning, Ga., then assignment to a SEAL or SDV team on the East or West Coast. Once at the SEAL Team, training has just begun, for now you must prove worthy of wearing the coveted "trident" Naval Warfare insignia.

This FAQ was designed to answer some of the more common questions asked about BUD/S training, this website and the SEAL Teams in general. It is not intended to break down the BUD/S application process, nor does it intend to list the requirements for BUD/S, although it does include some relevant information pertaining to this. I highly recommend all interested future-BUD/S applicants (and any other interested parties) visit the "Official Navy SEAL website" at http://www.sealchallenge.navy.mil This is also the official website for Special Warfare Combatant Crewmember (SWCC) and the Leapfrogs (Navy SEAL parachute demonstration team). That website is extremely informative and it breaks down the entire process to make it simple and easy. All wanna-bees should thoroughly navigate this website as well as the one listed above BEFORE emailing or posting any questions. 9 times out of 10 you will find your answer. This makes everything easier and more available for everyone. Thank you and have fun!

1.) In regards to this website, if I am not, nor ever was a SEAL, may I respond under the "Ask A SEAL" forum?

- Absolutely NOT. We only want legitimate SEALs responding to the posted questions - this helps us ensure that people asking questions are getting accurate, up to date information. NO EXCEPTIONS!!

2.) Are there any questions that should NOT be asked on this website?

- Yes. Under the Ask A SEAL forum, ask only SEAL-related questions (not about games such as SOCOM, etc.). Do not ask about why female's can not be SEALs. Research the forums - it has been brought up in the past but should not be brought up anymore. DO NOT ask active duty SEALs where they are stationed and specific information about themselves. Former and retired SEAL will usually give you their duty stations and it is ok to ask them. Simple rule of thumb - if you ask a SEAL (active/reserve/retired/former) a question and he says he will not answer that specific question, STOP asking it. If you think he is a fraud, report him to the AuthentiSEAL website. DO NOT ask about SEAL Team 6 or Development Group (DevGru) or about Red Cell. Read some of Marcinko's books for information on these units. Do not ask about specifics on potentially classified information (such as the SDV program) for obvious reasons. Operational Security (OPSEC) should be forefront in your mind before asking a question for the safety and maintained security of the SEAL Teams and the men that comprise them and have comprised them. You will be told if you ask about a forbiden topic. If that happens, let it go - do not try to solicit more information on the subject. Also do not ask "which Special Operations group is the best?" There is no answer for that question. ALL are elite and have their specific functions - not ONE is "the best."

3.) I know a guy that claims he was a SEAL. Is there any way to verify his claim and how positive is the verification?

- There absolutely is a way to verify anyone's claims that they are or have ever been a SEAL. Visit the website www.AuthentiSEAL.org for information. There is a link for that site on this site. The verification accuracy is definite! They have a database of every man that has ever graduated from BUD/S training with some information on each man. (Please not: there has NEVER been any "SECRET" SEALs or BUD/S Classes). Have as much information as possible about the subject who claims SEAL status before submitting your request for verification. Visit their website for specific information.

4.) Can females apply for BUD/S training?

- No. The reasoning for this is due to the Ground Combat Exclusion Law passed by US Congress. The program is strictly for men only. No female has ever been accepted to BUD/S. Females may look into other Special Warfare/diving-related programs though, specifically - Explosives Ordnance Disposal (EOD). Call 1-800-USA-NAVY for more information.

5.) Can I be in a branch other than the Navy and be a SEAL?

- No. The title Navy SEAL should be pretty much self-explanatory. Other branch service members desiring BUD/S training should try to get an inter-service transfer to the U.S. Navy first. Talk to your chain of command or contact the Naval Special Warfare Center (NSWC) for more information.

6.) I am not a U.S. citizen. Can I go to BUD/S to become a United States Navy SEAL?

- No. To attend BUD/S for the United States Navy, you must be a United States citizen. A few "foreign nationals" are accepted into most BUD/S classes (from militaries other than our own), but that is a totally different issue and decided at the discretion of the Naval Special Warfare Center (NSWC) and worked out between the Center and our military allies that may be interested. But for U.S. Navy SEAL hopefuls, you must first obtain U.S. citizenship, then you may apply for BUD/S.

7.) Are there any ASVAB waivers available if I don't meet the required scores?

- Yes. A maximum of 5 point waivers may be requested.

8.) What are the specifics on eyesight requirements for BUD/S applicants?

- 20/40 in one eye; 20/70 in the other with both being correctable to 20/20. Waivers are typically given to those applicants with at least 20/70 in one eye and 20/100 in the other. Eyesight corrective surgery IS now acceptable provided you meet the above listed requirements. In addition to all of this - NO colorblindness is acceptable and that is NOT "waiverable." There are very specific reasons for these requirements (which I will not get into here). Eyesight is the #1, most common disqualifier for BUD/S applicants.

9.) The BUD/S age limit is 28 years old or younger. Can I get a waiver if I am "too old?"

- Yes, no and maybe. Age waivers are fairly standard and common for 29 and 30 year old applicants. Men above the age of 30 have been accepted and have graduated, but it is on a case-by-case basis and it is rare. For example, a 35 year old applicant with no military background will probably NOT get a waiver, while a 37 year old former Army Special Forces soldier may get one because of his SpecOps background experience. It is the decision of the higher authorities as to whether or not they will approve an age waiver. Anyone above the age of 40 years old will probably NOT get a waiver, regardless of background.

10.) How many different waivers may I obtain?

- There is no specific number of waivers allowed, but obviously you want the least amount of waivers, if you need any at all. One waiver should be your max. Of course no waivers is ideal.

11.) What is a "BUD/S package?"

- All of the forms, requests, documents and waivers, etc. that you need to submit to apply for BUD/S training. Visit www.sealchallenge.navy.mil for more specific information.

12.) What is the "SEAL Challenge" contract? How does it work?

- It does NOT guarantee you will go to BUD/S, What it does guarantee is that if you successfully meet all of the requirements and you pass the BUD/S Physical Screening Test (PST), then you will be given a slot in a BUD/S class. It also provides you with 3 opportunities to pass the PST if you fail it initially. Again, more information is available at www.sealchallenge.navy.mil.

13.) What if I have been to BUD/S before, didn't make it and want to try again?

- Officers are given one shot only. So Officers are NOT afforded the opportunity to re-apply. Enlisted men, on the other hand, may re-apply as many times as they would like provided they still meet all of the requirements. They must also submit a BUD/S package just like everyone else, but must also include a form 1070 explaining why they were voluntarily or involuntarily disenrolled and what steps have been taken to correct those deficencies.

14.) Should I expose myself to freezing cold water to help prepare myself for BUD/S training?

- Absolutely not! Not only is it very dangerous and stupid, but it is also non-beneficial. It is not possible to "get used to" cold water. So why expose yourself to unnecessary punishment and danger? You will get all the cold water you can handle once you get to BUD/S. The Teams need guys that can persevere and endure through ANY conditions and not just "quit" if placed in an uncomfortable situation. So it's not about "getting used to it," but it IS about "dealing with it."

15.) What type of physical preperation and workout should I do to help prepare me for BUD/S?

- If you navigate through this site and others, you will find the US Naval Special Warfare's "recommended" workouts. There are also numerous books and videos available to assist you with this. Whatever workout(s) you decide to do, you should be sure to include lots of push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, dips, flutter kicks, running and swimming. Lots of it! Weight training is NOT necessary nor is it recommended for prospective BUD/S candidates. Also, proper, healthy nutrition is very important. Eat right and follow a proper work-out routine and you will go to BUD/S with a healthy mind, body and spirit which will increase your possibilities of making it to graduation!

16.) Is there any type of academic preperation I should do before BUD/S?

- It may be a good idea to review basic mathematic/algebra skills, basic laws of physics and some basic chemistry (mainly the "elements"). This is not absolutely necessary but would be very beneficial and not at all detrimental. Of course ANY additional education is an outstanding idea! Learn as much as you can!!

17.) Should I learn how to SCUBA dive before going to BUD/S?

- SCUBA classes teach RECREATIONAL and other types of "civilian" diving. Prospective SEALs are taught how to be COMBAT divers. Two completely different things. Second phase of BUD/S will teach you all the diving you need to know - much more extensive than ANY other program anywhere. No previous civilian (or other) diving experience is needed nor recommended. If you go in with NO diving experience at all, that is a good thing, because the instructors are then able to "mold you" into the type of the diver needed in the Teams. You won't have any old "bad habits" to break, etc. It's easier to teach someone from scratch than to have to "re-teach" someone things that they THOUGHT they already knew.

18.) What type of H2H fighting (martial arts) system do they use in the Teams and should I take martial arts classes prior to going to BUD/S?

- The Naval Special Warfare community does NOT recognize only one specific form of martial arts or system of fighting. All of the advertisements that say "The OFFICIAL Navy SEAL Hand 2 Hand Comabt System..." or anything similar is just a sales technique - nothing else. These "systems" or "programs" may have been used in platoon work-ups or in the Combat Fighting Course (CFC), but not one specific style is exclusive in the Teams. Some arts that are effective for application within the SEAL Teams include Ninjutsu and Israeli Krav Maga. Martial arts training is NOT able to prepare you for BUD/S (or the SEAL Teams in general), but it is beneficial in conditioning your mind, body and spirit.

19.) Is "quitting" the only way to not make it through BUD/S?

- No. A Drop on Request (DOR) is the most common way to be disenrolled from BUD/S, but is not the only cause. There are also "performance drops," "academic drops," "medical drops" and "staff decision drops." A performance drop is when you continuously fail a timed/graded physical evolution or evolutions. An academic drop is when you are not able to pass a written/academic test/exam. A medical drop is of course a drop due to a medical condition or injury. The "staff decision drop," is very rare, but if the instructor staff all concur that you are not fit for the program (for whatever reasons), they will disenroll you from BUD/S. You would have to be a serious problem to the class in order to receive this punishment. But don't go into BUD/S and be an arrogant ass-clown, because it can be and has been done!

20.) If I get hurt or fail a timed/graded evolution or test, will I be immediately dropped from BUD/S training?

- No. If a student is injured, he will be examined by the medical department staff at BUD/S to determine the extent of the injury. It is their decision as to whether or not the student is fit to continue training with his class. If not, the student will usually be "rolled back." That means that he will be placed in the Physical Training Rehabilitation and Recoperation (PTRR) division until the next upcoming class reaches the point in training where the injured student stopped at, and at that point, the injured "roll back" will re-join regular BUD/S training with that class. Sometimes an injured student may have to be rolled back more than one class if the injury requires such action. If the injury is too severe, prolonged or reoccuring, the student may be dropped from training at which point he would be assigned to the fleet and may re-apply for BUD/S later, once the injury has healed and he is back to 100% health again. Obviously if you continuously fail physical or academic tests, you can not graduate from BUD/S. Periodic "review boards" are conducted, the first one being right before Hell Week. All students with one or more failed evolutions will appear in front of the board of instructors to discuss their deficiencies (one  student at a time). The instructor board will all concur on one of three possible decisions: continue with training as regular (usually approved if there is only one small hurdle standing in your way which they think you will be able to overcome very soon), "roll back" into the next class most common decision - but only one roll back permitted for performance or academic reasons, or of course they can drop you from training (usually only if the student is already a "roll back" and still failing evolutions). There is a saying at BUD/S that "every student has ONE silver bullet." Translation being that if you do have to appear in front of a review board for the first time - you will be "rolled back" rather than dropped. Then you "used your silver bullet." If you have to appear in front of a review board again for a second time, you already had your second chance and you will most likely be dropped from training. Also make note that in each class, you are usually afforded about 3 chances to pass each evolution if neccessary, so there is NO excuse for consistent failure anyway. If dropped from training , you are sent to the fleet (regular Navy) and (enlisted men) may re-apply after at least 2 years service in the fleet. Officers, as stated earlier are finished for good as they may not re-apply for training at any later date.

21.) Does BUD/S get easier after Hell Week.

- Hell no. It gets harder and the required times for evolutions drop as you are expected to show improvement every time you perform an evolution. And if you make it to the Teams - it only gets harder so you better love it! But I personally guarantee you that it is ALL 210% worth it!!

22.) What "tips" can you offer to someone that has received his orders for BUD/S and waiting to ship out to Coronado?

- Purchase a COMPLETE new dress uniform that you will wear when you "check-in" to BUD/S on day one. Bright ribbons, NO stains ANYWHERE, nice new white hat, shiny shoes, etc. Use extreme attention to detail! Dress as if the President of the United States was going to inspect you. This is very imoprtant as you want to make a positive first impression for yourself. The instructors want to see students that are "squared away" to the MAX! Be clean shaven with a fresh haircut (even though you'll be cutting it all off shortly) and do not wear any cologne (after shave is ok). Make sure your orders, service record and all other documents and papers are neat and organized for presentation. Carry a black ball point pen with you at all times (but be careful to NOT get any stains on your uniform). Be courteous and professional at all times to everyone. During BUD/S training (even the instructors will tell you this) - lay low. Do what you are told, pass all evolutions on the first attempt (never be last) and don't be a cocky loudmouth. Do not become a problem. Take extreme care of all of your gear (that should go without saying). Shiny helmet, neat uniforms, well-cared for boots, sharpened K-Bar at all times, neatly organized lockers, clean diving gear, etc. BUD/S should be your ONLY concern when you are there. If you have a secondary agenda in mind (such as, getting drunk in Tijuana every saturday night) don't even waste your time going to BUD/S. Don't worry - you will have a little time to party. Class party's are great! Throughout BUD/S always have fun and be able to laugh (not out loud though - on the inside I mean). And always utilize TEAMWORK!!! If you can successfully do everything stated above, stay healthy and never quit, you WILL make it to graduation!!

23.) I want to become a SEAL sniper. How do I do this?

- First off, if you are asking yourself this question - STOP! You are thinking WAY TOO FAR ahead. Get through BUD/S, jump school and SQT first. Then, maybe you can look into whether or not your unit needs a sniper. If so and if you are known as an outstanding marksman, you can submit a request to attend a sniper school or program. No guarantees that you will get it though. The needs of your unit will ultimately be the deciding factor on what schools or additional training may be available to you. So get to the Teams first! Also, please note that a Sniper's job is not like in the Tome Berenger movie, "Sniper." A SEAL Sniper is not sent out with a "mission to take out someone." A SEAL Sniper's main objective is as a position of security for his Teammates. He (and a "spotter") will typically remain a significant distance away from the operational target. He will gather as much information as he can about the target objective from a distance. He will make note of where personnel are stationed in the area. He basically will oversee his Teammates.  He will take a shot and snipe someone only if the safety of his teammates is at stake. So he is usually assigned to the unit to act as a sniper and fire a shot only if it is absolutely necessary. SEAL Snipers are not sent out with the sole purpose of assassinating anyone. This is not Hollywood.

24.) What is the difference between a SEAL Team and an SDV Team?

- Guys that are assigned to an SDV Team (SEAL Delivery Vehicle Delivery Team) are SEALs just like any other SEAL. On an SDV Team, you will do and perform the same training and functions that the other SEAL Teams are doing. Only difference is you have an added capability (a very valuable one) - SDV's and ASDS's. You will, of course, focus more of your training actually in the water working with the "mini-submarines," but you do get to partake in all of the other training as well. Most of the SDV program is classified so detail will not be discussed here. All you need to realize is that an SDV Team IS a SEAL Team just as much as the Teams called "SEAL Team _." You are just trained more with an added capability. A common misconception that many people have is that an SDV Team only "delivers SEALs" to their objective. The truth is that an SDV (or ASDS) delivers the SEALs to their objective. The SEALs that it delivers come from the SDV Team. The team of guys that only deliver SEALs to their objective (insertions and extractions) and provide ship-to-shore support are the SBU's, or, Special Boat Units, which are comprised of Special Warfare Combatant Crewmember (SWCC) personnel. These units are not SEALs, but SWCC guys.