Now that we’ve looked at the history of the SEALs and some of their well known missions, in this post we’ll be looking at what it takes to become a SEAL and the heroes who have been given the Medal of Honor.
swim buddies
swim buddies
The buddy system is a hallmark of many groups, and I learned it in the Girl Scouts. But the Navy SEALs take it more seriously with their creed of No Man Left Behind. Its reality is that each SEAL is responsible for each other’s safety, and everything is accomplished as a TEAM.
From Day 1 of BUD/S training, each man has a “swim buddy” or partner, and they go everywhere together: swimming, jogging to a meal, preparing for a dive, or being disciplines by an instructor—they support each other. Trainees learn quickly that teamwork is the number 1 reason why the Navy SEALs are successful.
fast climb on the sea
Remember old war movies when a grappling hook was used to board an enemy’s ship? Now as the SEALs want to work faster, they can use a remote-controlled device like this prototype to climb a vessel already underway on the high seas.
A High Speed Assault Craft (HSAC) would pull alongside the targeted vessel, and a SEAL would place the magnetic wheels against the ship’s hull. Another SEAL would then “drive” the device up the side of the ship and hook a railing or other protrusion with the built-in grappling hook. The operator would then back the device and ladder down to waiting SEALs.
Here’s what it looks like. Impressive.
life-saving vest
This vest has a soft armor plate carrier with an inflatable tactical aid flotation device specifically designed for covert war fighters, combat swimmers, and maritime airborne operations personnel. Its design incorporated 2 buoyancy compensators, as well as emergency flotation.
SEAL science
Since every tool in a Navy SEAL’s arsenal must always be state-of-the-art, the science of being a Navy SEAL is always evolving and improving.
Nutrition: Appropriate nutritional habits, including proper hydration, ensure increased performance under the most rigorous conditions. The right foods and fluids in the right amounts at the right times will impact performance and effectiveness during training and missions. Today’s MREs provide an average of 1250 calories (13% protein, 36% fat, and 51% carbs), and each meal is 1/3 of the military’s recommended daily allowance of vitamins and minerals.
Today’s MREs are lightweight, self-contained, and individually wrapped for use in combat or other field conditions where food facilities aren’t available. The estimated shelf life is 5 years. Barney said that today’s MREs are a lot better than what he had.
Physically fit: A big part of every SEAL’s day is physical training. At least 2 hours of exercise is done every day and includes swimming, running, obstacle courses, weightlifting, rock climbing, self-defense (hand-to-hand), and markmanship training. The SEALs understand that since they will receive the toughest, most physically demanding missions, they must perform at a higher level than other Special Operators in order to succeed.
Breathing: Navy FROGMEN were required to hold their breath for up to 4 minutes while securing explosives to an underwater obstacle. SEALs are always working on controlling their breathing.
night vision
When I pointed out this sign to Barney that the SEALs prefer to fight at night, he said that the Marines operate the same way since the enemy tends to be sleeping then.
All SEALs are issued helmet-mounted night vision goggles in addition to special lasers mounted on their weapons. Goggles and lasers allow the SEALs to shoot in complete darkness with extreme accuracy. Thermal goggles allow them to identify the natural heat from people or objects that regular night vision goggles don’t provide. A flip of the switch changes what the SEAL can see. Of course, all SEAL equipment is waterproof.
What the thermal night vision goggles can show.
become a Navy SEAL?
So what does it take to be a Navy SEAL? Here are the 7 steps.
Step 1: 8 weeks of prep school at Great Lakes Naval Training Command Step 2: 3 weeks or orientation in Coronado; Naval officers join the training here after being at the Naval Academy or Officer Candidate School Step 3: 6 months of BUD/S training that tests every ounce of physical and mental strength in 3 phrases.
Step 3 has 3 phases Phase 1: 8 weeks of physical training featuring “Hell Week” Phase 2: 7 weeks of diving training that includes combat diving, long-distance dives, and surface swims Phase 3: 7 weeks of land warfare training from explosives to rappelling and small arms training
Not done yet!
Step 4: 3 weeks of military static line and freefall parachute training Step 5: 26 weeks of SEAL Qualification Training to hone basic skills and add training in mission planning, operations, tactics, techniques, and procedures. After SQT, the Trident is earned., and officers report to their SEAL Team Step 6: 30 weeks of additional training for SEAL medics, and 8 to 50 weeks of foreign language training for everyone else Step 7: Report to a SEAL Team as the new guy and earn your Trident every single day!
medal of honor recipients
A transitional hallway in the museum honors the Navy SEALs who have awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force while serving in the Armed Services. One design is shared by the Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard; another design is for the Army; and a third design is for the Air Force.
Medals of Honor
The original medal was designed in 1861 for the Navy and is also used by the Marine Corps and the Coast Guard.
The Army’s medal was created in 1862.
The Air Force created its medal in 1965.
These men are Navy SEALs who have been awarded the Medal of Honor.
The Navy SEAL we’ve honored at CrossFit locations is Michael Murphy. The workout in his honor is called Murph and is done at least annually at the Memorial Day workout.
We’re so glad we’ve been introduced to this amazing man.
Wondering about this workout? Here it is. Oh, and if you ever watch the TV show SEAL Team, the characters on it have talked about doing this workout for their daily exercise.
Want to start the workout? We’ve done it—at our own pace and in our own way. It’s a long one, and we don’t wear a weighted vest.
Some Medal of Honor firsts:
At the entrance to the museum we saw this statue of 2 Navy SEALs who were both Medal of Honor recipients.
This statue reconstructs the actions of Medal of Honor recipient Michael Thornton carrying the wounded Medal of Honor recipient, Tom Norris, off the battlefield.
The statue shows the importance of a “swim buddy.” Mr. Ross Perot had the statue made to honor these SEALs who have been awarded the Medal of Honor.
The names of the Navy SEALs who have been awarded the highest of honors are listed here.
Next we’ll go outside to see the Naked Warrior statue honoring the early UDTs and some of the vehicles used to transport SEALs in combat zones. The last part of the outside area is an example of an obstacle course that the SEALs would used to stay in fighting shape.
