BUD/S then STT then SEAL

[Mike]

Suppose among the few of the souls who successfully braved BUD/S, 1-2 will have failed to make it through STT. Can the person still go through another STT? Are there any limit? Should be a waste of time for someone who passed BUD/S for 6 months and then failed STT. You're not a SEAL yet until you passed STT. Suppose if the person is a SEAL because he is on the class list but never make it thorugh as a fully qualified SEAL, would that person be a phony/wannabee?

[ZeroG_1]

whats STT?

[SILENTOP]

SEAL Tactical Training

[USN Intel Guy]

I used to have a friend that graduated BUD/S (in mid-1996). He went to his team and developed a huge freakin' attitude. Thought he was the next Sammy or something.. Well, 3 platoons & 3 STT classes later, he found himself with a sharp stinging sensation in his ass as he was being booted from the team. The kicker is, he had just reenlisted for 6 years and still owed the Navy that, plus they took his $20k SRB back (I think they're still docking his pay for that). I feel absolutely no sympathy for him because he was just a complete jackass about the whole thing, and the team gave him more than enough chances to clean up.

And the moral is: You ain't home yet just because you hear the bell ring!

[pn]

On the subject of washing out--what's the general policy of training attrites in the Navy? Does the person get a choice of communities to apply to? Does he get another chance to pass the course?

I'd guess that the person would just want to get the hell out of the Navy--failing out of ANY traning can't look to good when you're up for promotion...

-pn

[pid10771]

PN, this is the reason that we stress to the enlisted guys coming in to the NAVY with the intention on going to BUD/S to get a "rate" or job in writting before you sign the line. So if you don't make it you don't go to the fleet chipping paint or scrubbing a bildge. And as far as getting back to BUD/S, unless it's changed and depending on the circumstances, if you quit you have to wait a minimum of 2 years before getting another shot. If your dropped due to injuries or "saftey violations" you get to come back in a year. Again each situation is different.

[SILENTOP]

WOW!! I didn't know that they give you a 2nd chance after you quit the first time. The logic being that if you quit once your a quiter and will do it again. Is that a new policy? I knew that you can get a rollback if you get injuried and instructors believe that you have what it takes to complete the program.

SILENTOP

[USN Intel Guy]

As for returning to BUD/S if you have DOR'd/been dropped/what ever; the Navy's minimum is 2 years. This is IAW whatever (I can't remember) instruction says you must complete a Minimum Activity Tour (MAT) at your next duty station. But; if your lucky enough to stay in San Diego, a lot of commands will let you go back after 1 year. BUPERS will allow that because its almost a no-cost move for them.

As for 1st time quitters going back, I don't think its generally looked down on. Most of the guys in my class (I DOR'd BTW) that were retreads, passed the second time. Most said the same thing; they weren't psychologically-prepared the first time. That seemed to be the case for all 3 of the classes that were in-phase at that time.

Case in point: One of the guys from my class was a post Hell Week DOR. He was pronounced clinically-dead during Hell Week; but when revived, opted to continue training with his class rather than get rolled back. 5 weeks later during pool-comp, he just couldn't pass one of the test and DOR'd. He would have been performanced-dropped soon anyways. If that ain't motivation, I don't know what is. Anyways, he took his two years off to work on what he had problems with, and came back and did it all over.

Some of the instructors there remembered him from his first class. What do you think they remembered about him? That he quit during Pool-comp? No, not quite. He was known as the guy who died and still wanted to keep going. They freaking loved him for that. And it showed cause almost no one fucked with him or his boat crew.

The point is; just because someone quits the first time doesn't mean they will again. A lot of kid go through there at 18-20, and they just don't know shit about anything. After taking a couple of years off (in the fleet), if they choose to go back, most come back squared away and rock through BUD/S. I's a maturity thing.

[This message has been edited by USN Intel Guy (edited 11-17-1999).]

[pid10771]

intel guy is correct sometimes when you DOR or get dropped you get sent to a 1 year billet(i.e. Bahrain, GITMO) and yes alot of students are retreads a good friend of mine is going back for his THIRD time the only reason he gets to go back so many times is because he never quit. And yes some people show extreme HOO-YAH in phase 1 and something like drownproffing or pool-comp gets them to quit but the instructors don't remember that they just remember this that passed out trying to do a 50 meter underwater swim get revived and keep going. I had a friend who decided to REPEAT phase 1 because he didn't feel ready for phase 2. he eventually quit in phase 2 (pool-comp) but he went back and the instructors only remember hey this is the kid that went through phase 1 again voluntarly..

[ZeroG_1]

Has anyone ever died from BUD/S ? And i mean not being able to be revived.

[pn]

Ok, so there is one guy who

You Do Not Want To Fuck With.

Jesus Christ, even if you kill him he'll come back and kick your ass.

Yes, there have been trainees and instructors to die at BUD/S. The ones I know of are 2 trainees, one who died on a night ocean swim and the other who choked on his own vomit on the underwater swim, and an instructor who passed out and died during a breath hold.

-pn

[nightinsertion]

They are right. If you are squared away and show motivation, the instrutors will do anything they can for you. When I arrived at BUD/S, our first LPO in PTRR had been around BUD/S for almost two years. Another guy I knew had been stuck in third phase for a year. he kept getting hurt. If you are a shitbag, the instructors will make you go away. In my second class, we had the evilest instructor to live. He was so hard that they stopped in from being a 1st phase proctor for a while. He made a lot of people go away before indoc even started. Our original numbers for our class in ptrr was 145. By the time we made it to indoc we had 87 people. Guys were ringing out in their whites. that shit was funny.
bottom line is if you go dont be labeled a shit bag! put out on every evolution. either stay anonymous or make a good name. so that way if something happens, you can come back.

[SILENTOP]

Thx for all that info guys I was under the impression that once that bell was rung there was no second chance. Though the argument of not being mentally ready is very valid considering the different lifestyles people come from. I had read a story that one trainee broke his leg twice during hell week falling off the same obstecle but finally made it through on his third try. And if I were in the Teams thats the kind of guy I would want operating with me.

SILENTOP

[This message has been edited by SILENTOP (edited 11-20-1999).]

[GTE/tfstick]

What does STT consist of?