Navy SEAL Recruiting (updated)

[RetiredSOCS]

I'm posting this thread for two reasons; 1) to inform all interested candidates on the current SEAL recruiting policies, and 2) to inform all former and retired SEALs so we don’t spread a bunch of outdated information to young men in our communities.

There are 26 Navy Recruiting Districts in the country and every one of them has a NSW/NSO Mentor. I just happen to be the Mentor in Nashville. Most of us are former/retired SEALs but there are a couple of Divers and a couple of SWCCs too. I know all of these guys, and SEAL or not they are all good mugs and are doing great work.

Basic Requirements- not all inclusive but the major items are covered:

1. Only Males Accepted

2. 17-28 years of age at time of enlistment with potential 2 year waiver based primarily on what you have been doing with your life and your Physical Screening Test (PST) score.

It looks a lot better if you are 29 and are a practicing Lawyer (an actual recruit of mine) than if you are 29 still living with mom and dad and are the assistant to the assistant manager at McDonald's. Don’t expect to get approved for an age waiver if you can barely pass the PST.

3. ASVAB minimums-
GS+EI+MC=165 or VE+MK+MC+CS=220
If AFQT is 49 or less you can get a 1 point waiver per line score.
If AFQT is 50-59 you can get a 2 point waiver per line score.
If AFQT is 60 or more you can get a 3 point waiver per line score.

In plain English, if you took the ASVAB with Coding Speed (CS) in it, you can qualify using both line score combinations. If not, you only get the first combination. The first combination of 3 line scores has a waiver possibility of 3-9 points based on AFQT. The second combination of 4 line scores has a 4-12 point waiver range.

4. Vision in the weaker eye can be NO WORSE than 20/70 in the weaker eye and NO WORSE than 20/40 in the stronger eye. Both MUST be correctable to 20/25. Note: These vision requirements were just updated in Feb-09 and a lot of guys who were qualified are now unqualified. Those individuals should take a good look at EOD, Diver, or SWCC as alternatives to SEAL. Any current SEAL contracted Deppers who do not meet the new vision requirements are grandfathered in and do NOT have to worry about losing their contract.

So what can you do if you think your MEPS eye exam is wrong? Easy, you can pay for your own eye exam. If that exam says you are within acceptable limits, it will usually outweigh the MEPS exam. Do not, however, try to influence a private optometrist to write you a favorable exam report just so you can get a contract. The truth always comes out eventually. It would be a shame to lose your SEAL contract after you ship off to Boot Camp.

5. Normal Color Perception- This is not waiverable.

6. If you have been in trouble with the law, just fess up to everything and the recruiting district will do its best to get you in. If you lie, you will get caught especially when you apply for a higher security clearance (as a SEAL you will).

If you meet all the above requirements, you will be required to pick another job besides SO (the new rating for SEAL as of October 2006) and go into the Delayed Entry Program (DEP). Then you had better bug your recruiter to get you in touch with your SEAL Mentor. For example, I get a daily list of all interested/qualified recruits from the classifiers at MEPS. I never call any of them because I am testing their motivation right from the start. If a guy is serious about being a SEAL, he will bear crawl to the ends of the earth to meet with me. (No, I do not make candidates bear crawl to meet with me)

Every mentor has his own way of doing business. I prefer that my first face-to-face meeting with a qualified DEP recruit be a swim lesson and an introduction to a training program. Then I test them every couple of weeks until they pass. Once they pass, they are reclassified to SO with a new ship date. Then I alternate workouts and tests every time I meet with them. A new requirement as of October 2008 is that every SEAL Depper must pass the PST every 45 days while in DEP. When they are 14 days from shipping to Boot Camp they must pass the final quality assurance PST. If they fail they will not be allowed to ship with a SEAL contract, period!

Passing for SEAL

500-yard swim in 12:30 or less (using side or breast stroke only)

10 minute break

42 pushups in 2 minutes

2 minute break

50 situps in 2 minutes

2 minute break

6 pullups (no time limit)

10 minute break

1.5-mile run in 11:00 or less

Elevated for SEAL

11:00 on swim

62 pushups

70 situps

8 pullups

11:00 on run

If you pass at the elevated level on your first try at RTC you will get a $2,000 advance on your $40,000 enlistment bonus. It must be your first test or you get nothing up front. If you get dropped from training after receiving the $2,000 you DO NOT have to pay it back.

More to follow.

[Frog]

Adding from SOCS old post:

As of this 09 Feb 09, there are new vision requirements to qualify for a SEAL contract:

Distant vision in the bad eye can be no worse that 20/70

Distant vision in the better eye can be no worse the 20/40

Both eyes must be correctable to 20/25 (vice 20/20)

Anyone with an existing SEAL contract is grandfathered in while anyone that has been trying to pass the PST but passes after the Feb date is no longer eligible.

[dagger0824]

Originally Posted by Frog

Distant vision in the bad eye can be no worse that 20/70

Distant vision in the better eye can be no worse the 20/40

Both eyes must be correctable to 20/25 (vice 20/20)

Sir,

My eyesight is worse than that. If I pay a civilian to fix my eyes before I join the Navy, will that be acceptable? I am aware of the six month post surgery you must wait before being cleared by MEPS.

Thank you,

dagger0824

[RetiredSOCS]

Originally Posted by dagger0824

Sir,

My eyesight is worse than that. If I pay a civilian to fix my eyes before I join the Navy, will that be acceptable? I am aware of the six month post surgery you must wait before being cleared by MEPS.

Thank you,

dagger0824

Only if you get the surgery BEFORE you join the Navy. It is expressly forbidden in DEP.

[rjh20]

Originally Posted by RetiredSOCS

Once they pass, they are reclassified to SO with a new ship date.

I currently have an EOD contract and I'm waiting to leave for boot camp on July 19th. If my motivator is pleased with my new pst scores and offers me a SEAL contract can I too be given a new (sooner) ship date or does that exclude individuals already in the Specwar community?

[jw]

rjh20, you need to make up your mind which program you are interested in. If you are not comitted, you will not make it through either program.

[RetiredSOCS]

Originally Posted by rjh20

I currently have an EOD contract and I'm waiting to leave for boot camp on July 19th. If my motivator is pleased with my new pst scores and offers me a SEAL contract can I too be given a new (sooner) ship date or does that exclude individuals already in the Specwar community?

rjh20,

If you get a SEAL contract, only your Mentor and the NSW-NSO Program Office at our national HQ will know if your ship date will be earlier than July 19th. Don't back door your mentor again or I will call Boss Lightning and let him know what you have been up to.

[rjh20]

I figured a seasoned guy like you had all the answers. I'm new here so let me get a pass this one time .

[RetiredSOCS]

Originally Posted by rjh20

I figured a seasoned guy like you had all the answers. I'm new here so let me get a pass this one time .

Please enlighten me. You just entered DEP with an EOD contract on 19-Feb-2010 (yes I looked it up Randall) and you have the nerve to come on this Website and ask when you might be able to ship with a SEAL contract?

Oh by the way, you don't even have a qualifying PST score logged into our tracking system yet. I can't even tell if you are even close to qualifying for SEAL.

There clearly is a reason why NRD Atlanta Depped you in as EOD instead of SEAL. You need to deal with them regarding conversion to SEAL and stop polluting my recruiting thread.

[greenwarrior1]

LMAO

[Reload]

I spoke to my SEAL Motivator recently and he informed me that the $2,000 bonus for heightened scores was lowered to $1,000 earlier last year, and maybe dropped all together? Any information on this gentlemen?

[Frog]

Originally Posted by Reload

I spoke to my SEAL Motivator recently and he informed me that the $2,000 bonus for heightened scores was lowered to $1,000 earlier last year, and maybe dropped all together? Any information on this gentlemen?

Yeah, cuz it's all about the money. You want ME to play? You gotta pay!

It's now a treasure map that leads you to the bell.

[Reload]

Originally Posted by Frog

Yeah, cuz it's all about the money. You want ME to play? You gotta pay!

It's now a treasure map that leads you to the bell.

Frankly, I couldn't care less about the pay, it's not why I'm doing it. Just a question. He also said that there's a back up of people waiting at boot to get into a BUDs class because they did away with winter classes and shortened BUDs to 5 months? So 8 weeks at boot, then another 8 weeks for BUDs prep at boot and then maybe wait longer to get into BUDs? I was more curious about the elevated scores because if it offers a higher pay then more people would strive for it, thus maybe getting you bumped up in the waiting line to hit BUDs?

[Cass]

Originally Posted by Reload

Frankly, I couldn't care less about the pay, it's not why I'm doing it.

Reload

Good show. That is why I did it. For the money, er ah! Dang, there wasn't any money in those days.

[RetiredSOCS]

Reload,

Last October the $1000 advance on the enlistment bonus went away for just passing the PST but the $2000 advance was kept for passing with elevated scores. I think this policy is still in effect. Keep in mind this is an advance on your bonus NOT an addition to it.

A couple of years ago the winter class was skipped then brought back last year. This year they skipped it again and now there is a huge backlog of students waiting for class 282 in the Prep Course at RTC. Last time I checked there were over 350 waiting.

I really have no idea why they skipped this year's winter class. Last year 275 was the winter class and they had more than 70 guys make it through a February Hell Week. I was there to observe it and I can tell you it was friggin cold.

[Reload]

Originally Posted by RetiredSOCS

Reload,

Last October the $1000 advance on the enlistment bonus went away for just passing the PST but the $2000 advance was kept for passing with elevated scores. I think this policy is still in effect. Keep in mind this is an advance on your bonus NOT an addition to it.

A couple of years ago the winter class was skipped then brought back last year. This year they skipped it again and now there is a huge backlog of students waiting for class 282 in the Prep Course at RTC. Last time I checked there were over 350 waiting.

I really have no idea why they skipped this year's winter class. Last year 275 was the winter class and they had more than 70 guys make it through a February Hell Week. I was there to observe it and I can tell you it was friggin cold.

Jesus 70 guys?! That's unbelievable.. Looks like Prep Course at RTC is doing some good? Or maybe they're just getting better candidates in there?

[Medic5392]

They are getting 70 guys through because they have dropped standards, NETC is in charge of it, Big Navy does not like any yelling and hammering of the guys the way they used to do it, BUD/S is also now 21 weeks, not 26. Don't let people blow any smoke, ask the instructors, the standard has been dropped. They want 500 more guys come hell or high water.

[Frog]

Originally Posted by Medic5392

They are getting 70 guys through because they have dropped standards, NETC is in charge of it, Big Navy does not like any yelling and hammering of the guys the way they used to do it, BUD/S is also now 21 weeks, not 26. Don't let people blow any smoke, ask the instructors, the standard has been dropped. They want 500 more guys come hell or high water.

Bullshit. You are simply wrong. When's the last time you were out at BUD/S? I was there 3 weeks ago.
The standards remain. The screening has gotten tougher to get there and as a result better qualified tadpoles are reporting and more are graduating.

[Medic5392]

Frog, when every BUD/S Instructor I have talked to says that and when the training itself is shorter by 5 weeks, how is it Bullshit? The Run, Swim, O Course and other times are the same but they are not allowed to hammer the guys the way they used to do it, they have to have it scheduled or are the guys coming back just sour grapes? The pre-training has gotten amazing, that it is totally true but not one guys I know who has done a stint there has said it is the same.

[RetiredSOCS]

Originally Posted by Medic5392

Frog, when every BUD/S Instructor I have talked to says that and when the training itself is shorter by 5 weeks, how is it Bullshit? The Run, Swim, O Course and other times are the same but they are not allowed to hammer the guys the way they used to do it, they have to have it scheduled or are the guys coming back just sour grapes? The pre-training has gotten amazing, that it is totally true but not one guys I know who has done a stint there has said it is the same.

Each phase is now 7 weeks which makes for a smoother transition from phase to phase. I get why they changed it. Having said that, there are some things they do now that are harder than in the early 90's when I went through. For example, the tread with twin-80's was a fam in my class but today is a pass or fail evolution. All the guys I have sent off to BUD/S tell me it really kicked their asses. For me it was no big deal and only 4 guys in my class completed the evolution.

When I observed 275's hell week last winter I honestly could not see anything being easier than my hell week. I really think that the older guys have a mindset of mentoring while the younger guys have a mindset of beating students down.

We could do point / counter-point all day long but I think it boils down to the fact that, no matter what, instructors are going to bitch and moan about the way things are easier now than they were back in "their" day.