I have a question on a new Senate Canidate

[Scotth]

I new guy jump into the race for Kerry's old senate seat in Mass. He says he is;

“In my military career, at the U.S. Naval Academy, as a Navy aircraft carrier pilot and as a Navy SEAL, I learned one thing above all else — serving others is more important than being served,” Gomez said in a public statement.

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Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/02/ex-navy-seal-gabriel-e-gomez-launches-senate-bid-87506.html#ixzz2Kj5MAuFA​

I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination, I just haven't heard of to many Navy Officers who had a career as an aviator and a SEAL. Can anyone confirm this as accurate?​

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From what I read on another site he was only in the Navy 9 years which seems like a pretty short time to have a career in both fields without one ending very prematurely.​

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Thanks​

 

[Marauder06]

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/02/ex-navy-seal-gabriel-e-gomez-launches-senate-bid-87506.html

 

[Dame]

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/02/ex-navy-SEAL-gabriel-e-gomez-launches-senate-bid-87506.html

We're sorry, but that page cannot be found

ETA: WTF is a Navy aircraft carrier pilot? Isn't the aircraft carrier a ship?

 

[Chopstick]

http://www.gomezforma.com/

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/12/us-usa-congress-massachusetts-idUSBRE91B0ZG20130212

Gomez entered the military after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and became a pilot before entering SEAL training. He left the Navy in 1996 and went on to graduate from Harvard Business School, later joining private equity firm Advent International.

 

[Scotth]

I understand what is in the print media is saying. Thanks for the link to the article that I linked in the first post.:-"

What I'm looking for is a little better confirmation from people in the know and not just trusting what the media says. Like I said I find it funny that the guy was in the Navy for only 9 years and in two of the highest profile and costly careers. The Navy spends a lot of money training aviator's and SEALs and I don't see how they would let him move between those careers voluntarily after the money they had invested in him. If he had a 20 year career it wouldn't strike me so strange.

He wouldn't be the first politician that "enhanced" his military resume. Maybe it all is legit, I don't know, it just strikes me as wierd.

 

[Marauder06]

The link you posted didn't work, so I posted one that did.

I'm pretty sure if this guy isn't legit, he'll be outed on one of the other forums that has more SEALs on it.

 

[Chopstick]

http://www.masslive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/02/republican_former_navy_seal_ga.html

According to a biography on his campaign website, Gomez was born in Los Angeles to Colombian immigrants. An introductory video features Gomez first introducing himself in Spanish, before switching to English.
Gomez graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and trained as a Navy pilot. He then completed training to join the elite Navy SEALs. Gomez says he met his wife Sarah while he was deployed with the Navy and she was a Peace Corps volunteer in the West Indies. They now have four school-age children.
Gomez went on to receive an MBA from Harvard Business School. According to his professional biography, Gomez worked as an investment banking associate at Bowles Hollowell Conner in aerospace and defense, then spent three years at the equity firm Summit Partners in its buyout group. He is now a principal at the private equity firm Advent International, which he joined in 2004.
Gomez’ website says he is the president of the Navy SEAL Foundation of New England. Jim Smith, executive director of the Navy SEAL Foundation, said Gomez was actually a Navy SEAL Foundation ambassador – which means he represented the foundation at events. He has since completed his term as ambassador.

 

[Teufel]

He may be a fallen angel and lost his wings because of his vision or something. I know some guys who passed flight school but failed out of the RAG and had to reclass. I don't think the Navy cares what you do after that. It is implausible but not impossible.

 

[Chopstick]

http://www.patriotledger.com/topsto...rtedly-thinking-about-joining-U-S-Senate-race

Gomez graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and was a Navy pilot from 1987 to 1991. He was the commander of a Navy SEAL unit from 1991 to 1996.

This should be easy to confirm, shouldnt it?

 

[TLDR20]

http://www.patriotledger.com/topsto...rtedly-thinking-about-joining-U-S-Senate-race


This should be easy to confirm, shouldnt it?

It used to be, not as much anymore.

 

[Chopstick]

It used to be, not as much anymore.

If the guy is running for Senate he should have transparency!

 

[TLDR20]

If the guy is running for Senate he should have transparency!

Yeah but the team guys no longer have access to that database, making it harder for people like us to find out easily.

 

[AWP]

I know in the late 80's, early 90's flight school slots were harder to come by than they are now. Certainly by the mid to late 90's they were easier to obtain (this is all relative) than in years past because guys were leaving the Navy left and right to fly for the airlines. Supply vs. demand...if the guy failed out of the naval aviation pipeline (it says he trained as an aviator, not that he earned his wings, or like Teufel said, he could have failed out of the RAG for whatever reasons) and he needed a job...the SEALs are always hiring. Plus back then they didn't have all of the pre-screening that they do now. At the NROTC level in college it was a PT test and records review more or less.

The game's changed a lot in two decades. He could very well be a fake, but his story is plausible.

 

[Chopstick]

Yeah but the team guys no longer have access to that database, making it harder for people like us to find out easily.

Cant we ask the guy from the Esquire article?

 

[TLDR20]

Nooo.....

 

[Chopstick]

Nooo.....

That's right..no one can actually confirm who he is..he might even be a figment of someone's over active imagination!

 

[DA SWO]

His weapon system could have been retired, so he went SEAL rather then another air-frame (lot of Aviators lost flying slots in the Bush/Clinton draw down).

 

[DA SWO]

He's legit (SEAL-wise).

 

[Scotth]

The link you posted didn't work, so I posted one that did.

Apologize, my bad.

 

[Crawdaddy]

Was a SEAL confirmed by senior chief Shipley.