Kraut783
SOF Support
SWCC Lifestyle Questions
- Thread starter Pengu
- Start date
I haven’t deployed yet so all my stories would be training stories.
I don’t know if you have ever been to Coronado, California where they conduct SEAL and SWCC training, but the place is a fairy tale land. There is a large bay where all of the rich people take their yachts around on the calm bay water where the views are incredible. We launch boats from the far side of the bay, and we have to go all the way through it to get to open ocean.
It’s common for the women enjoying themselves on those yachts to be very “appreciative” of us while we are making our way past them.
In all seriousness though, being on the open ocean in a small high speed boat is both incredible and terrible. When you launch off the tip of a wave on accident and get over a second of air time, you see your life flash before your eyes. Now imagine doing that at night with only Night Vision Optics on and no lights at all in the middle of the open ocean.
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- Joined
- Sep 12, 2012
- Messages
- 12,902
Keep in mind there is often a reason for this.
I figured as much, however I could just be being ignorant here but wondering why figuring out some things like what family life is like and why it would be so secretive to disclose something like that.
The Navy SEAL Foundation extends to us and our families and the ombudsman (the liaison between the command and our families) program does a lot to support our significant others and families while we are away.
We get 4 day weekends once a month if you aren’t in a school or training, which I understand is common throughout all of USSOCOM (all branches SOF). This really helps to see your family.
Eventually they will want you to take an instructor position at one of the schools for a little while to be on a more regular schedule and to spend a little more time with your family for a bit.
They take family life really seriously. If you are good at home, you are going to be a more efficient operator. These guys will bend over backwards to let you see your family when you need to be somewhere, or even take care of things for you if you can’t be there.
If we want to, we can pretty much spend our entire career in one spot. For example, if you wanted to be at Special Boat Team 12 in Coronado, you could put in 8 years at Team 12, and then when they want you to be an instructor, put in a few years in Coronado at the SWCC School house, and then go back to Team 12 when you are done.
It’s worth more than gold that they allow us to stay in one place for our entire career. This almost never happens anywhere else in the military. That means less headache/ heartache for our families, less turmoil at home. Bigger support group. Better school life/friend life for your children.
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I want to point out to everyone that we do a LOT of boat maintenance and engineering. The idea is that we do the majority of gear wrenching ourselves so that when things get bad on operation, we are that much more likely to find some way to make it work.
If you love gear wrenching that will be great, otherwise you may get frustrated with the amount of engineering that needs to be done on a daily basis.
Often times when we will take another unit with us out on a mission, we will spend hours doing pre-checks before we go underway. When we return, the other unit gets to clean their own gear and go home, and we have to spend hours doing post checks on the boats when we are beat up and exhausted from the operation.
I also thought this was worth linking:
Attrition Rate
If you love gear wrenching that will be great, otherwise you may get frustrated with the amount of engineering that needs to be done on a daily basis.
Often times when we will take another unit with us out on a mission, we will spend hours doing pre-checks before we go underway. When we return, the other unit gets to clean their own gear and go home, and we have to spend hours doing post checks on the boats when we are beat up and exhausted from the operation.
I also thought this was worth linking:
Attrition Rate
Pengu
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- Joined
- Oct 8, 2018
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- 10
For the most part you get to go where you want to go. My graduating class had maybe one guy who had to compromise and go to his second choice.
When you graduate you can either go to Special Boat Team-12 in Coronado, San Diego, California, SBT-22 in Stennis, Mississippi, or SBT-20 in Little Creek, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Also they will probably ask who wants to go to Special Operations Tactical Medic school in Mississippi.
Spots need to be filled at each team, but you make a list of your top three choices, and most of the time you get what you want.
When you graduate you can either go to Special Boat Team-12 in Coronado, San Diego, California, SBT-22 in Stennis, Mississippi, or SBT-20 in Little Creek, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Also they will probably ask who wants to go to Special Operations Tactical Medic school in Mississippi.
Spots need to be filled at each team, but you make a list of your top three choices, and most of the time you get what you want.
I’ve been putting off answering this because I’ve been thinking really hard about it. I’m going to apologize and say that I’m not going to go full rant here because I don’t think it is fair for me to put too much perspective into this because I haven’t gotten the full experience yet. I will come back and update this after my first deployment.
I found this post back in 2006.
SWCC
His comments about how hostile the sea is on our bodies on these small boats in the environment and speed that we operate in is absolutely true.
His comments about the training are outdated. The pipeline is way more brutal and longer than it was then, even though those guys didn’t have it easy by any means, we have really turned up the ferocity of our selection pipeline. I hope that only brings us more opportunities and puts some of my frustrations at ease.
I’ll start with what I like about my community.
1. My job is amazing. It’s just not exactly what I expected and I think that is getting to me(more on this to come.) It’s still the coolest job I have had by far and it’s easy to see that the rest of the Navy is envious of me and wishes they could do what I do.
The Navy treats its operators (SEAL and SWCC) like gold, even after all of the scandal recently. My life is much more demanding than my conventional fleet counterparts in the rest of the Navy, however I get much more freedom and autonomy. My experience in the military is drastically different and hands down better than what anyone in the conventional fleet is experiencing day to day.
I get all of the coolest gear, and I think that our boats are the coolest toys that the military has. Flying is cool, but there is nothing more adrenaline pumping than jetting over waves at speeds that we take these to. Especially when we do it at night.
I love shooting small arms (pistols and rifles) and heavy weapons(mostly belt fed machine guns). We get more time on a mounted .50 cal, a mounted 240(.762) and 40mm Mk19 grenade launcher than anyone else in any part of the military will probably get.
I love moving, shooting and communicating. I love the camaraderie and the community. I love that I get to participate in things that the rest of the world only gets to imagine in video games or movies, and that we have an extremely significant and unique part in any war effort.
I’m in love with the ocean, and nothing puts a smile on my face more than being on the water, no matter how fast we are going. Being out on the open ocean is addicting, and I get withdrawals and stir crazy if I am land locked for too long.
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I will give just a small bit of what I don’t like so far:
Maintenance. I knew I was going to have to learn about engineering but I did not realize how much we would be maintaining these craft ourselves. I figured we would learn about them, but our Support Personnel would be doing most of the wrenching. I was wrong. The salt water demolishes everything, and the boats break constantly. We have support but we don’t rely on them for two reasons.
1. We have a healthy distrust that non-SWCC are going to hold up the standard that we are hoping for.
2. We don’t take our support personnel out on missions. The missions we do are painful, tedious and long, and we can’t expect someone who hasn’t been through Selection to handle the stress and pain of what we consistently do. Therefore, we have to diagnose, troubleshoot and figure out a way to get the boats and ourselves home if and when they crap out on us when we are deep into an operation.
I said that we are treated like gold by the Navy, and we really are, but we are still the new little brother to the SEALs who run the show. We are capable of being assaulters, however it seems that often we won’t get the opportunity ourselves when we have SEALs around. This being said, the SEALs aren’t getting action themselves. None of us are. SWCC is actually being used a lot more than my SEAL brethren due to our unique capabilities.
I will post more updates to this as time goes on. If things get more aggressive overseas all of my statements will probably change.
Maintenance. I knew I was going to have to learn about engineering but I did not realize how much we would be maintaining these craft ourselves. I figured we would learn about them, but our Support Personnel would be doing most of the wrenching. I was wrong. The salt water demolishes everything, and the boats break constantly. We have support but we don’t rely on them for two reasons.
1. We have a healthy distrust that non-SWCC are going to hold up the standard that we are hoping for.
2. We don’t take our support personnel out on missions. The missions we do are painful, tedious and long, and we can’t expect someone who hasn’t been through Selection to handle the stress and pain of what we consistently do. Therefore, we have to diagnose, troubleshoot and figure out a way to get the boats and ourselves home if and when they crap out on us when we are deep into an operation.
I said that we are treated like gold by the Navy, and we really are, but we are still the new little brother to the SEALs who run the show. We are capable of being assaulters, however it seems that often we won’t get the opportunity ourselves when we have SEALs around. This being said, the SEALs aren’t getting action themselves. None of us are. SWCC is actually being used a lot more than my SEAL brethren due to our unique capabilities.
I will post more updates to this as time goes on. If things get more aggressive overseas all of my statements will probably change.
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I wouldn’t say that one team is requested more than others. Special Boat Team-22 in Mississippi is up close and personal, on rivers with the Special Operations Craft-Riverine and is the only Team that gets to use that Craft.
Otherwise we keep changing what each team does so I won’t say exactly who does what because by the time you get here it will change.
We are phasing out the use of the Special Operations 11-Meter Rigid Inflatable Boats(RIB).
There are more Craft that are classified but hopefully this gives you a better idea.
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Hey Guys,
I am new to this forum but after doing some reading of different threads over the last few days this looks like this is a pretty good place to get some info about SWCC, sense it’s relatively hard to find online. I saw another user list their question in number format and that seemed to work well so I’m going to do the same. These questions are directed to @Arf but anyone feel free to chime in with additional questions or comments.
1.) As a SWCC operator or member of NSW is there really such thing as a normal day?
2.) I saw you mention that looking back you might not of taken the SWCC route. Would you rather have tried for a SO rating? And if so how come?
3.) How has your time been as a new guy so far on a SWCC team and as a member of NSW
At one time I was pretty stubborn and only thought about trying to achieve an SO rating but after doing some more research SWCC really stood out to me and seems like a great rate. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to read these.
I am new to this forum but after doing some reading of different threads over the last few days this looks like this is a pretty good place to get some info about SWCC, sense it’s relatively hard to find online. I saw another user list their question in number format and that seemed to work well so I’m going to do the same. These questions are directed to @Arf but anyone feel free to chime in with additional questions or comments.
1.) As a SWCC operator or member of NSW is there really such thing as a normal day?
2.) I saw you mention that looking back you might not of taken the SWCC route. Would you rather have tried for a SO rating? And if so how come?
3.) How has your time been as a new guy so far on a SWCC team and as a member of NSW
At one time I was pretty stubborn and only thought about trying to achieve an SO rating but after doing some more research SWCC really stood out to me and seems like a great rate. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to read these.
I would like to know these answers too if you get the chance arf
@Arf I have an important question and it is one I have not seen be asked, any active or former active members can chime in as well.
What is it like going on an op? How do you deal with the fact that you can die on your next op? the fact that when you're on the op the next 10 minutes could be your last? Basically what I'm asking is, what's it like dealing with the idea that death is a significant possibility in your job, and how often have you had to pull the trigger on operations?
What is it like going on an op? How do you deal with the fact that you can die on your next op? the fact that when you're on the op the next 10 minutes could be your last? Basically what I'm asking is, what's it like dealing with the idea that death is a significant possibility in your job, and how often have you had to pull the trigger on operations?
Njordsson
Unverified
@Arf
Hello again, I have a few questions.
1. How many times a week should I run, swim, and lift? I plan on using the regime that I posted in the thread I made ( SWCC Selection & Training Advice) but increase the intensity over time.
2. Do you have any advice for dieting? My new diet consist of water, fish, chicken, fruits and vegetables. Trying my best to avoid red meat.
3. Should I swim with fins and diving boots a few times a week?
4. Should I run with boots and BDU pants? If so, how many times?
5. Can you recommend any websites or YouTube videos that provide basic and or intermediate boat knowledge? I currently attempting to improve my skills in math, engineering, and mechanics.
Thank you so far for your feedback!
Hunter
Hello again, I have a few questions.
1. How many times a week should I run, swim, and lift? I plan on using the regime that I posted in the thread I made ( SWCC Selection & Training Advice) but increase the intensity over time.
2. Do you have any advice for dieting? My new diet consist of water, fish, chicken, fruits and vegetables. Trying my best to avoid red meat.
3. Should I swim with fins and diving boots a few times a week?
4. Should I run with boots and BDU pants? If so, how many times?
5. Can you recommend any websites or YouTube videos that provide basic and or intermediate boat knowledge? I currently attempting to improve my skills in math, engineering, and mechanics.
Thank you so far for your feedback!
Hunter
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