what you need to take with you to achieve

dknob

Ranger
Verified SOF
Joined
May 8, 2009
Messages
1,490
Location
Denver, CO
Is not achieving a 678 PT score out of 300.
Is not rucking so much you brush off CAGs 40 miler as your "light" training day.
Is not being able to swim so well you can race a dolphin and have him drown from exhaustion.

The most important thing you can take with you is a solid mind, not a solid body. To all you kids wasting your youth away training for something that has simply required a strong mind - you need to enjoy your life as it was meant to be enjoyed or else you become an incomplete person. Chase girls, get in trouble, spend time with family, enjoy time spent with your friends, and then chase girls some more. Because when the time comes, you will regret the not having done that. You first have to understand sacrifice before understanding committment and duty.

Solid mind -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJw_pHGLegY

Sorry just one of those days I guess when you think of the ones taken away from us so young.
 
I just think we need to be careful what kind of advice we give these guys.

I met this kid (19 years old) at a weekly training evented hosted by a former SEAL at a park. The kid has been training for BUD/s for a year now and trains after hours with the SEAL mentor like 5-6 days a week. No free time - says he rucks and swims on the off days. Just got me thinking of the disservice that is being done to him. All we have is time in this world - some more so and some so much less than others. Don't waste it with unnecessary nonsense that in the end will not matter as much as we think. These kids don't know any better and they listen to SOF Mentors as if they are Jesus themselves. Let's steer them in the right direction. Just saying.
 
Have you ever heard me say anything different brother? I have said many times the most important thing these guys can do is go get laid. Drink some beer, try and get laid again. Go on trips. Expand their horizons. Staying of legit trouble along the way. Their lives will suck before they know it, and like you said if they make the ultimate sacrifice without having fun first, then what are you really fighting for? This should be in the SOF mentor forum as a sticky.
 
Not SOF, however I will agree with all of this. I enlisted at 17, and while I don't regret it, I missed out on everything. Unfortunately there are those that followed this same path and are no longer with us. A lot of the younger generation just has that drive to join. We can offer all of the advice that we want, however if their mind is set, there will be no changing it.
 
I had a friend graduate early from HS and spend basically 18 months just prepping for his Option 40. Was best friends with him since 9th grade. Barely saw him senior year- the one fun year. He got in a car wreck about 6 months ago and had his knee put back together with screws and shit and lost his contract. He's alright now and we're hanging out again, but the time he lost seems to piss him off more than anything.

Thanks for the post dknob, and for all the mentoring help cback.
 
Not SOF, however I will agree with all of this. I enlisted at 17, and while I don't regret it, I missed out on everything. Unfortunately there are those that followed this same path and are no longer with us. A lot of the younger generation just has that drive to join. We can offer all of the advice that we want, however if their mind is set, there will be no changing it.

I joined at 18. I don't regret it. The experiences I have had in my 6 years in outweigh what most people my age have done in 20. However most 18 year olds are not going to make it in SF like I did. But it will still be there in a few years. I also went out and did lots of cool stuff prior to joining. Also I did PT but only once a day for an hour or so. I preferred my PT to be surfing, so that is what I did.
 
Best piece of advice I read in a "what do I need to take to NSW training to avoid becoming a chaffed to the point of bleeding, beat down, torn ITB, half drowned, mentally depleted quitter" thread was:
"Your A game. That's all you're going to need when the shit hits the fan."
It's been said around here many times and it bears repeating. You better have something that motivates you and it better be there when nothing else is. I can't speak for any of the other branches and their selection courses, and this is coming from only 10 days of INDOC at NSW; but when you're swallowing gallons of pool or bay water or you don't think you can take another stride in the unforgiving soft sand, you must have something to think about that will always keep you going no matter what.
The class that I was a part of (now a BCT class) is going through Purple Thursday tomorrow. 55% of the class has already dropped or been rolled back 3 days into training.
Sorry for rambling...
 
... and like you said if they make the ultimate sacrifice without having fun first, then what are you really fighting for?
Those memories are going to be what motivates you and push you wherever you are. Those are the types of things that keep you going when doubt starts creeping in through the back of your head. Couldn't agree more. Excellent post.
 
What a good video to wake up to while I'm in the machine, training my balls off and looking forward to hitting A&S again. Thanks. :)
 
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