# USN SEAL Recruiting Woes



## CougarKing (8 May 2007)

Thoughts? This also to brings to mind what other US Sof units might be having trouble attracting new people. The USAF Combat Controllers and PJs ? USMC Force Recon? 

http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,134888,00.html?wh=wh



> SEALs Face Recruiting Woes
> Virginian-Pilot  |  May 07, 2007
> VIRGINIA BEACH -- The 14 young men gathered in a parking lot at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base came in two basic shapes: thin and muscular, and thick and muscular. Huddled on a patch of grass, they stretched backs, legs and arms as they braced for a physical and mental onslaught intended to test their bodies and psyche.
> 
> ...


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## Can-american (12 May 2007)

It is the same problems we are going through with in the spec ops community for the army, the problem now being for the seals is allowing the off the street kid to try for "teams" it creates false hope and waste of time of instructors. I have roughly 6 kids in my company all spec ops failures in less then 24 days at selection though they think the world owes them.  Navy is bringing bad vodoo upon them, take care Can Am


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## tomahawk6 (12 May 2007)

The US Army also recruits direct from tjhe civilian world with some success. The poll of potential recruits within the active army is too small for the number of units we have to man which only leaves one way to bring in fresh blood. The loss of operators to the PMC's is something the special ops community hasnt had to face before which has resulted in very high bonus' for mid level NCO's to stay on.


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## CougarKing (14 May 2007)

Can-american said:
			
		

> I have roughly 6 kids in my company all spec ops failures in less then 24 days at selection though they think the world owes them.



Even if they didn't become spec ops, they're still regular soldiers though who made it through BCT and AIT (if something spec ops hadn't been their primary MOS), I'd still respect them, since they're still soldiers to me. Still, you may roll your eyes at those who did BCT at Fort Jackson, where it is said that recruits get weekend passes BEFORE THE END of Blue Phase and graduation.   ;D

Speaking of the selection process for those elite units, I was wondering how many times one can fail and be allowed to get into the selection program again? I remember the movie "The Guardian" where a certain recruit for the US Coast Guard rescue swimmers had tried and failed the course around five times before. I also remember one of the male SEAL recruits in the BUDs scene of "GI Jane" say this is his second or third time. Is there a limit to the number of times they can try for these units, including the Army Rangers? You gotta admire those guys who keep on trying again and again and who are failed by their instructors, but DO NOT quit of their own accord.


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## Armymedic (15 May 2007)

Straying from my arcs slightly...

I do not see how the fact that high selection standards are the problem. It seems from the article that the larger problem is burnout from too much work, not enough troops. I would imagine that this is not only an issue with the Navy SOF, but all US and perhaps even NATO SOF units who are involved in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Having a low selection rate for tier 2 and tier 1 SOF units is not unusual.


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