So the same as any other training pipeline?
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How can I be competitive for EOD?
- Thread starter goald
- Start date
What a huge waste of everyone's time, IMHO. Then again, perhaps he did it on purpose?
I can't imagine anyone going through the pain of a lat xfer only to punt the physical test. What'd be the play?
Not a clue. I know some BUD/S students strategically ring out so they can get to EOD/SWCC/Dive because those options were not available when they Enlisted. What happens when someone LAT XFERs to EOD and then fails out? Do they go back to the fleet? Shore duty?
My STSC got himself into the ACINT Specialist Program which had the benefit of transferring him from our boat in Pearl Harbor to ONI in Suitland. After some time, he "failed out" of the program. Nota benne... The program is extremely difficult to get into. If can get into the program, you can finish it.
and got assigned to a boat on the East coast, something he had been trying to do but knew it would never happen via the regular detailing process. He eventually made STSCS.
BT
This said, having gone to dive school I have a difficult time believing that someone would get that far along in the process only to show up and fail the PST on the first day.
To get into dive, I had to take the PST with my command, with a dive master from another command, and then I had periodic check-ups before going to school. When I showed up to school the PST was literally the first thing we did. Failing it at that point? I don't think so.
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I guess I assumed we were talking about Os showing up from the ship. If that happened I'd imagine they'd send him right back to SWO land.
JoeBob1788
Well-Known Member
This guy in particular had just come straight from a 2 month underway and blamed that… if you fail the swim, eh, maybe, but last I checked ships have floors (decks I think most of the navy calls them?) and so failing push-ups and sit-ups was inexcusable. He just seem surprised at how hard it was, no idea how he got selected in the first place.
Chem, physics, electrical systems, etc, will all be taught to the level needed. It’s really not that hard. I have two brothers who are also EOD, as one of them put it “EOD school isn’t that hard to pass… it’s just very easy to fail.” That being said, if you make it through dive school, odds are you’ll be fine through EOD school. Again why the PST is so important.
Chem, physics, electrical systems, etc, will all be taught to the level needed. It’s really not that hard. I have two brothers who are also EOD, as one of them put it “EOD school isn’t that hard to pass… it’s just very easy to fail.” That being said, if you make it through dive school, odds are you’ll be fine through EOD school. Again why the PST is so important.
JoeBob1788
Well-Known Member
If you have the highest PST scores I’m sure that would make it hard to say no. The OCM would be able to answer how many lat transfers are being picked up, but if there are no competitive candidates, I’m sure the other sources could provide good guys. If you’re scoring higher PSTs with good fitreps, I’d think you’d get selected over off the street OCS applicants or ROTC if you’re the superior candidate physically. But I don’t know, I’m not at Millington and have never seen the inside of a selection board. If you’re scoring those averages or higher though, people will be willing to have the conversations to help you get picked up. Below those averages, probably not as much.
And things are always changing so maybe things will be different in a few months / years. Only thing I can control is my scores. Better get grinding
exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
I remember there were a few times EOD took a couple SEAL drops and they went EOD, they were far in the program and it seems if you have gone most of the way there you would just keep going rather than hope you get EOD if you drop.
That sounds like an STSCS I worked with a very long time ago on my first recruiting tour, he had always been east coast and the detailer said he had a few choices and they were Hawaii, Hawaii, and Hawaii. He had 2 years left until retirement and had a house on the east coast, the detailer and him had "issues" years before but not sure if that was a part of it or not but what a way to stick it to a guy if you don't like him. He kept trying to get his orders changed to no avail, but at the same time several months prior he had passed a kidney stone and hadn't submitted the civilian med record to the doc, so 1 month prior to his transfer date he submitted the med doc, orders were then cancelled, medical eval, and sub DQ. The entire process took nearly a year then by the time the surface ST detailer contacted him he had less than a year so he retired. I really didn't like the guy myself.
You can also listen to (and read) Jocko, seek out and talk to people who have gone through the pipeline, and read up on CBRNE topics.
So I was talking to someone I know about these numbers. She's a personal trainer, works with professional athletes and sometimes military. Says that she very very rarely sees someone who can get 90+ pushups, 20 pullups with strict form in 2 minutes. And she's trained a good number of people in special forces. So I have to ask, are the people achieving these numbers perfect with their form?
Pushups are parallel, no kipping on pull ups? You can't get off the bar to rest during pull ups correct?
I guess since EOD is so small, there aren't a lot people trying for these slots. So only a small number of people would be able to meet these requirements right?
JoeBob1788
Well-Known Member
Short answer is yes.
We are pretty strict with form. Push-ups are to 90 degrees and all the way up, back stays straight. Pullups are dead hang, you can keep moving, no need to pause, but elbows straight and chin over the bar and no kipping. Sit-ups touch the knee, not
Those averages from the recruiting brief are averages: some guys were better, some were worse, but all were around there. My Det just sent an enlisted guy off to prep, he was at all of those averages and still rolled for water competency.
Personally I contracted with an 8:30/90s/90s/18/8:45, at 165 BW. Having been in 9 years, I’m much stronger lifting now than I was, but I maintain a 9:30 swim and run, 80s for the push and sit, and 15+ pullups. But I concentrate on lifting and BJJ, I’m not trying to get into the community so I don’t train for the PST.
If your friend is working with SF, the Army doesn’t test pullups or swimming. I’ll bet those guys can run and ruck though.
If you have a limited athletic background, this can take years to get to. I was a triathlete, everything came pretty quickly except for pullups.
JoeBob1788
Well-Known Member
Pullups you have to stay on the bar, and you can take less than 2 minutes. Push-ups and sit-ups, if you stop before 2 minutes you’ll raise the ire of any instructor or EOD tech around.
Do Stew Smith’s 2 week Push-up and Pull-up Push 2 program. If you’re in decent shape you’ll be surprised at how quickly you can pump those numbers up. Lifting is important once you’re past dive school; the NSW platoon I was embedded with required everyone to be in the 1000lbs club, not crazy but strong enough. But until after dive, it’s all calisthenics and PST prep. Nothing else but fin swimming matters.
It’s not easy. Most people fail or don’t get selected for a reason. But it’s an awesome community and worth the work.
Do Stew Smith’s 2 week Push-up and Pull-up Push 2 program. If you’re in decent shape you’ll be surprised at how quickly you can pump those numbers up. Lifting is important once you’re past dive school; the NSW platoon I was embedded with required everyone to be in the 1000lbs club, not crazy but strong enough. But until after dive, it’s all calisthenics and PST prep. Nothing else but fin swimming matters.
It’s not easy. Most people fail or don’t get selected for a reason. But it’s an awesome community and worth the work.
exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
I would see not just those going for officer but those going for enlisted doing these test when I would take my candidates to the PST, and not everyone who test on that day gets those scores, but the ones who get selected or recommended to go into one of those programs do get those scores, and they are sticklers for the form.
JoeBob1788
Well-Known Member
I’ve seen lower scores get enlisted guys picked up, but most all of them failed out pretty quickly. Those scores will generally see you through, if you’re comfortable getting harassed underwater.