Paths to Naval Special Warfare (SEAL)

[Brett327]

what title you bare i would have to find out for sure. But there has been a time/times when marines could go to BUD's. They may not have been called "NAVY SEALs" cause they were in the Marines and they may not have been called "Marine SEALs" cause there is no such thing and it sounds really stupid ... but they earned the privilege to wear the trident.

BUDS doesn't equal a Trident. I'll query my sources about this deal next week, but it would seem rather odd for someone in another service to go through the entire SEAL pipeline and remain in that other service. What would the point be?

Brett

 

[phrogdriver]

I'll have to ask for some kind of dates, examples, etc. for that, 'cause I'm skeptical of that one. Even after BUD/S, SEALS are on 6mo probation with a team before they put on the Budweiser.

Until recently recon was not its own career field and guys would only be on orders for 3 years or so--I don't think the Corps would invest in a 6 month-long school like BUD/S, unless it got a big return on it. Frankly, Marine recon and our recently born SpecOps have very different skill sets than SEALS, and I don't see the Corps wasting time on sending guys to BUD/S.

Besides, I've been in 10 years and have never seen or heard of a Marine wearing a SEAL badge. I'm just not buying it, unless it's guys who've gotten OUT of the Corps, then gone over to the Navy, or SEALS who've gotten OUT of the Navy and enlisted in the Corps.

 

[HH-60H]

Besides, I've been in 10 years and have never seen or heard of a Marine wearing a SEAL badge. I'm just not buying it, unless it's guys who've gotten OUT of the Corps, then gone over to the Navy, or SEALS who've gotten OUT of the Navy and enlisted in the Corps.

I've been in 11 yrs, and it was only within the last 6 months that I saw an Army solider, wearing a Navy SEAL Budweiser. No sh!t I had to look at him twice before I could figure out what I was seeing. I am guessing he did some sort of interservice transfer, but I don't know.
Of course there is a Navy SEAL who is now an Army pilot on this board.

 

[zab1001]

I've been in 11 yrs, and it was only within the last 6 months that I saw an Army solider, wearing a Navy SEAL Budweiser. No sh!t I had to look at him twice before I could figure out what I was seeing. I am guessing he did some sort of interservice transfer, but I don't know.
Of course there is a Navy SEAL who is now an Army pilot on this board.

I'm positive that guy was an interservice transfer. The Army is funny like that, they let IT's wear pretty much any of their bling from their previous life. I know there's a former SEAL who is now an Army Doctor who sports his trident.

I don't buy this "Marines can go to BUD/S" thing AT ALL. Nor do any of the SpecWar guys I asked.

 

[HeyJoe]

I'm positive that guy was an interservice transfer. The Army is funny like that, they let IT's wear pretty much any of their bling from their previous life. I know there's a former SEAL who is now an Army Doctor who sports his trident.

I don't buy this "Marines can go to BUD/S" thing AT ALL. Nor do any of the SpecWar guys I asked.

Concur and reaffirm that BUD/S does not equal Trident either. The "B" stands for "Basic". Graduates go to unit afterwards and only after more training and "probationary" period do they earn the Trident. Marines have Recon and have recently decided to be full fledged member of SOF community (already have general officer at SOCOM) and have deployed to Afghanistan as a SOF unit (in SPECWAR rotation). SOF is flavor of the week and Marines are wise to integrate themselves into this growth industry after staying at arm's length for so long.

If poster wants BUD/S so bad, then need to do an interservice transfer, but as an officer, might have a hard time even still. Officer quotas at BUD/S are hard to snag (seems like USNA grads have a monopoly like they did in aviation in years before WWII). SPECWAR is about to grow though so might be opportune time to chase the dream (must consider downside of what if you attrite...BUD/S really is a rock tumbler...see Military Channel for their coverage or better yet, visit Coronado).

 

[BurghGuy]

I know that Marines do go through SEAL training, just not as Marines. For example, I read a book on BUD/S called "Warrior Elite". The authors name escapes me right now, but it was dang good. It followed a BUD/s class from start to finish. There was at least one Marine O-3 who gave up his commission and re-enlisted in the Navy just to get a shot at BUD/S. He was a seaman when he went through. So yes, indeed, it is possible, for a Marine officer to get a shot at BUD/s, he just can't do it AS an officer.

 

[HH-60H]

I know that Marines do go through SEAL training, just not as Marines. For example, I read a book on BUD/S called "Warrior Elite". The authors name escapes me right now, but it was dang good. It followed a BUD/s class from start to finish. There was at least one Marine O-3 who gave up his commission and re-enlisted in the Navy just to get a shot at BUD/S. He was a seaman when he went through. So yes, indeed, it is possible, for a Marine officer to get a shot at BUD/s, he just can't do it AS an officer.

Or a Marine, as your example just shows. I know, I know, once a Marine always a Marine, but this guy was not currently in the USMC when he became a SEAL.

 

[Brett327]

I know that Marines do go through SEAL training, just not as Marines. For example, I read a book on BUD/S called "Warrior Elite". The authors name escapes me right now, but it was dang good. It followed a BUD/s class from start to finish. There was at least one Marine O-3 who gave up his commission and re-enlisted in the Navy just to get a shot at BUD/S. He was a seaman when he went through. So yes, indeed, it is possible, for a Marine officer to get a shot at BUD/s, he just can't do it AS an officer.

By using the logic in your own post, it really isn't possible, now is it. He had to quit the Marines and go through as a Sailor - end of story. That's like saying that Taco Bell (I hear their motto is Semper Frijoles) was sending people through BUDS because one of the Sailors used to work there. I swear to God, if you invoke some ridiculous, "Once a Marine, always a Marine" nonsense, I will track you down and kick you repeatedly in the throat. Merry Christmas!

Brett

 

[jai5w4]

SOF is flavor of the week and Marines are wise to integrate themselves into this growth industry after staying at arm's length for so long...

Word. They are standing up something like 2000 billets for their SOF. SOCOM is running the WOT and they are cutting them some big-time checks as a result.

jai5w4

 

[BurghGuy]

By using the logic in your own post, it really isn't possible, now is it. He had to quit the Marines and go through as a Sailor - end of story. That's like saying that Taco Bell (I hear their motto is Semper Frijoles) was sending people through BUDS because one of the Sailors used to work there. I swear to God, if you invoke some ridiculous, "Once a Marine, always a Marine" nonsense, I will track you down and kick you repeatedly in the throat. Merry Christmas!

Brett

I know what you mean. I didn't want it to sound the way it came out. He obviously had to stop being a marine to go to SEALs, yes. But I was more or less trying to say that it is possible for someone who is currently a Marine officer to one day have aspirations of going through BUD/s, albeit, no longer a Marine. No need to track me down and kick me repeatedly in the throat. At least not this Christmas, shame too, it was on my list to Santa...

Merry last 30 minutes of Christmas on the east coast.

 

[LoneSailor]

They are called Navy SEALs. Period. Yearly, about 30% of the applicants are personnel from other services who've transferred into the Navy. Most of which have served in their respective service's special forces. They've either waited their time and ended their enlistment or have a conditional agreement with their service which releases them early then enlist in Navy.

As far as the soldier wearing the trident -- he was probobly prior Navy. If he had earned it in his previous service, who's to say he can't wear it? I've seen some SWCCs and SEALs wearing the Ranger tab on their BDU's. Technically they can't wear it even though they've gone through Ranger school, but who's going to oblige? Not suprisingly the Army doesn't have much restrictions with what patches you can wear. There is an Army SSG at my previous command who earned his fish while serving in a submarine as a linguist, he proudly wears it around the command, he even got a coin from the PACOM Admiral during one of his visits. He was dubbed as the Submarine Sgt.

 

[HH-60H]

Not suprisingly the Army doesn't have much restrictions with what patches you can wear. There is an Army SSG at my previous command who earned his fish while serving in a submarine as a linguist, he proudly wears it around the command...

Apparently, neither does the AF. A couple weeks ago, I saw an AF LTCOL wearing enlisted dolphins. I had to look twice at him too.

 

[phrogdriver]

I wonder if the Marine Corps would even allow Tridents on its uniform, since we don't allow dolphins, SW pins, or any of the other Navy warfare pins.

 

[Stearmann4]

I've got a good friend who left ther Teams for Navy flight school the same time I left for Army flight school. He's now flying Hornets for the USMC, and blends pretty well I hear cuz' he doesn't wear anything but his wings, Naval parachutist wings, and scuba insignia.

As for anyone other than Sailors attending BUD/s; it's the only school in Dod that is not open to joint attendance. You have to be in the Navy, and fullfilling a Naval Special Warfare billet upon graduation. The exception being foreign students who go through BUD/s (albeit with different grading criteria).

There are always several prior Marines each year who go through BUD/s, and have about the same successs/failure rate as any other demographic. Their skills as prior ground guys shine through when the classes hit the land warfare phase which is unfamiliar territory for most ship-borne Sailors. When I was instructing, I always made the ex-Marines boat crew leaders.

There are in fact about 6 ex-team guys in Army aviation right now, with another 3 or 4 guys in various ground roles. Three of us are at the 160th SOAR while the others are spread around the country. Technically, the Army prohibits wear of the Trident under some obscure uniform regulation I purposely failed to familiarize myself with. However, when I do wear it, it's only on dress uniforms, and goes above my wings. I have yet to be called on it. Talking to my fellow Team guys in the regular Army, they frequently wear their Tridents on all their uniforms to make the distinction that they have indeed been around awhile. If you didn't know, the Army is first and foremost badge whores. A soldier will briefly, but distinctly glance down the left side of your uniform before he decides how he'll address you. Welcome to the green machine!

Mike-

 

[DocT]

I know that Marines do go through SEAL training, just not as Marines. For example, I read a book on BUD/S called "Warrior Elite". The authors name escapes me right now, but it was dang good.

Dick Couch