Keeping the Weapons LOADED

Naval Special Warfare

Keeping the Weapons LOADEDNaval Special Warfare Support

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[Number 1048]

[On the Front Cover]Members of SBT-22 in Stennis, Miss., are pulled back into a boat while practicinga hot extract.P h o t o b y P H 1 S h a n e T . M c C o y

[Next Month]We head to Thailand for Cobra Gold 2004,and then look in on the Seabees in Croatia.We also visit the ex-USS Shadwell and discover some of the newest firefightingtechniques in the Navy.

40 SEAL Support: The Team

Logistics Support Units (LOGSU), and LOGSU staff are the

teammates SEALs can’t leave home without. LOGSU’s eight

departments provide communicators, Seabees, engineers,

parachute riggers, supply personnel, medical staff, divers and

ordnancemen in support of SEAL Teams. Although they don’t

complete the arduous SEAL training courses, their support

and expertise are critical to a successful mission.

[Features]14 Mind Games“Welcome to Hell Week.” Basic Underwater Demolitions

and SEAL (BUD/S) instructors know the human machine is

capable of amazing endurance even in the harshest of

conditions and environments. But they also know the mind

must be made to ignore the pleading of the body.

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A U G U S T 2 0 0 4 • A L L H A N D S

[Departments]Speaking with Sailors — 6

Around the Fleet — 8

Focus on Service — 48

Eye on the Fleet — 50

Eye on History — 54

The Final Word — 56

32 Testing Newton’sLaw

Until last year, the Army, in Yuma, Ariz., trained Navy Special Warfare teams to

freefall. Today, the Navy has its own free-fall school, Strategic Air Operations,

which allows more Sea, Air, Land (SEALs) and Special Warfare Combatant-craft

Crewmen (SWCC) to be free-fall qualified than ever before.

P h o t o b y P H 1 S h a n e T . M c C o y

24 The Go-Fast TeamsThey call it the “E-ticket Ride:” a 33-foot Rigid Hull

Inflatable Boat (RHIB) vs. Mother Nature. Middle of the

night, almost pitch black; a pair of RHIBs race through open

waters of the Pacific Ocean. Forty knots in the blackness,

wind ripping across the open craft–this is daily life for a

Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewman (SWCC), and

these guys wouldn’t have it any other way.

2 3

Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen spray a mock enemyarea with a barrage of live gunfire from weapon stations aboardtheir combat patrol craft during a training exercise in the bayous of Stennis, Miss. P h o t o b y J O 1 R o b e r t B e n s o n

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U.S. Navy SEALs (Sea, Air, Land) assigned to SEAL Team 10“Echo Platoon” conduct sustainment training while on deployment in Cartagena, Colombia. This training keeps theunit's skills sharp and combat ready.P h o t o b y P H 1 ( A W ) M i c h a e l P e n d e r g r a s s

Number 1048 • August 2004www.news.navy.mil

Secretar y of the Navy

The Honorable Gordon R. England

Chief o f Naval Operat ions

ADM Vern Clark

Chief o f In format ion

RADM T. L. McCreary

Commander, Naval Media Center

CAPT Joseph F. Gradisher

Chief of Publ ishing

CDR Jeff Breslau

D e p u t y C h i e f o f P u b l i s h i n g + Pr int Media Coordinator

LT Bill Couch

E D I T O R I A L

Editor

Marie G. Johnston

Managing Edi tor

JOCS James Slater

Assistant Edi tor

Stephanie N. Collins

Photo Edi tors

PH1 Shane T. McCoy

PH3 Antoine Themistocleous

PH3 Todd Frantom

Editor ia l Staf f

JO1 (SW) Monica Darby

JO1 (SW) Hendrick Dickson

JO1 (SCW/SS) James Pinsky

JO2 Cherri Boggs

JO2 Charles L. Ludwig

JO2 Kimberly Rodgers

D I S T R I B U T I O N

Hank Lloyd

P U B L I C A T I O N & W E B D E S I G N

R + B Design Firm

Graphic Designers

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Digi ta l Prepress Specia l is t

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Universal Printing Company

G PO Pr int ing Specia l is t

John Kennedy

Recipient of the following Awards of Magazine Excellence

for 2000-2003:

AWARDS

Speaking with SailorsMaster Chief Petty Officer of the Navy

MCPON (SS/AW) Terry D. Scott

Q.My rating is not a source rating open to

the SEAL community. Why isn’t every

rating a source rating to be a SEAL?

A. Let me dispel a big myth that perhaps

many Sailors have. The SEAL community is

actually open to every rating

in the Navy. However, upon

completion of Basic Underwater

Demolition SEAL (BUDS)

program, you have one year to

convert into one of the source

ratings to be competitive for

advancement. The same also

goes for other special warfare

and special operations

communities like Explosive

Ordnance Disposal (EOD),

SEABEE Underwater

Construction Technician, and

Diver. A list of the ultimate source ratings for

each program can be found in MILPERSMAN

Article 1220-120. The source ratings that are

listed were chosen because they most closely

represent the different skill sets used within

that community.

Q.Is field time with the Fleet Marine

Force (FMF) in lieu of sea time viewed

negatively on CPO selection boards?

A. No, not at all. I encourage you to find

someone who has been on or been a part of a

CPO selection board to really understand how

much thought and discussion

goes into each package. It’s only

one of many areas that are

looked at, but as long as you are

rotating to challenging commands

at the right career progression for

your rating, the selection board

will have nothing but a positive

view.

Q.Will not having a warfare

pin hurt my chances for

advancement?

A. What will hurt your chances is if you were

to complete a tour onboard a command that

allows the chance to earn a warfare device and

you do not.

Many Sailors serve in ratings that are not as

sea-intensive as others, or are assigned to

commands that do not have warfare programs

and therefore don’t have the opportunity to

earn a warfare pin. It’s important to realize that

warfare programs are intended to give us the

tools needed to accomplish our mission. They

are not meant to serve only as an individual

reward.

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All Hands (USPS 372-970; ISSN 0002-5577) Number 1048 is published monthly by the Naval Media Center, Publishing Department, 2713 Mitscher Rd. S.W., Anacostia Annex, D.C. 20373-5819. Periodicals postage paid

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6 A L L H A N D S • w w w . n e w s . n a v y . m i l

Speaking with Sailors is a monthly column

initiated by the Master Chief Petty Officer of the

Navy as a way of reaching out to the men and

women of the fleet, whether they are stationed just

down the road or halfway around the world.

These questions are from a recent All Hands Call

Around the Fleet


allies and coalition partners.Summer Pulse ‘04 is scheduled toconclude in August.

For more information on theSummer Pulse ‘04 events and toschedule coverage opportunities,please contact Fleet ForcesCommand media office at (757)836-3600.

For more news from theDepartment of Defense, go towww.defenselink.mil.

Story courtesy of the U.S.

Department of Defense.

Navy AnnouncesContinuation Pay for Full-TimeSupport Aviators

Aviation CareerContinuation Pay (ACCP)was approved in April for

Full-time Support (FTS) pilotsand naval flight officers. The pay,authorized for FY04, will be usedfor duty in department head,officer in charge and commandbillets.

Eligible officers may receivebonuses of $15,000 based ondesignator and length of contract.

“This program allows the Navyto retain top aviators, and keeps

with the force-shaping initiativescalled for under the Chief ofNaval Operations’ (CNO) guid-ance,” said CDR Paul Mattingly,FTS aviation placement officer at Navy Personnel Command,Millington, Tenn.

FTS aviators make up about 5 percent of naval aviation.

Commanding officers mustprovide positive endorsement ofall ACCP requests. Authorizationfor FTS ACCP is outlined inNAVADMIN Message 101/04. Fordetails, eligibility, administrativeprocedures and applicationformat, visit the FTS AviationDetailer Web site at www.persnet.

navy.mil/pers4417/aviation.htm.

Navy CeremonialHonor GuardParticipates inRonald ReaganFuneral

More than 150 Sailors fromthe Navy CeremonialHonor Guard participated

in funeral ceremonies for formerPresident Ronald Reagan’s inWashington D.C., and Simi Valley,Calif., in June.

“It is a great honor to be a

part of his funeral,” said ChiefMachinist’s Mate AltonHainsworth, a member of theCeremonial Guard who grew upduring Reagan’s presidency. “Hewas a great leader who helpedour country.”

Reagan died June 5 after adecade-long battle with Alzheimer’sdisease. He was 93.

Twenty-six members of theCeremonial Honor Guard’s“Hawk” team were flown toCalifornia to participate in thepublic viewing held at the RonaldReagan Presidential Library inSimi Valley. Reagan’s body wasthen flown to the U.S. capital bya special airlift mission on boarda U.S. Air Force 747 aircraft forthe first state funeral ceremonyin Washington, D.C., since formerPresident Lyndon B. Johnson’s in1973.

The Honor Guard was wellprepared thanks to somethingthey are used to–rehearsals.

“Our guys knew what to do,”said LT Andy Wattula, operation’sofficer for the Ceremonial HonorGuard, “because we’ve beenpracticing for state funerals foryears.”

Upon arrival at Andrews AirForce Base, the Guard’s “Falcon”team transferred Reagan’s casketto the waiting hearse.

Former First Lady NancyReagan, escorted by Maj. Gen.Galen B. Jackman, commandinggeneral, U.S. Army MilitaryDistrict of Washington, D.C.,solemnly watched the transfer asthe Air Force Band played a subdued “Hail to the Chief.”

The police-escorted motorcadedelivered the casket to a horse-drawn U.S. Army caisson nearthe White House. The Guard’sTeam “Peacock,” comprised of99 Sailors, participated inReagan’s funeral procession fromPennsylvania Avenue to theCapitol’s Rotunda.

Members of the CeremonialHonor Guard continued to standwatch over Reagan’s body until itwas flown back to Simi Valley,Calif., for burial after the funeralceremony at the NationalCathedral, Washington, D.C.

A private burial ceremony forfamily and friends was held on

A U G U S T 2 0 0 4 • A L L H A N D S 9

Exercise Summer Pulse ‘04will be the Navy’s first exercise ofits new operational construct, theFleet Response Plan (FRP). FRPis about new ways of operating,training, manning and maintainingthe fleet that results in increasedforce readiness and the ability toprovide significant combat powerto the President in response to anational emergency or crisis.

The exercise began in lateJune and will continue throughAugust. This allows the Navy toexercise the full range of skillsinvolved in simultaneouslydeploying and employing carrierstrike groups around the world.Summer Pulse ‘04 will includescheduled deployments, surgeoperations, joint and internationalexercises, other advanced trainingand port visits.

Under the FRP construct, theNavy can provide six CSGs in lessthan 30 days to support contin-gency operations around the

globe. Two more CSGs can beready in three months to reinforceor rotate with initially respondingforces, to continue presenceoperations in other parts of theworld, or to support militaryaction in another crisis.

Summer Pulse ‘04 will exercisethe logistics and shore infrastruc-ture necessary to execute a largescale surge operation, stress theoperational concepts in the Navy’sSea Power 21 strategy and improveNavy interoperability withnumerous allies and coalitionpartners, as well as other U.S.military forces.

The seven aircraft carriersinvolved in Summer Pulse ‘04 willinclude: the Norfolk-based USSGeorge Washington (CVN 73) CSGand the San Diego-based USSJohn C. Stennis (CVN 74) CSG,

both currently deployed, andYokosuka, Japan-based USS KittyHawk (CV 63). The Mayport, Fla.-based USS John F Kennedy (CV 67)CSG will begin a combined andjoint exercise early this month,followed by a scheduled overseasdeployment.

The Norfolk-based USS HarryS. Truman (CVN 75) CSG willconduct a scheduled trainingexercise followed by overseas pulseoperations with the Norfolk-basedUSS Enterprise (CVN 65) CSG,beginning early this month. USSRonald Reagan (CVN 76) willconduct operations in the U.S.

Northern Command and U.S.Southern Command theatersduring the ship’s inter-fleet transferfrom Norfolk, to its Pacific Fleethomeport of San Diego.

The near-simultaneousdeployment of seven carrier strikegroups provides the Navy andthe joint combatant commandersan opportunity to exercise the FRPwhile maintaining the ability torespond to crises around the globe,enhance regional security andrelationships, meet combatantcommander requirementsincluding forward presence anddemonstrate a commitment to

LCDR Chris Cassidy, a Navy SEALassigned to a Virginia-based SEAL Team,

was recently selected for NASA’s Astronaut

Program. Cassidy will join a group of pilots,

engineers and educators as “The Next

Generation of Explorers,” NASA’s 2004

Astronaut Candidate Class. He will begin

training this summer as a mission specialist at NASA’s Johnson

Space Center in Houston.

S h i p m a t e sSeven Carrier Strike Groups Under-way for Exercise Summer Pulse ‘04

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DOD announced that

this summer, the

simultaneous

deployment of seven air-

craft carrier strike groups

(CSGs) will demonstrate

the ability of the Navy to

provide credible combat

power across the globe by

operating in five theaters

with other U.S., allied and

coalition military forces.

Sailors aboard the nuclear powered aircraft carrier USSEnterprise (CVN 65) "man the rails" as the carrier approaches its pier at herhomeport of Naval Station Norfolk, Va. The carrier and its strike group arereturning after completing a six-month deployment in support of the globalwar of terrorism, including Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

U.S. Navy Sailors marcheddown Constitution Avenue,Washington, D.C., during formerPresident Ronald Reagan’s statefuneral. A horse-drawn caisson carried Reagan’s flag-draped casket to the U.S. Capitol where he laid in state in the CapitolRotunda. A state funeral was held June 11 Washington NationalCathedral, where President Bushgave the eulogy.

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AN Heather Beckham, a nativeof Phoenix. “I don’t have to carrychange around to get somethingout of the vending machine. Ican just stick my card in, and Iget the same service.”

Story by JO3 Shane Tuck, who is

assigned to the public affairs office,

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).

Sea Basing KeyElement of Navy2020

The Navy of 2020 will haveunmanned underwaterreconnaissance vehicles,

according to VADM J. CutlerDawson Jr., deputy chief of navaloperations for resources, require-ments and assessments.

“Our weapons systems andability to communicate are farbetter than they’ve ever been,”Dawson told attendees of theAnnapolis Naval History Sym-posium at the U.S. NavalAcademy.

The Navy of 2020 also willhave “distributed systems that layin parts of the ocean that candeny access to an enemy andrapidly kill him if he goes intothose areas,” said Dawson.

Sea basing has three criticalelements: access, speed andreduced footprint, according toDawson.

Dawson talked about thedeployment of the U.S. 2nd Fleetflagship, USS Mount Whitney(LCC 20), that provided sea-basedsupport to Marines in Djiboutiat the Horn of Africa.

“Why did we do that?” heasked. “Because access was notassured, and even when we didhave access, it was so immaturethat the investment to get ashoretook time and money.”

In planning the future force,the admiral said the Navy con-

siders five elements. “We look atthe most likely combat operationsand possible rules of engagement,”said Dawson. “We look at basesand access, which have recentlybeen greatly influenced by denialof access to Turkey. We look atpotential systems, and we tryto input the performance thatwe expect from those systems,and finally, we look at joint and coalition (operations).”

Planners also think abouthow many personnel–uni-formed, civilians and contrac-tors–will be needed in 2020, hesaid.

“We look at the developmentof personnel and ask, ‘Whatwill they need?’” he added.

For more DOD News, go towww.defenselink.mil

Story by K.L. Vantran, who is

assigned to American Forces Press

Service, Alexandria, Va.

Troops to Teachers:Service After theMilitary

Representatives from theTroops to Teachers (TTT)program recently visited

Commander, U.S. Naval ForcesEurope, to inform Sailors of apossible second career, “servingstudents.”

Attendees were able to gaininsight into the process ofbecoming a teacher, includingcertification requirements andjob opportunities.

Sailors with a baccalaureatedegree or higher are eligible tobegin the teaching certificationprocess to become an academicsubject teacher. However, manySailors may already qualify tobecome a vocational/technicalteacher. Sailors only need theequivalent of one year of collegecourses and six years of experi-

ence in a vocational or technicalfield to begin the certificationprocess.

To complete the process, indi-viduals can use an AlternativeCertification Program (ACP) orUniversity Teacher Preparation

Program. Sailors within theEuropean theater may benefitfrom an ACP, since this methodoffers online courses to obtainthe teaching certification.

Military members can usetuition assistance for their teaching

the presidential library grounds.The Navy’s Ceremonial HonorGuard also participated in theprivate funeral.

The Navy’s Ceremonial HonorGuard is stationed in Washington,D.C. It is a two-year assignmentfor Sailors newly-graduatedfrom the Navy’s boot camp atRecruit Training Command,Great Lakes, Ill.

“This is history,” continuedBoatswain’s Mate 2nd Class MariaMancuso. “A once-in-a-lifetimeopportunity, and I’m so proud tosay I was a part of it.”

Story by JO1(SCW/SS) James G.

Pinsky and JO1(SW) Monica Darby on

assignment with Navy News Service

New Command toIntegrate Navy’sASW Mission

The establishment of the FleetAnti-Submarine Warfare(ASW) Command marks

the beginning of a new era in ASWreadiness. Based in San Diego,Fleet ASW Command was offi-cially established during an April8 ceremony at the Fleet Anti-Submarine Warfare TrainingCenter. RADM John J. Waickwicz

was installed as its first command-ing officer.

Historically, various communi-ties within the Navy, such as surface ships, airplanes and submarines, have conducted theirASW training and operationsindependently of one another.Fleet ASW Command was estab-lished specifically to integratethese efforts under a singleauthority and make them moreefficient.

The new command will becomprised of 138 military, civilianand contractor personnel. Inaddition to its San Diego head-quarters, Fleet ASW Commandwill have detachments in Yokosuka,Japan, and Norfolk. Its primaryfocus will be on providing stan-dardized ASW training for theentire Navy, assessing ASW capa-bilities and readiness throughoutthe fleet, and in seamlessly imple-menting the latest state-of-the-art technology into ASW opera-tions.

During his remarks, guestspeaker Commander, U.S. PacificFleet ADM Walter F. Doran,emphasized the threat posed byquiet diesel-electric submarineswhich nations such as NorthKorea, China and Iran continueto acquire. Deployed in the openocean and in coastal waters,these submarines have the

potential to make it difficult forthe U.S. Navy to conduct at-sea operations, as well as forjoint forces to move ashore fromthe sea.

Maintaining underwatersupremacy through ASW effective-ness remains a critical core Navymission.

By establishing the Fleet ASWCommand, the Navy continuesto demonstrate its commitmentto maintaining a 21st centurynaval force that meets nationalsecurity needs and retains itsoperational superiority at sea.

Story by Eric Beheim, who is

assigned to Naval Media Center,

FSD San Diego.

Navy Cash GoesLive Aboard USSRonald Reagan

Sailors aboard USS RonaldReagan (CVN 76) recentlyreceived a new, first-rate

service, when the Navy CashProgram went live, eliminatingthe necessity for paper money.

From vending machine pur-chases to Morale, Welfare andRecreation tickets, any cash pur-chase aboard ship will require

a Navy Cash Card. The cardautomates the financial processaboard the ship and frees depart-ments that handle money so theycan assist Sailors better.

“Not needing cash on boardwill make things easier and faster,”said Airman Apprentice WyattCoppernoll. “All we have to do isswipe the card through a machineand we’re done.”

The Navy Cash Card does morethan make purchases aboard theship convenient. The card makesfunds more secure because itrequires a personal identificationnumber (PIN). “Cards are PINprotected and will decrease thefton board,” said Disbursing Clerk2nd Class Willie J. Hogan of supplydepartment. “It also gives youmore control over your money.”

The card is accepted whereveryou see the MasterCard logo. Theaccount is used as a debit card,so you can’t spend money not inthe account.

There are five cashless ATMsaboard located throughout theaft mess decks. Unlike a normalATM, this ATM doesn’t issue areceipt or dispense cash. Althoughthe cashless ATM doesn’t issuestatements, you can access accountinformation at www.navycash.com.

Up to 13 months of transactionsmay be viewed at the Web site.

“I love the new cards,” said

A U G U S T 2 0 0 4 • A L L H A N D S

Around the Fleet


T i m e C a p s u l eThis month we look back in the All Hands archive to see what was going on in the month of August. To view these issues in more detail on the Web, go to www.news.navy.mil/allhands.asp?x=search

1959 – 45 Years Ago

A crew member from USS Tutuila (ARG 4) was

featured on the cover of this issue of All Hands

magazine. Inside, we featured an article about

Tutuila’s internal engine repair shop. Also

featured was an overview of the Navy’s

“mighty midget” minesweepers and a visit

to USS Everglades (AD 24).


In this edition of All Hands magazine, we

looked at what it takes to become a naval

flight engineer. In honor of National POW-

MIA Recognition Day, we gave an account

of some of the first American POWs. We

also payed a visit to the “Ageless

Warrior,” USS Coral Sea (CV 43), and

Perth, Australia.


The Navy said “No More” to sexual harass-

ment. Inside we featured the Navy’s plans to

repair its image following the 1991 Tailhook

scandal. We also featured professional

athletes who got their start at the U.S.

Naval Academy. We said goodye to Naval

Facility Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines,

and said hello to Guam, as more than 1,200 Sailors and

their families transferred to the island nation as a direct

result of the Subic Bay closure.

11

Ricky’sTourBy JO2 Mike Jones www.rickystour.com

Around the Fleet


certification while on active duty.Members may also be eligible forfinancial assistance for teachercertification expenses. A com-mitment to teach for three yearsin a “high-need” school districtor at a high school with a highpercentage of low-income familiesis part of the obligation for receiv-ing some forms of financial aid.

There are 33 state TTT officesnationwide that offer placementassistance for the 45 states parti-cipating in the program. Officescan assist Sailors with state certi-fication requirements.

“It’s important to focus onwhere you want to teach, to startchecking what your state’srequirements are. Teacher certifi-cation is done state-to-state, notnationally. But some states willrecognize another state’s certifi-cation,” said John Gantz, director

of the TTT program.Sailors can consult their TTT

representative on job availabilities,or check the Department ofEducation Web site atwww.teachers-teachers.com. TheWeb site lists teaching vacanciesfor each state.

Sailors interested in the TTTprogram can get more informa-tion from their state TTT office,stateside DSN 312-922-1241 oronline at www.ProudToServe

Again.com.

Story by JO2 Lily Daniels, who is


Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe.

Naval MedicineExpands MalariaVaccine Develop-ment Efforts

Ateam of Navy and civilianresearchers recently formeda partnership to expand

the Navy’s malaria vaccine development program.

The Naval Medical ResearchCenter (NMRC) and GenVec, abiopharmaceutical company,signed a two-year cooperativeresearch agreement to developand evaluate potential new vaccines. The Malaria VaccineInitiative (MVI), part of the Billand Melinda Gates Foundation,is providing major funding.

“This is a natural follow-on toour molecular vaccine develop-ment program,” said Dr. DeniseDoolan, head of the NMRCMalaria Program’s pre-clinicalresearch and development efforts.“This agreement represents aunique partnership of govern-ment, industry and the publicsector.”

“Malaria is a serious threat totroops stationed in endemic areas,”said Doolan. “In all conflictsduring the past century conductedin malaria-endemic areas, malariahas been the leading cause ofcasualties, exceeding enemy-inflicted casualties in its impacton person-days lost from duty.

“This was highlighted by thedeployment of the 26th MarineExpeditionary Unit to Liberia lastyear where there were casualty

rates of 28 to 44 percent fortroops with as little as 10 days ofexposure to the malaria parasite,”she added.

The effort brings togetherNMRC’s expertise in malaria andvaccine development and GenVec’sunique vaccine delivery system.Using a laboratory model, Navyresearchers will test several vac-cines that include a combinationof specific proteins expressed indifferent stages of the malariaparasite’s complex life cycle.

The parasite’s genome containsmore than 5,300 proteins,” saidDoolan. “We are looking at five ofthose proteins in this study. Threeare expressed in the liver-stage ofthe parasite, and two others areexpressed in the blood stage.”

The goal of these multi-stagevaccines is to prevent infection ordecrease the clinical symptomsof the disease. Success in thiseffort is expected to lead to futureclinical studies in humans.

According to the World HealthOrganization, more than 1 milliondeaths from malaria occur world-wide each year, with 90 percentin Africa, south of the Sahara. Aneffective vaccine will be an essen-tial element in the fight againstmalaria, since the parasite con-tinues to develop resistance toanti-malarial drugs, and themosquitoes develop resistance toinsecticides.

Story by Doris M. Ryan, who is


Bureau of Medicine and Surgery,

Washington, D.C.

Aviation Structural Mechanic 3rdClass Brian Larson was recently named

Naval Base Coronado’s 2003 Air Systems

Program Blue Jacket of the Year. As an

airframes technician, Larson personally

contributed more than 100 hours toward an overall effort of

890 total hours in direct mission support of Air Test and Evaluation

Squadron (VX) 31, China Lake, Calif. Larson was also requested by

name to lead a project that successfully restored an AV-8A Harrier

aircraft for the Colonel Leffler Memorial in San Diego.

S h i p m a t e s

But, he’s up to the challenge of being a...

... are you?

hisRecruiter

warned himit would beTough.

hisRecruiter

warned himit would beTough.

Editor’s Note: It has been eight years since we highlighted the Naval Special Warfare (NSW) community. Much has changed duringthat time, and NSW members have been called upon more often for their special talents as our country’s war on terrorism has progressed.

Because a key element of their strategy is surprise, we have taken care to maintain their stealth capabilities either by using profileimages, deleting their names, using motion blur in the photographs or through the use of their own camouflage–face paint.

Those who are identified may be on instructor status or ready to leave the service. In each of these cases, identifying the individual willnot compromise their safety or the integrity of future missions.

Through the centuries, each culture has had its own version of the “Shadow Warrior,” without whose deeds, history might have beenrecorded differently. In our media-rich environment, a lack of coverage sometimes equates to a lack of credit.

It is our sincere hope that this issue helps tell the story of our Special Warriors–pays homage to their service and sacrifices–and at thesame time, attracts our next generation of “Unseen Warriors” who wait to serve. MGJ/JGS

SEAL training teaches

candidates that most physical

limitations are self-regulated

Of all the battles a SEAL (Sea, Air, Land)

must fight, none is more important than

their first–the battle of mind over body.

The voice was back. That small,

self-doubting messenger returned to

pitch its familiar monologue, “This is BS!

Why are you putting yourself through

this? You are never gonna make it all the

way, so quit now and call it a day!”

Basic Underwater Demolitions andSEAL (BUD/S) instructors know thehuman machine is capable of amazingendurance even in the harshest of conditionsand environments, but they also know themind must be made to ignore the pleadingof the body.

As their name suggests, SEALs are trainedto conduct operations in any arena, andsuccessful candidates spend 18 to 24 monthsin training before being assigned to teams.Every step is a challenge, and each test is progressively more difficult. On average,70 percent of candidates never make it past Phase One.

For most, the greatest challenge lies inWeek 4 of Phase One. A grueling 5.5 days, thecontinuous training ultimately determineswho has the ability and mindset to endure.

“Welcome to Hell Week.”Trainees are constantly in motion;

constantly cold, hungry and wet. Mud iseverywhere–it covers uniforms, hands andfaces. Sand burns eyes and chafes raw skin.Medical personnel stand by for emergencies

15A U G U S T 2 0 0 4 • A L L H A N D S14 A L L H A N D S • w w w . n e w s . n a v y . m i l

Mind Games

� Huddled together in a man-madelake, the few men who have made it tothe last day of Hell Week await guidancefrom instructors on what comes next.

Mind GamesS t o r y b y J O 1 ( S W ) M . J . D a r b y

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17A U G U S T 2 0 0 4 • A L L H A N D S MIND GAMES

and then monitor the exhausted trainees.Sleep is fleeting–a mere three to four hoursgranted near the conclusion of the week.The trainees consume up to 7,000 caloriesa day and still lose weight.

The inner voice mimics the BUD/Sinstructor pacing the line of waterloggedmen with his bullhorn. “If you quit now youcould go get a room at one of those luxuryhotels down the beach and do nothing butsleep for an entire day!

Throughout Hell Week, BUD/S instructorscontinually remind candidates that theycan “Drop-On-Request” (DOR) any timethey feel they can’t go on by simply ringinga shiny brass bell that hangs prominentlywithin the camp for all to see.

“The belief that BUD/S is about physicalstrength is a common misconception.Actually, it’s 90 percent mental and 10 percentphysical,” said a BUD/S instructor at theSan Diego facility. “[Students] just decidethat they are too cold, too sandy, too soreor too wet to go on. It’s their minds thatgive up on them, not their bodies.”

“Whaddaya think? All you have to do isget up and go smack the hell out of that shiny,brass bell. You KNOW you want to. …”

It is not the physical trials of Hell Weekthat are difficult so much as its duration: acontinual 132 hours of physical labor.

Through the long days and nights ofHell Week, candidates learn to rely on one


� Surfing is what they call it. Laying in the surf as thefrigid water rolls over them. It’s used to keep the candidatescold and wet, and to weed out the people who don’t have the perseverance to continue.

� Minor foot injuries, like blisters,abound during Hell Week. Here, a SEAL candidatetakes some time while awaiting a hygieneinspection to treat a foot ailment. Hell Week isthe fourth week of BUD/S training.

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another to keep awake and stay motivated.They tap one another on the shoulder orthigh periodically and wait for a reassuringpat in response that says, “I’m still hangin’ inthere, how ‘bout you?” They cheer loudlywhen they notice a mate struggling tocomplete his mission and use the same asfuel when they themselves feel drained. Theylearn to silence that inner voice urging themto give in and ring that hideous, beautiful bell.

Sleep. He would do anything for it. Hecouldn’t remember what day it was, or whenhe had last had sleep. But, he knew it feltgood, and NOTHING about “Hell Week”felt good. He had been cold and wet for days.There were open sores along his inner thighnow from being constantly soaked. And everytime he moved, the coarse, wet camouflageraked over the wounds, sending lighteningbolts of pain through his body. Maybe the

voice was right. Maybe he should just get up,walk over, and ring that bell.

The body often lies to the mind, andbeing susceptible to muscular exclamationsof pain and exhaustion, the mind begins tobelieve in its fragility and give up. It is afierce fight that many candidates neverwin, but for those who go on to becomeNavy SEALs, learning to push the bound-aries of their physical limitations is the

� By the final days of Hell Week running no longer resembles running, itbecomes more like an old man’s waddle.Stiff muscles and raw skin make basicmovements extremely difficult.

� A Navy SEAL (SEa, Air, Land) instructorhelps students from BUD/S Class 245learn the importance of listening during aHell Week surf drill evolution. The intensephysical and mental conditioning it takesto become a SEAL begins at BasicUnderwater Demolition/SEAL training.

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� The desert around Niland,Calif., offers a huge amount of landwhere live-fire exercises can be performed day and night.

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19MIND GAMES18 A L L H A N D S • w w w . n e w s . n a v y . m i l

foundation for all subsequent training and operations.

For those who make it through the infamous 132-hours of Hell Week comesthe inner knowledge that their bodies cango far beyond their previous expectations.

The concept of mind over matter isreflected in an oft-chanted phrase duringHell Week: “If you don’t mind, it don’t matter.”

Once Hell Week and Phase One of basicSEAL conditioning is finished, the candidates

move on to new challenges, knowing theyhave it within themselves to stay the course.

But training is far from over. Beforecandidates earn the right to wear the covetedtrident badges that identify them as membersof the Naval Special Warfare community,they face training far beyond the fence linesof Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado, Calif.

Underwater in San Diego for scuba and“drown-proofing;” in the mountains ofSouthern California for rappelling,

mountain climbing, explosives, small-unitmovements and tactics; and San ClementeIsland, Calif., where they take a final land-warfare exercise in a real-time environment.

This means graduation from BUD/S.After graduation, it’s on to Fort Benning,Ga., to learn the basics of static-line para-chuting, followed by 15 weeks of SEALQualification training (SQT) before a finalthreeweeks of Extreme Cold-WeatherSurvival.

Physical Screening Test (1)500-yard swim42 push-ups50 sit-upsSix pull-ups 1.5-mile run in combat boots.

BUD/S Indoctrination Course (5 weeks)Candidates learn what will be required of them and physically prepare for the challenges.

Physical Screening Test (2)50-meter swim Underwater knot-tying examDrown-proofing examBasic life-saving testSix-mile swim (with fins)Obstacle courseFour-mile run.

Phase One: Basic Conditioning (8 weeks)Weeks 1-3

Builds endurance levels, and teaches small boathandling and basic seamanship. Candidates also learn basic maritime operations, conduct hydrographic surveys and prepare hydrographic charts.

Week 4 - Hell WeekPhysical Screening Test (3)2,000-meter pool swim (without fins) 1.5 mile night swim across the bay (with fins) Two-mile ocean swim (with fins) Four-mile run in combat bootsObstacle course.

Weeks 5-8 Conditioning continues. Candidates also learn basic maritime operations, conduct hydro-graphic surveys and prepare hydrographic charts.

Phase Two: Diving Phase (8 weeks)Physical Screening Test (4)

Four-mile run (combat boots) Obstacle course Three ocean swims (with fins) 11 miles.

Weeks 1-8 Candidates learn combat swimmer skills and open- and closed-circuit diving techniques.

Phase Three: Land Warfare (9 Weeks)Weeks 1-6

Candidates learn land navigation, rappelling,mountain climbing, explosives and small unit movement and tactics.

Weeks 7-9Combat skills learned in first weeks are applied in a field exercise on San Clemente Island, Calif.Graduation from BUD/S.

Airborne School: Ft. Benning, Ga. (3 Weeks)Basic (static line) parachute training.

SQT-Advanced Training including: (15 Weeks)CQ DefenseCombat SwimmingCommunications courseMedical courseMaritime Operations (MAROPS)Scout/Sniper/Photo Intelligence Capture Training.

Cold Weather: Kodiak, Alaska Survival Training (3 weeks)

Air drop into coastal watersMountain trekPolar bear swimSnow survivalAwarded Trident and NEC at Special Warfare Center, Coronado, Calif.

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� Just before the sun setsa new crew of instructors come onthe job with a level of intensity thatkeeps prospective SEALs in a stateof constant exhaustion.

� Facing the waves ready tobe marched back out into the surfstudents are ordered “About Face”they turn to see all their instructors,the commanding officer and theAmerican flag. It takes a momentfor them the realize they have madeit through Hell Week.



“It was one of the roughest parts oftraining for me,” he said. “Even though wewere issued cold-weather gear, nothing keptme warm. It was just above a freezing rain,really miserable weather and everyone wassick. But, I knew there was no way I wasgoing to let it get to me after coming so far.”

Candidates must break through ice-encrusted waters, jump in without theprotection of their dry-suit, tread water forthree to four minutes, pull themselves out ofthe water, then dry their clothes and gear off.

While some might question the necessityof being inducted into this “Polar BearClub,” SEAL candidates once again silenceinner doubts and follow instructions asgiven. Even in the later phases of SQT,

candidates call upon their mental determi-nation to pull them through.

“I kept thinking of that scene in themovie ‘Armageddon,’” said a fellow SEALcandidate and boatswain’s mate 3rd class.“The rescue team going to the asteroidasked about the environment in space andas NASA engineers described it, the heroesreplied, ‘Worst possible environment imaginable, that’s all you had to tell us.’

21A U G U S T 2 0 0 4 • A L L H A N D S MIND GAMES

The frigid, mountainous environmentof Kodiak, Alaska, now is the final testingground. Similar to the extreme conditionsencountered in Afghanistan, candidatesspend three weeks surviving these near-arctic

conditions. They plunge into the coastalwaters from small boats. Bulky dry-suitsshelter them from the chill of the water asthey make their way to shore carryingeverything they need to climb cliffs, traversegorges, rappel mountain faces and sleep inthe snow.

One of the first candidates to completeCold-Weather Survival course as part of hisSQT was an aircrew survival equipment man3rd class.

Originally from Louisiana, the PR3preferred the sultry heat of the South andhad never been exposed to snow before. Hedreaded the training that included sub-merging himself in ice water and spendingseveral nights exposed to Kodiak’s extremeelements. During the experience, he foundhe and his teammates relied more on theirperseverance than their equipment.


� In the final phase of SEAL QualificationsTraining, Extreme Cold-Weather Survival candidates are dropped into the icy, coastalwaters off Kodiak, Alaska, where they stealthilymake their way toward shore while carryingeverything with them they will need to survive,manuever and operate in near-Arctic environments.

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� After swimming to shore with theirgear, Extreme Cold-Weather Survival traineeschange out of dry-suits and navigate their waythrough the surrounding woods of Kodiak, Alaska,as they make their way up to the snow-coveredmountain range several miles inland.

Mind GamesMind Games

� During Hell Week, a line that startedwith more than 100 people will drop to halfthat. The final number of graduates will beless than a third of those who began.

� During the Cumulative Skills Exercise forExtreme Cold-Weather Training, SEAL candidateteams had several objectives to accomplishand positions to reach to successfully pass thecourse. Here, one team huddles together forwarmth and to cut down on the wind as theycheck coordinates for their next target.

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23A U G U S T 2 0 0 4 • A L L H A N D S MIND GAMES22 A L L H A N D S • w w w . n e w s . n a v y . m i l

Classification code at Naval Special WarfareCenter, Coronado, Calif.

With terrorist threats on the rise aroundthe world, SEALs are needed more than ever.Yet, even with a pressing need for more suchmen, training of candidates remains astough as it has ever been.

The 24-month training process willcontinue to separate the determined candidates from the undecided.

As Navy SEALs put their lives on theline defending America, each member ofthat team must know without a doubt that

the man fighting next to him will not give inor punk out when things start to get rough.

“NO! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” hesilently screamed at the pessimistic voice asthe sea came at him again. It worked! Hefocused once again on the other SEAL candidates linked arm-in-arm with him inthe wet sand. He could hear their combinedsputterings and groans. He also heard thecrash of the surf, but the defeatist voiceinside his head was gone–at least for themoment. Someone had to ring the bell beforethe group could crawl out of the icy water,

but it wasn’t going to be him, damn it! Hegritted his chattering teeth, and prepared forthe next wave. “After all,” he told himselfsternly, “what’s a little water to a SEAL?”

Darby is a photojournalist assigned to

All Hands.

� With the sun retreating rapidly, SEALteam candidates fight against howling winds thatcut across the mountain top as they make theirway to the next destination point. Extreme Cold-Weather Survival in Kodiak, Alaska, is the finalphase of SEAL Qualifications Training.

That’s pretty much what Cold-WeatherTraining was like for me: worst possibleenvironment imaginable.”

After the completion of Cold-weatherSurvival Training, they are awarded theirtrident badge and Navy Enlisted

� Due to their cumbersome loads and theicy conditions, SEAL team candidates found theirdescent from the mountain range just as difficultas the ascent. During this final phase of SEALQualifications Training, candidates are taught howto use each piece of gear (such as skis andcramp-ons) until using it becomes second-nature,allowing them to fully focus on their mission.

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S t o r y b y J O C ( S W ) R o b e r t B e n s o n The Go-Fast Teamshey call it the “E-ticket Ride:” a 33-foot Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat(RHIB) vs. Mother Nature. Middleof the night, almost pitch black; a

pair of RHIBs race through open waters ofthe Pacific Ocean. The crew wears nightvision gear, but still find it hard to see thewaves. Each ocean swell–unpredicted–creates a ramp and sends the craft airbornefor what seems like seconds at a time. Andwhen they come down, they come downhard. The crew braces for shock, the boatshudders and a giant plume of boat washis the only mark left in the faint moonlightas the boat races forward into harm’s way.

Forty knots in the blackness, windripping across the open craft–this is dailylife for a Special Warfare Combatant-craftCrewman (SWCC), (pronounced “swick”)and these guys wouldn’t have it any otherway. “We judge boats by their speed androunds per minute,” said Engineman 1stClass (SWCC) James Martino, a memberof Special Boat Team (SBT) 12 inCoronado, Calif. He, like others at thecommand, wears a command T-shirt thatreads “God, Country, and Fast Boats.”

Who are these guys–the ones who drivethese camouflaged boats on the horizon?First guess for most would be Navy SEALS.But these Special Warfare operators are

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boat, a 24-ft. RHIB, could barely make it upthe swells before the engine would soundlike it was going to die. Then we would getto the top and become a 24-ft. surfboardcoming down the other side. We couldn’teven keep in visual contact with our othercraft.

“After getting beat up in conditions likethis for 10 hours, the only thing you wantto do is get off the boat–but you can’tbecause your knees are locked up, your

hands are frozen to the helm and your backfeels like you just got out of the ring withMike Tyson,” said Moore.

“Then you go out the next night and doit again,” he added.

Boat guys do more than just go fast.SWCC missions include unconventionalwarfare, direct action, combating terrorism,special reconnaissance, foreign internaldefense, information warfare, securityassistance, counter-drug operations,

personnel recovery and hydrographicreconnaissance. SWCC numbers hoveraround 600 personnel–less than 1 percent ofthe U.S. Navy, but they offer big dividendson a small investment. The SWCC units’proven ability to operate across the spectrumof conflict and in operations other thanwar in a controlled manner, and their abilityto provide real-time intelligence and eyeson target offers decision makers a lot ofoptions.

27THE GO FAST TEAMS

actually SWCC–aka the “boat guys.”Some recognize the difference, like the

editors at Men’s Fitness magazine. Theyrecently did a cover story on “MilitaryFitness” and went to the Navy specificallyseeking out a boat guy. They wantedsomeone from that unique communitywhich is so unknown in the Navy, yet createssuch a wake of attention when they arearound. “We need someone tough!” theeditors said. “We need someone fit, aggressive,a warfighter and someone who can deadlift 450 pounds without thinking twice.”

The guy they put on their cover, nowappearing on newsstands, is Sonar Technician(Surface) 3rd Class (SWCC) Peter Hamilton.Somehow those civilian editors knew thatSWCC had something special–a no-fearattitude, aggressiveness, and the intelligenceand skills to conduct covert operations inlittoral regions of the world.

SWCC teams conduct unconventionalspecial operations. To be exact: they drive

go-fast speedboats down narrow, windingrivers or open ocean, transporting SEALs toand from hostile situations and operatingnearly every weapon with a trigger themilitary has to offer.

And they do things that would makeJames Bond tremble at the knees. When acall comes, a boat team can form up, put a33-foot RHIB in the back of a C-17, fly half-way around the world to a hot zone, pushthe boat out of the plane into the ocean andthen jump in after it, wearing parachutes,over enemy territory, with little or no notice.

They use craft like the Mark FIVE (MKV), the RHIB and the Special OperationsCraft-Riverine (SOC-R). Way beyond anyputt-putt fishing boat you may have seengrowing up, these boats move, as noted inJane’s Fighting Ships–“MISSION: Highspeed, medium range, all weather insertion/extraction of Special Operations Forces,maritime interdiction operations, tacticalswimmer operations, intelligence collection,

operation deception, coastal patrol, andmore.”

What Jane’s doesn’tdescribe is the fact that thecrew routinely takes bone-jarring wave shocks of 10-15 g’s with peaks of 20 g’s.The pounding of the sea isso severe that seats areequipped with million-dollar shock absorbingtechnology that mitigatesthe rough ride.

“Once, we were in 15- to20-foot swells, recalledQuartermaster 1st Class(SWCC, PJ) ChristopherMoore, from SBT-12. “Our


� A wall of spray is thrown as a SWCC boatmoves at top speed around a 90 degree cornerin a small, shallow waterway in Mississippi.

� During Drills in Southern California,BM2(SWCC) Casey Cobb swims from one RHIB to another as EN2(SWCC) Henry Griffin acts as a lookout.

� One member of Special Boat Team(SBT)22 lays down cover

fire with a minigun during a practice narrow

river beach extraction.

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A U G U S T 2 0 0 4 • A L L H A N D S

29A U G U S T 2 0 0 4 • A L L H A N D S THE GO FAST TEAMS

Three SWCC communities exist; theWest Coast SWCC units are based inCoronado (SBT-12) and operate RHIBsand MK Vs. The same inventory is locatedat the East Coast SWCC (SBT-20) in LittleCreek, Va. And down south, in Stennis,Miss., SBT-22 operates the SOC-R craft.

But to get to one of these units, you mustattend SWCC basic school: a physicallygrueling indoctrination into the ways ofNaval Special Warfare, portions of whichare combined with SEAL basic training.After this 10-week “weed out the weak”phase, a required Crewman QualificationTraining (CQT) course is taken. After CQT,a Sailor earns the SWCC pin: a uniqueinsignia that is worn with your regular Navyuniform and that identifies these profes-sionals’ important place in Naval SpecialWarfare.

“You will run, swim and do more push

ups and sit-ups than you ever thoughtyour body could do,” said Moore. “SWCCschool is extremely tough. You have neverbeen challenged like this before in yourlife. It’s very demanding physically andmentally, and it’s designed to get rid ofweak individuals who aren’t focused anddriven. If you have any questions in yourhead about being there you will be packingyour bags for a new career.”

Moore also noted that the attrition rateis high–about one-third make it through.

“When it’s 3 a.m., and you’re gettingyelled at, doing a lot of push-ups, sit-upsand getting wet and sandy in the cold waterof San Diego, many Sailors ask themselves,‘Why am I doing this?’ If the answer to thequestion is, ‘I don’t know,’ you’ll quit. Forthose few guys who don’t ask themselvesthat question, or come up with an answerthat motivates them, they will move to the

next evolution.”After SWCC school, graduating students

arrive at a Special Boat Team where theybegin an 18-month pre-deployment trainingcycle starting with Professional Development(PRODEV), Core Training and SquadronInteroperability Training (SIT).

“You need to be hard to make it as aSWCC,” said Master Chief Damage Control-man (SWCC) Patrick Battles, who wentthrough the school at the age of 37. “Theattrition rate in my class was high,” he said.“We started with 47 and ended up with 16.”Battles added that those who are strongswimmers have an advantage. He agreedwith Moore that the traits required to besuccessful as a SWCC are being razor sharp–physically and mentally–which is requireddue to the extremely dangerous nature oftheir work.

“You have to be intelligent, good-hearted


� In Pacific waters off San Diego, an MK V (SOC) takes on some small swells. The medium-range, all-weather craft is manned by a crew of five and designed primarily to insert andextract special operations forces.

� The hull design of Team 22riverine boats enables them to turn extremely tight channel corners and stop on a dime without flooding the craft.Crewmen must be able to not only hold onbut also fire weapons under these violentconditions.

� Obscured by rotor wash from anSH-60 helicopter, a pair of RHIBs cruisethrough Pacific waters near San Diego.

P h o t o b y J O C ( S W ) R o b e r t B e n s o n

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31A U G U S T 2 0 0 4 • A L L H A N D S THE GO FAST TEAMS

and physically and mentally tough,” saidMoore. “It takes a unique person to do ourjob–one who can adapt to new surroundingsquickly and efficiently.”

Heavy weapons knowledge is also a toolof the trade. And Battles, like other SWCCs,have it. In “war speak” understood by aselect few, he said his “preferred weaponsposture is to mount a .50 caliber MSHBmachine gun with PEQ TWO lasers forwardon both RHIBs. We also have a .50 calibermachine gun aft, and sometimes a MK-19Mod 3 40 mm Grenade Machine gun.”

According to Battles, “It’s pretty excitingto launch 40 mm high explosive dualpurpose grenades and fire .50 caliberarmor piercing incendiary tracer rounds.”

Indeed.SWCC personnel embrace a philosophy

of dominance through superior firepower.As a petty officer in charge of a small forceof riverine specialists at Special Boat Unit22, Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class (SWCC)Thomas Wiggins knows this well.

During a typical SEAL extraction, Wigginsand his crew, along with three other SpecialOperations Craft, rush into an extractionpoint at up to 30 knots in a hailstorm ofprotective fire from a trio of M-60 machineguns aft, and a thundering .50 calibermachine gun at the bow.

To see this sight is awesome, but only ifyou’re on the shooting end. Spent roundsbounce off the metal deck, tracers piercethe darkness, dense foliage is shredded witha barrage of cover fire, ears ring, and thethumping .50 caliber drumbeat massagesinsides, as dominating, incessant firepoweris laid toward the enemy. SEALs board thecraft, a speedy exit is made and the firecontinues until they are out of sight.

An extraction of this sort is measurednot in minutes but in seconds.

While these combatant crewmenspecialize in scaring the enemy with domi-nating, ear-crushing, non-stop firepower,they also have the ability to be invisible,entering the bad guy’s backyard undetected.

Such was the situation in Iraq, when MKV Detachments combined with RHIB crewsin the dead of night and silently insertedtwo SEAL platoons onto oil platforms off

the coast of Iraq at the onset of conflict.This insertion assured that the platforms,

named Mina Al Bakr Offshore Terminaland Khawr Al Amaya Offshore Terminal,weren’t set ablaze during ensuing hostilities.

“We took both platforms down simulta-neously in the middle of the night,” saidBoatswain’s Mate 1st Class (SWCC) GaryLuna, who was the MK V boat captain onthe mission. “We inserted the platoonssilently with the RHIBs. They were totallyoverwhelmed.”

The crew that night all wore night visiondevices, and the MK Vs had a nifty toy calledMaritime Forward Looking Infrared orMARFLIR–a thermal imaging devicewhich lets wearers see up to two miles outon the horizon, day or night. This capability,

along with the boat’s incredible acceleration,stop-on-a-dime handling and maneuver-ability give them the advantage on thewater. Insert a crew of five SWCC Sailorsand some firepower, and the enemy’s gotquite a problem.

“There is always something new andexciting going on at work and in the world.Nothing about SWCC is boring or redun-dant,” said Moore. “When somethinghappens in the world, we get to be there tohelp take care of things and do what wehave trained so hard to do so well.

“Being a SWCC is personally satisfying,”added Moore. “I am very proud to be part

of a small, elite team, and push 110 percentall the time. Every day brings change and anew challenge.”

Benson is a photojournalist and the

public affairs officer for Naval Special Warfare

Group 3, San Diego.

For more information on the SWCC

program, visit www.swcc.navy.mil


� Largely hidden by four-foot surf near the beach, the crew of an 11-meter RHIBfrom SBT-12 negotiates the shallow waters of Coronado beach.

� U.S. Naval Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC)man .50 caliber machine guns on their Mark V Special Operations Craft while patroling

the waterways of Southern Iraq.

� Running a suped-up modified cigarette boat at full speed through narrowriver channels is a skill few possess. Team 22 in Stennis, Miss., specializes in it, andthey are the ones called on to deploy with SEALs in this type of environment.

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Newton’ sTesting

Law

The Navy’s New Free-fall School

S t o r y a n d p h o t o s b y P H 1 S h a n e T . M c C o y

� Waiting for his next dive, this student takes a moment to think about what he needs to do in the air.

of our SEALs qualified.”This is no small task. NSW is one

of the few sectors of the Navy currentlyincreasing its numbers. More than half of theactive SEAL platoons are forward deployednow, the most since the Vietnam War.

“The great part about this course is the

instructors. They have been around thesestudents, the industry and drop zones foryears,” Lastra added. “Their ability to trainand conduct accelerated free-fall (AFF)with these students is incredible.”

The instructors are one of the mostunique parts of training at SAO, as most

are civilians. The instructors teaching thecourse are professional skydivers withthousands of jumps each. Some are nationalchampions, and others are former SpecialForces members from the United Statesand abroad.

SAO conducts two phases of training in

35A U G U S T 2 0 0 4 • A L L H A N D S TESTING NEWTON’S LAW

The team doesn’t feel the cold or noticetheir air comes from oxygen tanks. Theirminds are on the basics–turn right, checkaltimeter, turn left, check altimeter, tracktoward the rest of the team. Freefall is shortwhen the earth is rising to meet you.

After falling 30,000 feet, ripcords arepulled and a quick rush of air is heard ascanopies deploy–then silence.

In scant moonlight the men maneuverinto formation and steer into the wind fora landing. Fifty feet above the earth, theylet their packs dangle below their feet. As

the pack hits the ground, each man is cued to flare his parachute to land as softly aspossible in the dark. The team, yards apart,quickly pulls in their chutes and digs shallowholes in which to bury their chutes andoxygen tanks.

Only a handful of people in the worldpossess the skills needed to pull off a missionlike this, and even fewer can teach these skills.

Until last year, the Army, in Yuma, Ariz.,trained Navy Special War teams to freefall.Today, the Navy has its own free-fallschool, Strategic Air Operations (SAO),

which allows more Sea, Air, Land (SEALs)and Special Warfare Combatant-craftCrewmen (SWCC) to free-fall qualify thanever before.

“At one time in a given platoon, out of15 guys, you might have had two to fourfree-fall qualified,” said Master ChiefBoatswain’s Mate (SEAL) Lu Lastra, theschool’s senior enlisted advisor. “The numberof billets we were getting at the jump schoolin Yuma were just not enough to satisfyour current mission requirements for theSEAL teams. We plan on getting 100 percent


At 2 a.m., 35,000 feet above the earth, a U.S. Navy Special Warfare

(NSW) team pours out of an aircraft into the icy night. At this altitude,

no one on the ground is aware that a small team of men and their

equipment are falling through the darkness at more than 120 mph.

� You hear the planes long before youcan see them in the bright California sky. Oncethe plane is spotted, picking out a tiny free-falleris even more difficult.

� A student uses the door to the trainingarea to practice body placement when leavingthe plane.

� Prior to a jump, the instructors have students go over each movement they willperform in the air.

� When falling, positive pressure must bekept on the legs at all times. While practicingturns, instructors hold the feet of students tomake sure they are exerting enough pressurethe entire time.


the desert just outside of San Diego. Thestatic line school teaches the basics ofjumping and landing. SAO condenses theArmy’s 21-day course into four days. “Weteach it in less time, because we [only] teachstatic-line parachuting,” said Alan Fink,owner of SAO. “We also don’t get into thephysical fitness programs here, because thestudents have already done it.”

Static line school is the prerequisite tofree-fall. When making a static line jump,the student’s ripcord is pulled by a lineattached to the parachute upon exiting theaircraft. According to Fink, “If a person isnot able to make the static line jumps,there is no room for them in the moreintense free-fall school.”

Upon progressing to free-fall school,students enter a whole new world. “It feelsmore like flying than falling,” claimed one

of the students.“During static line school, time outside

of the plane is spent under the canopy,steering toward the landing zone,” saidFink. “In free fall if your knees bend toomuch, you are flying backward, too straightand you’re flying away from your team.”

“It’s very fast paced,” said a member ofSEAL Team 8. “The first jump, I was sofocused on procedures I didn’t see or hearanything. Each jump after that as my circleof awareness expanded, I was able to seemore as things slowed down.”

The key, say instructors, is for the studentto look where they want to go before theystart to turn, focus on their goal, relax andbe sure to arch. After a jump, many of thestudents could not recall what had happenedother than, “Something went wrong.” Thisis where new technology helps out.


� A photo of the drop zone is on theroof of the jump planes, to point out where the

jump will be made based on winds.

� � Students pack their own chutesafter every jump. They are closely watched andassisted by professional riggers.

� Instructor Marc Volpe provides somelast minute instructions to his team before thenext jump test.

� You can always find a student somewhere practicing a good arch.


Every instructor skydives with a digitalvideo camera mounted on his helmet torecord each jump. Following the jump, astudent reviews the video to see exactlywhat was right and wrong. “I didn’t knowwhat my legs were doing,” claimed a student.“Later, I saw them all over the place in thevideo; I had been focusing on my upperbody.”

After seeing their mistakes, studentshave a chance to correct them before beingtested. Every student has three chances topass each phase of the school. If they can’t

get it right by the third try, they are droppedand may repeat the course again.

“I failed the course the first time I wentthrough because of bad exits during ourrucksack (ruck) test,” said a member ofSpecial Boat Team 20. “Luckily, I was ableto get back here again and this time I passed,because I was more relaxed.”

Jumping with a ruck attached is just thebeginning of the special instruction militaryfree-fall school teaches. Next, the studentsjump with ruck and weapons. Then, withruck, weapons and oxygen, and finally atnight with all of their equipment.

“To go from zero jumps to jumping atnight with all that equipment, and landingin a group in 21 jumps, that takes somedoing and is unheard of in the civilianworld,” said Andy Peckett, head instructorand a former member of the British military.“But this program is working here. Theproof is in the puddin’.”

Although SAO is tough and demandsmuch of its students, the students enjoyevery minute of it.

“It’s a rush,” said one of the Special Boat Team members. “100 percent pureadrenaline.”

The instructors at SAO agree. For them, the best way to return to earth issurrounded by air not metal. When theyhear a person claim they could never jumpfrom a “perfectly good airplane” they simplyreply, “Ah, that’s where you’re wrong. Thereis no such thing …”

McCoy is a photojournalist

assigned to All Hands.

� Strategic Air Operations maintainsequipment for 50 students. Students each have a number on their chute; the numberdetermines which jump they will be on.

� Body placement is the key to a goodexit from the plane. Instructors not only don'tteach this move, they're not sure how he got hislegs spread that far.

� Strategic Air Operations uses civilianplanes that are able to take off and land on a

small runway. While the planes hold fewerjumpers than a C-130, they can make more runs,

are quicker and are owned by the school.

� In heavy winds it is important to get thecanopy in quickly before you are dragged.

�� Each instructor (blue and goldchute) is assigned five students. The chutes ofeach team are color-coded so instructors caneasily find their group in the air.

A L L H A N D S • w w w . n e w s . n a v y . m i l38

Website Exclusive

Find more photos online at

www.news.navy.mil/media/allhands/flash

/ah200407/feature_2/ [[wwiillll uuppddaattee lliinnkk]]

The TeamSEAL

Support:41A U G U S T 2 0 0 4 • A L L H A N D S40 A L L H A N D S • w w w . n e w s . n a v y . m i l

SEAL Support:

S t o r y a n d p h o t o s b y P H 3 A n t o i n e T h e m i s t o c l e o u s

� GM3 Andre Matsevilo reassembles a weapon.LOGSU ordnance personnel know just as much aboutthe weapons as SEALs so if there is a problem, they canrepair or replace it.

� SK2 Freddick Brown searches for aspecific uniform item in the warehouse wheresupply carries more than 1,000 different lineitems. The total inventory value is well over $10 million.

43A U G U S T 2 0 0 4 • A L L H A N D S SEAL SUPPORT: THE TEAM42 A L L H A N D S • w w w . n e w s . n a v y . m i l

LOGSU’s eight departments providecommunicators, Seabees, engineers, para-chute riggers, supply personnel, medical staff,divers and ordnancemen in support of SEALTeams 2, 4, 8 and 10–the Navy’s SpecialWarfare East Coast teams. LOGSU SanDiego supports SEAL teams 1, 3, 5 and 7.Although they don’t complete the arduousSEAL training courses, their support andexpertise are critical to a successful mission.

LOGSU’s Seabees make sure SEALshave a place to stay in the field. Thanks tothe transportation and construction capabilities of the Seabee teams, mobilequarters offer SPECWAR teams the flexibilityto take their stealth and their talents to anyof the world’s environments.

Not only do the Seabees build a camp,they also climate control it–a seemingluxury–but a necessary environment forthe technical communication aspect ofa field tactical center the teams pack withthem. A second benefit this environment

offers is the ability to recuperate and re-supply if the mission requires it. Aprotected environment close to the missionarea and a hot meal prepared by a culinaryspecialist mean a SEAL can be sharper, staylonger and be more effective.

“We make sure that we have planningfacilities, and that they can go in and takethe time to plan their missions, and get outthere and complete them,” said ChiefStorekeeper (SW) James Patterson. “Andgym facilities. Those guys need to continuewith their physical fitness when they areout there for a long period of time–liketwo or three months. We feel that we arereally impacting their mission by providingthem the best facilities possible.”

Operating in hostile, unfamiliar terrain,often under cover of darkness, a SEAL teamrelies on its ability to communicate quickly.Their mobile communication detachmentis there to make sure that happens. A SEALteam is blind without good “comms,” andwhether securing a remote communicationsstation or rescuing a downed pilot, they relyheavily on a wide array of radios, satellitelinks and computers to keep them connectedwith each other and the outside world.

“If you can’t communicate, you can’toperate,” said Electronics Technician 2ndClass (SW) Michael Shaw.

Shaw, who served previously on carrierduty, said the demands of a SEAL teammeans he has to be the expert in his field.

a SEAL must bring

his entire focus to the mission before him. He thinks.

He moves. His equipment responds. When free-falling

from 15,000 feet, he doesn’t have time think about

who packed his parachute. When underwater, he

can’t wonder if his equipment will allow him to

breathe or not. While he concentrates on the mission,

a separate team of mission specialists has his back.

For Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Groups in the Little

Creek, Va., area, those specialists are called Logistics

Support Units (LOGSU). LOGSU staff are the team-

mates SEALs can’t leave home without.

� LOGSY provides the SEALs with theiressential gear. Here, approximately 160 static-lineparachutes are packed just for one SEAL team.

� PR1(AW) Brian Munos rigs a free-fallparachute and ensures that it’s packed correctly.

“It’s important to have the gear they might need ready, fully capable and fully loaded

out for them to do whatever they have to do,”said Munos.

To be successful,


“To work alone at LOGSU as a communi-cator, you have to pull from within yourselfand meet the needs of your platoon,” saidShaw. “Unlike in the carrier, where it’s moreof a team effort, you are pretty much aloneor with one other person. A lot of times,there aren’t two people. It’s just you, andyou are solely responsible for that platoon.You have to know your material before yougo out the door.”

For SEALs, air operations adds the “air”capability to their Sea, Air, Land name, Airops makes sure SEALs can have absolutefaith in their parachute. Aircrew SurvivalEquipmentman 1st Class (AW/FPG) BrianMunos and the other nine parachuteriggers who work with him understand theimportance of their job. The lives of theirteammates are literally in their hands asthey pack chutes.

“All the riggers here know our role is

crucial,” said Munos. “The SEALs have a jobto do, and that is to accomplish any missionplaced in front of them. It’s important tohave the gear they might need ready, fullycapable and fully loaded out for them todo whatever they have to do.”

Like the air operations team, the underwater diving department shares similarresponsibilities for life support equipment–just in a different environment.

Supporting six platoons–each platoonloaded with 18 sets of diving rigs, diveteam members have their work cut out forthem. The equipment includes sets ofscuba gear with high-pressure compressors,oxygen-charging stations and low-pressurecompressors for running oxygen-chargingpumps. That the complex equipment hasto work in extreme conditions and “underpressure” describes not only the submergedenvironment for the SEALS and the

equipment, but also the need for the supporttechs to flawlessly prep, maintain and repairthis equipment.

“We take care of anything to do withdiving for all the SEAL teams,” said Hull Maintenance Technician 1st Class(DV) Michael Bailey, the diving departmentleading petty officer.

Like every other LOGSU support

department, Bailey and his team are res-ponsible for packing all the gear the SEALsneed. More than 100 pallets of gear aredeployed with a single team.

While radios, weapons, diving equipmentand their parachutes are packed and checkedby their respective support departments, aSEAL team’s bag can’t be packed withoutthe coordination of the supply department.

“Without the supply department, theship doesn’t get under way, especially forNSW. We are the essential issue point forall their gear,” explained LT Frank Johnson,the LOGSU stores officer.

Johnson and his supply staff run thewarehouse, purchase gear and keep tabs onmore than 1,000 line items as they are receivedand issued to the SEAL teams, LOGSU and

SPECWAR detachments overseas.Although the supply department still

performs the regular supply duties offurnishing pens and staples for administra-tion, Johnson said a key part of his team’sduties have to do with uniform issue. Asmight be guessed, uniform requirementsfor these warriors are somewhat morespecialized than those Sailors who receive a

� GM2(DV) Sam Burgette and HT1(DV) Michael Baileyprepare all of the diving equipment for a SEAL platoon. “We take care of anything to do with diving for all the SEAL teams on the East Coast,” saidBailey.

� EN2 Bernard Smith tests boat engines by running them for at leastsix hours in the water.


standard sea bag. Consider ship-boarding gear, winter warfare gear,mountaineering gear and numerous others.Johnson said all those items are speciallypurchased and secured before being issuedto SEAL operators.

The specialized nature of equipping theSEAL Teams’ warriors makes supply dutiesa challenge, according to Storekeeper 2ndClass Freddick Brown.

“The hardest thing about my job is

dealing with all the different equipment wehave,” said Brown. “Depending on wherethese guys have to go and what their missionis, they need a lot of things, and it is myjob to make sure that they have everythingthey need.”

If there’s an ongoing theme between theLOGSU departments, it is customer service.The engineering staff feels a keen customerservice responsibility. Ordinarily, a shop thatis responsible for small craft maintenanceand repair wouldn’t deal much with customerservice. Their focus would be on theequipment and how to troubleshoot and

repair boats or engines. With the SEAL team,however, these techs feel much closer totheir customers.

“I know that every time they go out,they are carrying my boat with them,” saidMachinist’s Mate 1st Class (AW) JosephMoore, “and I do my job to fix the boats sothey can go out and do their jobs.”

It’s engineering’s job to make sure allthe boats and their engines stay in workingorder. With an inventory of about 200 ofeach type of engine, they are constantly ina test and repair mode, verifying that eachunit works before it goes back to the field.

Once the engines are returned to theSEALs, the teams themselves care for andmaintain them. For serious problems,the teams will send the engines back toengineering for repair.

When it comes to weapons, the ordnancespecialists do business the same way. “Oncethe weapons are issued, it becomes theSEALs’ responsibility to take care of them,”said Gunner’s Mate 1st Class Demp Harper.“They are as thoroughly trained on thoseweapons as we are, so they know how totake care of them. They will come to uswhen they need to, and if we can’t fix the

problem, we will simply replace theweapon and send the other one out.”

Even after SEALs receive everythingthey need to accomplish a mission,they depend on medical personnel to stayoperational. Even though a SEAL corpsmandeploys with every squadron, LOGSU’smedical department provides additionalsupport, such as rehabilitation clinics forany injured SEALs.

“[Knowing] that our population isconsiderably healthier, we can rehab thema lot quicker,” said Hospital Corpsman 2ndClass Anderson Strickland, LOGSU’s physical therapy technician. Strickland,who sees about 30 patients a day, also said that SEALs are more motivated to getbetter and get back out there, and thatmotivation helps his patients complete therehabilitation process.

In the end, LOGSU doesn’t work for theSEALs; they work with them. They share acommon attitude of being ready to dowhatever it takes to accomplish the mission.The SEAL depends on his training andequipment to complete the mission and tocome home alive. SEALs know and appre-ciate what the men and women at LOGSU

do to ensure they get the best toolspossible to get the job done.

“I didn’t think of them much before Icame here,” said Harper, who recalled workingwith SEALs during a tour aboard the aircraftcarrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75).

“We had some SEALs that came on,and they would disappear, and we just knewthey were taking care of business, so Ialways thought they were outstanding–thebest part of the Navy.”

Harper now has a deeper insight intowhat being a member of the Special Warfarecommunity means.

“Now I see exactly how much sacrificethey have to make,” he said, “because theycome back from deployment and have togo right back out. I think they are evenmore outstanding and sacrificial than anyother aspect of the Navy. They don’t get tospend much time with their families. Andthey’re all volunteers, so basically they putthe Navy first all the time.”

Themistocleous is a photojournalist who is

assigned to All Hands.

� IT1(SW) D'Juna Hoffman providestactical communications support to theSEAL teams.

� HM2 Anderson Strickland, a physical therapy technician, helps an injured SEAL so he canrejoin his team in the field as soon as possible. Strickland sees about 30 patients a day.

49A U G U S T 2 0 0 4 • A L L H A N D SA L L H A N D S • w w w . n e w s . n a v y . m i l48

Focus onService

Fame can be a funny thing. Some people relish in it; some

people struggle with it. And some others, like Navy Special

Warfare Sailors, would rather not deal with it at all.

As part of the Navy’s elite combat team, SEAL and SWCC members

are used to both receiving and deflecting attention. Collectively,

SEAL and SWCC teams represent the most famous unit in the Navy,

a group immortalized time-and-time again in movies, books and,

most recently, video games.

In recent years, ex-SEALs like “Survivor” contestant Rudy

Boesch,pro wrestler-politician Jesse Ventura and author Richard

Marcinko have become household names, reminding people about

their service along the way.

But even with all that exposure, Special Warfare is largely a

gathering of unknowns–nameless, faceless Sailors performing

any number of unspecified, treacherous jobs around the world.

Right now, they may be storming a beach somewhere in the

eastern world. They could be jostling into position to invade an

enemy compound deep within a South American jungle. They

could be everywhere, working to defeat enemies under a blanket

of mystery.

But no matter the situation, people should not waste their time

trying to read about their operations in the morning paper–a

write-up about it will not be there.

Secrecy is a virtue in the Special Warfare community. They cling

to it and defend it as if their life depended on it. And many times

it does.

So Americans shouldn’t expect to see their SEALs and SWCC

members in a television interview hyping their role in a top-secret

mission. They won’t be heard on the radio, either.

Chances are, they will never be heard. For them, it’s all part of

being part of Special Warfare.

Fame has never been so enigmatic.

Ludwig is a photojournalist assigned to All Hands.

The

SecretServiceNavy’s

S t o r y b y J O 2 C h a r l e s L . L u d w i g , p h o t o b y J O 1 M o n i c a D a r b y

Eye on the Fleet is a monthly photo feature sponsored by the Chief of Information

Navy Visual News Service. We are looking for high impact, quality photography

from Sailors in the fleet to showcase the American Sailor in action.

51

Eye on the Fleet

A L L H A N D S • w w w . n e w s . n a v y . m i l

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES� San Diego-based U.S. Navy Special

Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen(SWCC) and SEALs (Sea, Air and Land)train members of the Philippine Armed

Forces (AFP) aboard a rigid hull inflatableboat off the coast of Zamboanga.

P h o t o b y P H 2 A n d r e w M e y e r s

50

To be considered, forward your high resolution (5"x 7" at 300 dpi) images with full credit and cutline

information, including full name, rank and duty station. Name all identifiable people within the photo and

include important information about what is happening, where the photo was taken and the date.

Commands with digital photo capability can send attached .jpg files to: [email protected]

Mail your submissions to:

Navy Visual News Service

1200 Navy Pentagon, Rm. 4B 514, Washington, D.C. 20350-1200

For a new Eye on the Fleet every day, click on the Navy NewsStand’s home page,

www.news.navy.mil, for fresh images of your shipmates in action.

EASTERN AFGHANISTAN� A Navy SEAL (Sea, Air and Land) observes munitions being destroyed. The SEALs discovered themunitions while conducting a Sensitive Site Exploitation (SSE) mission in Eastern Afghanistan.

P h o t o b y P H 1 T i m T u r n e r

GUAM� During certification training, members ofExplosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit(EODMU) 5 and Naval Special Warfare Unit(NSWU) 1 perform a freefall jump from aU.S. Air Force C-130 over Andersen Air ForceBase, Yigo, Guam.

P h o t o b y P H 2 M a r j o r i e M c N a m e e

CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY� A member of a Naval Special Warfare team conducts asimulated medical evaluation procedure using a horse collardevice from an SH-60Seahawk helicopter. The procedureenables injured Naval Special Warfare team members to betransported to medical facilities in a timely matter.

P h o t o b y H 1 A r l o K . A b r a h a m s o n

USA� The guided-missile cruise USS Lake Erie

(CG 70) makes her way down the WillametteRiver enroute to Portland, Ore., for the 97th Annual Rose Festival.

P h o t o b y P H 1 M i c h a e l L a r s o n

Eye on the Fleet

COLOMBIA� U.S. Navy SEALs conduct sustainment training whiledeployed to Colombia. Thistraining keeps the unit’s skillssharp and combat ready in theevent they are called upon fortactical support.

P h o t o b y P H 1 ( A W ) M i c h a e l P e n d e r g r a s s

J U L Y 2 0 0 4 • A L L H A N D SA L L H A N D S • w w w . n e w s . n a v y . m i l52

IRAQ� A U.S. Naval Special

Warfare Combatant-craftCrewman (SWCC) sits beside

his .50 caliber machine gunmounted on the back of aSpecial Operations Craft -

Riverine as it transits throughIraq’s southern waterways.

P h o t o b y P H 1 A r l o A b r a h a m s o n

AFGHANISTAN� Naval Special Warfare

team members conduct operations 24/7

U . S . N a v y P h o t o

IRAQ� Naval Special Warfare team membersconduct a training operation.


CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY� Naval Special Warfare teammembers conduct a fast ropeinsertion training exercise froman HH-60H Seahawk helicopter.


A U G U S T 2 0 0 4 • A L L H A N D S 53

Eye on HistoryEye on History is a monthly photo feature sponsored by the Naval Historical Center.

For more photos pertaining to naval history, go to www.history.navy.mil .

U.S. Navy Photos Courtesy of

the Naval Historical Center

J U L Y 2 0 0 4 • A L L H A N D S

Viet Nam �Members of a U.S. Vavy SEAL Team deployed to

the Republic of Viet Nam relax after a tough day inthe field.

1945 �An underwater demolition team member aboard

USS Schmitt (APD 76) prepares demolition chargesfor the invasion of Borneo.

Mid-to-late 1950s �Underwater Demolition Team

members, diving Draeger LtLungII, used a closed-circuit,

pure oxygen rebreather in the’50s.

1962 �President John F. Kennedyinspects members of the

newly- formed SEAL Team 2 atNAB, Little Creek, Va. Navy

Frogman BM1 Louis Kucnski(right) wears an MK V Semi-

Closed Circuit UnderwaterBreathing Apparatus.

J U L Y 2 0 0 4 • A L L H A N D S 55J U L Y 2 0 0 4 • A L L H A N D S54 A L L H A N D S • w w w . n e w s . n a v y . m i l

� 1943Office of Strategic Services MaritimeUnit (OSS-MU) operator wearing theLambertsen Amphibious RespiratoryUnit (LARU) during training. OSS-MUmen were the nation’s first combatswimmers. Navy UnderwaterDemolition Team adopted their div-ing tactics and equipment during thepost-war period.

A L L H A N D S • w w w . n e w s . n a v y . m i l56

The Final Word

Go Ahead, Make My CareerS t o r y b y J 0 2 C h a r l e s L . L u d w i g

After some careful consideration, I have decided it’s time to

pursue an alternate form of employment. For me, writing

is no longer enough.

It’s not that I detest my current job as an All Hands photojour-

nalist and commentary writer. I’m actually quite happy in my work.

But while I was reading through the stories that ran in this

month’s magazine, a revelation smacked me dead in the face.

I want to be a SEAL. I need to be a SEAL.

Why, you ask? Between the chance to

blow up stuff underwater, jump out

of airplanes and work with the most

technologically advanced weaponry in

the world today, SEALs undoubtedly

have the most exhilarating job this side

of Evel Knievel. That’s why we’re all

reading this issue.

The job comes with some serious perks,

too. Besides the routine respect and

admiration SEALs receive, I would get

to wear a snazzy warfare device known

the world over. I’d receive extra pay and

benefits, along with the chance of

working alongside Charlie Sheen (Oh,

wait. I’m being told that’s just a movie).

Well, either way I’m ready. Bring it on.

Despite my enthusiasm, I have

encountered a few roadblocks along my

new career path.

First is my athletic ability or lack thereof, not to mention the

doughy ball around my middle. Apparently, the SEALs look down

on that kind of thing. (Who knew?) Exercise is always an option,

but have you seen the kind of stuff those guys do to stay in shape?

I have.

On the few occasions we had a SEAL aboard USS Nassau (LHA

4), the gym would fill up with guys wanting to see what a real

workout looked like. It looks like this: weightlifting, running, more

weightlifting, sit-ups, running, maybe some more weightlifting.

We thought it would never end.

Well, I can’t do that. Maybe they have some kind of workout

that involves staring at a computer monitor and clicking a mouse.

That’s a little more up my alley.

Jumping out of airplanes could also be a problem at times. I

can easily jump when the plane is motionless and on the ground.

From what I hear, though, the SEALs enjoy leaping out when the

plane is thousands of feet up.

That kind of free-fall takes some guts; something my doughy

section seems to lack.

Well, I can still try to dive, right?

No, not really. For me, sinking to the

bottom and never coming up is a

distinct possibility. That trait doesn’t

mesh with the kind of long-distance

underwater dives a SEAL excels in.

So, to sum it up: Intense exercise?

Not for me. Jumping out of planes?

Not a chance. Deep sea diving? In the

words of the immortal American icon,

Tony Soprano, “fuhgettaboutit.”

Now that I’ve looked at it scientifically,

I can honestly say, “What the heck am

I thinking?” SEALs? I would be a horrible

SEAL. Everyone knows that.

But in boot camp, everyone wanted

to be a SEAL. I did, and you probably

did, too. As I traveled down my own

Navy path though, I realized it takes a

special breed to be a SEAL. For that, a guy must possess a passionate

resolve to fight for his country and a focused determination that

won’t allow him to quit, even in the absolute worst of situations.

I’m not that type. Most people aren’t. But, luckily for the rest of

us, the Navy has managed to find a few.

So I’m going to leave the special warfare to the most special of

Sailors. But in the meantime, I’ll work on creating my own snazzy

warfare pin.

Ludwig is a photojournalist assigned to All Hands.