Josiah's personal update thread.

J-siah

J-siah

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Jan 28, 2008
Messages
1,876
Well as some of you already know I am shipping out for the Navy on the 23rd of this month. I am currently on the Navy's "SEAL challenge" program, I took my last physical fitness test last week and got all elevated scores. I feel that I am as ready as I can be, fully understanding that I can never be ready for BUD/s. I have spent the last 6mo prep'ing and getting council from people who have been there, and I have every aspiration of earning my Trident.

I thought it would be a good idea to have an update thread. the purpose of this thread is to keep anyone interested with my status informed. I also think it will be interesting to read back on it when I finish. I would request that there not be a lot of mindless banter in this thread, feel free to post but stay on topic please. I would be a little frustrated if this thread turned into 20 pages of mindless posts.

Update: right now I am tying off loose ends getting ready to ship on April 23rd. I have taken my last PFT and am shipping as a SEAL candidate. I will first go to Great lakes naval base for RTC for nine weeks. from there I go to Pre-BUD/s which is a 4week school designed to get you in shape for BUD/s. next I go to Coronado Ca, for BUD/s which is a 7mo school that is the backbone of the Navy SEAL program. then there is a list of other schools that I will have to attend, and will all total about 2yrs. this is what I have wanted to do for the better part of of my life and am really looking forward to it. I under stand that it will be incredibly hard however I think it will also be a great deal of fun.

My next up date should be the 22nd just be for I leave for MEPs to ship.


-Josiah
 
Good luck to you, Josiah. A big part of this is mental. Keep your mind focused beyond the physical.

--nathan
 
I have heard that if you can tolerate being cold and wet for long periods, you have a good chance. Good luck!
 
Good luck bro-when all else fails concentrate on your breathing-one breath at a time-marekz
 
J-siah said:
I would request that there not be a lot of mindless banter in this thread, feel free to post but stay on topic please. I would be a little frustrated if this thread turned into 20 pages of mindless posts.

-Josiah
Click to expand...

Well I'll say good luck! and be safe.

But I also have to say - Happy Birthday! old man.---- :D
 
Good luck! I hope you do well and make us proud. Them pirates better look out!;)
 
thanks every one. I am really looking forward to most of it ;)



bigal2me said:
Well I'll say good luck! and be safe.

But I also have to say - Happy Birthday! old man.---- :D
Click to expand...


I knew someone would notice, I got a happy birthday from jerzee devil before my own parents :D .

-Josiah
 
Some tips (not from a SEAL but someone who chased a different path).

You'll never be ready enough especially the mental part. You'll find that most elite units aren't made of supermen, they're made of men that refuse to fail, they're stronger mentally than they'll ever be physically. A buddy of mine broke his ankle during Swamp phase at Ranger school, his Ranger buddy loaded all his squad gear into his own ruck and humped both their loads for a week. That's a man that's not going to let his teammate fail.

Don't be a !@#$!@#$ whiner, noone wants to hear it, you're not any more tired, cold or sandy than anyone else.

Bring solutions not problems.

Remind yourself it's a game, they're playing well thought out games that weed out people lacking in SEAL traits. What are those traits? Main one is stubborness, the other one is attention to detail. The rest you'll learn if you have in any measure.

They say the Devil is in the details, to combat troops that's where life and death live. Details matter. If they say turn left it matters, if they say start with your right foot with your tongue stuck out the left side of your mouth it matters. When you're tired you have to know that you have to pay more attention when you're tired.

There's a lot of luck involved avoiding injuries, but it's like my football coach said, are you hurt or injured? You can play hurt. Mentally a little pain can become a huge thing in your mind to give yourself an easy out. Make the instructors pull you out, don't go to them. They're monitoring you pretty closely for injuries.

Lastly remember this. There's a reason elite units do things like extended (and I mean extended) ruck marches as part of selection. It's really easy at 0dark30 with a big green tick on your back to quit, just sit down and take a break, most people never get up from those breaks. Winners hump the ruck when mortals take a break. Just one more step, one more mile, one more day, one more week, that's how you'll succeed.

Best of luck to you, let me know when you get to the teams and come to Jump School, I'll buy you a wellll, I'll buy you whatever is legal for you. :)

Best of luck to you.
 
Joshia, I done 8 months at Sierra Army Depot in Herilong California, basically a security job for 6 months with the 1/75th Ranger Batt. We would P.T around 4 in the morning so it wouldnt be so rough when the sun came out. One morning we saw a 12 man Seal team start running around the time we started, well 6 miles later we return to the Barricks and no sign of the Seals. We had formation for lunch around 12:00 that day and as we are standing in formation we see the team return still running. Now Im not sure what they where doing but they had been out since 4 that morning, still in Pt uniforms, Thats Bad Ass Brother, If you ever get to the point you want to quit just put your mind somewhere else but dont forget what your doing!!! Hang in there, remember you only have to do it once and for the rest of your life you will be a Navy Seal, I wish you the best of luck, Charlie
 
Good luck. I never tried that but as an Marine and a ex crab fisherman it is all about mental endurance. If you are in shape physically your mind is the key. Ignore the misery. Only let the cold and wet effect the outside layer. Like mentioned above it is a well thought out mental game. You can sleep and rest all you want after it is all over. A trap is getting you to think that something will be over when you reach some point and then when you reach it, it is just a way point with more effort needed. Don't think about it just keep putting out. Other men have done it and so can you. I really do wish you the very best.
 
Congrats for being a candidate. Make friends who are just determined. They will keep you going when you want to stop, and always keep them motivated too.
 
If you rely on others to motivate you you'll never finish elite schools. The more elite the goal the more lonely you'll be at the finish. I've seen people go "oh !@$!@## Bobby Wayne failed and he was the best _______ in our class," and they give up. There's very little of the rah rah stuff in the elite military schools. It's mainly "do this, do your best" and they wander off to watch you. I think Ranger school is probably the most rah rah of the Army Elite programs but that's mainly because it's not really a small unit program like SEALs, SF or other units.
 
LOL good stuff, and good luck! Just remember every thing that they make you do, they do for a reason, not for punishment. Words cant hurt you so no matter how much they yell, bitch, moan or insult you there is a reason. you may not understand it at the time but you will if you finish
 
Update: right now I am at the Hotel, with all the other DEPers and SHIPers. Tomorrow we will be leaving for MEPs at 0500 hundred, I will be swearing in at 1000 hundred and I will be on the bus at noon. this will be my only up date for a while, probably at least 5 weeks. wish me luck guys.

-Josiah
 
Thanks for your service and best of luck in your endeavors.
 
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