May 20, 2012

Dealing with Bombs under Water

Second phase instructors keep a close eye on B...
Image via Wikipedia

US Navy SEALS, the US Navy’s principle Special Operations group recruits 18-28 year old male candidates holding US citizenship. Should be a high school graduate or equivalent and should be proficient in reading writing, understanding and speaking English with a minimum ASVAB scores of 165 or 220 (depending upon the sub tests taken into consideration) and the candidate should pass the SEAL Physical Screening Test (PST) . Upon satisfying all these requirements, the candidate will be eligible to undergo BUD/S.
The SEAL training is very rigorous with a drop out rate of around 70- 90 percent. The candidate goes through a at least a year of formal training environments before getting enlisted
Basic Underwater Demolition / SEAL training (BUD/S), a 6 month course at Naval Special Warfare Training Center, Coronado. It starts as a Indoctrination and pre training classes for the first 5 weeks which then paves way for the 3 phases of BUD/S. Out of which the first phase , 8 week Basic Conditioning which includes the ‘Hell Week’ encountered midway of the 1st phase and considered the toughest where the candidate will be tested to his limits. Hell week tests the candidates of the physical endurance, their mental tenacity and team work. More than 65 percent of the candidates quit at this time. The remaining will move to the 2nd phase which includes 8 weeks of diving lessons and then the 3rd phase where the candidates are trained in land warfare for 9 weeks. Then they undergo basic parachute training for 3 weeks. In the end the candidates go through 8 weeks of SEAL qualification training which includes aspects like mission planning, operations, tactics, techniques and procedures. Once upon successful completion of all these programs, they are considered as SEALs authorizing them to wear the SEAL insignia over their uniform.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Special force’s Adrenaline Filled Job

IN MEMORY OF A DEAD CHE
Image by infomatique via Flickr

Special Forces are military or paramilitary units, highly trained for specialized discreet operations like Reconnaissance, Search and Destroy Operations, Guerrilla war-fare, Counter terrorism, Direct action, High profile Hostage situations and Direct actions. They operate in small groups, independently or in support of conventional military units on the field. Their operations are all based on principles of Stealth, tight team work and Speed. They are self sufficient high value assets of the country’s Military and are of high prominence.
They are highly trained both in close quarters combat and ranged combat equipped with modern weapons, armaments and equipment’s. Using suitable conventional as well as non conventional means of transport to achieve the objectives in hand they get the most impossible of the jobs done. They usually make use of Helicopters, small boats, Parachuting or submarines to infiltrate into the combat zone or beyond the enemy lines. They are regarded as force multipliers as a team of around 12 commandos can train and lead a group of 100-200 indigenous guerrilla fighters against the enemy armed forces.
Special Forces were extensively used in World War II by both the allies and the axes powers, they also played a very important role during Operation Desert-Storm and Enduring Freedom. Special Forces were used to search and destroy Iraqi SCUD’s and to sabotage enemy communication lines. Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was formed in the United States for the purpose of gathering intelligence as well as conducting Special Ops. Rangers division was formed later in 1942. Special Forces were used in the modern times in Kosovo and Afghanistan, to train and lead the local guerrillas and also to co ordinate the air strikes on the hostiles. Special Forces have played a very important role in both wartime and peacetime ops. They were used during the Indo-Pak war in 1971, Gulf war, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Bosnia, Iranian and the Japanese embassy Hostage Crisis.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Organizations Within the Department of the Navy

Unconventional warfare (United States Departme...
Image via Wikipedia

If you would like to work with the Navy, you do not actually have to be a part of the US Navy proper – though being a sailor doesn’t hurt. The Department of the Navy (DON) employs over 180,000 civilian workers in their respective organizations, and even as a civilian you can offer your services and skills to supporting America’s military. Because these are jobs with the DON, having Navy experience can’t hurt your job chances, but what’s important is that you have skills and ambition to bring to the table, and a patriotic attitude as you serve your nation’s primary defensive organization.

If you choose to start seeking a job with the DON, you immediately have dozens of options wherein you can being to find a job that fits you best. You can join in at the Office of Naval Research if you’re a student looking for real world application for the skills you’ve earned during your college experience, or if you’re interested in the filed of military intelligence, the Office of Naval Intelligence offers hundreds of jobs in a wide variety of intelligence-based fields. You would be stationed at the National Maritime Intelligence Center, which is also home to the Marine Corps Intelligence Activity and Naval Warfare Information Activity.

Or if coordination and administration are on your list of skills, you can work Bureau of Naval Personnel, which pick the right people for the right jobs and handle the Navy’s more complex human resources. There is also the Navy Secretariat and Staff, if you are looking for a job in an office. The Navy needs administration, too. There are also opportunities with the Navy’s Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, if you are civilian with experience in the fields of health and wellness. The Navy needs people who care and can treat the suffering and wounded, and with the military, the two sometimes go hand-in-hand.

Ultimately, sailor or not, the Navy is always looking for people to serve.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Why Should You Choose the Navy?

Joint color guard showing the organizational c...
Image via Wikipedia

In the years of warfare’s past, having a powerful navy often determined the course of a war’s outcome. With defense, having versatility of deployment can make the difference between a victory and a defeat, or in more concrete terms – lives saved and lives lost. Among other reasons, people choose the navy strictly because of its versatility. You can get anywhere in the world, sometimes in a matter of hours. And if the navy is there, close to follow is the air force and other branches of the US Military, some of whom rely on the navy for timely deployment.

Choosing a career with the US Navy puts you at the center of the action, and with the training you receive over the course of your service, you will also gain employable skill that will bring you far in the world outside of the military. Many doctors, engineers, statisticians, and other technical specialists have began their careers working with the navy, and some even remain in the service because they have found their abilities indispensable.

The key word here is service. Service to your nation, your friends, and yourself. Life after high-school, or even after college, can be tough. Joining the navy, or any branch of the military service, gives you a place where you can directly apply your skills and discover or hone new ones. Additionally, becoming a part of the US Navy also offers you a wide array of benefits, from college or technical school tuition assistance, reliable pay grades, military and veteran’s benefits, the experience you gain working for the US Navy will be invaluable in your life, and will also award you an admirable and attention-getting work ethic that will follow you wherever you go.

If it has always been your dream to defend your nation and fight on the front lines, joining up with the Navy will get you there, and help others get there too.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Setting Goals for Yourself in the Navy

Marine of the United States Marine Corps runs ...
Image via Wikipedia

Like all things in life, you get out of something whatever you put in to it. To use a somewhat common analogy, you won’t get a home run if you don’t put your shoulders into the swing. They key to success is dedication and commitment. A half-hearted commitment is hardly a commitment at all.

As a sailor in the US Navy, this holds true. You get out of the Navy what you put into it. With hard work, dedication, and commitment, you will earn promotions, awards, and recognition for excellent service. You may even find a fulfilling career within the US Navy. While obeying orders is necessary for success within any branch of the US military, it’s still important to remember that you are not merely a machine, but a thinking, living being with just as much potential as anyone else.

This is why it’s important, upon enlistment, to set goals for yourself. As a sailor, you will have to continue to attain and maintain a certain level of physical fitness. This keeps your heart fit, your mind sharp, and your body ready for action. Setting weight , endurance, or strength goals can give you something to work towards and move beyond, so that you can continue to better yourself on and off duty.

Alternately, you can also set saving and educational goals for yourself. Perhaps you will want to have a certain amount of money saved for your next leave or vacation. Work hard, set some aside, and keep records of your purchases. Be smart with your finances. This way, you can afford your education, and any credit-hour or semester goals you’ve also set for yourself. While you’re working on strengthening your military career, you can prepare yourself for the professional world by setting ambitious yet realistic academic goals for yourself while serving as a sailor.

With enough hard work and discipline, being in the Navy will change your life for the better.

Enhanced by Zemanta

How to Become a Navy Seal

Every military in history has had an elite force, comprised of only the most physically elite, mentally acute, and technologically proficient warriors. These warriors – usually men – are truly ultimate fighters, able to adapt to all kinds of weather and battle situations, and can survive even the most dire of circumstances while maintaining the fortitude of mind and body that only the most elite warriors can. In America, these ultimate warriors are the US Navy SEALs. Every boy fantasized about one day growing up to be a Navy SEAL, and a lot of men join in the US Navy with hopes of becoming one some day, but the tests and rigors that a SEAL must endure reserve it truly for a select, elite few.

SEAL stands for Sea, Air, and Land and points to the versatility of the Navy SEAL’s combat prowess. The SEAL program is actually ran by the military’s Special Operations Command, who also overseas other branches of the US Military elite fighting forces, like the Army’s Green Berets.

Primarily, SEALs are selected, and he needs to have already met a number of requirements prior to becoming a SEAL. First, they have to have completed both of their high school and college educations, and most importantly, they must pass the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, which tests mechanical, word, language, technological, memory, math, science, and electronics aptitude.

SEALs have to enter the program before they turn 28, and they must be men. Their vision must be 20-200 and be correctable up to 20-20, and they have to endure and pass extremely rigorous physical training and tests to even be considered. A SEAL applicant may do well on everything else, but if he can’t pass the physical tests, which involve intense, seamless push-up, sit-up, pull-up, swim, run, and even diving tests, then he is out of the program.

And once you’re in – well, only the SEAL knows what happens next.

The Naval Air Systems Command

Even though the Navy is a marine organization, they are equipped with some of the most powerful and technologically advanced aircraft in the world. Some people even join the Navy because they want the versatility of being a sailor and the firepower of a US military aircraft. Additionally, not all pilots are qualified to land and take off from aircraft carrier runways. It takes a special pilot with special talent to control a plane under such limiting parameters, and a Naval pilot is up to the task.

If you’re looking for information on the Naval air force, then the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) will be your primary resource. Listed in their vision statement is their primary motivating philosophy, wherein they “develop, deliver, and sustain aircraft, weapons, and systems – on time, on cost, with proven capability and reliability – so they succeed in every mission and return safely home.” A position with NAVAIR gives you a firsthand look, and firsthand career, helping to support or perhaps pilot the Navy’s amazing force of aircraft.

The Navy’s aircraft include ‘fixed wing’ aircraft, like the AV-8B, the C-37, the E-2, and even the infamous F-16. They also have a host of rotorcraft, like the HI, H-60, and V-22. Additionally, the weapons arsenals on these and other respective Naval aircraft are enough to put insurgents at surrender without having to fire a single shot.

A career with NAVAIR can also put you in a position of flight support, so even if you aren’t flying the jets and helicopters, you’re helping coordinate and strategize missions to ensure safe launches and even safer returns. You can even get your hands dirty by working on the aircraft themselves as an aircraft engineer or mechanic. In NAVAIR, every position is important, for if the system is missing even one integral part, the mission could be disastrous. In other words, NAVAIR needs you.

Joining the Navy

It is not so hard to join the Navy. Because the Navy is always looking for new recruits, it is not so hard to be accepted either. Of course, there are a few tests you need to pass, but once you’re in, you’re in. And when you become a part of the US Navy, you will not only reap the benefits afforded to you and other sailors, but you will also get the respect and honor you deserve for being willing to dedicate yourself, your time, and your youth to serving the country.

The first things you need to do are to get information from a recruiter. Recruiters are helpful resources because they have been in the same place as you. They too have not quite been sure what to do after high school or college, and they too were looking for an active future. They’ve been there, and know the resources to get you through.

You should talk to your family and friends too. Your parents’ opinion is valuable, as is your boyfriend’s, girlfriend’s, wife’s, and husband’s. Find out what your family thinks you should do. Of course, some of your family might not understand and support your decision, but you are a responsible adult and you need to figure out for yourself what is best for you. So after consulting the proper resources, be sure that joining the Navy really is what you want.

Finally, fill out an application and know how you want to enter the Navy. You can join in through the Delayed Entry Program, so you can get done what you need to get done before joining up, and you can also enlist through the Navy’s undergraduate program, where you can be in school and in the Navy at the same time.

Once you’re accepted and you pass through boot camp, then you’ll be off to your future.

Learning about Job Diversity in the Navy

Washington DC - Penn Quarter: United States Na...
Image by wallyg via Flickr

It can be hard to imagine just how the US Navy functions, in part because it is so large, and in part because most civilians don’t know about the inner workings of the Navy. Of course, military knowledge isn’t endemic to a nation’s people simply because the nation has a military, but if people set aside just a little bit of time to research and understand their nation’s military, it won’t seem so overwhelmingly monolithic.

In fact, the United States military, and specifically the US Navy offers hundreds of career opportunities within the Navy proper. The skills acquired within those respective job fields can be used to grow and expand upon one’s military experience, but if need be, the experience you may have accrued over the course of your military career can find direct application outside in the civilian and professional world.

The US Navy is ready to help you with your future. The Navy readily provides you tuition assistance, so while you’re in the service, you can still be working towards a professional academic degree to better your career possibilities in and outside of the Navy. However, in a stronger and more direct way than traditional college education provides, you will also find options for direct application and practice of the things you will be learning, which means that your professional resume will rise to the top, because of your experience, readiness, and military-instilled work ethic.

In the Navy, you can work above water on a boat, under water on a submarine, or on land in an office or research facility. Within those three options, the career options are endless. You’ll be more than just a Navyman too. You can be a nurse, a construction worker, a naval reactor engineer, a naval aviator, you can even work on flight support or be a chaplain. The possibilities are endless, though when it’s all said and done, as a member of the US Navy, like so many others before you – you will always be a sailor.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Being a Part of the US Navy Reserve

Country Current
Image by @mjb via Flickr

If you want to join the United States Navy, you have a lot of options for what branch of service to select for your duty. If you are already balancing a busy social, family, or professional life but still want to offer your time to your state and country, then you might also consider joining the US Naval Reserves. When you are a member of the US Naval Reserves, you have to go through the same six-week basic training as everyone else in the US Navy, and must commit to serving one weekend a month in the service, and go through yearly two-week courses outside of your basic service.

If the reserves are called upon, you will be sent out with them, but that’s what the reserves are there for – to serve if necessary. Of course, when you are not serving, you are free to live your life as necessary, whether you’re a business owner, a family man or woman, or just have a busy civilian life, the US Naval Reserve offers you flexibility. You can live your civilian life, and then spend the occasional weekend or few weeks away, perhaps to recharge and serve your country in the meanwhile.

The Naval Reserves comprise 20% of the total US Naval forces, which means that you will also be plugged into a national network of support for the shift in life that will happen when you join the US Navy. It should be understood, however, that the Naval Reserves are not a part time job. Like a volunteer firefighter – if there is an emergency, you are called to be up to the task. You will be part of a mobile, accessible force that has mastered the transition between civilian and military life, and as a member of the Naval reserves, you will value both equally.

Enhanced by Zemanta