Coronado Weekend

By: sbd22 Mood: accomplished Date: 08/21/2008 16:28:35 Music: None

About a year ago I decided to take a chance and make an account for NavySEALs.com. I say I took a chance because I had no idea who the people were on the site. Little did I know that the people on the site could influence my life so much. Someone from Chicago or New York giving information and support to someone in California they have never even met.

Recently I had the opportunity to visit Coronado with the added bonus of getting a tour of the BUD/s facilities as well as the rest of the Navy amphibious base on the island. With the help of Shar36 and USA3 I was able to set up the tour with Frogman80.

I came into NSC knowing that Navy SEALs were a TEAM unit and that’s what I wanted. I love small groups of close knit friends and family that I can trust to do anything. However, at the current time my mindset was that I alone could get into BUD/s and do whatever it took to be a SEAL. I mean yeah you work as a team in BUD/s but the sad fact is about 80%+ of the guys DOR and the team you created in the first boat crew on the first day will be demolished. Why make friends with the guys that drop when you probably wont see them again? So basically working with your team, its an individual push to the finish, that was my first mindset (if that makes any sense).

I was way wrong. Even before this last weekend (August 15-17) I found that team work is essential and it can take you a long way. Early in the summer I started talking to Shar36 who introduced me to USA3. They both have been great! They have taken time out to introduce me to different members of NSC that are either instructors or friends of theirs that are going through the same process that I am. Shar36 actually introduced me to Frogman80 and that is how I set up my tour with him.

The weekend I arrived in San Diego was the NSC SEAL fit camp as well as the west coast SEAL team reunion; a busy weekend for everyone I am sure. But Friday at noon I met Frogman80 in Coronado for the BUD/s tour. One great thing about the BUD/s compound was that as you look around there are gifts from just about every BUD/s class. The creature from the black lagoon welcomed us and every plaque was presented by “the last hard class.” As we walked around the facilities everything became more real. You can read about the grinder and the O-course as much as you want, when you see it in person it makes your stomach churn just knowing the pain you will go through. The O-course is…simply amazing.

I also had the chance to meet three different phase two instructors as well as a phase one instructor. They all had the same message, “be ready for Hell because we wont let up.” One thing that stood out in my mind is when one of the phase two instructors said, “basically we had pick every candidate we want to move on. If we don’t feel we can work with them or one of our friends in team X cant work with him then we drop him right there. We train and die with these guys and we only want to do both with the best.”

I was also invited to the reunion on Saturday the 16^th. When I showed up there were hundreds of former SEALs talking to each other. They all knew one another even if they were from different classes. The respect given in this room was incredible. No talking during presenters, ALL hats off  and eyes on the flag for the pledge of allegiance, standing ovations, and even tears from some of the hardest men in the world as they brought up events of fallen comrades. At first I felt out of place but quickly was introduced to some current and Former SEALs and I can honestly say I shook hands with an Admiral held a whole conversation with him actually. At this event you could feel the team unity. Every SEAL wore a shirt or had with a trident but never talked about themselves. Every story I heard was “oh do you remember when so and so did this” or “one time in BUDs we had this guy who…” Great stories but you had to ask about their experiences to get anything out of these guys about themselves.

Being in Coronado this past weekend has showed me what it means to be a SEAL. The unity among these members was greater than anything I have ever seen. Forget about seeing action, if I can have a group of friends that are this close then sign me up. Knowing the blood, sweat, and heartbreak these guys have seen has motivated me more than anything. I hope everyone reading this gets a chance to meet some great people like I did because I had the experience of a lifetime and I couldn’t have done any of it without the help of each one of these people.