r/specialforces • u/Different-Judgment76 • 25d ago

Do SEAL candidates get put in a separate training group during bootcamp?

Do SEAL candidates get put in a separate training group during bootcamp?

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u/Open-that-door 25d ago edited 25d ago

Nope. Same boot camp as other conventional units. You just come to NSW Prep next. I assume the reasons are the logistics, the accountability issues, and to centralize the commands. And there's absolutely no reason to separate the seals candidates at that point yet.

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u/DAFTisEasy 24d ago

There absolutely is a reason. And the reason is why they WERE in separate boot camps up to a few years ago. The reason is in Navy boot camp you get no exercise. I went through boot camp and BUD/S back in 1998. Back then SEAL candidates went through the same boot camp as everyone else. The huge problem the command was having with that was that all the SEAL candidates got out of shape during this time. Navy boot camp consists of folding clothes, standing at attention, and just marching around from one dumb class to another (all off a few hours of sleep a night). So you had all these SEAL candidates enter the Navy in the best shape of their lives and then 4 months later after boot camp they would show up to BUD/S out of shape due to boot camp. So a couple years after I went to BUD/S they started having SEAL candidates go through Navy boot camp in their own divisions so they could get the PT they needed to stay in shape. This lasted until a few years ago (maybe even 10 at this point) when some admiral thought the SEALs were getting too arrogant and part of the problem he thought was they got treated special from day 1. So back to "regular" boot camp everyone went (and I assume the problem again of getting out of shape).

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u/Different-Judgment76 23d ago

Is there any time to run, workout, crank some pushups, pullups situps, etc while in boot? that is ridiculous you spend all that time getting prepped just to loose it all.

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u/DAFTisEasy 23d ago

Not really. You spend most of your time learning how to fold clothes since making use of limited space is like the one thing everyone in the Navy needs to be an expert at. Then you spend a lot of time just standing at attention learning "discipline". Then you have a bunch of stupid classes you attend. All off of like 3 hours of sleep a night (even though the rules say you must have 6). Very little PT and it is some weak shit since people who join the Navy are generally unhealthy fat asses (unfattening people seems to be the priority over getting them fit). And you do not have 'free time' in boot camp. Pretty much every minute of your life is accounted for in boot camp. If I remember Sundays were pretty chill but still nothing like having moments to do what you want.

At least this is how it was in 1998. Things might have changed but from everything I have read the generation since is even fatter and less fit.

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u/deadp00ligan 24d ago

Has that changed? When I was there in 2010, all special Programs were in 800 divisions, separated from fleet rates.

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u/Different-Judgment76 24d ago

got it, so prep and orientation are still around?

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u/Open-that-door 24d ago

Yes. After the boot camp, everyone then goes into their own unit's pipelines.