When I heard about the three Navy SEALs being charged with mistreating a terrorist, I was very disappointed in the Navy. The fact that the terrorist in question did not voice his complaint until sometime after he was jailed is very suspicious. Plus terrorists are taught to insinuate that they have been tortured as part of their training is also part of the equation. As a person who was involved in the training of SEALs as well as working with SEAL teams, SEALs have an extremely tough job.
I first learned about the Navy SEALs when I was also the first research nutritionist at the Human Performance Lab at the military’s tri-service medical school, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) in Bethesda, MD in mid 80’s. During my time at USUHS, one of the research areas I was responsible for was a project working with the NAVY SEALs. In fact, as a result of my research at USUHS, I ended being a nutrition consultant with the Navy SEAL trainees and then I worked with the SEAL teams in Coronado, CA for the next 8 years.
If you really want to get an in depth look at what the Navy SEALs do and who they are, you need to read the #1 National Bestseller, Lone Survivor written by Marcus Luttrell (www.amazon.com). The book details the ABCs of SEAL training and also some of the actual SEAL missions. As a result of reading Luttrell’s book, you may gain some perspectives and insights as to what the Navy SEALs are trained to do and how important they are in keeping terrorists out of America.
After reading Lone Survivor, you may even understand that the war on terror (I know that’s not what the Obama administration calls it) is not like any wars that we have fought in the past. In fact, in the mid 80’s when I started working with the SEALs, the whole point of the research was how to keep more SEAL trainees from bailing out. At that point in time, the Navy wanted to train twice as many SEALs due to the fact that the next war (which is the one we are raging today) was going to be a terroristic type war. It’s amazing to me that in the 80’s our military was already predicting what happened on September 11, 2001. When I was working with the SEALs, they were recruited from within the Navy populations, today the Navy recruits a different way for the SEALs. They recruit high school & college athletes. If they can make the cut from passing a series of physical testing they join the ranks of the Navy. The recruits take a basic training in the Navy and then are put through the vigors of 6 months of training at Coronado, CA. You can read the specifics about the training in Lone Survivor.
Successfully completing SEAL training is definitely a mind over matter situation! Some SEAL trainees are forced to bailout due to injuries. Looking at nutrition and injuries were areas of the research we were involved in as a lab. We learned that many trainees were not fueling their bodies properly, were dehydrated so when our nutrition strategies were implemented the SEALs found these suggestions to be very helpful in retention. In addition, the orthopedic surgeons affiliated with our lab were able to make some training suggestions that would help with injury prevention.
When I worked with the SEAL trainees, our lab worked with three separate classes and followed them through training to graduation. I learned firsthand that the mind could take your body further than the textbook thought it could. We participated in 3 Hell Weeks which was pure hell for us, all though we were just observers. One of my jobs was to calculate how many calories and fluids the trainees needed and also how many calories they were eating for their 4 meals a day. They typically ate midnight rats. Unlike Ranger training, SEAL trainees were sleep deprived not food deprived.
If you want to learn more about the Navy SEALs read Marcus Luttrell’s Lone Survivor or go to http://www.sealchallenge.navy.mil
Images from: www.Navy.mil.
I first learned of the Seals when my best friend joined the Navy. He talked about the crazy guys who ran up and down the beach with telephone poles. Over the years I have grown to hold the utmost respect for this elite band of men. Marcus Luttrell’s Lone Survivor is a fantastic read. You won’t be able to put it down. And, it truly paints what incredible warriors these men are. It also gives a great picture as to what they go through to earn the Trident. Thank you for your silent service for all of us. God bless!
ya, I sure could’ve used you back in 1984 (class 130 summer) when i bailed out…at least i made it to the 2nd day of Hell Week anyway. But hind sight being 20/20, I realize i definately wasn’t getting the proper nutrition and I was a bit of a “partier”, late hours and then getting only maybe a few hours sleep…had to be up at 4A.M.! I’m probably one of very few guys that actually thinks of the good old BUD/S days after what, 27yrs later everyday! God, I would give ANYTHING to have another shot at BUD/S with the nutritional knowledge I have now, unbelievable! For starters; spinach, brocolli, blueberries, kiwis, quinoa (if it’s avail.), bananas, PB&J, fish pref.salmon, almonds/walnuts, and a whole bunch of those Cliff Bars. I would love to go through BUD/S again, in fact, i would pay money to go through BUD/S again just to see if I could make it through….i wouldn’t even necessarily care to even be on the teams just so to see if I still got it.
Hello: great article and so relevant. Other books which I found helpful are: Chuck Pfarr (author) Warrior Soul and all books from Dick Couch. Thank you!