12 Coasties being considered for SEAL training

[LTGunner]

12 Coasties being considered for SEAL training

By Amy McCullough - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Oct 30, 2008 17:23:58 EDT
   
Of the 12 remaining candidates Coast Guard and Navy officials hope to select as many qualified candidates as possible to go through Navy SEAL training by the end of next week, said a Deployable Operations Group spokesman. The move would be a first for the Coast Guard.

Representatives from DOG and Naval Special Warfare Command will screen the remaining 12 applicants Nov. 2-7 at the Naval Diving Salvage Training Center in Panama City, Fla., said Lt. James McLay, spokesman for DOG commander Rear Adm. Thomas Atkin.

After Commandant Adm. Thad Allen announced the program July 31, Coast Guard Personnel Command fielded more than 150 phone calls from people requesting additional information. As of the Sept. 15 deadline, 19 people had applied — 12 officers and seven enlisted members whose ratings included two boatswain’s mates, four machinery technicians and one food service specialist, McLay said.

Of the 19 applicants, 12 were selected to move onto the evaluation phase in Florida. Those still in the running include eight officers — three ensigns and five lieutenant junior grades — and four enlisted members – three machinery technicians and one boatswain’s mate. Originally the goal was to have at least two officers and two enlisted Coast Guardsmen participate in the program, although McLay said there are no caps to those selected.

“The goal is to supply the Navy with as many qualified applicants as available,” McLay said.

The Coast Guardsmen who make it through the nearly two years of physically and mentally challenging training will be assigned to a SEAL team for five to seven years, although they still officially will be part of the Coast Guard.

Those who successfully complete the service commitment are not required to return to the Coast Guard, but Allen said this summer that he wants them to come back.

“It would bring a tremendous amount of expertise and knowledge [to the Coast Guard], and that would really improve our program,” Allen said. “It really was a win-win for us and the Navy special ops, because they will now have a broader group to draw on.”

At this point, Coast Guardsmen are not eligible to become special warfare combatant-craft crewmen — the sailors who operate SEAL transport boats. However, Atkin has said, “we are working on it.”

“Our engagement with the SEALs is huge, but the Coast Guard, Navy and Marine Corps partnership, as outlined in the maritime strategy, is really the direction we are going here,” he said shortly after the announcement.

Navy Times

P.S> Buoy, feel free to move to CG News as needed. -LTGunner-

[hammar]

Go for it tadpoles................

[EX-CG-GM]

Weird mix of officers to enlisteds.  And I'm surprised that there were not more BM's selected.   

[LTGunner]

5 Coasties to go through SEAL training

By Amy McCullough - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Nov 20, 2008 17:33:52 EST
   
Four officers and one enlisted man have been chosen to become the first Coast Guardsmen to participate in the elite Navy SEAL training in Coronado, Calif.

After Commandant Adm. Thad Allen announced the program July 31, Coast Guard Personnel Command fielded more than 150 phone calls from people requesting additional information. As of the Sept. 15 deadline, 19 people had applied — 12 officers and seven enlisted members, said Lt. James McLay, spokesman for Deployable Operation Group commander Rear Adm. Thomas Atkin.

Of the 19 applicants, 12 were selected to move on to the evaluation phase in Florida. The group was then whittled to five by Naval Special Warfare Command and the Coast Guard’s DOG.

If any or all selected Coast Guardsmen make it through the nearly two years of physically and mentally daunting training, they will be assigned to a SEAL team for five to seven years, although they officially will be part of the Coast Guard.

Those who successfully complete the service commitment are not required to return to the Coast Guard, but Allen said this summer that he wants them to come back.

It is not yet clear when those selected will begin training.

Selected were:

• Lt. j.g. Brian Bruns, Civil Engineering Unit Miami.

• Lt. j.g. Brian Naughton, Coast Guard District 7.

• Ensign Sean Norton, cutter Steadfast.

• Ensign Matthew Oloughlin, cutter Boutwell.

• Machinery Technician 3rd Class Kyle Walker, Station Channel Islands, Calif.


Source: Navy Times

[EX-CG-GM]

I saw that notice and was surprised more enlisteds didn't make the cut.

So, will that poor 3rd class have to carry all the officers SCUBA gear?   

[LTGunner]

Four Coasties begin SEAL training


By Amy McCullough - Staff report
Posted : Tuesday Mar 24, 2009 16:42:17 EDT
   
Four Coast Guard officers selected to participate in the Navy’s elite SEAL training in Coronado, Calif., officially began on Monday after weeks of preparations.

All four completed the two-week Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL preparatory course and the three-week orientation course. The one enlisted Coast Guardsmen selected for the program attended pre-BUD/S at Naval Station Great Lakes, Ill., but failed to meet the physical training exit standards and is back with his Coast Guard unit, Deployable Operations Group spokesman Lt. James McLay said.

The four officers are: Lt. j.g. Brian Bruns, Civil Engineering Unit Miami; Lt. j.g. Brian Naughton, Coast Guard District 7, Lt. j.g. Sean Norton, cutter Steadfast; and Ensign Matthew O’Loughlin, cutter Boutwell,

“They just began the first phase. It’s still very, very early and they are all still in the very high attrition phases,” said Lt. j.g. Fred Martin, spokesman for the Naval Special Warfare Center.

Traditionally only 30 percent of the men who enter BUD/S actually graduate, Martin said. Though the success rate appears to be increasing with the introduction of several programs — including a mentorship program at the Naval Special Warfare recruiting directorate, additional mental toughness training during all phases of the curriculum, and the introduction of the Naval Special Warfare Preparatory School in February 2008 — it will be several years before enough data is collected to determine if the higher success rate is part of a trend, Martin said.

The Coast Guard officers are expected to complete Hell Week, the fourth and toughest week of training, April 17.

If any or all of the officers make it through the nearly two years of physically and mentally daunting training, they will be assigned to a SEAL team for five to seven years, although they officially will be part of the Coast Guard.

Those who successfully complete the service commitment are not required to return to the Coast Guard, but Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen said last summer he wants them to come back.

Source: Navy Times

[EX-CG-GM]

The one enlisted Coast Guardsmen selected for the program attended pre-BUD/S at Naval Station Great Lakes, Ill., but failed to meet the physical training exit standards and is back with his Coast Guard unit, Deployable Operations Group spokesman Lt. James McLay said.

Now THAT'S embarrassing!  An enlisted guy getting beat out by officers!  Sheesh! 

 

[BuoyJumper]

COAST GUARD OFFICERS BEGIN SEAL TRAINING
ShadowSpear
25 March, 2009 07:52:00



Coronado, CA — Four US Coast Guard officers recently began their participation in the US Navy's Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training program.

The four officers had been selected and completed a two week BUD/S preparatory course and a three week orientation at the Great Lakes Naval Station in Illinois.

According to Deployable Operations Group spokesperson Lieutenant James McLay, at least one enlisted member of the Coast Guard was also selected to participate, but failed to meet the physical training exit standards in the pre-training program.

BUD/S has been well known for its high attrition rate.  According to the US Navy, roughly thirty percent of those who participate in the selection process actually graduate from the course. However, a number of Special Warfare recruiting programs have helped to reduce the attrition rate. 

The Coast Guard BUD/S students just recently began the first of three phases.  The first phase was cited as having the highest rate of drops, due to quitting and/or medical reasons.  Week four of the first phase is dubbed "Hell Week," and is notably regarded as the toughest week of training.  If the officers make it, they are estimated to complete Hell Week by April 17th 2009.

Should the Coast Guard officers pass the long training and selection process, they will be assigned to a SEAL team for five to seven years.

Original Article

[Bugsey]

I wonder what kind of comments will come out if any of the coasties have to ring the bell. My neighbor,s son just rang the bell, an got discharged at the same time,cracked his splene in his back.

                                                                          BUGSEY

[BuoyJumper]

Three Coastguardsmen Left in SEAL Quest
August 06, 2009
Military.com|by Christian Lowe



First there were 19 who were whittled down to 12. Then only five were left standing.

Now, after one of the world's most crushing selection programs, only two remain - well, three, if you count the one who was rolled back into the initial phase of the school.

For the first time in its storied history, the Coast Guard is on track to have two of its own earn the coveted trident badge of a Navy SEAL. The two officers have reached the third phase of initial SEAL selection after joining Basic Underwater Demolition School class 276 in March, enduring the grueling mental and physical travails that weed out all but the hardiest warriors.

"I'm very proud of these guys," said Master Chief Petty Officer Darrick DeWitt, the senior enlisted advisor for the Coast Guard's Deployable Operations Group, which ran the selection process for the service.

"We wanted to make sure we sent people with good character and good values. I think we did that," he added in a telephone interview with Military.com. "These guys not only represented the Coast Guard well, but represented their country well."

After a two-year effort to leverage the expertise of Naval Special Warfare and the Coast Guard's new role in homeland security and maritime special operations, the service selected its first group of Coastguardsmen to become commandos late last summer.

Coast Guard officials say they hope the SEAL-trained Coasties will seed the rest of the force with valuable skills learned in special operations training and operations and bring back to their sea service a bit of the esprit de corps found in the commando ranks.

For Naval Special Warfare, the pressure to grow its force makes an injection of well-vetted candidates to their ranks a boon, cutting out the hassle of dealing with recruits who don't have what it takes to become a SEAL.

"We're just glad to get good candidates," said Lt. Commander Shane Reilly, the executive officer at the Naval Special Warfare Basic Training Command in Coronado, Calif. "With the war going on, we're under a lot of pressure to increase [special operations forces] and we walk a fine line … without bending standards."

After reviewing 19 applications back in August 2008, evaluators tapped 12 Coastguardsmen to run through a week-long selection process in Panama City, Fla., that included physical tests, mental evaluations and exercises that gave the wannabe frogmen a taste of what the legendary Basic Underwater Demolition School, or BUDS, is all about.

The Coast Guard declined to provide any further details on the SEAL candidates' identities for security reasons.

In the end, five made the cut, including four officers - a civil engineer, two cutter officers and one assigned to the district staff - and an enlisted man who serves as a boarding officer at a station in California.

The enlisted Coastie washed out during the early part of the Navy's selection process when he came up just short on a physical qualification.

"It surprised me," DeWitt said of the Coastie, and Reilly added that the man missed the standard by a "very small margin."

"But, you know, they have tough standards," DeWitt said. "We'll see if he wants to come back for a second round."

That left four officers who made it into what many believe is the most physically and mentally difficult assessment program in the world. Early morning beach runs, cold water sit ups, sand in every crevice for days, no food, no sleep … you get the picture. And all the while SEAL instructors are goading you to quit.

And one did.

During the toughest phase of BUDS, one of the four remaining Coasties rang the infamous bell that signaled his voluntary exit from the program, leaving three to complete the course.

Later, another of the officers was injured during the assessment - a frequent cause of SEAL candidate drop outs - and was rolled back into a new class to start from the beginning of BUDS.

Though having only three Coasties left in a program that originally sported nearly 20 qualified applicants represents an 85 percent attrition rate, neither Reilly nor DeWitt are concerned.

"Our goal is not to just help out the Coast Guard, it's to help out the nation," DeWitt said. "If we can end up with three or two or one, and we can contribute in that way, then that's our goal."

According to Coast Guard officials, only five Coastguardsmen have forwarded paperwork to try out for this year's class of wannabe SEALs. But the officials also point out that last year's applications came in late on the August deadline.

DeWitt also said the service has relaxed a few of the application requirements, including dropping the mandate that prospective SEALs be qualified weapons experts since BUDS creates expert marksmen through its own training.

By all accounts, the Navy and Coast Guard see this program as a worthwhile one that will continue for several more years.

"It's a long road for them," Reilly said. "But when they do go out and join those teams, I'm sure they'll fit in just fine."

Original Article

[bill12353]

Well said Ron. 
It would be very difficult to add any prudence to your words.

The best of luck to the three candidates Representing your service.     

[BuoyJumper]

News Release
Date: May 20, 2010
Contact: District 11 Public Affairs

Two U.S. Coast Guard Officers
become Navy SEALs



Coronado, Calif. — Two Coast Guardsmen will graduate from Navy SEAL training Friday at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado and receive the coveted SEAL trident.

Upon graduation, the two officers will join the prestigious ranks of the Navy SEALs after more than a year of continuous training, considered by many among the most difficult in the world.   

“Naval Special Warfare is proud to team with the nation's first U.S. Coast Guard officers qualified as U.S. Navy SEALs,” said Rear Adm. Gary Bonelli, Deputy Commander of Naval Special Warfare Command.  “During the past fourteen months they have proven their mettle and have truly earned the right to be called our teammates. Cooperation among all services is a critical component of the National Maritime Strategy. Today's graduation is just one more example of the many integral ties that bind our maritime services.”

The newly designated Navy SEALs will be making history as the first uniformed personnel ever assigned to an operational SEAL team while a member of another branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.

"We are extremely proud of the dedication and effort displayed by these two members in graduating from SEAL Qualification Training," said Rear Adm. Dean Lee, Commander of the Coast Guard’s Deployable Operations Group.  “They are trailblazers for our service, and we wish them the best of luck as they continue to serve their nation.” 

The two Coast Guard officers - whose names are being withheld for security purposes - volunteered to attend Navy SEAL training under an agreement signed in July 2008 by the Coast Guard, Navy and Special Operations Command.

The historic agreement allows up to four Coast Guardsmen a year the opportunity to train and integrate with an operational SEAL team for approximately seven years before returning to their service.

This partnership provides qualified operators for the Global War on Terror and operationalizes the National Maritime Strategy - “A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower” - signed by all three U.S. sea services in October 2007.   

Three more Coast Guardsmen are in the Navy SEAL training pipeline, with one member on course to complete his training in the Spring of 2011.

By allowing members to train and operate as SEALs, the Coast Guard gains subject matter experts in special warfare and furthers the development of its own counter-terrorism programs.  Both services benefit from the improved interoperability and shared techniques, tactics and procedures.

News Release

[BuoyJumper]

iCommandant

Web Journal of Admiral Thad Allen
Friday, May 21, 2010

Navy SEAL Graduation -
First Coast Guard Graduates

 
Navy SEALs above left have distinguished themselves as an individually reliable, collectively disciplined and highly skilled maritime force. Prospective SEALs go through what is considered by many military experts to be the toughest training in the world.  VADM David Pekoske, Coast Guard Vice Commandant, pins SEAL insignia onto one of two Coast Guard graduates of SEAL SQT Class 277 in San Diego.  (USCG Press photos)

SAN DIEGO, CA. — It could not have been a better day in San Diego as I attended the graduation of Navy SEAL Qualification Training (SQT) Class 277. I had the distinct honor of pinning Navy SEAL insignia on Coast Guard blue for the first time. Two Coast Guardsmen were among the newly designated Navy SEALs and made history as the first uniformed personnel ever assigned to an operational SEAL team while a member of another branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.

The two Coast Guard officers volunteered to attend Navy SEAL training under an agreement signed in July 2008 by the Coast Guard, Navy and Special Operations Command. The historic agreement allows up to four Coast Guardsmen a year the opportunity to train and integrate with an operational SEAL team before returning to their Service. The agreement is an extension of the Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower, which was signed by all three U.S. sea services in October 2007.

In the words of RADM Gary Bonelli, Deputy Commander of the Naval Special Warfare Command, who presided over the graduation ceremony, “Naval Special Warfare is proud to team with the nation's first U.S. Coast Guard officers qualified as U.S. Navy SEALs...During the past fourteen months, they have proven their mettle and have truly earned the right to be called our teammates. Cooperation among all services is a critical component of the National Maritime Strategy. Today's graduation is just one more example of the many integral ties that bind our maritime services."

Congratulations to SQT Class 277!

VADM David Pekoske

iCommandant

[captjamie]

  way to go Coasties. What the hell are the three US sea going services referred to in the article? 1) US Coast Guard; 2) US Navy; 3)Special Operations Command? what the F!@# is that.

  Mates

[EX-CG-GM]

I think the Marines are considered a sea service........kinda odd though.