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NAF Misawa Hosts SEAL, SWCC Scout Team

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS101013-23
10/13/2010

By Chief Mass Communication Specialist Daniel Sanford, U.S. Naval Air Facility Misawa Public Affairs

NAVAL AIR FACILITY MISAWA, Japan (NNS) -- The Navy's SEAL and Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewman(SWCC) Scout Team paid a visit to Naval Air Facility Misawa, Oct. 12 and discussed opportunities within the Navy's special warfare community.

While in Misawa, scout team members administered the Navy SEAL physical readiness test (PST) for Sailors interested in joining the Navy's special warfare community and also conducted an orientation seminar.
The reason behind the visit was to bring awareness to the SEAL and SWCC programs.

"We're here to help interested Sailors decide if this is a program they want to go forth in," said Chief Special Warfare Boat Operator Brian Inglis, Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Recruiting Directorate. "We don't try to convince anyone to join, but we do try to prepare them physically, mentally and administratively. We'll help get them to the door, but ultimately it's up to the Sailor."

Every year, roughly 1,000 SEAL and 240 SWCC candidates enter the special warfare training pipeline. With an almost 75-percent dropout rate, scout team members say it's imperative that Sailors understand the rigorous expectations demanded of each student.

To help assess an applicant's physical ability to undergo the training, Inglis and Special Warfare Boat Operator 1st Class Beau Carbone conducted the PST for several Misawa Sailors. The PST consisted of a 500-yard swim, two minutes of push-ups and two minutes of sit-ups, at least six dead-hang pull-ups and a 1.5-mile run – all with minimal rest intervals.

"This gives us a better understanding of where they are, not only physically, but mentally as well," said Carbone. "It's a testament to the Sailor's commitment - waking up, showing up on time and then doing exceptional on the test – it's a way to gauge a candidate individually.

During the seminar, Carbone stressed the importance of physical and mental preparedness, but he said that will only take a student so far.

"When you're physically and mentally exhausted, your body is only operating at 60-percent capacity," he said. "We try to teach people to dig into that other 40 percent and push beyond that of normal human beings.