SO - Special Operations (Navy SEAL) - Contracts

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Permalink Reply by NavyDads Co-Admin, Jim on May 5, 2011 at 6:10am

Patrick, hang in there while I do some research and see if one of our members can help with that question. We have a couple of members that are or former recruiters. I'm heading out to work, but I'll see what we can come up with for you and your son.

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Permalink Reply by NavyDads Co-Admin, Calvin on May 5, 2011 at 6:52am

Patrick, I will try to help you with your questions. My Grandson is a SEAL and I followed him through training. When I get home from work I will get back with you. What part of the country do you live in?

Have a Nice Day.

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Permalink Reply by Patrick on May 5, 2011 at 7:22am

Thanks guys. I appreciate any info! We are meeting with the recruiter this afternoon, and my wife and I are supposed to be signing a document allowing Owen to signup for DEP?? Not sure how long before he would go to MEPS. I just want to make sure that if his interest is SO, that he knows it needs to be in the contract along with any incentives. It sounds to me that it would be in the active duty contract signed before shipping out to basic, and that BUDS is part of A-School? And that it is not requested sometime during or after basic. Ofcourse this is assuming Owen qualifies for the Program based on ASVAB scores, and passing the MEPS PST.

 

Thanks again.

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Permalink Reply by NavyDads Co-Admin, Jim on May 5, 2011 at 8:22am

DEP= Delayed Entry Program. Meaning he will not leave for boot camp right away and will have time to prepare. Study, get in shape, loose any weight he may need to, etc...

Patrick Russell said:

Thanks guys. I appreciate any info! We are meeting with the recruiter this afternoon, and my wife and I are supposed to be signing a document allowing Owen to signup for DEP?? Not sure how long before he would go to MEPS. I just want to make sure that if his interest is SO, that he knows it needs to be in the contract along with any incentives. It sounds to me that it would be in the active duty contract signed before shipping out to basic, and that BUDS is part of A-School? And that it is not requested sometime during or after basic. Ofcourse this is assuming Owen qualifies for the Program based on ASVAB scores, and passing the MEPS PST.

 

Thanks again.

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Permalink Reply by Patrick on May 5, 2011 at 12:03pm

Right, and he will sign a contract to enter DEP at MEPS. Then when he goes to boot camp he will sign another contract which would include the rate he has chosen, in his case SO if he qualified? This would mean that after boot camp he would then go to A-School which would include the specialized training for SO. Is this correct?

thx

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Permalink Reply by Jack Flash on Wednesday

I'd be very interested to know how this all shook out...

Patrick, are you still on the site?

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Permalink Reply by Mike on Wednesday

As I understand it 30k bonus' are a thing of the past(500 seals in 5 yrs program the had prior). Tell him to hold out for SO contract only. Recruiter (used car salesman) will tell you a lot, but at 17 don't rush into a contract! He can get get into nrdspecwar workouts w/ mentor. When you go to recruiting office tell them you want to sign up for SO only contract. Recruitor will try to get you to sign some other stuff.DON'T!!. If they won't work w/you on this, google Navy SPECWAR recruiter. Call the SEAL mentor for your district & talk to him first! Before the recruiters get him in a soft contract that becomes hard. Then it'll 2or3 times harder to get you shot at an SO contract. If the NAVY trains you for a job [not BUDS], they're gonna make you do it awhile before you get your SO chance. I am by no means an expert, merely speaking from personal experience.

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Permalink Reply by Rick Binkley yesterday

Successful completion of SEAL training now pays $15k...and as Mike said, do not sign any contract if it isn't what you want. My son initially signed an MM contract for subs when SO was what he wanted.(He had been trying to get through MEPS medical hassles for over a year because of a scalp laceration when he was 4 yrs old).His SO mentor was who navigated through all the paperwork and got his SO contract for him.

 

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Permalink Reply by Jack Flash yesterday

I spoke to a former SEAL yesterday about this very thing, and he had two very good points. On one hand he says that once the Navy invests considerable dollars into training and education for some particular rate (job)- they are then somewhat reluctant to lose you --even to Special Operations... So it becomes a little more difficult to make a switch later, versus selecting SO and entering the program straight away.

On the other hand, evaluating what it takes, he was honest in saying that for himself at leasr, there was no way he was ready for SEAL training at age 18. He just didn't have the maturity required and mental toughness that it takes to endure and ultimately succeed through the intense trainig regimen

For those very reasons, my own son recognizes that the SEAL program is likely beyond him at this point in his personal development. This very kind SEAL is connecting us with an Active Duty Rescue Swimmer for us to sit down with and chat. I'm so impressed with the professionalism, and sheer kindness of each member I encounter. I'm so proud to be (even loosely) associated with such a fine group of men and women that our Navy has trained up.

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Permalink Reply by Rick Binkley yesterday

Jack, my son is 20 and when I spoke with him yesterday, he was talking about the "kids" in his division not taking things seriously or talking too much...I still think of my son as a kid but it showed that he had matured. My thoughts were that my son wasn't mature enough at 18 when this journey began. I feel fortunate that those roadblocks that prevented him from joining earlier were there in order for him to "grow up".

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Permalink Reply by Jack Flash yesterday

Ha! As a Dad-- that's pretty funny...in a wonderful sort of way.

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