El Tejon
Member
In the gun culture you will meet many SEELs.
A true SEAL vet or a wannabe mall ninja?
- Thread starter Tearlachblair
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I will voice my agreement with the statement paraphrased that "those who did don't talk about it" and "those who talk didn't do it."
One of my best friends in High School had as his greatest dream to become a Navy SEAL. He prepared for it for years. Well, he did it.
Because he was closer to my family than his own, when he was able to make a personal call, he would call to talk to my mother. It was a very trying time for him, and more than a few times he considered ringing out. But he didn't.
He did his time, came back and went to college. Now, he is a police detective with a wife and 2 kids. I'm probably the only one that remembers that he was a SEAL now.
John
One of my best friends in High School had as his greatest dream to become a Navy SEAL. He prepared for it for years. Well, he did it.
Because he was closer to my family than his own, when he was able to make a personal call, he would call to talk to my mother. It was a very trying time for him, and more than a few times he considered ringing out. But he didn't.
He did his time, came back and went to college. Now, he is a police detective with a wife and 2 kids. I'm probably the only one that remembers that he was a SEAL now.
John
I wonder why people do this. Even if I met a real seal, I really couldn't care less. I guess I'd feel some gratitude simply for him being part of the military, and pity for the difficult job. But I'm impressed with people who I want to be like. I'm aware that it's shallow, but I'm more impressed with pro athletes, an innovator, rock star or someone who otherwise leads an enviable life. I only did some impromptu searching on their salary and job description, but I wouldn't want to be someone who crawls through mud and gets shot at all day for chump change.
That's what I've heard. I've got an acquaintance that was in the ANG 153rd Engineer BN over south of Fallujah about a year and a half back, and he says he got to carry a Sig in .40 (IIRC) - a sig of some type, at least. I did some checking on his story, and he was indeed there, but beyond that I can't say.
I haven't met the man, and I lack the knowledge to make authoritative pronouncements about what the SEALS do and do not issue, but in my experience, with few exceptions, hearing a stranger expressing an opinion of or engaging in discussion about the Desert Eagle, especially the .50AE version, particularly in the context of defensive or combat scenarios, is very often a strong clue that that person has never handled a firearm in their life.
As I said, not always - I've seen them being shot at the range, no doubt there are plenty of .50 DE enthusiasts out there who actually own one and shoot it, they appear to be excellent pistols (if somewhat impractical for most purposes), but the posers, wannabes, gamers, manga readers, Matrix fanboys, etc., outnumber the real thing by an incredible ratio.
As I said, not always - I've seen them being shot at the range, no doubt there are plenty of .50 DE enthusiasts out there who actually own one and shoot it, they appear to be excellent pistols (if somewhat impractical for most purposes), but the posers, wannabes, gamers, manga readers, Matrix fanboys, etc., outnumber the real thing by an incredible ratio.
tbtrout
Member
I would say he is full of it. And while we are discussing secret military units, any of you armchair commandos one ever heard of ANGLICO?
goalie
Member
Semper Fi
(That's a yes, but I was just a regular grunt without superpowers or an acronym)
Tommygunn
Member
I think the guys who said the man talked too much are on to it.
My father was in the U.S. Navy; during the Korean War he served in a UDT Team (a precursor specop force to the Navy SEALS).
Trying to get him to talk about the experience was like pulling teeth.
As a kid, I was interested in what "frogmen" did ... the whole deal, as one may imagine.
The most I ever got out of him was during the Viet Nam war, when he was particularly angry at how the TV media was portraying serviceman, he related an incident that happened to him and his UDT team to indicate what kinda cr@p happens in war.
The SEALS are better trained and are all sensitive to their covert nature. They do not talk to strangers about what they have done, or do.
There have been more "wannabe" ex SEALS than there ever were actual SEALS.
My father was in the U.S. Navy; during the Korean War he served in a UDT Team (a precursor specop force to the Navy SEALS).
Trying to get him to talk about the experience was like pulling teeth.
As a kid, I was interested in what "frogmen" did ... the whole deal, as one may imagine.
The most I ever got out of him was during the Viet Nam war, when he was particularly angry at how the TV media was portraying serviceman, he related an incident that happened to him and his UDT team to indicate what kinda cr@p happens in war.
The SEALS are better trained and are all sensitive to their covert nature. They do not talk to strangers about what they have done, or do.
There have been more "wannabe" ex SEALS than there ever were actual SEALS.
tbtrout
Member
Semper Fi goalie
tank mechanic
Member
Every time I tell some one i am a gun guy, they always respond that they want a desert eagle. Every single time. People that obviously do not know anything about fire arms and they say desert eagle for the shock value. I suspect that he is doing the same thing, trying to show how bad he was back in his seal days by having a desert eagle.
XD Fan
Member
I had an aquaintance that had a .50 DE. I never got to shoot it, I picked it up one time. The thing that had the most shock value to me was the sheer massive size of the grip. I had to use both hands just to hold it. I think I would have had to pull the trigger with my teeth because all my fingers were needed just to hold it up. Okay, that is a slight exageration, but still it was massive. Too massive to be practical in a combat situation for anyone but a man with truly enormous hands.
dixierifleman
Member
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2007
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- 124
so your more impressed by people that are in it for the money? and could care less about people in the military, especially the special forces. that shows alot about your character. im sure glad people like you arnt in our military.
You bet they are. A lot of people are in it to pay for college, or get training for whatever else they plan to do for their lives. My 2 best friends from high school went into the military, and I wish them all the best. So by no means, do I disrespect those who enter the military. I respect them, I'm just not impressed by them. Not seals, green berets, whatever. I wouldn't want their lives and jobs. I'm more impressed by people who live a life I'm jealous of. Is this shallow? Yeah. I admitted openly. But that's how everyone is. You don't choose it, and it's not something I can help. It takes a lot of skill and ability to make it as a pro athlete, multi-millionare businessman, rock star, and such. There's nothing to be ashamed of in being impressed by that.
Actually not really. There were (are?) some truely brilliant and hard working people in rock music, but most of it is built on people who take other performers styles and ideas and repackage them to be more suitable for public consumption. It is interesting to find a more obscure artist who's style is copied and watered down for mass consumption, with the clones becoming popular five or ten years after the originator created their work.
The copied version feels just like that, a xerox copy of the original. Much of the nuance and spirit of the music is destroyed. In reality most rockstars are just hacks rewritting older material so that your average sixteen year old can identify with it.
Back on topic, I think the Desert Eagle is a good barometer of someone's familiarity firearms. People who venerate the gun tend to have very little knowledge, while the more experienced realize that is really a novelty that doesn't have much application beside being a very large auto-pistol.
Kankujoe
Member
Hmmmm..... did he mention anything about BUD/S?
Stretchman
member
You know, being a disabled vet, I hear a lot about combat stuff from guys when I am around the VA. A lot of the guys who manage to get compensation for whatever was incurred during service are not the guys who actually did what it is that they claim they did. Guys who were seals, SF, etc, are the guys that the VA basically was turning their backs on. You were much more likely to get a comp check for being a cook, a 703, or whatever any particular branch calls clerk typists than you would ever be by being a Special Forces operator. This is particularly true of Vietnam era vets.
But face facts. If you wear the uniform, you are in danger no matter what, if you are in a combat zone. You are more likely to encounter Enemy activity if you are a normal troop than if you are SF. SF guys are a lot less visible, speak several languages, and often insert for recon ops than for actual combat. Heck, Jessica Lynch proves that point totally. A girl who worked in supply is the most recognizable name of the Iraq war, bar none. Every person here knows who she is.
The single most important thing to remember is that any type of special forces missions involve training. Lots and lots of intensive training. People talk about being in SF, or wanting to be in SF, because IMO, they think that the psychological advantage of being some kind of bad ops guy is going to make people respect you more. But it doesn't mean anything at all without training. So do this.
Run three miles before breakfast.
Go to work on supersonic jets.
Come home, lift weights, run at least another 3 miles, go to the pool, swim a mile, practice martial arts, study, practice a foreign language, get some sleep, repeat.
Spend 2 years homless, with a 40 lb pack on your back, and hike an average of 20 miles a day, give or take.
Learn morse code. Learn radio communications. Learn computers. Study basic engineering. Study networking. Linux, Os/2, Macs, hardware repair, winXX, and software debugging.
Then study Security. Train with weapons, both lethal and non. Lifesaving skills. Study criminal justice. Study security management. Supervise and train employees. Do security site surveys, establish patrols, write Post Orders.
Get a license to drive armored vehicles. Drive 200-500 miles a day. Do 16 to 20 miles a day on foot when you work foot patrol.
You'll be there. And you'll find out what a lot of these other guys know. Because once people are convinced that there is something different about you, you're in big trouble. You're a liar. You're a poser. A fake. A charlatan. That's what those guys are, and you're a wuss. You're gay. You take drugs. You have non consensual sex with small furry animals. Worst of all, you're mentally unbalanced. A threat to teenage girls. You need to be drugged. Crackheads know you did it. And "it" is something that people will refer to you as. Forever and ever. And it was you who stole their Harley, and molested grandpa too.
So the cops come. And the cops see. And that's bad, because now...
Big brother is watching. You're a fed. A narc. A rat. A pig. You brainwashed them. Framed them. Set them up. The cat is wired. They're not going down alone.
Sounds imple enough, right? Wrong, psycho boy. You skitzo, bipolar, manic depressive, delusional, disaffected sociopath. That's the last time we ever trust you. It was you in Castro's butt. You're sold out. Down the river, and up the creek. Russian porn stars hate you bad, and Paris Hilton wants her tapes back.
And you lied. You know you did. That's why it's all your fault.
Last time I talked to the SEALS I knew, they were trying to make bail. Course, that was a few years ago. Think they split for more friendly parts. Me, I am keeping my head down, and the powder dry. May be able to sell the house this year. Thinking of leaving South Florida. For something resembling the USA. Where you might actually get to tell your side of the story before they execute you.
Stretch
Quit cigs 3W 6D 22h 46m ago. So far saved $167.69, 1,117 cigs not smoked and counting ...
But face facts. If you wear the uniform, you are in danger no matter what, if you are in a combat zone. You are more likely to encounter Enemy activity if you are a normal troop than if you are SF. SF guys are a lot less visible, speak several languages, and often insert for recon ops than for actual combat. Heck, Jessica Lynch proves that point totally. A girl who worked in supply is the most recognizable name of the Iraq war, bar none. Every person here knows who she is.
The single most important thing to remember is that any type of special forces missions involve training. Lots and lots of intensive training. People talk about being in SF, or wanting to be in SF, because IMO, they think that the psychological advantage of being some kind of bad ops guy is going to make people respect you more. But it doesn't mean anything at all without training. So do this.
Run three miles before breakfast.
Go to work on supersonic jets.
Come home, lift weights, run at least another 3 miles, go to the pool, swim a mile, practice martial arts, study, practice a foreign language, get some sleep, repeat.
Spend 2 years homless, with a 40 lb pack on your back, and hike an average of 20 miles a day, give or take.
Learn morse code. Learn radio communications. Learn computers. Study basic engineering. Study networking. Linux, Os/2, Macs, hardware repair, winXX, and software debugging.
Then study Security. Train with weapons, both lethal and non. Lifesaving skills. Study criminal justice. Study security management. Supervise and train employees. Do security site surveys, establish patrols, write Post Orders.
Get a license to drive armored vehicles. Drive 200-500 miles a day. Do 16 to 20 miles a day on foot when you work foot patrol.
You'll be there. And you'll find out what a lot of these other guys know. Because once people are convinced that there is something different about you, you're in big trouble. You're a liar. You're a poser. A fake. A charlatan. That's what those guys are, and you're a wuss. You're gay. You take drugs. You have non consensual sex with small furry animals. Worst of all, you're mentally unbalanced. A threat to teenage girls. You need to be drugged. Crackheads know you did it. And "it" is something that people will refer to you as. Forever and ever. And it was you who stole their Harley, and molested grandpa too.
So the cops come. And the cops see. And that's bad, because now...
Big brother is watching. You're a fed. A narc. A rat. A pig. You brainwashed them. Framed them. Set them up. The cat is wired. They're not going down alone.
Sounds imple enough, right? Wrong, psycho boy. You skitzo, bipolar, manic depressive, delusional, disaffected sociopath. That's the last time we ever trust you. It was you in Castro's butt. You're sold out. Down the river, and up the creek. Russian porn stars hate you bad, and Paris Hilton wants her tapes back.
And you lied. You know you did. That's why it's all your fault.
Last time I talked to the SEALS I knew, they were trying to make bail. Course, that was a few years ago. Think they split for more friendly parts. Me, I am keeping my head down, and the powder dry. May be able to sell the house this year. Thinking of leaving South Florida. For something resembling the USA. Where you might actually get to tell your side of the story before they execute you.
Stretch
Quit cigs 3W 6D 22h 46m ago. So far saved $167.69, 1,117 cigs not smoked and counting ...
evan price
Member
Check him out and/or report him to Veriseal.
www.veriseal.org
They take this stuff VERY VERY seriously.
www.veriseal.org
They take this stuff VERY VERY seriously.
longtab
Member
Novice eel... that really makes me laugh at this time of morning.
bogie
Member
If seelboy comes back, ask him if he knows how to shoot. Ask him how much money he has.
I could use a currency infusion...
I could use a currency infusion...
ArchAngelCD
Member.
NOT A SEAL for so many reasons in your original post.
**I think this information is correct and current**
The most current information on the handguns a SEAL member would carry is, they will carry one of several different handguns.
The Colt M1911A Colt .45 (used before the SIG but still available to SEAL teams)
The SIG-Sauer P-226 9mm (STANDARD ISSUE)
The HK Mk-23 Model 0 in .45 ACP+P
A S&W .357 Magnum Revolver (no longer military issue but still used by some Spec Ops teams under special conditions)
All team members will carry the same weapon and it wouldn't be a DE-50.
**I think this information is correct and current**
The most current information on the handguns a SEAL member would carry is, they will carry one of several different handguns.
The Colt M1911A Colt .45 (used before the SIG but still available to SEAL teams)
The SIG-Sauer P-226 9mm (STANDARD ISSUE)
The HK Mk-23 Model 0 in .45 ACP+P
A S&W .357 Magnum Revolver (no longer military issue but still used by some Spec Ops teams under special conditions)
All team members will carry the same weapon and it wouldn't be a DE-50.
Lebben-B
Member
One rotation to JRTC (This was '94, I believe), we had a USMCR ANGLICO team attached to our platoon for a mission. They referred to themselves as, "Force Recon with hair." Good bunch of joes; great sense of humor with that lot.
Mike
Cromlech
Member
Christopher Lee said:
Christopher Lee is a bad-ass.
U.S.SFC_RET
Member
Nothing sickens me worse than "stolen valor" of any kind. I went to a church service and get this. Veterans were asked by the pastor to wear dress uniforms. The pastor being a National Guard Chaplain of very high rank wore his. After the service was over I asked him while pointing at his chest of ribbons as to which medal that one was. He drew away from me like a scorched hot potato from hell. Go Figure. 
Hobie
Member
Here's another retiree who doesn't like the poseurs and sees one now and again along with many who are the real thing. Sad to say that even INSIDE the military there are those who try to steal a little "glory".
I bet your guy didn't get that sad and lonely look when he was talking about something that seemed like yesterday to him and a place and time far away to you. You didn't see a tear in his eye. You didn't hear his voice shake. He didn't pause and look away time to time as he regained his composure. He didn't mention friends' names with obvious reverence.
I be your guy talked about himself, about his guns, about his training and being the best, about being tough and strong. All about him.
I bet your guy didn't get that sad and lonely look when he was talking about something that seemed like yesterday to him and a place and time far away to you. You didn't see a tear in his eye. You didn't hear his voice shake. He didn't pause and look away time to time as he regained his composure. He didn't mention friends' names with obvious reverence.
I be your guy talked about himself, about his guns, about his training and being the best, about being tough and strong. All about him.
"I wonder why people do this. Even if I met a real seal, I really couldn't care less. I guess I'd feel some gratitude simply for him being part of the military, and pity for the difficult job. But I'm impressed with people who I want to be like. I'm aware that it's shallow, but I'm more impressed with pro athletes, an innovator, rock star or someone who otherwise leads an enviable life. I only did some impromptu searching on their salary and job description, but I wouldn't want to be someone who crawls through mud and gets shot at all day for chump change."
I can tell you why people do this. My "job" isn't really a job, it is a calling. It is physically demanding at times, required a lot of training, is dangerous and really doesn't prepare me to step out into the civilian world and into a high paying civilian occupation. I get a lot of satisfaction out of what I do and no amount of money is worth the way I feel. I also get a real kick out of it. Don't pity me for what I do or what I get paid because I made the choice to stick with what I do. To be honest I sometimes pity the people I see driving to work every morning, doing the same thing day in and day out, because every once in a while I get to do something really cool like save a persons life, or I get the crap scared out of me and it reminds me that I am alive and have a lot to be thankful for.
I can tell you why people do this. My "job" isn't really a job, it is a calling. It is physically demanding at times, required a lot of training, is dangerous and really doesn't prepare me to step out into the civilian world and into a high paying civilian occupation. I get a lot of satisfaction out of what I do and no amount of money is worth the way I feel. I also get a real kick out of it. Don't pity me for what I do or what I get paid because I made the choice to stick with what I do. To be honest I sometimes pity the people I see driving to work every morning, doing the same thing day in and day out, because every once in a while I get to do something really cool like save a persons life, or I get the crap scared out of me and it reminds me that I am alive and have a lot to be thankful for.
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