Special Forces Combat Dive School

[IROC]

My nephew just graduated from the Army Special Forces Combat Dive School. He will be a junior in college this fall and did it through ROTC. I haven't talked to him personally, from what I understand it is extremely difficult. He said that many (most?) of the guys dropped out. He said they "lost the will to live".

He did very well from what I understand. I openly admit that I could never do this.

[matt711]

He is definitely a stud. Not many ROTC or West Point cadets complete the course. The wash out rate is very high even for soldiers attending from an SF group and they run pre-SCUBA courses designed to prepare soldeirs for the course. last I heard the wash out rate was well into the high 70% rate.

Great job nephew! Next stop Airborne school, selection and the Q course.

[IROC]

Yeah, he did little or nothing to prepare. He's a freak of nature. I think his biggest asset was his attitude - you just can't beat him down. He goes to ETSU in Johnson City, TN, BTW...

[Rikao4]

awesome..
those are the guy's they want..
when other's finally cry uncle...
you get a f u from them..
being in shape help's..
but it's your head that often defeats you..
so he's another one for Snapper & his crew..

Rika

[GH85Carrera]

I love to see those stories. A good looking kid that is smart and tough. His head must be in the right place to want to do that. Crongats to you and the nephew.

[Jim Richards]

Wow! What a great nephew you have there, Mike!

[sammyg2]

Some anti-American so and so gave this thread one star? really?
it's up to 3 now.

We need more heros and shame on us if we don't appreciate their sacrifices and dedication.

[Flat Six]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Some anti-American so and so gave this thread one star? really?
it's up to 3 now.

We need more heros and shame on us if we don't appreciate their sacrifices and dedication.

^^^ this

4+ stars now

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Flat Six

4+ stars now

I wish I could make it 10.

The combat swim schools in all the services are the hardest mentally, even the wimpy pilot swim quals and dunkers I had to go through, of all the schools IMHO. Water makes hard men soft.

The ability to relax when you can't get air, to reference yourself in water and find the peace of mind to think your way to a solution underwater is unusual and why the drop out rate in the really hard water courses is so high.

Even the best swimmers panic when they are denied access to the surface, to the comfort of air.

Your young nephew is to be congratulated. I would have drowned.

[IROC]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

Your young nephew is to be congratulated. I would have drowned.

Yeah, a couple of weeks ago my sister was relaying to me some of the stuff he was going through and I was astounded. One drill took place in the deep end of a pool with hands and feet bound where the guys were having to bounce off the bottom to the surface to get a breath of air (or something to that effect). Evidently, this went on for hours. He said that the instructors would walk around the pool with big shepherd's hooks and pull out the guys that sank and showed no effort in coming back up. I think that was the one where he said the guys would just lose the will to live. They started off with around 50-60 guys at the beginning of the class (I think) and he said something like 12 of them quit that day.

Their final test seemed to me to be so difficult I have no idea how anyone could do it.

Evidently this school is so hard that there is no shame in quitting. It is just that hard.

[Burnin' oil]

Originally Posted by IROC

Yeah, a couple of weeks ago my sister was relaying to me some of the stuff he was going through and I was astounded. One drill took place in the deep end of a pool with hands and feet bound where the guys were having to bounce off the bottom to the surface to get a breath of air (or something to that effect). Evidently, this went on for hours. He said that the instructors would walk around the pool with big shepherd's hooks and pull out the guys that sank and showed no effort in coming back up. I think that was the one where he said the guys would just lose the will to live. They started off with around 50-60 guys at the beginning of the class (I think) and he said something like 12 of them quit that day.

Wow. Just wow. Where's my inhaler?

[porsche4life]

Yikes.... And I thought some of the crap they made us do for my rescue diver swim test was hard.....

[nostatic]

Back in HS our "home pool" for water polo was the indoor pool at NTC. We were there 6 days a week and often would come in as they were finishing up training exercises. It was a land of torture - much to the glee of our coach.

Kudos to your nephew. The guys who do this type of stuff (BUDS, etc) are a different breed.

[Jim Bremner]

His balls, they clank.

[Hard-Deck]

Very well done. Give your nephew a slap on the back from me. I need him in my corner. Now....whose niece is next? I need some female killers. Stone cold life-takers. We can't let the SFOD-D teams have all the female warriors.

[IROC]

Originally Posted by nostatic

Kudos to your nephew. The guys who do this type of stuff (BUDS, etc) are a different breed.

Funny thing is that he is a happy-go-lucky kind of guy that is always smiling and making jokes. He said that at one point they got in trouble and they had to sit on the edge of the pool with flippers on and hold their legs out in front of them and kick with their legs while the instructors sprayed water from hoses in their faces. He said this went on for 45 minutes straight. He said he had a big ol' grin on his face the whole time thinking, "this is so awesome".

Different breed for sure.

[IROC]

Originally Posted by Snapper33

I need him in my corner. Now....whose niece is next? I need some female killers.

His sister (my niece) is probably next. My sister was telling me about my nephew's exploits at dive school at a track meet here in town where my niece was qualifying for the junior olympics in the javelin. Crazy stuff.

[mikeesik]

Makings of a REAL hero.
Rebirth of cool.

[vash]

wow!!

that is amazing..damn amazing.

i never graduated from kiddie pool..

[Baz]

Hey Mike.....thanks for sharing and congrats to you and your family. Refreshing and inspiring post. Wishing you and yours all the best, Baz