| I thought this would be an interesting thread. Why do you want to join an elite military unit (SOF or otherwise, such as EOD/Ranger/10th Mountain/AB/etc)...or why did you? What is/was your motivation, desire, goals, etc? Obviously for the guys who have been there and done that, don't want any names, etc...and for the guys who are currently there, I don't want any names/units/etc...I just want to know why you joined. I want to hear from as many people as I can...because this can help all of us looking to join an elite unit.
Well, here's my reason (kind of long and rambling, lol). When I was 6, I first heard about the SEALs; I believe it was a Discovery channel documentary. Basically, they were talking about how the SEALs were blowing things up, kicking in doors, all of the Hollywood stuff. I thought it was awesome because it was just like a giant game of army man. I decided then, at 6, that I was going to be a SEAL (I probably didn't even know how to pronounce it at the time, or what branch it was in, or anything). Well, as I got older, my dream stuck with me. I learned more and more about the military and the SEALs, and how things worked. At age 10, I started reading just about every military book I could...and have continued to do so to this day. My reason for wanting to be a SEAL slowly started to change from "being an army man" to the more mature, realistic reason I want to be a SEAL today: to be a winner, and to be surrounded by other highly motivated winners. I have always had a desire to be the best...always. I mean, I am one of the most competitive people you will meet. I sort of thank my Parent's for that, my Dad in particular. He has always pushed me to be the best, and I have seen how succesful he is because of his work ethic. He's a winner, and I want to be like that. Even to this day (as I am a Junior in HS), if I make below an A, not only do my Parent's interogate me as to why I made a bad grade, but also I feel very guilty...because I didn't succeed. It's just a desire I have to be a winner, to be the best (as cliche and overused as that has become), and to never quit. That is one thing my Dad has taught me...never quit. He went through a bankruptcy (his business partner was stealing from him and went to jail because of it), and now he runs one of the most succusful businesses in our area...he never quits. I can remember as young guy playing city league basketball (I was like 11-12). My team sucked, and we only won one game that year. But I was always trying hard, yelling at me team trying to motivate them, challenging the refs if they made a bad call (lol, I must have looked like the biggest brat), and just trying to find a way to win. Well, the last game of the year, we won. I had basically decided I was going to take over the game, and I sort of did (I was no great talent at all, by the way...I probably wouldn't have started in a bigger city). I had 12 points and 8 rebounds, my best game. We won like 24-20...it was a pitiful game, but we won. Well, Allstars was coming up, and every team was supposed to have a player selected for all-stars (most teams got 2). I was by far the best player on my team (again, I was nothing special, but my team was horrible honestly). I didn't get selected (no one on my team did), because of politics. One team had 3 players selected, but because my Team was so bad, I wasn't selected...it really hurt my feelings, so I stopped playing basketball. It was good for me though, because I found my true love...working out. I've been working out ever since, and while I'm not in great shape, I am better than average. I try really hard anyway. I've learned an extreme amount about working out, and it's awesome. I also started taking MMA about 10 months ago, and it's great...it's really toughened me up. It's taken the whole "never quit" thing to a new level. 3 weeks ago, I went to the weekly sparring session at my gym. We basically spar with someone all out for 1 rounds (3 minutes), then switch partners. Well, after about 10 rounds, I sparred my instructor. He's a pro fighter. He's tough. He destroyed me...he nearly knocked me out 3 times (Thank god for a hard head and strong neck) and I was wobbling everywhere. He also knocked the wind out of me twice. It was embarrasing, as the new guys who were watching the session were basically laughing at the beating...it was the longest 3 minutes of my life, lol. But, I didn't quit fighting, and I laughed every time he landed a good shot. I earned alot of respect from him, and he bragged on me for the first time ever the next day (saying how tough I was and how he couldn't drop me)...he's a former Marine, so it means alot. So basically, I want to be a SEAL because I want to be a winner, and be surrounded by winners; but I have to admit, I also like the idea of serving in a SOF unit, because I like the mission tasks, etc. By the way, my English is probably horrible in this post, sorry...it's not my strong suit.
So, if you have mad |
