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I am a vet and received my airborne training along with several Seals, Pathfinders, and Marine Re con units. We started with about 840 and finished with 72 and were already in the top 10% when we got there. I think that the Seal training is probably the hardest and most diversified training that one can received in the military. Although I am very proud of my service I take notice when I see a Seal who is maybe 1 out of a 1000 who makes it. It usually only takes a few minutes of conversation to determine if they are authentic. Most of these Vets. do not have an agenda and it is usually a tipoff when they start bragging about their deeds. I don't think that the physical training is any tougher today than in the past but I do believe that they are much better trained and equipped overall. i doubt that many are these are homeless and the dregs of society. I think that is a myth. These people are self confident and purposeful and usually accomplish their goals. They usually decide if competing in an endeavor is important to them before committing. I have also notice that most don't require the normal frills of society and money is not the prime objective. My 2 cents.

Most of these Vets. do not have an agenda and it is usually a tipoff when they start bragging about their deeds.

I think that is true of most Vets in general. It's only those like Kerry who get on soap boxes and use their real or imagined status for personal gain. Thanks for your 2 cents. It was a good read.

A few months ago I had a guy work with me for a few days who claimed to be the seventh highest living decorated veteran as well as a former member of the 75th Ranger Division. Unfortunately for him, our boss served with the Rangers (he wasn't actually a Ranger but worked with them as a translator) and still has a number of friends who are still serving. He called the liar on his dishonesty and told him that we were going to run a background check to confirm that he had the master electrician's license he claimed to have. The phony quit that afternoon, just a few hours before we received confirmation that he'd indeed lied about his license.

The only Seal I have personally known was a quiet person whose eyes could melt titanium. He was a man of few words and had an aire of confidence about him that only the wise understood. At one semi-formal event I saw him wearing a very small Silver Star ribbon, you almost had to squint to make it out. Only then did our conversation turn to our time in the service; I didn't know he was a vet.

Once he told me that he greatly respected the British SAS; he "worked" with several of their members once and was quite impressed. Darn, when you impress a Seal, you've done something!