Bud, have you ever known a SEAL candidate that made it past 1st phase that didn't know the difference between 9 weeks and 16?Well "Bud" - I've never hung with wash-outs at anything, but, I have known a few SEAL/UDT guys who would eat this boy for breakfast and still have "more strength and credibility than you could ever imagine." Comparing a SEAL wash-out at 16 weeks to a Naval Sea/Air/Land Special Warfare designate is like comparing a Doctor to a high school drop-out. This guy didn't make it past the first Phase of training in all likelyhood, because the reality is that bootcamp can be extended for any number of reasons (and usually is), including waiting for a company to form (SEAL/UDT's are in "Special Companies" that usually take time to fill up), medical "holds" are common if the docs suspect anything is amiss (I spent an extra week in Navy boot camp waiting for a ruling on the shape of my ankle) and BUD/S candidates don't always pass the PST on the first try.
SEALs also have to qualify and pass a diving test before they can even start their training and that exam sometimes hangs them up for a week as well - but, they are still recruits, drawing a Navy paycheck the whole time and it all counts as time served in the billet.
If he made it into "Hell Week" with it's five and a half days of endless running, swiming, calisthenics and only four hours of sleep in the week, he very likely couldn't tell ten hours from 10 minutes at the end of it (without smoking pot), so yes, I've known SEALs who told me that they lost all sense of time durring phase one training.
To "wash out" in 4 months, this guy apparently had problems getting past the scuba qualification. It could have been a number of things, from lack of swimming ability to problems with his ears at depth. It does NOT mean that his problems were related to smoking pot. Your agenda won't "wash" here....There were no "problems with his ears at depth" or "lack of swimming ability" because as I just mentioned, all SEAL candidates must pass a diving physical examination, completed per Chapter 15, Section IV, Article 15-66 of the Manual of the Medical Department BEFORE reporting to BUD/S training.
I'm really sorry that I'm making you look like you don't know what you are talking about, that's not my "agenda" and I didn't say that he washed-out due to pot smoking. I called him a druggie only because his "best friend" was a druggie and he was evidently so stoned at the time of the raid that he couldn't tell a handgun from a "blue cup" or "a blue glass of water". My agenda was merely to correct some mistaken speculation about SEAL/UDT training from a couple of posters who were passing along moose droppings instead of facts.
One of the articles states that the shooter was a "veteran" police officer. It's very unlikely that he shot an unarmed man for kicks in my experience and mho and it's very likely that he has more "credibility" than the dope-smokers. It's a shame that the guy is dead, but, we can agree to disagree about who to believe. I won't agree that the dead man's best friend and apparently the only civilian eyewittness - is something special because he washed out of the SEAL training in 13 or 16 weeks. BTW, the ones that wash out after "Hell Week" are usually either psycho or too selfish to work with a team, so the longer he hung in there, the more likely it is that he's a nut job. Add drugs to the mix and he's not my idea of the most "credible" reliable wittness, but to each his own.
Whatever happened there, it doesn't justify acting like a lynch mob.
Since you apparently have never met Ian Albert personally, your assertion here is pure conjecture.
This guy didn't make it past the first Phase of training in all likelyhood, because the reality is that bootcamp can be extended for any number of reasons (and usually is), including waiting for a company to form (SEAL/UDT's are in "Special Companies" that usually take time to fill up), medical "holds" are common if the docs suspect anything is amiss (I spent an extra week in Navy boot camp waiting for a ruling on the shape of my ankle) and BUD/S candidates don't always pass the PST on the first try.
As in your earlier post, you claim that bootcamp is part of SEAL indoctrination. Sorry, but bootcamp is at Great Lakes, whereas BUD/S indoctrination is at Coronado.
Bootcamp at Great Lakes lasts 8 weeks. DURING that time, the recruit has FOUR chances to pass the PST. Upon successful completion of bootcamp, the candidate attends his "A" school in relation to his rate. After successfully completing that, he is bound for BUD/S training at Coronado.
BUD/S INDOCTRINATION lasts 5 weeks. After BUD/S indoctrination, there is 1st phase, which lasts 8 weeks. That brings us up to 13 weeks. Now there MIGHT have been a delay in "forming a company" or for other reasons, but it appears that Mr. Albert had to have made it to the end of 1st phase at least. And as other's have mentioned, that is no small feat in and of itself...
If he made it into "Hell Week" with it's five and a half days of endless running, swiming, calisthenics and only four hours of sleep in the week, he very likely couldn't tell ten hours from 10 minutes at the end of it (without smoking pot), so yes, I've known SEALs who told me that they lost all sense of time durring phase one training.
I think he's had the time to recover since then...
There were no "problems with his ears at depth" or "lack of swimming ability" because as I just mentioned, all SEAL candidates must pass a diving physical examination, completed per Chapter 15, Section IV, Article 15-66 of the Manual of the Medical Department BEFORE reporting to BUD/S training.
While true that a pressure test must be successfully passed before attending BUD/S, that doesn't include water in the ears at significant pressure. As far as the "swimming ability" comment, it is obvious that he knows how to swim if he made it that far. I was just saying that it is possible that he MIGHT have had problems in relation to underwater navigation and/or countless other things related to combat diving that are taught during 2nd phase..
It's also possible that he had problems getting a Secret clearance. That WOULD get him out of BUD/S training due to that requirement.
I called him a druggie only because his "best friend" was a druggie and he was evidently so stoned at the time of the raid that he couldn't tell a handgun from a "blue cup" or "a blue glass of water".
If the 9mm was upstairs at the time of the shooting and the victim was in the stairwell, guess what? He DIDN'T have a gun, and more than likely DID have something other than a gun in his hand. A blue cup of water doesn't seem that unlikely.
BTW, have YOU ever smoked pot? FYI, it DOESN'T make you hallucinate, and it DOESN'T impair your senses to a point where you mistake a gun for a cup. Maybe these black suited warriors should have smoked a joint, they might have seen the cup for what it was...
As far as this "druggie" label, I once had a roommate who had been a SEAL during the Vietnam war, and he smoked weed just as much as anyone else. You see, back then almost EVERYONE smoked pot, except for the real anal retentive nerds.
One of the articles states that the shooter was a "veteran" police officer.
There are MANY "veteran" police officers that have shot and killed innocent victims. If you'd like, I could post some material on that..
It's very unlikely that he shot an unarmed man for kicks in my experience and mho and it's very likely that he has more "credibility" than the dope-smokers.
I'd say that it was less for kicks than it was a result of the mindset that members of SWAT teams have these days. Civilians are considered the "enemy" and become "targets" instead of suspects.
I won't agree that the dead man's best friend and apparently the only civilian eyewittness - is something special because he washed out of the SEAL training in 13 or 16 weeks.
To me, the sheer fact that he signed up for BUD/S indicates that he was prepared to serve his country in a most unselfish way. Even if he did "wash out", he at least TRIED. That in my book scores a few points towards character...
BTW, the ones that wash out after "Hell Week" are usually either psycho or too selfish to work with a team, so the longer he hung in there, the more likely it is that he's a nut job.
I don't buy your explanation. What personal experience do you have to verify this hypothesis? You see, if he made it through 1st phase, he HAD to have worked well as a member of a team. And as far as the psycho reference, I think ALL SEALs are a bit psycho, otherwise they'd never volunteer for it in the first place or be able to pass BUD/S...
Add drugs to the mix and he's not my idea of the most "credible" reliable wittness, but to each his own.
I don't think people are giving him the credence of a saint, but he DOES have a bit more credence than some would like to admit...