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American Sniper - Boekje Pienter

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I was rewarded with a blast of water in my face. Some of the other<br />

instructors had appeared and were working us over with fire hoses.<br />

Anyone stupid enough to look up, got hosed.<br />

Welcome to BUD/S.<br />

“Flutter kicks! GO!”<br />

BUD/S stands for Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL and it is the<br />

introductory course that all candidates must pass to become SEALs.<br />

It’s currently given at the Naval Special Warfare Center in Coronado,<br />

California. It starts with “indoc” or indoctrination, which is designed<br />

to introduce candidates to what will be required. Three phases follow:<br />

physical training, diving, land warfare.<br />

There have been a number of stories and documentaries over the<br />

years about BUD/S and how tough it is. Pretty much everything<br />

they’ve said on that score is true. (Or at least mostly true. The Navy<br />

and the instructors tone it down a bit for national consumption on TV<br />

reality shows and other broadcasts. Still, even the watered-down version<br />

is true enough.) Essentially, the instructors beat you down, then<br />

beat you down some more. When that’s done, they kick your ass, and<br />

beat what’s left down again.<br />

You get the idea.<br />

I loved it. Hated it, loathed it, cursed it . . . but loved it.<br />

LAME AND LAMER<br />

It had taken me the better part of a year to reach that point. I’d joined<br />

the Navy and reported for basic training in February 1999. Boot camp<br />

was pretty lame. I remember calling my dad at one point and saying

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