Why Is Navy Seal Training Important to America’s National Security “We will be hunting you down, and we are going to deliver you to the doorsteps of hell”, (Blehm 245) said one of Adam’s buddies at his funeral. Adam Brown’s wife heard his buddy say that to the men standing at the funeral, all while starring at Brown’s children. Naval Special Warfare Development Group known as DEVGRU or formally known as SEAL Team Six went to Abbottabad, Pakistan on May 1st, 2011 to kill or capture Osama Bin Laden.
A couple years early, SEAL Team six embarked on an operation in Afghanistan known as Lake James. Unfortunately, during this mission, Adam Brown, one of their comrades, was fatally injured by multiple gunshot wounds. The operations undertaken by these teams require rigorous training and play a crucial role in safeguarding the United States’ national security. Navy SEALs are elite members of a specialized naval warfare unit trained for unconventional warfare. Each branch of the military has its own unique special forces, and joining or being part of the Navy is the sole pathway to becoming a SEAL.
There are two ways to join the Navy: enlisting or going through the Reserved Officer Training Course (ROTC). If you choose to enlist, you will need to visit the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) where you will be sworn in. At MEPS, you will also undergo physical exams and take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test. Alternatively, you can join the Navy through ROTC, a reserved officer training course available during high school and college. In the third year of ROTC, participants have the option to sign up for service and proceed directly to training.
The Recruit Training Command Center is situated at Naval Station in Great Lakes, Illinois. It is here that the Navy’s nine-week basic training course takes place, providing new recruits with the fundamental skills required for naval service. During this training, recruits are indoctrinated in military customs and courtesies, transforming them from civilians into sailors. Once the recruits have completed Basic Training and graduated, they proceed to tech school where they acquire essential knowledge and job-specific requirements for their respective fields.
Recruits who enroll to become SEALs are stationed at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois. The SEAL training program now commences at the Naval Special Warfare Preparatory School in Great Lakes, Illinois. In 2006, the Navy launched a plan to expand the special operations (SEAL) rating in order to meet the growing needs for their specialized skills in the fight against terrorism. The Preparatory School was established to enhance the readiness of prospective trainees for BUD/S. The official recognition of this new school took place on February 5th, 2008.
The SEAL school is specifically designed to prepare trainees for the rigorous two-year training called BUD/S. The training program focuses on physical conditioning, swimming, and underwater confidence, but it also incorporates academics. Trainees are introduced to SEAL ethos, core values, exercise science, nutrition, and mental toughness. Prior to the establishment of this school, only 26 percent of BUD/S participants successfully completed the intense six-month training. In 2007, the success rate improved to approximately 31 percent thanks to this preparation program.
According to Roger Herbert, the new preparatory school is expected to further increase the percentage. Since its inception, 148 sailors have successfully completed the program and were sent to BUD/S training in Coronado, California. In 2006, the Navy implemented special operator rates and developed a plan to expand the special operations (SEAL) rating in response to the growing need for their specialized skills in the war against terrorism. The establishment of the Preparatory School aimed to improve the readiness of prospective trainees for BUD/S.
On February 5th, 2008, the new school received official recognition. It is here that trainees are taught the Basic Underwater Demolition/Seal (BUD/S) method. The instructors focus on physical training, water competency, and mental tenacity, all while fostering teamwork. Captain Herbert, commander of the Naval Special Warfare Center and BUD/s course in Coronado California, believes that the training received at the prep school prepares the trainees for BUD/S.
To pass through the Preparatory School, sailors must successfully complete various timed challenges that consist of a 1,000-yard swim, a demanding four-mile run, as well as sets of push-ups, pull-ups, and sit-ups. While some individuals are prepared within a week, others require the entire twelve weeks before qualifying for bud/s. Rear Admiral Arnold O. Lotring, Commander of the Naval Service Training Command, played a significant role in establishing the Preparatory School at the Naval Station Great Lakes. He expressed that “Through this school, we will train young men who have the potential to become some of the world’s elite Special Forces – Navy SEALS.”
“They will protect the weak. They will defend the innocent and they will fight for us and those wanting to be free.” (Thornbloom) BUD/S commences with a twelve-week Indoctrination Course referred to as INDOC. This compulsory course aims to provide students with an understanding of the required technique and performance. Once the instructors deem the trainees ready, they are sent from the Preparatory School to Coronado, California for BUD/S indoctrination. The initial significant challenge that awaits the trainees upon arrival is passing the BUD/S physical screen test.
At least 235 individuals who have passed the physical screen test must begin the INDOC course. The course includes physical training techniques, the obstacle course, and other unique training aspects. INDOC is similar to the next level (Phase one), but it starts early and ends midafternoon instead of ending at the instructors’ discretion for sleep. The instructors aim to eliminate forty to fifty trainees before the first phase, but their goal is to eliminate 130 trainees before progressing to the first phase.
During indoc, trainees engage in physical training, including the use of the obstacle course and the introduction of various swimming techniques in the pool. It is also typical to witness trainees taking a moment to assess the challenges ahead and what is expected of them during each stage, resulting in some trainees opting to Drop on Request (DOR). Many trainees choose to DOR during this phase due to insufficient physical fitness or the inability to endure the hazing present in the indoc portion of BUD/S. Additionally, there is a greater number of instructors participating in the hazing within the indoc portion of BUD/S.
In the initial phase of BUD/S, trainees must acquire necessary skills like proper exercise counting and addressing instructors correctly, after passing the indoc. This phase, known as phase one, is considered to be the most challenging period for seal trainees. In phase one, trainees are grouped into boat crews comprising of six to eight individuals. During this stage, instructors focus on enhancing physical fitness, water competency, mental strength, and fostering teamwork.
The instructors prioritize swimming, running, and calisthenics as the main areas of focus. These key areas gradually become more challenging each week. Trainees are expected to progressively handle greater amounts of running, swimming, and calisthenics compared to the previous week. Boat crews participate in specific exercises such as “log PT” where they exercise with 150-pound logs, and “Surf Passage” which involves navigating the Pacific surf in inflatable boats. Each trainee’s performance is evaluated through a four-mile timed run in boots, a timed obstacle course, and a two-mile ocean swim.
Another important aspect of drown proofing is building water confidence. In this exercise, trainees are placed in a nine-foot deep water combat training tank with their hands and feet tied together. They must bob for five minutes, float for five minutes, swim 100 meters, bob for two minutes, and then retrieve their mask underwater with their teeth followed by five more bobs. Drown proofing is considered complete after these tasks. The first two weeks of phase one prepare the trainees for the intense “Hell Week” which consists of continuous activities with only four hours of sleep. Following Hell Week, the remaining four weeks focus on hydrographic charting, survey operations, and physical training. Hydrographic surveys primarily involve measuring water depth and charting navigational information. In week four, the trainees must complete a two-mile ocean swim within 95 minutes in order to proceed to phase two. Hell Week begins on Sunday at sundown and concludes on Friday at sunset.
The six instructors kick open the front and back door to start hell week. They begin shooting, causing a deafening noise despite using blank rounds. Whistles blow, shouting continues, and shooting persists. The room becomes filled with smoke and the scent of cordite. An instructor orders everyone outside. Whistles blow again, and trainees drop to the cement ground, covering their ears with their heads down. This marks the official start of Hell Week. For the next five days and nights, students train continuously, sleeping only for four hours throughout the entire week – a total of 132 hours of physical activity. Each phase of training during Hell Week involves Boat Crews carrying inflatable rubber Zodiacs over their heads. Timed exercises, runs, and crawling through mud flats are interspersed throughout the five-and-a-half days. During this challenging week, trainees receive four meals a day, which may include Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) or hot meals in unlimited quantities.
Eating hot food serves as a replacement for feeling warm and dry. It provides tired trainees, many of whom are on the verge of falling asleep, with the necessary morale boost. Paying close attention to commands is also a crucial aspect of BUD/S training, especially during Hell Week when lack of sleep causes mental confusion. The instructor might intentionally omit a portion of an order to test the trainees’ listening skills. For instance, while giving a series of orders for the teams to perform exercises with a 300-pound log, he might exclude mentioning the log in one particular order.
Paying attention team leaders will notice and in turn, their team will receive a slight relief in the difficulty level of the task as they are not required to carry the log. The instructor may choose to reward the team by permitting them to rest by the fire or sit and sleep for a brief period. () Nonetheless, this intensive training is crucial as SEALs need to function effectively despite freezing temperatures and personal discomfort during missions. Their lives, as well as others’, may rely on it. Throughout hell week, trainees grasp the genuine importance of teamwork.
During hell week, the largest number of trainees in DOR (Drop On Request). The last day of hell week, also known as SO SORRY DAY, is particularly challenging for the trainees. On this day, they have to crawl under barbed wire and through mud while live explosives are going off in their vicinity. The trainees are then required to crawl into a demo pit where they are about to experience an evolution involving noise, gunfire, and tradition. The term “demo pits” is misleading as it actually refers to a single oval hole dug into the sand and intersected by several culverts. During hell week, seawater is pumped into this pit to create a depth of six to seven feet.
The trainees are required to crawl under barbed wire and navigate through multiple smoke grenades that emit a strong smell of sulfur. Once they reach the pit, they are met with instructors shooting blanks using M-43s. After entering the pit, the instructors order the trainees to proceed through a passage called surf passage and then into the cold surf, where they are instructed to perform flutter kicks. Eventually, the senior instructor calls the trainees back from the ocean and gathers them around him to announce the end of hell week.
After enduring Hell Week, the trainees spend the remaining four weeks learning about conducting operations on hydrographic charts and survey techniques, while also engaging in physical training. Hydrographic surveys primarily focus on measuring water depth and creating nautical charts. In the fourth week, the trainees must complete a final two-mile ocean swim within 95 minutes in order to proceed to phase two. Those who pass phase one then advance to the diving portion of the BUD/S. The first week of this phase is dedicated to studying diving physics, while the second week focuses on dive tables and diving medicine.
At the end of week two, trainees must complete the academic portion of phase two. They must pass exams in diving physics, diving medicine, and diving decompression tables. Additionally, trainees must pass the pool competence test, which involves underwater harassment. This test is designed to assess if trainees can handle adversity underwater without panicking. It is known as the Hell Week of phase two and can lead some trainees to voluntarily withdraw (DOR). During week three, the class starts open-circuit scuba training in the pool, which is a significant challenge for all trainees.
The open circuit portion of the second phase concludes with a bounce dive off Point Loma, reaching a depth of 120 feet. Despite their struggles in the pool, the dive to the bottom and back is somewhat underwhelming, resembling a ball bouncing. However, there is no harassment in the clear and cold water. The instructor takes four trainees at a time, descending along the descent line from the boat to a 120-foot depth mark. They hang in the water, observing jellyfish for a few minutes before beginning their ascent. At this depth, the pressure causes their air bubbles to make a distinct tinkling sound instead of the usual burbling.
Otherwise, the experience is quick, painless, and cold. Another task completed during the second phase. The individuals who remain are successfully overcoming every obstacle. The remainder of the second phase will focus on becoming proficient in using the LAR V scuba, commonly referred to as “the Draeger” by instructors and trainees. This scuba is a closed-circuit tank containing 100 percent oxygen. The Draeger is the latest version of a series of combat swimmer scubas, originating from early British and Italian models developed during World War II. The diver inhales pure oxygen, while the exhaled gas is purified from carbon dioxide by passing through a canister.
Additional oxygen is added to the breathing gas if necessary. The theory of the oxygen re-breather has remained largely unchanged for the past fifty years, but significant advancements have been made in the design and safety features of these scuba devices. The Draeger, worn on the diver’s chest, is a lightweight and compact rig. It allows combat swimmers to spend up to six hours underwater, without any visible bubbles, in order to fulfill their mission. As long as it is appropriately maintained and prepared for diving, the Draeger is considered a safe apparatus.
During the initial two days of closed-circuit instruction, the class is introduced to the diving rig that will serve as the trainee’s underwater companion in the SEAL Teams. The trainees learn about the care and maintenance of the Draeger through both classroom and hands-on evaluations. This includes setting up the rig for a dive, performing in-water procedures, and ensuring its regular upkeep.
In addition to these pre- and post-dive procedures, the trainees also acquire the ability to identify signs of hypoxia, a condition characterized by a lack of oxygen. They learn to recognize these signs in themselves or their dive buddy, such as slow responsiveness, unresponsiveness, or poor judgment. These signs could indicate the onset of hypoxia.
Unless more oxygen is given to the man, unconsciousness and even death may occur. Divers are also taught emergency procedures in case these symptoms arise or if their Draeger becomes flooded and forces them to come up to the surface. The trainees pay close attention to these indications. The Draeger is a dependable scuba tool as long as the standard procedures are strictly followed. () Over the next two weeks, the trainees will start using the Draeger. The first two dives are meant for familiarization in a pool. Then, the men begin creating holes in San Diego Bay. Each subsequent swim becomes longer and each swim introduces a new objective or a new combat swimmer technique.
During the day, trainees learn to master the Draeger. Once they have mastered it, they move on to night swims. Trainees also learn how to calibrate their kick count, or pace, to judge distance on a given course. Each swim pair carries an attack board, which is a pie-plate-sized Plexiglas board with mountings for a compass, wristwatch, and depth gauge. They take turns “driving” and follow a course based on a compass heading. Gradually, trainees begin to learn the basic tools of the combat swimmer: the ability to swim on a good line of bearing and determine the distance they need to travel.
Underwater navigation is similar to land navigation with a map and compass. Week three on the Draeger serves as a “gut check” for trainees as they must master the device. The last dive in the second phase involves a nighttime ship attack. Similar to other Draeger dives, trainees first perform it during the day and then repeat it at night. The ultimate task requires dive pairs to surface approach the target, submerge, and execute their attack. Each pair must place a marker on the ship and swim back to the recovery point underwater.
Trainees who successfully complete the final dive problem move forward to the third and last phase of BUD/S. This phase, which lasts for ten weeks, is dedicated to land warfare training. The course covers topics such as reconnaissance, demolitions, weapons, and tactics. The training is split into two parts: training at the Naval Special Warfare Center and training on San Clemente Island. The first five weeks are spent at the Special Warfare Center, which includes four days at La Posta for land navigation and four days at Camp Pendleton for shooting range exercises.
When new trainees start, their first task is to set up their combat load. This load is carried on H-gear, which is a canvas utility belt used to carry personal infantry gear. The H-gear is supported by padded nylon suspenders. The trainees must set up their H-gear in a specific way: four ammunition pouches are placed in front, with two on each side of the front buckle catch. Additionally, two canteens are positioned just behind each hip, and a personal first aid kit is placed in the small of the back. The only optional placement on the H-gear belt is the combat knife, which is standard-issue.
Trainees carry their combat knives on their left or right hip opposite of their rappelling line. All metal surfaces of their personal field equipment are either painted black or covered with olive-drab tape to prevent reflecting light and making noise.
Time at Camp Pendleton is focused on weapons safety, qualification, and becoming proficient with the M-4 rifle. Camp Pendleton is a Marine Corps base spanning 125,000 acres located between San Diego and Los Angeles. It boasts 17 miles of Southern California coastline, making it one of the most coveted parcels of land in the United States.
Every day, there is a physical evolution that typically involves intense physical training or a conditioning run. The conditioning runs at Camp Pendleton are particularly challenging and serve as some of the toughest exercises they have encountered thus far. During these runs, the trainees are required to run while carrying weapons and operational equipment, as well as their H-gear and packs. Additionally, the trainees must also carry a heavy log named “Stumpy” which weighs seventy pounds and has four handles for carrying. Throughout the eight mile runs, the trainees take turns running with Stumpy for two minutes each. Remarkably, the Third Phase Cadre, who serve as instructors, join the trainees in completing these demanding runs.
The level of physical harassment in the second phase of training is lower but remains a part of the training. The SEAL Teams offer a range of firearms options including rifles, handguns, and sub-machine guns, with the M-4 being the primary weapon. The M-4 is a modified version of the M-16 rifle, which has been a standard U.S. military rifle since the 1960s. It bears resemblance to the civilian and law enforcement AR-15, but with a semi-collapsible stock and a slightly longer barrel. Alongside learning about the care, maintenance, operation, and firing of the M-4, the candidates also undergo rigorous safety drills.
During week five, the trainees will depart from the Naval Special Warfare Center and head to San Clemente Island for additional tactical training, shooting practice, demolitions, and field exercises. It is important to note that “Weapons safety is as much a conscious attitude in handling a firearm as it is a set of rules and regulations” ().
Each trainee is required to verbally repeat these rules. There are various shooting drills to be performed, but before that, the trainees must obtain a qualifying score on a standard navy rifle course. This assessment is conducted in all branches of the military and involves precise shooting and marksmanship at a range of 200 yards.
Instructors carefully take note of safety infractions or discrepancies in handling weapons. These incidents gradually accumulate and must be paid off through push-ups and additional physical training. Apart from participating in shooting exercises with the M-4 rifle, each trainee is required to pass a weapons assembly test. This examination consists of a bench test where the individuals dismantle and reassemble the M-4, the 9mm Sig Sauer pistol, and the M-43 machine gun while identifying each component. An instructor closely monitors the trainees with a stopwatch and simultaneously quizzes them on various aspects such as the cycle rate of fire and maximum effective range of these weapons.
What is the muzzle velocity of this weapon?
One of the final drills at Camp Pendleton is the class “Top Gun” shoot-off. This is a single-elimination tournament with two shooters going head-to-head on the range. Each target silhouettes vary in range from fifty to 100 meters. The students’ scores are a function of time and the number of hits. As with many combat skills, smooth skills equal speed.
The naval special warfare group one mountain training facility at La Posta is a rugged military reservation in the Laguna Mountains some eighty miles east of San Diego. It is used by the west coast seal teams and SDV teams and BUD/S classes.
La Posta is a rugged facility that boasts excellent shooting ranges, aged barracks, challenging mountainous terrain, and demanding land-navigation courses. Trainees at La Posta acquire knowledge on patrolling, camouflage, and stealth techniques during both day and night operations. With an elevation of 3,500 feet, the February nights at La Posta can be quite chilly. Trainees are occasionally permitted to sleep in the barracks using sleeping bags, while other times they must find shelter in a bush. Each morning begins with an intense physical training session or conditioning run. The days are dedicated to traversing the Laguna mountains.
The land navigation practical test spans two days, requiring trainees to utilize maps and compasses to navigate through various courses, usually spanning 5,000 meters with each leg measuring 1,000 meters or more. Although completion times differ among pairs, all trainees successfully finish the navigation test. Following this, trainees proceed to engage in SEAL Tactical Shooting exercises. These drills involve running between different shooting stations, each featuring distinct elements such as a trash can, a vehicle, or a window frame. In these exercises, trainees learn combat shooting techniques including shooting from under a car by rolling on their sides or adopting the optimal stance on a window sill.
Their objectives include shooting metal silhouettes that make a pinging sound when hit. The trainees move quickly from one station to another, shooting twice at each target. The meals at La Posta are the same as those provided at Camp Pendleton, known as MREs, which are consumed either in the barracks or on the shooting ranges. On the final day at La Posta, the candidates return to the Special Warfare Center. Just before they begin preparing for San Clemente Island, the third phase officer leads them on a 14-mile beach run, which is the longest run in Basic Underwater Demolition/Seal (BUD/S). However, during this run, the men are dressed in shorts and running shoes.
It has been a long time since they have run in dry clothes and not in boots. Upcoming are the combat runs and rucksack runs on San Clemente. San Clement Island, also known as “The Rock” by Seal trainees, is one of the Channel Islands located off the Southern California coast. It serves as an idyllic training ground for seals. This is the final five weeks of BUD/S, during which all previous training will be merged with simulated combat missions and explosives training. Now the trainees will employ their earlier training to imitate combat missions.
Aside from classes on explosives and combat tactics, the training will now involve half of the trainees testing their own skills. The SEAL compound is located in a protective cove, featuring one of the few sandy beaches on the island. It serves as a mini-campus for aspiring warriors. San Clemente primarily focuses on weapons, demolitions, and small unit tactics, which are fundamental to the SEAL profession. Each night, trainees learn and improve upon their skills through practice missions. If an exercise does not meet the required standards, they will repeat it the following night. Ultimately, the trainees will successfully complete all of their Field Training Exercises (FTX) missions.
Throughout the field training exercises problems, the phase three staff closely monitors and assesses every action taken. After the exercise concludes, the exhausted individuals convene in the classroom for a debriefing conducted by the patrol leader, as well as receive evaluation from the instructors who are responsible for overseeing the problem. On the final night, they make their entrance via the beach, switch to land travel, and patrol several miles until reaching the objective area. Subsequently, they cautiously and methodically approach the designated target. Two of the trainees utilize pop flares to illuminate the objective, while the remaining trainees launch an assault on the target employing their M-4 rifles.
Upon successfully acquiring the intended target, the individuals proceed to strategically equip important facilities and structures with explosives. Prominently adhering to their SEAL training, they must swiftly strike and promptly retreat. As they move away from the designated area, they discern the synchronized detonation of their charges. However, during their departure, the instructors surprise them by engaging in a simulated combat scenario employing non-lethal ammunition. Demonstrating their proficiency, the trainees effectively evade the opposing force and proceed towards their designated beach landing site. As they arrive, they systematically organize themselves and securely fasten their fins over their footwear before commencing their swim towards the anchored small inflatable boats situated offshore.
This is the part where each man proves his worthiness of becoming a Navy Seal. The following day is reserved for tidying up the camp and packing equipment and weapons for the return trip to Coronado. On the last night, the instructors are treated to a barbecue and a keg of beer by the trainees, who are usually only twenty in number. This tradition takes place at the instructors’ lounge at camp Al Huey. It marks the end of Phase three and serves as the final obstacle before graduation. The trainees have completed their training at BUD/S. The land warfare component of phase three transforms sailors into skilled and cutting-edge Naval Commandos. Graduation week, which was once just a dream, is now a reality.
It is a relatively relaxed week with various administrative tasks such as dental x-rays and jump-school briefings, wet suit measurements, and course critiques. The Commanding Officer of the Naval Special Warfare and the instructor staff will carefully review these critiques. The trainees spend their evenings enjoying burgers, having a couple of beers, and celebrating their camaraderie. They are aware that they have successfully reached this point. The final assessment is the SEAL physical readiness test, which includes performing the maximum number of push-ups, sit-ups, and dead-hang pull-ups that a trainee can accomplish in two-minute intervals.
After completing the exercises, the men immediately participate in a three-mile timed run and a half-mile timed open ocean swim. There is no punishment for finishing last, but since they are still BUD/S trainees, they strive to be first. Graduation from BUD/S marks the start of real professional SEAL training, and every trainee’s family is invited to attend. Following successful completion of BUD/S, SEAL trainees continue to Tactical Air Operations in San Diego, California for both static-line and free-fall training.
The 3-week program aims to train competent free-fall jumpers quickly with the help of expert instructors. The course includes various jump progressions, starting from basic static line to accelerated free fall with combat equipment. The trainees are required to complete night descents with combat equipment from a minimum altitude of 9,500 feet. On the other hand, Seal Qualification Training (SQT) is a 26-week course that takes BUD/S graduates to a more advanced level of tactical training.
Following is the process of selecting fit, versatile, and determined trainees, who have already demonstrated exceptional abilities, and enhancing them into individuals who are even more extraordinary: warriors deserving of the SEAL title. If a man possesses the necessary qualities to reach this stage, the next 26 weeks will be dedicated to sharpening their mental and physical abilities. SEAL Qualification Training (SQT) instructs trainees in standardized Naval Special Warfare Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs), subjecting them to a series of demanding training courses.
Trainees acquire expertise in various areas including cold-weather survival, marine operations, advanced combat swimming, close-quarter combat, and land-warfare training. Within this program, each trainee gains knowledge not only as a highly capable individual but also as a valuable member of an operational platoon. Upon completion of SQT, trainees are awarded the prestigious Navy SEAL Trident. After receiving the trident, it is ceremoniously pounded into the graduate’s chest, ensuring its permanence.
Following graduation, trainees immediately commence advanced training and are assigned to a SEAL team. The subsequent phase involves Advanced Training and Team Placement. When reporting to their First SEAL Team or Special Delivery Vehicle (SDV) Team, individuals can expect 18 months of comprehensive training equally divided among Individual Specialty Training, Unit Level Training, and Task Group Level Training.
Enlisted SEALs with a medical rating undergo a 6-month Advanced Medical Training Course to become a SEAL medic. Those aspiring for Officer positions initially attend the Junior Officer Training Course, which covers operations planning and conducting team briefings.
Training, physical conditioning, and drills are essential aspects of the SEAL lifestyle. Upon completing SEAL initial training, individuals can pursue further advanced training opportunities that encompass foreign language study, SEAL tactical communications training, Sniper training, Military Free-
