Expert: MARK A. HOWELL - 4/21/2009

Question
QUESTION: My ultimate goal is to be a Force Reconnaissance Marine or a Navy Seal.  Would it help me to attend college before enlisting?  I had originally aimed specifically toward Annapolis and West Point even though West Point is the Army.  Also would I be better off if I enlisted before attending either of the academies?

ANSWER: Allen,
You don't usually enter the Navy directly as a SEAL.  The Navy usually accepts applicants from men who have already been in the Navy a few years.

What exactly is your goal as a SEAL?  The majority of SEALS are enlisted men.  Officers that are SEALs are usually the unit commanders, and there's only a few of them.  In other words, enlisted SEALs do all the neat and dangerous stuff.  The SEAL officers are the managers who make the decisions as to what SEAL teams do.

First ask yourself, if you had no plans to become a SEAL would you still go to college?  If your answer is no, then you should join the Navy now and apply to become a SEAL at the appropriate time.
If your answer is yes, there are 3 ways to become an officer:

Earning a Bachelor's Degree is necessary to become an officer.
1.  You can go through college at your own expense, graduate, and then apply to join the Navy via Officer Candidate School (OCS).
2.  You can attend a college or university that has an Navy ROTC program.  You can even apply for a scholarship via ROTC and have them pay your way through school.  Upon graduation you are commissioned as an officer.
3.  You can attend a military academy for 4 years.  Applying to a military academy requires a nomination from your U.S. Senator.  Students that win nomination usually have a 4.0 GPA and are outstanding citizens.  Upon graduation you are commissioned as an officer.

Enlisted folks who decide to earn a Bachelor's degree later-on while they are in the Service, can apply to attend OCS.

So you still have some decisions to make.  Regardless of how old your are now, talk to a Navy recruiter.  He can give you some pointers on career choices and explain in detail how things apply specifically to you.
Once you've made up your mind, he can have everything ready for you when the time comes to join.

Good luck in whatever you choose, and thanks for wanting to serve in uniform.
Colonel H


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks you very much for your response Colonel Howell.  I'm seventeen and finishing up junior year by the way.  I want to be a enlisted SEAL.  I guess if I had no plans to be part of any of the special forces I would be a Marine infantryman and probably not go to college.  I have however thought about the CIA's Special Activities Division though I'm not completely sure yet.  If this is outside your field of expertise you may ignore it.  I realize that very few become SEALs and and even fewer make it to the CIA's SAD.  I understand that chances are I in over my head but maybe I'm not.  I know that to be in the CIA you need a Bachelors' degree which I can get at a military academy.  I go to Bronx Science, a very good high school.  Quite a few senior made it into the military academies.  I have compared what I have with what they have and my chances of getting in seem very good.  My question now is would I be a better 2nd Lieutenant if I enlist before entering a military academy?

Answer
Allen,
I have deployed on covert ops many times with members of the CIA SAD and have great respect for them.  You're correct, all of them have college degrees and have many years of military service in Special Ops units.  One dark night in Africa as we were running across a field to catch a C-130 during an engine-running onload, dodging automatic weapon fire, a SAD guy near me fell down.  I helped him up and as we climbed aboard I noticed he had been shot twice in the right leg.  He never made a sound because he didn't want to give away our location and possibly jeopardize the mission.  That's what I call dedicated!

If you have good enough grades to get into college, then by all means go.  That will increase your chances of becoming a SEAL and set yourself up for the CIA later on.  I would try for a college that has an ROTC program.

NO, do not enlist before going to college.  It will only hinder you in the long-run and slow you down.

It's good that you're thinking ahead.
Colonel H