Navy SEALs Gifts for Up to $15

Coins – Navy SEAL challenge coins are given to Navy SEALs upon acceptance into the team. They serve as an award for successfully completing the screening process. Navy SEAL fans like to display these coins at their homes to show their support for Navy SEALs. For some fans they even serve as motivation to join the SEALs in the future. In addition, coins are easy to ship, so if you know some US Navy SEALs fans overseas, don’t look any further.

Insignia– Navy SEAL pins and patches let the SEALs fans show their support wherever they go. Navy SEAL insignia usually displays specific SEAL Team. However, if you are not sure about the team, you can’t go wrong with a pin or a patch with the Navy SEAL logo.

Novelties – if the Navy SEAL fans have a sense of humor, you can always get them something extraordinary, for example, Navy Sailor Wipes or Navy SEAL BBQ sauce. Trust us, the gift will stand out!

Navy SEALs Gifts for Up to $30

T-Shirts – Navy SEALs fans cannot have too many t-shirts with their favorite military force! Therefore, if you have $30 in your pocket, you have more than enough Navy SEAL T-Shirts to choose from. Make sure the t-shirts are 100% cotton, which makes them more comfortable, and also age appropriate – young SEALs fans will appreciate colorful and large designs, while others will be happy with simple T’s.

DVDs – Navy SEAL DVD themes vary from historical to manuals to fitness. If Navy SEAL fans admire or work on specific skills, such as hand to hand or pistol combat, you can find a variety of DVDs on the topic. If they like to work out in the gym, there is a Navy SEAL Workout DVD, which they will surely admire.

Luminox Watch Straps – If you know US Navy SEAL fans who own Luminox watches, you can buy straps for them. The only thing you need to know is the series of the watch they have. Luminox watch straps are made from nylon, rubber, or steel. You can purchase the same strap to use as the replacement, or another kind so they can try a different style. Either way, the gift will be highly appreciated!

Navy SEALs Gifts for Up to $100

Rings – A ring has always been a sign of loyalty and devotion. Navy SEAL rings come in wide variety of sizes and color combinations. You can select either one, but if you give a golden ring to someone, you can be sure it will be a gift that lasts a lifetime!

Navy SEALs Gifts starting from $100

Luminox Watches - With dozens of different series, shapes and colors, there is definitely something for everyone in the Luminox watch collection. Each watch has the manufacturer’s warranty and an illumination system, which contains self-powered micro gas lights. There are series devoted specifically to Navy SEALs, such as Original Navy SEAL Dive Watch Series, EVO Steel SEAL Series etc. If you can afford to buy Luminox watch, you can be sure it’s one of the best presents you can get for US Navy SEAL fans!

Golden Pendants – a fine jewelry with Navy SEALs logo is definitely a decent way to show the appreciation for numerous sacrifices made by Navy SEALs. Golden pendants come in shapes of Navy SEALs logos and are appropriate for any age or gender.

Navy SEALs Gifts for Family Members

If you know a family of a Navy SEAL, don’t miss you chance to get them something to show their pride. You have many options available, from cups to t-shirts that say, for example, Navy SEAL Mom and Proud of It. Regardless what you get for them, you can be sure the gift will be displayed with honor!

However, it is not enough that you have good training shoes. The shoes you need to have should be appropriate for the kind of workout you would be focusing on for your fitness training program. Thus, you should wear running shoes for running and another type of training shoes for working out at the gym. How then should you get the right training shoes for your needs in order to prepare for your enlistment with the Navy SEALs?

General Guidelines for Buying Training Shoes

When you buy training shoes, you need to keep these pointers in mind.

1. Foot type. You should know your foot type first before you go shopping for shoes – whether you have normal feet, have high arches or are flat-footed. There are shoes out there that are more suited for each foot type. You can find out what your foot type is by doing the “wet test,” which is wetting your feet and then stepping on a dark surface with your full weight on one foot. This will leave an imprint of your foot on the surface.

2. Buy shoes late in the day. To make sure that you will have the best fitting training shoes, you should shop for your shoes late in the day, such as late afternoon or early evening. By this time, your feet would have swollen to their largest size.

3. Try before you buy. Before you pay for your shoes, make sure that you try them on first to ensure a perfect fit. Wear the pair and walk around for around ten minutes in the store. If you can run about or climb stairs, all the better. Also, the shoes should feel comfortable as soon as you put them on. There is no such thing as breaking in new shoes. You should also buy shoes that have enough room for your toes to wiggle in.

4. Buy the best that you can afford. Training shoes can be quite expensive, and yet price does not automatically mean that the shoes are good. Always look for quality when you buy your training shoes and do not fall for any gimmicks that shoe manufacturers set up to sell their products. In addition, if you cannot find the shoes that you need from a sports shop, go to another store.

Checking for Quality in Training Shoes

When you buy training shoes, you need to get the best pair that you can afford. The word “best” here would refer to the quality of the shoes. High quality shoes would have certain characteristics and you should always look for them when you go shop for a pair. These characteristics are listed below.

1. The heel cup of the shoes should be perpendicular to the soles.
2. The heel cup of the shoes should also be rigid, inflexible and slightly padded.
3. The inside seams should be well-stitched and smooth to the touch. If you find too many patches of glue or loose threads inside, do not buy the shoe.
4. The tongue of the shoes as well as its lacing areas should have good padding.

Your training shoes are very important. They will help you withstand the rigorous and at times difficult fitness training that you need to go through when you plan to enlist with the Navy SEALs.

If you are more interested in joining the Navy SWCC instead of the Navy SEALs, you should know that the preparation required is the same as that for the SEALs. You would need to undergo an extensive fitness training period that covers multiple areas of the body for a period of at least 26 weeks before you enlist for the Navy.

Components of the Navy SWCC Fitness Training

The fitness training required from Navy SWCC candidates is designed to be a well-rounded training course that is meant to improve the body’s health, strength, endurance and flexibility. Although this fitness training seems very strenuous, it is nonetheless progressive.

What a progressive fitness training means is that you always begin your training with an intensity that is suited to your body’s current state of fitness, and then increase this intensity gradually every week. It also means that the intensity of your workouts vary throughout the week to prevent injuries and burnouts.

What components does your fitness training program need to have to prepare you for your enlistment to the Navy SWCC? These are the main areas of focus that your training program should have:

1. Running. The physical exam that you need to pass to be able to enlist with the SWCC includes running. You need to be able to run 1.5 miles in 9.44 minutes or less.

2. Swimming. It is imperative that you are a strong swimmer if you want to qualify for the SWCC. For the SWCC, a strong swimmer is someone who can swim 500 yards under 9.17 minutes.

3. Weightlifting. Muscular strength is another quality that you need to possess to be part of the SWCC. You will be able to build up muscular strength through lifting weights.

4. Endurance. It is an understatement to say that an SWCC personnel’s job is strenuous. As thus, your body should be able to withstand the strain of the work that you need to do. You can address this by doing endurance exercises such as sit-ups, push-ups and pull-ups.

5. Core exercises. To improve your overall strength, you would need to develop the strength of the core muscles of your body, namely your abdominal muscles and the muscles around your spine. Core exercises will address this need.

6. Flexibility workouts. So that you can prevent your body from sustaining injuries despite the strain of the required work, you would need to improve the flexibility of your body. Flexibility workouts would include stretching and calisthenics.

Workout Schedule and Intensity

When you prepare yourself for enlistment with the Navy SWCC, you need to devote a good part of your daily schedule for your fitness training. For both running and swimming, you need to do one long slow distance (LSD) session, one continuous high intensity (CHI) session, and one interval (INT) session per week.

An LSD workout is something done at a slow and steady pace, while a CHI workout is something done with speed and intensity and without stopping. An INT workout, on the other hand, is done with regular rest breaks.

As for the other areas of focus for your Navy SWCC fitness training, you need to do them around four to six times a week. To keep up your progress and see visible improvements on your body, you would need to increase the intensity of your workouts by no more than 10% per week.

For one, you would have to implement a strict and consistent fitness training program that will help you improve your strength and endurance. For another, you cannot have even a single traffic violation ticket. And yet another, you would need to go on a high-calorie and high-protein diet program that will help you build up your muscles and increase the density of your bones.

In addition to these, you would also need to change some of your lifestyle habits and avoid consuming certain substances. Some of these are substances that you should stay away from because it interferes with your efforts to build up your body. Some are substances that you really should avoid because they are illegal. Here are six substances that you need to stay away from if you are going to train for the Navy SEALs.

1. Illegal drugs. You should stay far away from illegal drugs such as cocaine or heroin if you want to qualify for the Navy SEALs. If you have a history of illegal substance abuse, you may not become eligible for Navy SEAL training. After all, illegal substances can damage the body. Also, the SEALs are looked up to as role models and it would not be good for the image if one of them is found out to have a history of substance abuse.

2. Alcohol. Alcohol can compromise bone health and interfere with your fitness training program. You do not need to eliminate alcohol consumption as part of your diet program, but you nonetheless need to limit it to no more than three glasses per day.

3. Tobacco. Smoking tobacco can leach out essential nutrients from the body. When you train for the Navy SEALs, you would need to consume as much nutrients as necessary to help improve your health and fitness. Smoking runs counter to this goal.

4. Caffeine. Caffeine prevents the bones from absorbing calcium. You need calcium to increase the density of your bones and make you more resilient against stress fractures and other similar injuries. As thus, you need to avoid caffeine when you go through your diet program.

5. Dietary supplements. Food supplements that are supposed to augment your vitamin and mineral intake are frowned upon in the Navy. If you plan your diet program well, it is very much possible for you to get all the nutrients that you need without having to rely upon dietary supplements.

6. Steroids. Steroids can cause more harm than good to the body in the long run. The Navy prohibits the use of steroids among recruits, especially recruits to the Navy SEALs. If you follow a strict fitness and diet program, you can help your body produce the right levels of insulin. Insulin is considered to be the natural steroids of the body.

You need to be careful of what you eat and drink if you want to qualify for the Navy SEALs. You have to set up a strict diet program that can help you build up your body and avoid substances that can interfere with it.

How can an ankle sprain interfere with your BUD/S training? Ankle sprains are graded according to severity. A mild case of ankle sprain will take at least two weeks to heal. On the other hand, an extremely serious case, medically referred to as syndesmosis sprain or high ankle sprain, will require four to six months of recovery time.

Given that the BUD/S training is very intense and can stretch the limits of your physical strength, endurance and flexibility, you need to know how to prevent ankle injury caused by sprains.

Four Steps to Prevent Ankle Injury

It only takes a few simple steps to prevent your ankles from getting injured because of a sprain. These steps are listed below.

1. Do warm-up exercises before your workout. Warm-up exercises prior to any workout will prepare your muscles, joints and ligaments for any strain the workout will cause upon them.

2. Make flexibility exercises part of your fitness training. If your body is flexible, it becomes less likely for you to sustain injuries caused by torn or overstretched ligaments. Flexible muscles make your joints and ligaments more mobile.

3. Support your ankles with tapes, braces or high-top shoes. Tapes, braces and high-top shoes are all designed to protect your ankles when performing high-intensity workouts.

4. Wear the right kind of shoes for training. It is an absolute must that you wear the appropriate shoes for the kind of workout you are doing. If you are going to run, wear running shoes. Do not wear shoes that are intended for basketball or tennis. They will not provide the right support that your ankles require and will even reduce your feet’s stability on quick lateral movements.

What to Do When You Get an Ankle Sprain

When you do get an ankle sprain due to your intensive Navy SEAL training, here is what you should do:

1. Give your ankle a rest and do not perform any workout while your ankle is healing. Wrap it with compression bandage and apply ice on your ankle for twenty minutes twice a day for the next two or three days.

2. See your health care provider to check see if your ankle is fractured. This may require you to have an X-Ray taken of your ankle.

3. Depending on the seriousness of the ankle sprain, you can start exercising your ankle to regain full range of motion 48 hours after sustaining the injury. This will involve low-intensity exercises such as ankle pumping (both back and forth and side to side) and tracing the letters of the alphabet with your foot.

4. Once the pain and swelling diminishes, you can start performing workouts that are aimed at strengthening your injured ankle. An example of such training would be balancing on the injured ankle for 30 seconds at a time and repeating this around five times in several sessions throughout the day.

5. Once you are free from any symptoms of ankle sprain or ankle injury, you can begin jogging slowly and easily, gradually increasing the intensity of the workout every week.

When you are aspiring to become part of the Navy SEALs, it is even more important to monitor your water intake and make sure that you are drinking a lot of fluids. If your body is well-hydrated, you stand a better chance of surviving the rigorous Navy SEAL BUD/S training and graduate as a full member of this elite Naval Special Warfare group.

Why Water Is Important to the Body

Why is water important to the body in the first place? There are many reasons why you should keep drinking water to maintain your body’s hydration, especially when you are training to become a Navy SEAL. Here are the three biggest reasons why water intake is an integral part of your SEAL fitness training.

1. Drinking water replaces fluids lost during workouts. When you train to become a Navy SEAL, it is inevitable that you would do a lot of strenuous workouts. These strenuous workouts deplete you of your body’s fluids, which come out of your body in the form of sweat. You need to replace the fluids that you lose during your workouts by drinking water.

2. Water cushions the joints and protects the internal organs. Water serves as cushion for the joints to make their movements easier and smoother. It also acts as a barrier that will protect the internal organs from injury. During your SEALs workouts, you will be putting your body through a lot of extremes that will strain your body and push your strength to the limit. You stand to do great harm to your body if you are not well-hydrated.

3. Prevents fatigue. Do you ever notice how easily you become fatigued when you are not well-hydrated? Water is a source of energy for the body; thus, maintaining your body’s hydration ensures that you can withstand fatigue a lot longer.

How to Keep Your Body Well-Hydrated

As important as maintaining your body’s hydration is, it is actually simple to keep the body hydrated. You only need to make sure that your water intake does not go below eight glasses of water per day. However, because you would be going through some tough fitness training to qualify for the Navy SEALs, you may actually need to consume more fluids.

You can keep your body well-hydrated despite your strenuous workout by making sure that you drink a glass of water before and after your training. Also, you should also take a few sips of water during your workout so you would not get dehydrated.

If you cannot have water, then make sure that you at least substitute a sports drink for your water intake, especially when working out. Brands like Gatorade, Cerasport, Powerade and Gookinade are accepted in the Navy. Also, if you are training to qualify for the Navy SEALs BUD/S, you should avoid drinking alcohol and soft drinks. These drinks can interfere with the body’s hydration.

Still, despite the fact that the training program designed for Navy SEAL candidates is already specific and exacting, some aspirants still tend to ignore certain areas of the training. This may be because they are far too enthusiastic in improving their strong points to the extent of neglecting their weak points. However, doing so can lead to injuries in the long run and if these injuries are serious enough, a candidate may be forced to drop out of the BUD/S training and fail at becoming a member of the Navy SEALs.

There are actually three common mistakes that most Navy SEAL aspirants tend to commit when it comes to their fitness training. These three common mistakes are: 1) poor lateral hip strength; 2) rotator cuff shoulder imbalance; 3) stress fractures.

Poor Lateral Hip Strength

The amphibious missions carried out by Navy SEAL operatives will sometimes involve running on soft surfaces, including soft sand. This is why it is important for Navy SEALs to have good lateral hip strength. Having good lateral hip strength will enable SEALs move quickly on soft sand without injuring the hips and knees, and without causing chronic knee pain.

Unfortunately, many SEALs candidates forget to focus on strengthening their gluteus medius, which is one of the muscles located on the hips. It is responsible for supporting the thighs and knees in movement. Performing exercises focused on the lower extremities such as leg squats and step-down drills can strengthen the gluteus medius and should be included in your fitness training.

Rotator Cuff Shoulder Imbalance

As a member of the Navy SEALs, you will be required to row boats and logs every once in a while during amphibious missions. However, rowing can lead to shoulder pain and tendinitis if you forget to pay attention to the rotator cuffs of your shoulders. This can be made worse if you put too much focus on building up your deltoid muscles.

To prevent shoulder pain and other injuries brought about by weak rotator cuffs, you would need to stretch the underside and the backside of your shoulders. Among the appropriate exercises you can include in your training program to strengthen your rotator cuffs and to prevent shoulder tendinitis are bicep curls, internal and external rotation with cables, as well as the chest press.

Stress Fractures

Because the BUD/S training involves a lot of running – at least six miles daily – it is important for Navy SEAL aspirants to have strong bones and leg muscles. Unfortunately, stress fractures are the most common injuries sustained by Navy SEAL candidates during the BUD/S training.

To prevent stress fractures, your fitness training should include persistent calf stretching, toe lifts, resistive heal lifts, as well as a steady progressive run program. You should also augment your training program with proper nutrition and make sure that you are consuming 1000 mg of calcium every day in the form of skim milk. You should also avoid drinking any soda beverage.

As a member of the elite US Navy SEAL squad you are entitled to special pays like:

1. Diving
2. Parachute
3. Demolition
4. Special duty assignment
5. Sea /sub pay (if applicable)
6. Foreign language proficiency

The pay scale is different for enlisted and officers. The minimum pay for enlisted sailors (E1 to E5) is $1,200 and the maximum is $2,300 per month for less than 2 years of service. The pay increases proportionately with the number of years in service and the rank.

The minimum pay for officers (O1 to O6) is $2,000 and the maximum is $6,500 per month for less than 2 years of service. If you have spent 4 years as a SEAL officer then your pay will be a minimum of $3,340 per month at O-1 rank and a maximum of $6,553.80 per month at O-6 rank.

BENEFITS AND BONUSES
Apart from the special pay, as a US Navy SEAL, you are entitled to the below mentioned enlistment bonuses:

• SEAL: $40,000
• EOD: $40,000
• Diver/UDT: $25,000
• SWCC: $25,000

The US Navy has also introduced cash bonuses for joining the Navy SEALS. The SEALs job is considered to be a high demand specialty job. The cash bonus varies according for different specialties. Here is a quick summary of the various Navy SEALs cash bonuses:

• ESRBP / Enlisted Source Rate (Specialty) Bonus: maximum $15,000
• Extended Enlistment Bonus: maximum $5,000
• EBSR-NCF / Enlistment Bonus Source Rate with Navy College Fund: maximum $8,000 for EBSR and $72,900 for NCF.
• College Education Bonus: maximum $8,000
• Special warfare or Navy SEAL bonus: maximum $40,000
• National Call to Service Bonus: The combined incentive equals to or is greater than $23,000.
• High ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) score: You will get $100 per month on DEP
• Extended Delayed Entry Program: maximum $500

Some of the other benefits that you are entitled to as a US Navy SEAL include:

• Complete healthcare benefits
• Housing allowances or living accommodation benefits
• Food allowances or free dining services
• Uniform allowance
• A $250,000 life insurance policy for as little as $16 a month
• Discounted travel options
• Paid vacation for a maximum of 30 days each year
• Retirement income

The US Navy SEAL is a special unit and hence the pay and the benefits are also special!

Annual Superfrog Triathlon
The Annual Superfrog Triathlon is held in Coronado, California, each year, on April 6. There are two races held on the same day, one is known as the Annual Superfrog and the other is known as Annual SuperSEAL. The main goal of both the races is to promote fitness as well as raise funds for the NSW (Naval Special Warfare) foundation. The race is open to public and the added attraction is the Navy SEALs who also participate in both the races.

• The Superfrog Triathlon includes a 1.2 mile open ocean swim followed by a 56-mile ride on bikes over flat pavements and finally a 13.1 mile run on soft sand. The last 13.1 mile is the toughest part of the race.

• The SuperSEAL race is a shorter race than the Triathlon and starts off with a 1.5km swim at the Silver Strand State Beach Bay followed by a 40km bike ride and finally a 10km run on pavement or even dirt trails.

Both races are open to men and women and the prize includes ornamental detonator box trophies and decorative wooden paddles.

Annual East Coast SEAL Reunion
Annual reunions are held for different Navy SEAL units in different places. For example: annual east coast SEAL reunion was held at the NAB (Naval Amphibious Base) at Little Creek from July 19-22. This reunion is being held since 1968 and brings together ex-SEALs and new SEALs as well. One of the permanent attractions of the reunion is the capabilities demonstration, which is an exercise highlighting various SEAL operational capabilities. One of the common exercises includes Navy SEALs exiting from a helicopter to secure a beach. The capabilities demonstration provides an opportunity for the families of Navy SEALs to see what their loved ones really do for real in a battle zone or a mission. Some of the other capabilities demonstration exercises include SPIE (special purpose insertion and extraction), SEAL assault in water, using MK V special operations craft, and simulation of a desert patrol with simulated enemy fire. These are followed by more fun events like tennis tournaments, beach bash, golf tournaments, swimming competition, running competition and finally a reunion picnic.

Navy SEAL Warrior Fund Annual Benefit
The main event in the Navy SEAL Warrior Fund Annual Benefit is the annual gala. The next event is slated to take place on May 6, 2010 aboard the USS Intrepid. This event has been taking place since 2005 and has so far raised $7 million for supporting the families of Navy SEALs. This annual event is also attended by the families of Navy SEALs killed in action.

SEAL PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS: FOR CIVILIANS
First things first – only Men are eligible for the SEAL program. The basic requirements for civilians to enter a SEAL program include:

• You should be a U.S. citizen
• You should not have any felony convictions (This is important for security clearance).
• Your vision should not be any worse than 20/40 in one eye and 20/70 in the other eye and should be correctable to 20/20
• You should not be color blind.
• Your age should be 28 or less.
• Your ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) score should be 104 or higher including “AR” and “VE” and should be 50 or higher in “MC” category.
• You should pass the Diving Physical Test.
• You should pass the Physical Screening Test Requirement (PSTR), which includes:
a) 500 yard swim (side stroke, CSS stroke, or breast stroke) within 9 minutes
b) Rest for 10 minutes
c) 42 push-ups within 2 minutes
d) Rest for 2 minutes
e) 50 sit-ups within 2 minutes
f) Rest for 2 minutes
g) 6 pull-ups – there is no time limit
h) Rest for 10 minutes
i) 1.5 mile run within 9 minutes

Qualifying the minimum Navy SEAL requirements mean that you will have a 6% chance of getting through BUD/S without quitting.

You should clear the BUD/S physical fitness screening test at Boot Camp to qualify for the Navy SEAL program. If you appear through the DEP (Delayed Entry Program) even then you will have to pass the BUD/S physical fitness screening test at Boot Camp. If you are already enlisted in the US Navy then the good news is that you can get a taste of SEAL training after completing boot camp. SEAL training is provided by SEAL instructors at Great Lakes and this will definitely get you into good shape for the BUD/S training.

The one thing that you need to remember is that the toughest phase of SEAL training is the BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition / SEALs) phase. This phase has the maximum number of drop outs because the training is physically and mentally taxing. If you can prepare for this phase in advance by attending post boot camp training for SEALs at Great Lakes or Special Forces training, then getting through BUD/S, especially Hell Week, is going to be much easier. The BUD/S training is a training focusing on survival in harsh conditions, team building, and physical and mental strength. It is seen in most cases that those who have cleared BUD/S have become SEALs because no other training is as difficult as the BUD/S training.

Like SEALs say, “The only Easy day was Yesterday!”