• Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?

    Go here:

    Edit Account Details and Profile

Navy SEAL to aviator

G

Gliderpilot321

New Member
Hello everyone. So I've had an interest in aviation for as long as I can remember and I currently hold a private glider license and almost have my private power license at age 19. I have also been a competitive swimmer for 10 years and enjoy being an athlete. I like both the special warfare community and the aviation community from what I have read and the people I have talked to you. If my math is correct it is possible to enlist and become a seal (granted that you make it through buds) and still be eligible to become an aviator, as long as you become an officer before then. Has anyone heard of something like this happening? Would it be too risky to go this route because becoming an officer in that short period of time is really not guaranteed?. Thank you so much for your time!

*also I have read the post about going from aviator to seal. I see how that would not work and understand those comments to that article
 
insanebikerboy

insanebikerboy

Internet killed the television star
pilot
None
Contributor
Gliderpilot321 said:
Hello everyone. So I've had an interest in aviation for as long as I can remember and I currently hold a private glider license and almost have my private power license at age 19. I have also been a competitive swimmer for 10 years and enjoy being an athlete. I like both the special warfare community and the aviation community from what I have read and the people I have talked to you. If my math is correct it is possible to enlist and become a seal (granted that you make it through buds) and still be eligible to become an aviator, as long as you become an officer before then. Has anyone heard of something like this happening? Would it be too risky to go this route because becoming an officer in that short period of time is really not guaranteed?. Thank you so much for your time!

*also I have read the post about going from aviator to seal. I see how that would not work and understand those comments to that article
Click to expand...

I know a guy who did just that but it's definitely not the normal path. I've also known guys who have been SEAL/SF/etc, and then gone to fly with the 160th, but also not a normal path.

It is definitely risky but it is doable. It relies on timing and assumes you can actually get picked up for a commission as well as a pilot slot. As long as you're ok with the possibility of being a SEAL and not flying go for it. If your heart is more set on flying I would encourage you to go that route from the beginning.
 
FormerRecruitingGuru

FormerRecruitingGuru

Making Recruiting Great Again
It's extremely difficult going enlisted-to-officer than applying for officer right off the streets. I would highly recommend consider one program and set your motivation and drive behind it. I would also recommend finishing up your bachelor's degree and applying for either SEAL Officer or Pilot/NFO programs.
 
Flash

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Gliderpilot321 said:
Hello everyone. So I've had an interest in aviation for as long as I can remember and I currently hold a private glider license and almost have my private power license at age 19. I have also been a competitive swimmer for 10 years and enjoy being an athlete. I like both the special warfare community and the aviation community from what I have read and the people I have talked to you. If my math is correct it is possible to enlist and become a seal (granted that you make it through buds) and still be eligible to become an aviator, as long as you become an officer before then. Has anyone heard of something like this happening? Would it be too risky to go this route because becoming an officer in that short period of time is really not guaranteed?. Thank you so much for your time!
Click to expand...

Has it happened? Yes, a few folks have done it but it is very few and so full of pitfalls, detours and just plain luck that the number who have been successful at doing both is extremely small. No, I don't know a number and no one likely does but it is notable enough that the few that actually have done it are usually widely known within Naval Aviation (off the top of my head I know of just three, one Marine fighter pilot, one Navy Hornet pilot and an EP-3 guy I went to school with). Two SEAL's have become astronauts with another who was just selected to be an astronaut candidate, and who just finished med school to boot, but none were Naval Aviators too. A few more have gone into other services, notably the Army, but again the number is almost certainly tiny.

To be frank you should probably choose one or the other. If you really want to be a SEAL the 'easier' route is to enlist but keep in mind the pass rate through BUD/S has been something like 10% though there have been efforts to increase that lately through better prep of candidates and more focused recruitment. If you become a SEAL and do your time you will then likely only have a limited window in age to become an officer and aviator.
 
DONOSAURU5REX

DONOSAURU5REX

Well-Known Member
pilot
Most likely, no, but I suppose it's possible. As an enlisted SEAL you would have a 4 year obligation after you are appointed a SEAL. Keep in mind training can be around 2 years. Then you would have to finish your degree if you don't have one yet, and go the enlisted to OCS route which is a pain. You would have to get an approval, or just separate and attempt to come back in all before you hit 29. If you commission and become a SEAL I doubt you would ever be able to transition to Aviator, just due to the needs of the Navy.
 
webmaster

webmaster

The Grass is Greener!
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
On a recent airline trip I had the pleasure of flying with a Captain that was a retired MCPO and Navy Seal. Great guy and great pilot. He took full advantage of flight training opportunities that were unconventionally offered to him. It never ceases to amaze me what motivated people can accomplish in their lives and the crazy and unpredictable routes their hobbies and passions may take them career wise.

Best of luck whatever you decide.
 
G

Gliderpilot321

New Member
webmaster said:
On a recent airline trip I had the pleasure of flying with a Captain that was a retired MCPO and Navy Seal. Great guy and great pilot. He took full advantage of flight training opportunities that were unconventionally offered to him. It never ceases to amaze me what motivated people can accomplish in their lives and the crazy and unpredictable routes their hobbies and passions may take them career wise.

Best of luck whatever you decide.
Click to expand...
He became an airline pilot following his retirement?
 
BACONATOR

BACONATOR

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
RUFiO181 said:
It's extremely difficult going enlisted-to-officer than applying for officer right off the streets. I would highly recommend consider one program and set your motivation and drive behind it. I would also recommend finishing up your bachelor's degree and applying for either SEAL Officer or Pilot/NFO programs.
Click to expand...
Not to tell a recruiter his job, but your advice depends on the OP's desires. If he wants to be a seal above all else, I would NOT recommend applying for seal officer as you have one shot. Enlisted opportunities for seal are far greater. And my understanding is that becoming an officer as a seal is a lot easier than in other communities and in many cases the teams push a guy into OCS. The desire is that as an ENS, you basically start over and can be an "operator" again as opposed to a manager or instructor.
 
FormerRecruitingGuru

FormerRecruitingGuru

Making Recruiting Great Again
BACONATOR said:
Not to tell a recruiter his job, but your advice depends on the OP's desires. If he wants to be a seal above all else, I would NOT recommend applying for seal officer as you have one shot. Enlisted opportunities for seal are far greater. And my understanding is that becoming an officer as a seal is a lot easier than in other communities and in many cases the teams push a guy into OCS. The desire is that as an ENS, you basically start over and can be an "operator" again as opposed to a manager or instructor.
Click to expand...

The risk with the enlisted side is that he needs to join/DEP with a regular enlisted job first and then assuming he does well in the physical screening tests can reclassify under a SEAL contract. If he doesn't, he can get out of his enlisted contract even though it's highly discouraged.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top