Photo By Chief Petty Officer Joshua Keim | 210621-N-VH839-1068 (HOUSTON) -- A Future Special Warfare Sailor awaiting Navy boot...... read more read more
HOUSTON (NNS) – The crowd was solemn and silent as each man, one after another, leaned in to reveal his intimate understanding of the nation’s call. Youthful and sprightly faces emitting an incorruptible focus filled the seats in the open-air auditorium awaiting every word, every gesture, and every emotion. It was not a call to take up arms and fight, yet fight they did, or a call to be heroic in the face of almost certain peril, yet heroes they are, but a call to preserve the American values and American way of life against those who would see it perish. More than 100 years of combined naval special operations experience impressed a new sense of honor, courage and heritage upon the audience at a YMCA in Houston as five retired Navy SEALs shared their experiences with Future Sailors on June 21.
“I remember as if it was yesterday,” said retired Master Chief Special Operator Matt May. “I don’t care how fast, strong, big, or small you are; none of that matters. It’s all about what’s in your heart and what’s in your head. It’s about having a never-quit mentality and remembering what you’re fighting for.”
The Navy Warrior Challenge Program (NWCP) team at Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Houston organized the event, offering nearly 40 Future Sailors the opportunity to gain powerful insight into the world of Naval Special Warfare/Naval Special Operations (NSW/NSO) by those who helped build its reputation. The NWCP at NTAG Houston is the recruiting team responsible for identifying and preparing applicants for candidacy as a Navy SEAL, Special Warfare Combatant Craft Crewman (SWCC), Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) operator, diver, or aviation rescue swimmer. Some of the Future Sailors at the event were already contracted for their desired program while others continued to work and audition for an opportunity to earn one.
“You’ll hear this a lot today and throughout your time in the community,” said retired Chief Special Operator David Schmeck. “No matter which rating you come in as in the NSW community, there are two commonalities. The first is brotherhood, and the second is commitment. The common thread is that it has to come from inside of you. It doesn’t matter how physically prepared you are. You want to be physically prepared, but that’s not as important as your mindset. You have to have the capability to elevate yourself beyond that which you now think you’re limited with.”
The NWCP event opened with speeches by May and Schmeck, retired Chief Special Operator Mark Bond, and retired Special Operator1st Class David Kappus and followed up with a series of work outs performed by Future Sailors and led by retired SEALs and the NWCP team. The event concluded with a question-and-answer panel, offering the Future Sailors a chance to ask the speakers questions about the NSW/NSO community and about what it took to earn their tridents.
The NWCP at NTAG Houston is part of a broader Navy recruiting effort to acquire and develop those men and women uniquely qualified for one of its five specialty communities and to serve as technical experts and reliable teammates.
NTAG Houston has 34 Navy recruiting stations covering more than 44,000 square miles in rural and metropolitan areas around Southeastern Texas and Western Louisiana. NTAG Houston has two Talent Acquisition Onboarding Centers – TOAC Space City and TAOC Bayou City – and employs more than 300 recruiters, support personnel and civilians. Follow NTAG Houston on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/NTAGhouston) and Instagram (@NTAG_Houston).
For more news from Commander, Navy Recruiting Command, go to http://www.cnrc.navy.mil. Follow Navy Recruiting on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MyNAVYHR), Twitter (@USNRecruiter) and Instagram (@USNRecruiter).
| Date Taken: | 06.21.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 06.28.2021 12:11 |
| Story ID: | 399890 |
| Location: | HOUSTON, TX, US |
| Hometown: | HOUSTON, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 377 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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