Courtesy Photo | Future Sailors assemble in formation for a scheduled workout with Navy Talent...... read more read more
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Today’s Sailors serve in a multitude of roles around the world. Whether above or below the water, in the air, on the ground, or across the cyber domain, career choices are as vast as the sea.
Today’s recruiters are tasked with finding talented men and women to fill those roles. When it comes to recruiting special operations personnel – prospective Navy SEALs, special warfare combatant crewmen (SWCC), explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) technicians, divers, and search and rescue (SAR) swimmers – scouts make it their mission to find and prepare candidates for the specialized training ahead. At Navy Talent Acquisition Group Jacksonville, Naval Air Crewman (Tactical Helicopter) 1st Class Adam Schaefer has scouting down to a science.
“Recruiting for special operations takes attention to detail, time, and skills that you can only develop by doing the job,” Schaefer said. “The roles they’re aiming for require an incredible amount of focus and discipline, and that’s just to get ready physically. It comes down to preparing both the body and mind. Understanding what it means to show courage and perseverance in the face of adversity is critical to the line of work they’re hoping for.”
Schaefer joined the Navy out of New York as a college graduate with a passion for fitness. He knew he wanted to help others and do something that would test his limits, but he was not sold on becoming a SAR swimmer at first glance. Like many before and after him, he wanted to weigh his options and make sure he was making the right choice.
Fast forward almost two decades later, through countless training flights and real-world operations across the globe, he feels like he made the right choice. He found a career path that fits his personality and gave him the sense of fulfillment he was looking for. Now, he’s using the experience he gained to help find and train the next generation of Navy special operations forces.
“I started my journey in recruiting at NTAG Atlanta,” Schaefer said. “That’s where I learned the basics of going out and finding the ones who will eventually take my spot and those of others in the special warfare community. I liked it so much that, when the opportunity presented itself to come to NTAG Jacksonville, I knew I wanted to come back. I have a unique role of being these future Sailors’ first Navy trainer, mentor, and hopefully role model for ‘what right looks like,’ and it’s something I don’t take lightly. I’m not perfect, by any means, but I do my best and hold my head up at the end of the day knowing that’s all I had to give.”
You can find Schaefer in several places on a given day. Whether it’s the classroom, gym, pool deck, or track, he always makes a point to invest in educating and training future warfighters.
For the briefing process, he says it’s pretty simple. He provides a background for each community, breaks down fundamentally what each does, and explains why their roles are critical to the Navy and the nation. Then, he explains the requirements to earn a contract that will give them the opportunity to receive follow-on, specialized training upon completion of boot camp. Finally, it’s time to train.
“Each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, we work with our future Sailors in a multitude of ways,” Schaefer said. “Mondays are the swim clinic days – making sure they have a solid foundation to build upon. On Wednesday, the candidates take the Physical Screening Test, or PST. That’s a 1.5-mile run for time, testing maximum push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and a 500-yard swim for time. We take the results, adjust training plans individual to each person, and finish Friday with a combined workout they can expect to see once they enter the training pipeline.”
Once candidates meet the required scores for each PST category, they’re ready for boot camp. Schaefer’s goal is to have each of his future Sailors as prepared as possible for initial training, as well as the follow-on specialized training they can expect to see in SEAL, SWCC, EOD, ND, and SAR schools. While he can’t ensure they graduate and enter the fleet in their fields of choice, he gives them the best possible chance of success.
“At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about,” Schaefer said. “I’ve enjoyed my career on the operational front and being able to help others get that same opportunity I had is why I came back to recruiting.”
For fiscal year 2025, he was solely responsible for 61 percent of all NTAG Jacksonville special operations new accessions, and his base of operations – Navy Recruiting Station St. Augustine – has ranked first overall in the nation for Navy special operations contracts two years in a row. One might say it’s a calling, some might say it’s fate. For Schaefer, it’s just what he’s meant to do right here, right now.
Navy Talent Acquisition Group Jacksonville’s area of responsibility includes more than 30 Navy Recruiting Stations and Navy Officer Recruiting Stations spread over 144,000 square miles of Florida and Georgia.
Navy Recruiting Command consists of 26 Navy Talent Acquisition Groups, two Navy Recruiting Regions, five Reserve Talent Acquisition Groups, Navy Recruiting Reserve Command and more than 5,000 Sailors, civilians and contractors serving across the United States and around the world. The command is responsible for recruiting the diverse, highly qualified men and women who will serve as the next generation of America's Navy.
| Date Taken: | 08.21.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 08.25.2026 13:40 |
| Story ID: | 573171 |
| Location: | JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 13 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Rescue Swimmer Prepares Next Generation for Navy Special Operations, by PO1 Jackie Hart, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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