By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization
(Washington DC) Most people are familiar with the multi-faceted physical abilities and intensity of Navy SEALs, yet we all also know there are also a wide range of “intangible” or additional faculties, attributes and disciplines necessary to excel as a Special Operator.
When it comes to pure physical prowess, the requirements are likely to be extremely intense, as Navy SEALs need to run, swim, jump, carry, endure and lift, among many other things. The ability to endure is also well within the realm of physical prowess as Navy SEALs must have the physical and mental resilience to withstand extremely cold temperatures, deprivation, long journeys and intense heat. Navy SEALs will need to repel out of helicopters and airplanes, climb mountains or close with an enemy in close-quarters under heavy fire, and do all this when under extreme stress and fatigued. All of these activities, it is also clear, need to be done for extended periods of time while carrying weight. Any given Navy SEAL, whether they are underwater or climbing mountains to reach enemy locations, will be carrying a large amount of weight. SEALs don’t just need to be strong but have to “sustain” physical strength over seemingly unachievable periods of time. This can be explained in quite simple terms, as it would seem to clearly just come down to sheer “toughness” of mind and body.
Mental Toughness
However, none of these things are even remotely possible without what is perhaps the most important series of attributes …. mental toughness, discipline and focus. An Olympic swim coach once printed T-shirts saying “the body achieves what the mind believes,” meaning every intense or significant physical accomplishment must be matched if not fully inspired by a commensurate mental intensity. It is as self-evident as it is important for Navy SEALs to possess these attributes, as any act of physical resilience, strength and endurance needs to be accompanied by if not fully driven by a clear mental and emotional resolve.
There is yet another interesting dynamic or series of factors why Navy SEALs are regarded as being extremely dangerous to an adversary, and it is efficiency. Several former Navy SEALs once explained that Special Operators are trained to think of the most efficient way to accomplish an objective, meaning the emphasis must always be on finding a solution and focusing on a clear, measurable and achievable goal. SEALs will not just seek to accomplish this goal, but they are also trained to accomplish the goal in the most efficient way possible. Can an objective be reached faster? Can a goal be accomplished with less effort by identifying efficiencies? What is the optimal method among many possibilities to use when seeking to accomplish a certain objective? Perhaps one course of action will enable more critical objectives to be accomplished because efficiency was maximized.
Kris Osborn is the Military Affairs Editor of 19FortyFive and President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in /lComparative Literature from Columbia University
