The video above aired on CBS’s 60 Minutes of October 27. I missed it at the time, and thought perhaps others might have missed it, and would like to see it.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog
The video above aired on CBS’s 60 Minutes of October 27. I missed it at the time, and thought perhaps others might have missed it, and would like to see it.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
I thought it was a really good segment. The only part that I didn’t like was when the 60 Minutes reporter said that Surfman could say that they are more elite than Navy SEALS. While numbers wise, it is true, I didn’t agree with the comparison.
@Matt, yes agreed. Our surfmen are the best of the best boat drivers, but it is not the same. We also have elite boarding officers–best of the best. If we have any group that compares to SEALS in terms of putting their lives on the line, it is our Rescue Swimmers.
@chuck agreed
@Matt, I am reading “Sea Stories, My Life in Special Operations,” by Admiral William McRaven. He talks about going through the SEAL training course. 155 started the class and 33 graduated.
By contrast, the Surfman school class started and ended with nine. The approach was very different.
The Coast Guard knew those nine men were good coxswains before they arrived. The goal was to make them better, to build their confidence and skill.
By contrast the SEAL training started with sailors and officers who were just starting their careers and was designed to weed out all but the toughest both physically and mentally.
The SEAL training approach obviously does identify exceptional individuals, but I have to wonder about the effect on the 122 men who “failed.” They stayed in the Navy. Did it adversely affect their continued service? and in fact the rest of their lives?
@chuck I went to Heavy Weather Coxn School at NMLBS in Jan 1991 and I agree with your assessments. I am by no means a Surfman but after 2 years at a Heavy Weather Station @ STA Point Allerton, I had plenty of time underway on 44 and a significant number of cases ran. I thought I was pretty good when I got there but on the first day on the Columbia River, I very distinctly remember thinking “Oh man, what have I got myself into?”
However, the instructors were all great at sharing their knowledge and working individually with each student and we were all better when we left. Granted, we all had different levels of experience and time underway, but the key is that everyone improved. BM1 Catlin was my instructor and I certainly appreciated his knowledge and insights on how to better operate in the surf.
@Matt, I think that is what the Coast Guard was trying to do. Good to hear.