Culture.Mil - The "budweiser"

Written by Jenifer Chrisman on June 27, 2017.

This file is a work of a sailor or employee of the U.S. Navy, taken or made as part of that person's official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain in the United States

“All in. All the time.”

– Brent Gleeson (Navy SEAL Inspirational Quote)

The Special Warfare Insignia, also known as the “Budweiser” or SEAL Trident, is the official insignia worn by the Navy SEALs. The SEAL Trident consists of an eagle clutching a flintlock-style pistol, a trident and a U.S. Navy Anchor.

The SEALs, named for Sea, Air and Land, the environments in which they operate, receive this SEAL Trident after successfully completing the three phase, twenty-five week BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) Training, SQT (SEAL Qualification Training) and are designated a Navy SEAL:

BUD/S Phase 1 – Physical Conditioning (8 weeks)

Running in the sand
Swimming – up to 2 miles w/fins in the ocean
Calisthenics
Timed Obstacle Course
Four-mile timed runs in boots
Small boat seamanship
Hydrographic surveys and creating charts
Hell Week – Week 4 of Phase 1
5 ½ days of continuous training
Four hours sleep, total
Swimming
Running
Enduring cold, wet, and exhaustion
Rock Portage in Rubber Raiding Craft
Doing 10 times what you thought possible
TEAMWORK!

BUD/S Phase 2 – Diving (8 weeks)

Step up intensity of the physical training
Focus on Combat Diving
Open-Circuit (compressed air) SCUBA
Closed-Circuit (100% oxygen) SCUBA
Long-distance underwater dives
Mission-focused combat swimming and diving techniques

BUD/S Phase 3 – Land Warfare (9 weeks)

Increasingly strenuous physical training
Weapons training
Demolitions (military explosives)
Small unit tactics
Patrolling techniques
Rappelling and fast rope operations
Marksmanship

SQT includes:

Weapons training
Small unit tacticss
Land navigation
Demolitions
Cold weather training
Medical skills
Maritime operations

Before graduating SQT, candidates also attend SERE training:

Survival
Evasion
Resistance
Escape

SQT training will also qualify candidates in:

Static-line parachute operations
Freefall parachute operations (High Altitude-Low Opening “HALO”)
Freefall parachute operations (High Altitude-High Opening “HAHO”)

Established in 1970, the SEAL Trident was issued in two grades, silver for enlisted and gold for officers. The silver insignia was abolished later in the 1970s and from that time forward was awarded in gold only to both enlisted and officers. This was due in large part to the side-by-side (enlisted/officer) BUD/S training and makes the SEAL Trident unique, as it is one of the few Navy badges issued in single grade.

The Special Warfare Insignia derived its moniker the “Budweiser” from its striking resemblance to the Anheuser-Busch logo, which has an eagle intertwined with the Anheuser-Busch A.

No matter which of its names it is known by, the SEAL Trident is proudly worn by those who have earned the right to be called a Navy SEAL. They can trace their history to the frogmen of World War II and are the foundation of the combat forces of Naval Special Warfare.

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