Dismissed

82.

Two days in debrief is about the limit. After that the golden window of opportunity slams shut like a triggered mousetrap. I had been in three classified telecoms with TOM regarding our mission, the two-week intensive and chatter that the agency had been monitoring. There was something building, somewhere and by unknown hostiles. ‘That is all we have’ TOM reported with the pledge to keep eyes and ears on and open. We agreed to a plan of attack in the interim so I called the group together to lay out the new, and hopefully improved, schedule. 

The team; Davis, Calahan, Bromden, Saunders, Drysdale, myself and the new kid, Satriano met at sunrise in the crisp morning air of the Rockies. The goal being to set sail for a new destination, one with the need for all hands to be on deck. I made the opening remarks and turned it over to Drysdale for an update on the teams activities and routine during my absence. Each of the team members was next allowed the opportunity to comment on the status of said routine. Upon completion of the roundtable good-natured roast, I introduced, formally, Maria Satriano to the group. Without need for any further secrecy, I informed her teammates of the plan to work her back into The Axis as a plant along with the mention that her resume also includes several of the basic requirements for this select type of service, the fact that she is a master computer hacker and an accomplished martial artist. This drew a whistle from Davis and a hoorah from Bromden. And like that she was formally indoctrinated into the unit - with the understanding that she would need to prove herself in a plethora of ways over the course of the next fourteen days to become fully ordained.   

After the morale building segment I outlined the structure and format of the two-week intensive. It would include the basics of:

Swimming

Running

Strength and conditioning

Basic underwater skills

Group calisthenics

Academic training

SEAL Ethos

Core values

Exercise science

Nutrition 

As well as refreshers in SERE:

Survival

Evasion

Resistance

Escape

When I announced that the period would conclude with the standard SEAL testing protocols consisting of:

1000-yard swim - with fins (20 minutes or under)

Push-ups: at least 70 (two-minute time limit)

Pull-ups: at least 10 (two-minute time limit

Curl-ups: at least 60 (two-minute time limit)

There was almost an exact number of those cheering as those jeering.

"We have two weeks. And we start in one hour in the pool. Dismissed."