A pleasant surprise (Seal Team 10)

No Dan. A white uniform is for sailors....not that. I know he was a Seal. Weather or not he was decorated in all his awards must've been a personal thing...

He went to Sear (?) camp Survive Evade and I forget the others in Northwestern Maine.

lesofprimus said:

Be impressed with the 3rd one over with the Bbronze V on it, not the one I got for forgetting to duck....

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Did not recognize that one all and had to look it up. Hoss, if we ever meet I'm buying the first bottle!

B-17engineer said:

No Dan. A white uniform is for sailors....not that. I know he was a Seal. Weather or not he was decorated in all his awards must've been a personal thing...

He went to Sear (?) camp Survive Evade and I forget the others in Northwestern Maine.

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White uniform is for everyone in the Navy, regardless of job. Summer whites, dress blues (winter), all ranks have a version (officers and chiefs wear khaki, usually). From your description being similar to that Army TSgt rank, I'd put him at a Chief (reg, Senior, or Master). It wouldn't surprise me to see someone that rank flying a UAV, especially in support of Seal ops. No better operator than someone who knows what the Seals are up to and how they think!

Dan:

What surprises me is the "flying" part. Now being a critical command link for approval of weapon engagement or ISR/payload confirmation I get. But flying? While a useful skill, seems beneath a SEAL with SpecOps knowledge of those on the ground. Why waste such talent and knowledge?

I would bet that the SEAL was "dumbing down" his presentation knowing that 99.9% of highschool kids wouldn't understand the difference.

No no no...... I know he was a Navy Seal.

Does ever member of the Navy joining have to have someone contacted and questioned about joining? How about the Army? Air Force? I don't know I am asking , but I have doubts.

My Teacher was the one questioned. If the FBI goes and questions everyone who is joining armed services that must be time consuming...

Uniform looked extremely similar to this...

http://scrapetv.com/News/News Pages/usa/Images/navy-seals.jpg

Some of the UAV's are basically like RC airplanes. They have cameras on them to recon the next street down. The Marines use them, so I'd imagine that Seals use them as well.

from : San Diego Air and Space Museum gets special warfare drones from SEALs

Pic of one below aritcle.

San Diego Air and Space Museum gets special warfare drones from SEALs

SAN DIEGO – Two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), previously used by Navy SEALs, were assigned a new mission at the San Diego Air and Space Museum Jan. 16.

After four years of service and many flight hours the RQ-11A and RQ-11B Raven UAVs were donated to the museum by Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC) in Coronado, Calif. to help educate future generations about advances in the Navy's cutting-edge technology.

The UAVs were used throughout the world by SEAL Teams for remote reconnaissance, surveillance, intelligence gathering, locating targets, force protection and convoy security.

"The UAVs were employed in support of bomb and battle damage assessment, support of military operations in urban terrain, and other classified missions," said Dean McCoy, the UAV logistics management specialist at NSWC in Coronado, Calif.

Ravens are used extensively throughout the military and have become an invaluable asset to special operations. They fly at 100 to 500 feet, carrying tiny cameras to capture footage of precise targets without putting SEALs in harm's way.

"UAVs do the jobs that are too dangerous, too routine or too boring for manned aircraft to do," said McCoy.

Depending on their size and capability, UAVs can cost from $5,000 to $100,000. The Ravens cost around $30,000 each.

"You can't put a price on human life," he said. "These systems have saved a lot of lives."

Navy SEALs undergo an eight-day training course at San Clemente Island, off the coast of California, to learn how to use UAVs. Unlike the more commonly known UAVs such as the Predator, Global Hawk and the Shadow, Ravens are light and compact. They are hand launched, weigh around four pounds and have a wingspan of just 55 inches, giving them a great tactical advantage. According to McCoy, the main difference between the A and B is that the A has a fixed camera while the B has some limited pan, tilt and zoom capability. The ground control station also has more features, including more ergonomic controllers, similar to computer game controllers for the X-Box or Play Station. The B also has an infrared illuminator that delivers real-time imagery to ground control and remote viewing stations during day and night operations.

The donated Ravens will now serve a different purpose at San Diego Air and Space Museum, helping to educate future generations about the Navy and the equipment it uses to carry out its missions.

"We're always trying to keep our museum current with the latest state of the art in terms of military and civil aviation," said Tony Beres, the museum's curator. "The future is in unmanned aerial vehicles."

Beres, who has worked at the museum for 10 years, said he believes the Ravens will inspire a new generation of aviation enthusiasts.

"New exhibits in the museum are important because they attract new visitors. Our motivation is to get younger people involved in the technology and the science of today's world," he said.

The Navy is currently phasing out the Ravens and replacing them with the All-Environment Craft Vehicle (AECV). A hand-launched UAV that can land on water, is quieter, has an increased flight time and contains more advanced cameras.

"They are a quantum leap forward in capability for the special operations community," said McCoy.

McCoy plans to donate another de-commissioned UAV from NSW to the National Navy Underwater Demolition Team - SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, Fla., next month.

The Naval Special Warfare community is a maritime component of U.S. Special Operations Command and the Navy's special operations force. The community is composed of over 6,700 personnel, including 2,300 SEALs, 600 Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC), along with military support personnel, reserve components, and civilian staff. SEALs and SWCC focus on missions involving unconventional warfare, direct action, combating terrorism, special reconnaissance, foreign internal defense, information warfare, security assistance, counter-drug operations, personnel recovery and hydrographic reconnaissance.

B-17engineer said:

No no no...... I know he was a Navy Seal.

Does ever member of the Navy joining have to have someone contacted and questioned about joining? How about the Army? Air Force? I don't know I am asking , but I have doubts.

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Not every member, no...just those going into sensitive fields, lines of work that involve classified/secret/top-secret clearances. I'm fairly certain the military isn't worried about a chef selling Russia (or the Taliban) our recipe for chicken adobo. Would make for a pretty good psychological/biological warfare agent, though. That stuff is nasty, no matter how its made!

RabidAlien said:

That stuff is nasty, no matter how its made!

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Ain't that the truth!

While not doubting what you saw, Harrison, a Private, or Pvt is an army rank. Only Navy personnel can become a SEAL. I know that some of the SpecOps guys do cross train. USAF SpecOps guys often get trained by the SEALs in scuba training and underwater ops. Other branches attend parachute training with the Army, etc.

Also every branch has their own SpecOps. The Navy has the SEALs, Army has Green Berets and others, Marines have Forced Recon and others. Air Force have SpecOps squadrons and groups, ParaRescue Jumpers, Weather guys (don't let the name fool you, those guys are pretty hardcore) and combat controllers to name a few.

Ok.

Like I said, he was moved to the reserve in April of this year. He was done with his 2nd Tour of Duty and wanted to go back to school. He is stationed in Virginia beach, VA. If there's a way to look it up or whatever his last name was Bertsch.

And if it is only for sensitive fields and my teacher, his best 'buddy' was questioned then.... that's that.

B-17engineer said:

I know he was a seal.

1. The PVT was my mistake.

2. He didn't have the T.... teacher sent a quick picture..... because he was busy grading.

3. He had pictures of everything he did from Fort Benning up until Iraq.....

He was wearing darker camo similar to the picture you posted in the military thread....and I know once again that you will say that he wasn't a seal. As I said, SIMILAR. Similar colors but not the same pattern. I know he was a Seal. I was there. You weren't. He had pictures of himself in Iraq in uniform. He had his vest. He had it. I will ask tomorrow in person what his rank is then maybe I can satisfy you.

That's like telling me my dads not a police officer. He had everything. I'm sorry I don't study the branches of the military and know what is there and what's not. It's not my fault. He had pictures of himself firing an M-4, AT-4, and a LAW.....

My teacher had to get questioned ffs when the guy wanted to become a seal. The FBI or someone was at the school questioning him about the Seal since he was on the contact list. I saw a 'chevron' and I took a wild guess.... I don't study it.....

I even said two times it's not exactly.

Whatever if you don't believe it all I can say is I was there you weren't......I saw the photos you didn't. Ok. I can edit all my posts and change to something else because that's not right either, correct? Because those are all untrue because your half a world away and would hear it better than me and know what he looks like. Obviously you can't except anything I say.... there's always something in question. I'm sure if anyone else posted this you'd be like, "Great to hear, hope you enjoyed." But nope I am a kid so I get "No he is not a seal, you didn't see a seal, he's a fake." MY MISTAKE big friggin deal....

And do I take it personal, of course. After the 5th or 6th time. May I have made some mistakes when I first joined, OF COURSE. I was a F*cking idiot when I joined. Atleast I'm trying to restore any dignity present when I joined. I think it's best if we just don't directly post to one another....taking care of any future problems cause I am not a mod you are and you can ban me for this post if you'd so choose...it's easy as that and I like the forum so to stop any future issues ....it'd just be the best we go our serparate ways posting wise.........


Now that's on my list of things I can't post....

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Hey chill out!

1. You only confused me (and probably others too), when you said PVT and showed the rank of TSSG. I am not saying you are lying about anything, so don't take it personal! Don't jump on people when they are questioning something. Explain what you really meant, and everything is okay!

2. I was not picking on you for being a kid! I was not picking on you at all! I have already told you that I think you have improved since joining this site, and that I have lots of respect for you.

3. Why would I ban you? You really need to chill out! I am not an ******* who goes around banning people for the hell of it! Do you really think I do that?

4. You know what H, I think that it is pretty shitty of you that you think that low of me that you don't want to carry on conversations with me anymore.

5. Go our separate ways? What are you breaking up with me?

I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop. When will B-17 announce that his school is in legal trouble for allowing a big, bad military man into the classroom to corrupt our younth's minds with coersion to join up. I'm sure somebody's parents will complain. You just wait.

Harrison,nobody is questioning what you did or saw. But like a lot of history and military buffs, there is minute investigation. Call it CSI: WW2aircraft.net.

Nowhere was anybody making anything personal.

E-5 is the rank. E-5 my teacher just sent the picture with the T because he was grading as I said and just typed in Sgt.

Sgt. Bertsche. Sgt. Bertsche.

No he's not a fake. I can assure. The teacher sent him an email asking his rank..... he wants to go to intel so his rank will be I- something....

Yes Matt, it's only his 5th year being here and no complaints...... fake? I think not. Or else he would've been gone long ago...

B-17engineer said:

Whatever if you don't believe it all I can say is I was there you weren't......I saw the photos you didn't. Ok. I can edit all my posts and change to something else because that's not right either, correct? Because those are all untrue because your half a world away and would hear it better than me and know what he looks like. Obviously you can't accept anything I say.... there's always something in question. I'm sure if anyone else posted this you'd be like, "Great to hear, hope you enjoyed." But nope I am a kid so I get "No he is not a SEAL, you didn't see a SEAL, he's a fake." MY MISTAKE big friggin deal....

And do I take it personal, of course. After the 5th or 6th time. May I have made some mistakes when I first joined, OF COURSE. I was a F*cking idiot when I joined. At least I'm trying to restore any dignity present when I joined. I think it's best if we just don't directly post to one another....taking care of any future problems cause I am not a mod you are and you can ban me for this post if you'd so choose...it's easy as that and I like the forum so to stop any future issues...

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Jeeeeezuz Harrison
you need to get a grip on this over-reaction thing
if you post a US uniform then a bunch of ex- and serving US guys are going to start micro-spotting the details. If you'd posted up a British uniform or anyone else's, then the respective guys from <insert country> on here would've done exactly the same.
I wasn't around when you joined but I seriously doubt you were a 'f*cking idiot' - you were very likely just young and look at it this way, if people are engaging you on something you've posted then they don't see you as a stoopid-kid-what-does-he-know, they see you as a peer.

B-17engineer said:

....it'd just be the best we go our separate ways posting wise

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wait a minute - who gets the kids?

Elliot Larson pretty much explains it...

""Anger always comes from frustrated expectations"

expectation...thought people would be more accepting..and therefore...anger.

A Navy Sgt. Interesting.

Whatever E-5 means

They just arrested a poser that had been lecturing high school kids here in the Seattle area. He dressed in fatigue pants, vest armour, wore a hat that said police and carried a knife. He said he was a local police officer and had served in the military. He was vetted with a school teacher who vouched for him over a number of years or months of his lectures, based upon having taught him while he was in high school. It was the knife that finally resulted in his arrest.

So posers are out there.

This guys most likely legit, B. But your facts appear to be off and that is what is raising flags with folks. Just don't take it personally. Colin said it right.