I'm about a quarter of the way done with Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell, and currently the author is talking about is SEALs training before he actually became a SEAL, and it interests me greatly. I was reading about the ridiculous amount of physical training that these men have to endure, and I came across an interesting quote. Luttrell reminisces about a conversation he had with his drill instructor, Alberto Reno, and remembers Reno saying "Marcus, the body can take damn near anything. It's the mind that needs training." I found this quote very interesting because many people in our society today seem to think that being in the armed forces just means that you have to be physically ripped and nothing else. It is just funny to me when I hear anything that makes anyone in the military look unintelligent or mentally weak because to be in the military, your mind has to be stronger than anything, especially with a special forces unit such as the SEALs. If your mind is not prepared for the horrors and injustices of war, then you will not last in such a stressful place as the military.
While reading the last chapter, I also thought about the type of physical training that is involved in the military. The big misconception that many people seem to have is that being big and bulky with muscle is better, and Luttrell clearly debunks that reasoning in chapter three. Luttrell is always writing about how the students are doing push ups and running, not benching ridiculous amounts of weights, and though it may be a small detail to some, it stuck out to me because I'm preparing myself for this type of routine in a short period of time, and it helped me see what I should be focusing on.
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