Father David Nix: Relief Comes From Unanticipated Quarters.

By Father David Nix, Padre Peregrino Hermitage Blog, May 29th, 2025

Editor’s Note: This piece is from Mike, a husband, father and convert to the Catholic faith. Mike is a retired SEAL officer who spent many years at SEAL Team Six. He attends the Traditional Latin Mass.  p/c NavySeals.com.

On a Sunday night in October, 1989, Hell Week began. Gunfire, flash-bangs, yelling, confusion: all designed to induce the maximum stress and chaos among us SEAL trainees. It continued non-stop for the next 4-1/2 days. Attrition was about 70%: a typical rate.
I was a 22 year old Navy ensign leading a “boat crew” of six fellow trainees. About 48 hours into Hell Week (it was Tuesday evening), we paddled our inflatable rubber boats ashore at “Camp Surf,” not far from the border with Mexico. Camp Surf is specially designed for attrition: it is an inflection point for one’s physical and psychological endurance, both of which are at their natural limit at that point in the week.

The first event at Camp Surf was a punishing 45-minute dune run. A line of boat crews ran up and down the steep dunes carrying their heavy boats on their heads. An instructor set an inhumanly fast pace. There was wailing and gnashing of teeth, some injuries, and a couple of quitters. Finally, it was over. Everyone pulled up in a formation, gasping for breath, struggling to keep their boats over their heads. …

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