Nick Lavery

And they're like, hey, we actually have this program called the 18 X-ray program, which is a special forces recruit, which gives guys off the street the opportunity to bypass any kind of service in the conventional Army. And if you make it through that entire pipeline from start to finish, your first real job will be as a Green Beret on an ODA. I didn't make my decision right there.

I said, thank you. I left. I went home and started doing a little bit of research. I really didn't know what Green Berets did. I had movie references, Rambo and John Wayne, but I really didn't know. So I started kind of just digging into what do these guys do? What are they all about? And Unconventional Warfare, which is our primary mission set, just really jumped off the screen at me.

I said, thank you. I left. I went home and started doing a little bit of research. I really didn't know what Green Berets did. I had movie references, Rambo and John Wayne, but I really didn't know. So I started kind of just digging into what do these guys do? What are they all about? And Unconventional Warfare, which is our primary mission set, just really jumped off the screen at me.

I said, thank you. I left. I went home and started doing a little bit of research. I really didn't know what Green Berets did. I had movie references, Rambo and John Wayne, but I really didn't know. So I started kind of just digging into what do these guys do? What are they all about? And Unconventional Warfare, which is our primary mission set, just really jumped off the screen at me.

And I said, man, that really sounds cool. I think I want to do that. So it gave me the fastest route to get into Special Operations. And then it also was the mission set I was most drawn to. That was it.

And I said, man, that really sounds cool. I think I want to do that. So it gave me the fastest route to get into Special Operations. And then it also was the mission set I was most drawn to. That was it.

And I said, man, that really sounds cool. I think I want to do that. So it gave me the fastest route to get into Special Operations. And then it also was the mission set I was most drawn to. That was it.

I'd say the first time I was truly humbled was was probably at the end of around the first week of being with my team. I mean, you get humble going through training, for sure. It's brutal. It kicks your ass. This is all post... selection, post-Q course, actually getting into the team?

I'd say the first time I was truly humbled was was probably at the end of around the first week of being with my team. I mean, you get humble going through training, for sure. It's brutal. It kicks your ass. This is all post... selection, post-Q course, actually getting into the team?

I'd say the first time I was truly humbled was was probably at the end of around the first week of being with my team. I mean, you get humble going through training, for sure. It's brutal. It kicks your ass. This is all post... selection, post-Q course, actually getting into the team?

That was the biggest wake-up call for me in terms of like an ego check was when I actually started to go do the work. Interesting, okay. And I realized, because you graduate that course and it's like, I got all these special skills. I can do all this cool stuff. I'm literally a walking weapon. And now it's game on. And you walk into that team room

That was the biggest wake-up call for me in terms of like an ego check was when I actually started to go do the work. Interesting, okay. And I realized, because you graduate that course and it's like, I got all these special skills. I can do all this cool stuff. I'm literally a walking weapon. And now it's game on. And you walk into that team room

That was the biggest wake-up call for me in terms of like an ego check was when I actually started to go do the work. Interesting, okay. And I realized, because you graduate that course and it's like, I got all these special skills. I can do all this cool stuff. I'm literally a walking weapon. And now it's game on. And you walk into that team room

And you're around guys that have been over there and done that four, five, six times, like hardened warriors. And you realize that you barely know anything. You got like a fraction foundation of what this means. And now you're actually going to start to learn how to really do this job.

And you're around guys that have been over there and done that four, five, six times, like hardened warriors. And you realize that you barely know anything. You got like a fraction foundation of what this means. And now you're actually going to start to learn how to really do this job.

And you're around guys that have been over there and done that four, five, six times, like hardened warriors. And you realize that you barely know anything. You got like a fraction foundation of what this means. And now you're actually going to start to learn how to really do this job.

Going through selection and going through Q course, there are certainly times when you get your absolute ass kicked.

Going through selection and going through Q course, there are certainly times when you get your absolute ass kicked.

Going through selection and going through Q course, there are certainly times when you get your absolute ass kicked.

um so humbled at points of time during training for sure but the real wake-up call for me came once i actually started started going to work with the guys kind of like it was like a gut check putting you in your place 100 yeah i think in order to be a professional you need you need that wake-up call