Naval Special Warfare Center. Naval Special Warfare Preparatory School (NSWPS). Condition : Used and in good condition. This coin is 1 3/4 inches in diameter. Naval Special Warfare Preparatory School (NSWPS) Great Lakes is responsible for preparing students for Basic Underwater Demolition School (BUD/S). About 250+ Sailors are at the prep school at a given time for about eight weeks of physical conditioning and mental preparation before transferring on to the BUD/S school in Coronado, Calif. The course prepares students for the rigors of SEAL training. The majority of SEAL students are enlisted Sailors fresh out of boot camp from Recruit Training Command (RTC). Also present are fleet Sailors who have been selected for SEAL training. While most of the class is enlisted, all future SEAL officers are enrolled, joining their class during the last two weeks of BUD/S Prep to develop class cohesion, leadership and help prepare the class to function as a team when they report to BUD/S. At the prep school, enlisted and officer candidates train together, with the curriculum providing each candidate the opportunity for success through daily physical and academic training. SEAL School Preps Candidates for Success. Koerner, Training Support Center Public Affairs Office. GREAT LAKES (NNS) — More than 1,200 Sailors have completed the first step of becoming a Navy SEAL since the formal dedication Feb. 7, 2008 of the new Special Warfare Preparatory School at Great Lakes. “The school was established as a detachment of Naval Special Warfare Center to physically and mentally prepare SEAL candidates for the rigors of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUDS), ” said Special Operations (SEAL) Master Chief Paul Tharp, officer in charge of the school. Starting this program from scratch about 18 months ago, we are now a diverse team of civilian coaches, students and staff support along with active-duty personnel. This past year we have trained more than 1,200 students in our eight-week physical and academic curriculum utilizing various commands’ facilities here in the Great Lakes Region. The Navy’s goal is to have 2,500 enlisted SEALs by 2012. In order to meet that goal, candidates from the civilian sector and the fleet are being actively recruited. Before the preparatory phase of the school began, only about 26 percent of those who began BUD/S successfully completed the grueling six-month training. The Naval Special Warfare Preparatory School is a key asset in training U. Navy SEALs, said Capt. Stewart Elliot, Naval Special Warfare Center (NSWCEN) commanding officer. It is delivering candidates that are more physically ready and mentally prepared for the rigorous training of BUD/S. Since the course began, we have seen a 22 percent decrease in early BUD/S losses, significantly aiding in critical growth of the force. Tharp says the curriculum provides each candidate with the opportunity for success through daily physical and academic training, while continuing the sailorization and military training environment provided by the Training Support Center (TSC). “Overall, our collective efforts are providing NSWCEN with a stronger Sailor – professionally developed and physically prepared for the challenge of BUDS, ” he said. Tharp added that an opportunity for a candidate to change his mind is also available for the few candidates who may decide being a SEAL is not for them or for those who may not be completely ready, physically or mentally. “The infrastructure here at Great Lakes is established to efficiently support those Sailors in the reclassification process, setting them up for success in other ratings, which continues to add value to the fleet, ” he said. Emphasis on physical conditioning, swimming and underwater confidence are addressed as part of the prep school so students are ready for the rigors of the BUDS training held in Coronado, Calif. However, academics are not ignored during the process. Sailors are instructed in SEAL Ethos, core values, exercise science, nutrition and mental toughness. As part of TSC, the Sailors also participate in the apprentice military environment, known as the sailorization process that includes watchstanding, inspections, naval history and phased liberty. Leadership from nearly every command in the Great Lakes Region played key roles assisting us in the establishment of NSWPS by providing infrastructure and personnel support, training facilities and so on. Any and all success we encounter here and at BUDS is clearly a byproduct of the continued support we have from all here, Tharp said. Never personally given any of the coins. All coins are guaranteed to be in excellent condition unless otherwise specified above. The free listing tool. The item “Naval Special Warfare Center DET Great Lakes SEALS SWCC EOD Navy Challenge Coin” is in sale since Friday, September 30, 2016. This item is in the category “Collectibles\Militaria\Current Militaria (2001-Now)\Original Items\Challenge Coins”. The seller is “rolyat11″ and is located in Panama City, Florida. This item can be shipped worldwide.