Fiction Blog Post #1

Compare and contrast the difficulties the Navy Seals face on and off the battlefield and which is more difficult for them



Navy Seals on the battlefield fighting

A Navy Seal off duty caring for his new born baby

                                                 
                                           

                                                                  

                The hardships that Seals face off the battlefield are more difficult for Seals than the ones on the battlefield. The Navy Seals are a special forces unit in the US navy. The Seals are rigorously trained to combat and are extremely deadly on the battlefield. Off the battlefield is another story for the Seals, many have wives and famalies back home who struggle without a father figure whenever the Seals get deported. In the novel"Act of Valor" by Tom Clancy, these specific hardships are brought up in the plot. One of the main characters Engel, a Navy Seal in Seal team seven, finds out that his wife is pregnant! This is great news except he also finds out that he is getting deployed soon so he will miss his wives pregnancy and his child's birth. "How to be a dad? This for real? You and Jackie going to launch one?"(24). Engel doesn't outwardly show his concern for his baby but the author underlies it in the text. Engel only reads what really interests him or concerns him. For example he brought to the diner, Nautical Warfare and How to be a dad. His concern for his child already shows in his choices of books. As Engel gets ready for his next deployment he can only ponder what it will be like to be a father and the experiences he will be missing. It is these experiences that are difficult for the Seals. While killing bad guys and getting the job done is all almost easy work for them due to their training, looking after their families is a bit harder. As Seals are used to being in high intense situations all the time, simply conversing with your wife can be very hard due to all of the lost time with your family. A lot of military marriages end up in divorce due to the lack of time spent together. Seals don't get training for that, they are not used to family life that much, they are more tuned towards war and combat. This is why the difficulties off the battlefield are harder for Seals than the ones on the battlefield.