One of the most storied wrestlers in Lehigh wrestling history, Colin Kilrain was a four-time EIWA champion and a three time NCAA All-American, having been ranked and seeded number one in the NCAA his last two years. Colin has continued to demonstrate his aptitude for success since graduating from Lehigh. After serving 25 plus years with the Navy SEAL teams, he has risen to the position of Commodore of Naval Special Warfare Group Two.
Colin, how did you get started in wrestling?
I used to tag along with one of my older brothers to his wrestling practices. At that time, I was fairly young and there wasn’t an organized junior program, so I would roll around with the lighter, younger high school wrestlers. It was very informal, but it lit that spark. I became instantly interested in the sport. I grew up in the Boston area; wrestling there wasn’t as popular or organized as it was in many parts of the country. But there was a good club wrestling program at the Young Men’s Christian Union in Boston that attracted a number of good high school, college and former wrestlers. There was no real structure to the practices, but some of the better wrestlers in the area would congregate on a weekly ritual; there were always plenty of former wrestlers willing to instruct and help coach the junior wrestlers. At that time, the “Union” was under the tutelage of Coach Jim Peckham, a former Olympic wrestler and coach. Coach Peckham took many of us under his wing. It was really remarkable to be coached by such an incredible tactician. More importantly, he was a great motivator and mentor who had a huge, positive impact on so many young athletes.
(Note: Colin was a Massachusetts State champion and a National High School champion)
Talk about your college coach, Thad Turner.
I believe he is one of the greatest coaches ever to grace the sport. He was an unbelievable role model and leader, in every regard. His success as a coach is reflected not only in how his guys performed as wrestlers but, more importantly, the success they’ve enjoyed post Lehigh. I don’t have metrics, but it is very impressive to see the success of his former wrestlers. That’s a testament to wrestling and his leadership but also to the great institution of Lehigh University.
What motivated you to become a Navy SEAL?
Well, I didn’t join the Navy with the intent on making it a career. My reason for initially joining was more based on patriotism; I felt I should serve our nation, even if it was for only a few years. My goal was to serve for 4 years then move on to something else outside the military. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do for a career in the long term, but serving our country just seemed right, and I had hoped it would spark an interest or lead to something else. I never imagined I would stay in this long, but of course I’m glad I did.
I was in Officer Candidate School when I met a few SEALs who were in the area on a training trip. I knew very little, if anything, about the (SEAL) Teams at the time. But after talking with the SEALs and learning more about their profession, I became immediately interested and pursued a slot in SEAL training. It proved to be the right move for me.
Talk about SEAL training and what it takes to make it through training.
SEAL training is arguably one of the more demanding training/selection courses in the world. I don’t want to appear arrogant and say our training is the toughest, but I think it’s fair to say that it is generally recognized and accepted as one of the most challenging. The training is long and intense and stresses the individual trainee to the limits. It’s designed to force guys to reach deep to see what they’re made of. Training focuses on both individual and team performance. As in wrestling, it pays to be a winner; outstanding performance is rewarded, so there is always the inherent/constant motivation to perform well and push yourself to the limit.
Did your background as a wrestler help you to make it through SEAL training? How?
Yes, without a doubt. The same qualities that make a good wrestler also make a good SEAL candidate and trainee. SEALs have recognized that wrestlers do exceedingly well in training. There are other sports that also do well, but wrestlers seem to have an edge, and that’s based on data our training command has compiled over the years. Honestly, I’m not surprised. As a wrestler, one learns not only the strategy behind wrestling itself, but also how to train, how to compete, how to set goals, mutual respect for your opponent, teammates and coach, as well as loyalty and dedication. Above all, however, is the never quit, never give up, mind-set. It’s the greatest attribute of all. It’s a bit of a misnomer that you have to be a great athlete to be a SEAL. Don’t get me wrong, we have a lot of good athletes, but what we are really looking for are guys that have the will to succeed, and will persevere under very challenging circumstances. If you’re a good athlete, it helps. But if you’re not, you can overcome, as I’ve seen, by sheer will. We try to find guys with both talent and motivation. But as with any good wrestling coach, I’d rather have a guy with heart and drive than a guy with pure talent but no character. We want the guy with strong core values that you can count on through thick and thin. Someone you can implicitly trust. Many of my teammates were former wrestlers and credit their wrestling background as key to their success in the teams. Interestingly, many of our guys, former wrestlers in particular, have become very involved (and some quite successful) in Jiu-Jitsu and other forms of mixed martial arts.
Does making it through basic SEAL training ensure that one will ultimately be a successful SEAL?
Well, the vast majority of the guys who make it through the complete selection course have the potential to ultimately be successful. But we have a saying in the teams that “The only easy day was yesterday,” which means you have to constantly prove yourself everyday. No one can rest on their laurels if they expect to maintain the respect of their peers.
SEALs are expected to be problem solvers, to get the job done. We encourage unconventional, “out of the box” thinking but disciplined planning and execution. So we try to develop and breed guys who think broadly but can also operate within the limits of the commander’s guidance. This is not always an easy thing to do, but something which SEALs and other Special Operations Forces (SOF) forces have become renowned for.
What do Navy SEALS do?
SEALs are the special operations maritime component to U.S. Special Operations Command. We work closely, and often times, interchangeably, with other SOF, such as the Army Rangers, Special Forces, Marine RECON, as well as U.S. Army and Air Force Aviation units. Obviously, as SEALs, we spend a good portion of the time in the water, but we also work on land and in the air. The SEAL acronym stands for Sea, Air, Land, and represents all the environments we work in. We pride ourselves on being a very versatile force, able to adapt quickly to the ever changing battlefield environment. Operationally we focus on Direct Action Raids against High Value Targets and conduct special reconnaissance to enable operations. We also do quite a bit of Foreign Internal Defense (capacity building) to bolster foreign military units who, often times, are engaged side-by-side with our forces. Since 9/11 most of our operations have been focused in Afghanistan and Iraq, but we are virtually engaged around the world working with foreign governments in support of U.S. interests. One thing for sure, we’re never bored or in need of more work. The demands of our training and overseas engagements keep us busy; the down side being a lot of time away from home. The Operational TEMPO obviously causes some challenges for members with families, but for the most part our families are very resilient and very supportive of our professions.
Talk about your career as a SEAL.
We are first and foremost a combat focused unit. We take this seriously, and pride ourselves on being ready to answer the call whenever needed. We train long and hard to perfect our skills so we will never let the nation down when needed or called. Like many of our SOF brethren, we are called upon for sensitive and often very discreet missions with political sensitivities. These require level-headed professionals who understand not only the tactical complexities of the battlefield but also the political nature of it as well.
The career of a SEAL can be unbelievably interesting and diversified. Within what we call the SPECWAR community, there are many opportunities in addition to conventional SEAL Team operations, such as in our undersea and surface mobility platforms. We have some of the most high-tech mini-subs and assault craft in the world and these specialty fields offer a host of opportunities in addition to more conventional SEAL operations. There are also plenty of opportunities to continue advanced education. As an officer, you’re expected to attend post-graduate studies to obtain a Masters Degree, as well as language and other advanced schooling to support career milestones. These are great opportunities to broaden one’s horizons. Enlisted SEALs, many of whom already have a college degree, are also expected to pursue advanced education. A large percentage of our enlisted ranks pursue college degrees, and a good number become officers. Bottom line, there are tremendous opportunities within the SEAL community and most, if not all, are funded by the military. These skills are important, especially in today’s complex battlefield. Our forces interact not only with our own governmental agencies, but also with foreign governments and dignitaries, as well as tribal leaders. All these interactions require a deeper, more nuanced level of cultural understanding and engagement.
What is the upside and downside to being a SEAL?
Well, I’ve never heard anyone complain about the job being boring. There are always leadership challenges, new things to learn, and we usually change jobs every two to three years, so things never become mundane. I’ve had tremendous opportunities to lead some of the finest men I’ve ever been associated with both during peace and conflict. It’s truly been an honor. Additionally, I’ve been based all over the world and worked with military forces from every part of the globe. I’ve found it to be fascinating, rewarding and tremendously educational as well as very challenging. I would add that much of our success, high readiness, and capabilities are a direct result of working closely with other SOF elements from around the world. All of them have something to offer. The key is to learn from all these experiences to improve your understanding, knowledge and capabilities. For me there hasn’t been much of a down side, except for the fact that we’ve lost too many teammates along the way, both in training and combat. But this is the stark reality of what we do. I never want to be accused of selling the SEAL Teams to someone who doesn’t understand the risks involved. To be frank, it’s an inherently dangerous job. But I also think our guys are among the best trained in the world at what they do and we take great efforts to mitigate risks. What helps to make our organization effective is that when we make mistakes we really examine what we did wrong, and just as in wrestling, we study, make changes, and learn from those experiences and work hard to not do them again.
Are SEALs necessarily encouraged to stay in the Naval Special Warfare community as a career?
Yes, it wasn’t always that way, but we’re able to enter as a SEAL and remain in the community for our entire careers. There are some pros and cons to this, but overall I believe this has really helped professionalize our force. We do allow a certain number of lateral transfers from other fields in the Navy as well as inter-service transfers from other services.
I have heard that the SEAL community could be considered almost an "extended family". Talk about this and the benefits it confers even to SEALS who leave active duty.
All military units pride themselves on esprit-de-corps and unity. Our organization, perhaps because it is smaller than most, is probably the closest I’ve seen in this regard. We have a close bond with one another, which is at the core of what we do and why we do it. We place a tremendous amount of trust in one another and, accordingly, hold each other to a very high standard. I liken it to a family--we have healthy rivalries within our units and we often times strongly disagree with each other, but in the end we staunchly defend and support our teammates. To come to your teammate’s aid, even at the risk of your own life, is an expectation that is instilled in us from day one of training and constantly re-enforced throughout one’s career. Not that we’re consumed with medals or recognition, but for our relatively small size, we are one of the most highly decorated organizations in the U.S. military.
How do the qualities that one develops as a Navy SEAL benefit one in life in and outside of the military? What do SEALs do after leaving the SEAL community?
One of our great success stories that is lesser known, and which doesn’t occur on the battlefield, is the success many former SEALs enjoy in various civilian sectors. When I consider the scope and magnitude of what many of my former teammates and friends in the (SEAL) teams are doing, and see the tremendous success they're achieving in their respective professions, I am filled with awe and admiration. Former SEALs are quick to note that their Navy SEAL experiences (whether it is leadership or managerial skill sets) have enabled them to succeed in business. Although many have gone on to obtain high-powered Ivy League MBA, law or medical degrees which have given them added skills to enable them to excel, most cite their leadership and managerial experiences, obtained in the SEAL Teams, as the single most important factor in their success.
It’s impressive and inspiring to see how well they’re doing. What is most impressive is their continued support and commitment to the SEAL community. The great thing about our relationship is that we’re proud of each other’s accomplishments and what we’re each doing to support the nation. For all of us, becoming a Navy SEAL was, and remains, a defining moment in our lives. Our common bond was, and remains, the SEAL teams, and it is this bond that keeps us united. So in that sense, it really is like a family.
In short, we have a fairly large number of SEALs in the civilian sector, working practically in every field imaginable; many of them are wildly successful. SEALs who have left active duty continue to be advocates for our community, leading efforts to ensure that our families are well taken care of while we’re deployed or if one of our members is seriously wounded or killed in action while in training or combat. They use their business contacts to gain support from other patriotic civilians to raise funds in support of families in need. The work they do on behalf of the families is phenomenal and greatly appreciated by our active duty force.
If someone is interested in becoming a SEAL, or wants more information about the SEAL program, where might they go for that information?
They can go to our official Navy SEAL webpage. For those who use facebook and social media, they can visit our sites on facebook and twitter by searching “Navy SEAL/SWCC”.
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