Patriot101 said:
If the standards for training and such are lowered for say the Navy Seals, then why not just create another special forces unit under a new name that holds to the original higher standard?
What exactly do you mean by "standards for training and such"?
Changing the way BUDS is structured? Or the method by which SEALS train for missions and operations once assigned?
Are BUDS standards the same as unit standards? What elements of BUDS are essential to "train" SEALS to perform their jobs once they have graduated, and move into tactical units? My guess is some, but actual "training standards" aren't what we are talking about.
What I suspect you mean is the element of BUDS that is a weed out haze to reduce the population of applicants through forced attrition - getting rid of the posers, wannabes, lame, lazy, and weak...(and the people the instructors just happen to not like for whatever reason.)
Is the current "standard" of forced attrition through physical exertion, exposure, and sleep deprivation, the best method for assessment and selection? Maybe...how much is "enough"? Has "enough" ever really been calculated, or is it just an accumulation of random things built upon over time?
I'm not a SEAL, and what I know about BUDS comes from documentaries about it. But I went through Ranger School in 1992, and the concept is the same. Some of the experiences were incredibly valuable. Some were worthless and demeaning.
Some were physically harmful and dangerous. Things have changed over time, usually as a result of people getting seriously injured or killed -- especially after the 4 students died of hypothermia in 1995.