The second day was twenty-three hours long and when we finally ended and could lay down on the floor to rest, no one got much sleep waiting for the instructors to burst through the door any second to try to surprise us but it never happened.

The third day was another twenty-three hour day.  We were all standing in front of the abandoned building, when one of the instructors yelled out, “Get to the top of that building… move out!”  We all took off towards the front of the building.  Some guys just stood there scratching their heads wondering how they were going to get to the top while some of the stronger men were able to jump up onto the front overhang and then onto the roof, fairly easy.  Other guys were not so strong and couldn’t get up.  I was able to get up onto the overhang but I knew that SWAT was a team effort, not an individual one so after I made it onto the overhang, I turned around and gave a helping hand to my fellow teammates.

SWAT tryouts were the most punishing and demanding ordeal I had ever gone through.  About forty men started on day one and by the third day, over half had gone home.  “Only two positions to fill” said the SWAT Sergeant, “The best of the best, that’s what we wanted… good luck guys”.

We all gathered around the list that hung on the wall that had in order where each person ranked on the list.  “Congratulations,” I said to my partner, “I knew you would make it.”  “Thanks bro… I knew you’d make it too” he replied.

I served on the SWAT team for three years and count that time and the experiences I went through as one of the most learning and exciting times of my career.       

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia