The United States military operates under an all-volunteer force system, also known as the voluntary enlistment system, meaning that citizens join the military purely out of their own free will, with a contractual relationship between both parties.
This is fundamentally different from the conscription systems in countries like China and South Korea.
Soldiers entering the military through conscription are called conscripts or draftees. The state does not pay them a salary; each month they only receive a small allowance roughly equivalent to pocket money.
This is considered fulfilling one's duty to the country.
An eighteen-year-old youth, in the prime of his life, goes to serve as a conscript soldier who basically receives no real income.
It can be said that it is purely to fulfill a dream — to wear the olive-green uniform with honor, to dedicate one's youth to the country.
Of course, there are a few with specific goals, hoping to find a job through the military as a stepping stone.
But in essence, they all act for their dreams.
The volunteer system, on the other hand, is a contractual employment arrangement, fundamentally different in nature. Each person's motivation to join the military is much more diverse.
Excluding the small number of Americans who truly join the military out of patriotic duty—to defend the country and uphold national honor—
Over 80% of the people join for their own needs, with the military coincidentally fulfilling those needs.
Among this 80%, more than half join for the money.
Take, for example, Bravo Team's second-in-command, Lei.
Regardless of what his original purpose was in joining the military, or whether he enlisted purely for honor when he was young, now he stays primarily for the money.
In reality, a large proportion of American youth join the military largely because of the paycheck it provides.
Otherwise, it would be difficult to sustain basic living expenses.
The remaining half who do not join for money mainly focus on personal character and interests.
Sean is a typical example of someone motivated by interest.
From his remarks, it is clear that he did not join for money but purely to realize his life dream.
Traveling the world and seeing its sights is almost every young person's dream.
Unfortunately, this dream is extremely costly and beyond the reach of most.
Sean joined DEVGRU mainly because it allows him to travel worldwide and experience the world's scenery.
It is, in a way, a circuitous route to traveling the world.
At the same time, DEVGRU is a special operations unit—full of hormones and adrenaline—which adds challenge and adventure to Sean's life.
To challenge oneself, live authentically, and soar higher.
Young people love that kind of life!
If a recruit in a conscription-based military said such things, without uttering a single word about the country, the people, or honor, the veterans would definitely take them aside for a serious talk.
A recruit who thinks about having fun on their first day is ideologically misguided.
But in the volunteer U.S. military, Sean's words struck a chord with the veterans, deeply moving them.
The oldest veteran present is already in his forties, while the youngest, Long Zhan, is nearly twenty-six.
Recalling their own youth, they too once had such hopes and dreams.
But the ravages of time and harsh realities have transformed those dreams into delusions, now buried deep in their hearts as regrets.
They have had to set aside dreams for the sake of their families.
Now, seeing the passionate Sean before them provides them with some spiritual comfort.
In this emotional atmosphere…
Sean's dream-filled speech received unanimous approval from all the veterans, marking a perfect conclusion to Sean's rookie show.
With the rookie show over, operations moved into full swing.
Thanks to Murphy's efforts, all the weapons and equipment had been delivered to the armory. Murphy's team needed to start preparing their gear.
This also highlighted the difference between regular SEALs and elite SEALs.
At DEVGRU, every mission is supported by dedicated logistics sergeants who ensure all required equipment is ready. Basically, you just arrive and pick up what you need.
But here, it was completely different.
Long Zhan, Marcus, and the other three operators had to personally open various combat supply boxes and take out their gear for assembly.
From mounting optical sights on rifles to stuffing magazines and grenades into tactical vests,
Everything had to be done by hand.
Fortunately, all participants in this mission were veterans. The lowest rank among them was sergeant, and all were special operators very familiar with their equipment.
The five quickly found their assigned weapons and began assembling and checking them for malfunctions.
Murphy and Danny Deets carried M4A1 rifles—the basic standard model without special modifications—equipped with standard KAC suppressors.
Attached underneath was the M203A1 grenade launcher for additional firepower.
The M203A1, developed by American AAI Corporation, is a breech-loading, rifled single-shot grenade launcher that has basically replaced the older M79 launcher.
Maximum effective range: 350 meters for area targets, 150 meters for point targets.
Matt, the team's sniper observer, carried a Navy variant of the MK12 MOD1 Special Purpose Rifle (SPR), known for its lightweight design but shorter effective sniper range.
It can be simply called the "SPR sniper rifle."
It was also a standard issued basic model without special enhancements.
Features included an 18-inch barrel, a Leupold LR M3 (SPR/A) mid-range daylight scope, and an OPS Inc. Model 12 SPR suppressor.
A "perfect" standard model.
Marcus, the team medic and secondary observer, chose the same SPR sniper rifle as Matt.
Not because Marcus particularly liked the rifle, but because only two sniper rifles had been issued to the team; he had no better option.
Even if he didn't like it, he had to use it!
Unlike DEVGRU operators who can choose their weapons with a base armorer to fulfill any personal customization requests,
These white SEALs had no say; they had to use whatever weapon the command issued.
The difference here was as vast as heaven and earth.
Having served two missions with Bravo Team and enjoyed top-tier treatment, Long Zhan looked at the "basic issue" weapons before him with mixed feelings.
Fortunately, coming from DEVGRU, he was already accustomed to this "poor man's hardship."
Moreover, the Mk48 Mod0 that Murphy had procured was a large-caliber version of the MK46, switching from 5.56×45mm rounds to 7.62×51mm rounds.
Although it hadn't undergone any further enhancements, it perfectly suited Long Zhan's tastes.
During his two years in DEVGRU, Long Zhan had consistently used the lightweight Mk48 machine gun—this model was his old companion.
Though the caliber and bullet weight had increased, load weight was never an issue for Long Zhan.
He craved stronger, more powerful firepower.
The scope also pleased Long Zhan—a configuration featuring an ACOG 4x32 TA31 equipped with a Doctor micro red dot sight.
(The micro red dot sight is a special optic, only the size of a fingernail, mounted not on the rifle's Picatinny rail but atop the magnified scope.
This allows precise aiming at both close and long ranges without adjustment.)
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