SEAL operates from cockpit of F/A-18

Submitted by: MCAS Iwakuni
Story by Lance Cpl. Lukas J. Blom

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan     

U.S. Navy SEALs (Sea, Air, Land) are arguably the most highly trained Special Forces units in the U.S. Armed Forces. Their limitless skills and courage have inspired countless big-budget Hollywood films. Pilots of fighter jets have a very similar aura; the speeds and hairpin changes in direction that push and pull the body to its physical limits defy logic. Bo th of these occupations require nearly a lifetime of preparation; rarely does one have the opportunity to excel in both.

Capt. Aric Liberman, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 212 F/A-18 pilot, not only earned both titles, but also has proven himself as an extremely valuable asset to both elite groups.

Growing up in Upper Marlboro, Md. , Liberman spent most of his time running through the woods with his bow in hand stalking whatever prey he was hunting at the time. While bow hunting, he would often see jets and other military aircraft flying overhead from Andrews Air Force Base.

"As I was growing up I always wanted to fly," said the 34-year-old father of two.

Without a college education and determined to serve his country, Liberman was forced to consider other options than a pilot. Following high school graduation, and countless discussions with recruiters from all different military branches, Liberman signed a contract with the U.S. Navy guaranteeing him a seat in the next Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL (BUDS) course.

"I grew up wrestling my whole life so I was used to doing all the physical stuff, but BUDS was definitely the most challenging thing I've done to date," said the humbly, confident Liberman. "It matured me both mentally and physically."

Passing all the training requirements during the first five weeks of the nearly legendary BUDS course, Liberman entered the infamous "Hell Week" portion of training with newfound vigor and clarity.

"A lot of people think that Hell Week is actually the culmination of training, but in actuality it's just the beginning," said the former SEAL. "The thing that kind of slapped me in the face when I got through Hell Week was 'holy crap, this is my career path and it doesn't get any easier.'"

BUDS is a six-month course which is designed to teach all prospective SEALs the basic skills in underwater demolition, diving and land warfare. Although BUDS has one of the highest attrition rates of any training program in the U.S. Armed Service, Liberman humbly insists it was not brute strength that helped him complete the course, but an all or nothing mentality.

"Going through BUDS, I had one mentality; I was going to be completely broken, or I would graduate. Fortunately, it was the latter," said Liberman.

Upon completion of BUDS, Liberman was placed with SEAL Team 2 based out of Little Creek, Va. Throughout his 5 year tenure with SEAL Team 2, Liberman was an integral part of the elite team. His skill as a marksman set him apart from the rest of team and he became one of the few snipers on the team.

Along with participating in missions during Desert Storm and Operation Deny Flight in support of the conflict in Bo snia , Liberman was chosen to teach new SEALs the art of sniping at the Navy Special Warfare Course. Even within the SEALs, Liberman continued to show a heightened interest in air operations.

"Even with the SEALs, I always had an interest in air ops," said Liberman. "Basically that was my collateral specialty when I was with the SEALs. I was the point man, sniper, sniper instructor and did a lot of parachute training and Helo work like fast roping, SPIE (Special Purpose Insertion and Extraction) rigging and rappelling."

When the time came around to reenlist with the SEALs or go to college, the then Petty Officer 2nd Class was faced with a decision which ended up molding the rest of his career.

"I was accepted to SEAL Team 6 Development Group and a bunch of the colleges I applied to, so I had some thinking to do," said Liberman. "I knew if I didn't go to school right then, I would probably never go, so I made the decision that college was where my priorities were. It was probably one of the most difficult decisions of my life and it was extremely hard to walk away from the SEAL Teams."

Even though the decision was to pursue a degree, Liberman kept his foot in the door of the SEAL community by serving in the active reserves with SEAL Team 4 throughout his college years at North Carolina State University , where he earned a Bachelors Degree in Landscape Architecture. Not only did Liberman gain a college degree at the University, he also met his future wife, Kelly.

"She has been so awesome since I met her," said the husband of four years. "I couldn't have a more supportive person in my life. I'm eternally thankful for her."

After graduating from North Carolina State University , Liberman was faced with yet another difficult decision, go back to the SEAL Teams as a commissioned officer or follow his childhood dreams of aviation.

"That was probably the next most difficult decision of my life," said Liberman. "One of my friends in college was going to take an aviation contract, and he started talking to me about flying jets. After talking to him, all those feelings I had growing up started rushing back. I started looking into aviation very seriously right then and there."

After another round of discussions with recruiters from all branches of the U.S. Military, Liberman decided the Marine Corps was the best fit for his new career.

"I couldn't be happier with my choice to become a Marine Corps aviator," said the F/A-18 pilot. "You can't have it all in life, you wish you could but you've only got so much time. Having gone through these two career paths, I've come as close to having it all as I possibly could."

Although he has a different career in a foreign land with another branch of service, Capt. Liberman continues his pursuit of excellence as a Lancer aboard the Station.

"He is hands-down the hardest working Marine in the Squadron," said Capt. Allen E. Szczepek, VMFA-212 flight officer. "He's a completely invaluable asset to everything we do here. He's the one that delves into things that others shy away from."

"We want to be a Squadron that doesn't cut corners and we are really trying to be the best Squadron we can," said Liberman. "I think everybody, to include our newest pilots, has really shown the attitude that we can be the best Squadron in the Marine Corps. You can feel the strength building."

Capt. Aric Liberman, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 212 F/A-18C pilot and Upper Marlboro, Md. native, served in the U.S. Navy SEALs for more than nine years. He now fights his battles from the sky instead of from the sea. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Lukas J. Blom