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The Duffel Brief · the free edition, Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Vol. 15 · No. 129 · Thursday, 29 October 2026

Army

Army FRG unveils haunted house featuring spouses saying ‘I’m fine’

Soldiers describe Halloween attraction as more frightening than combat deployment

Hasan execution venue double-booked with Comic-Con

Trump announces sale of Patriot missiles to Russia

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Vol. 15 · No. 129

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Duffel Blog

Established 2012 · Deployed worldwide

Vol. 15 · No. 129 · Deployed worldwide

Thursday

29 October 2026

1511 Zulu

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← Front page
Navy & Marines · Page 5

Navy prospect desperate to avoid sea service, recruiter has been 'big help'

Filed · 1547

SAN DIEGO, CA – 17 year-old Nathan Brottman wants to serve his country, and he's got the perfect plan for how to do it - the Navy's Delayed Entry Program (DEP). But Brottman has a problem -- he's deathly afraid of the water.

“The DEP is actually pretty great," says Brottman, "We meet one weekend a month and practice marching and saluting and stuff.”

When asked why he had chosen to enlist in the United States Navy, he disclosed that the Marine Corps recruiter was at lunch, and the Navy Career Counselor next door invited him into the office.

“He asked me why I wanted to join the Marine Corps and I told him I wanted to be a Sniper like in Call of Duty. He said that the Navy SEAL snipers were the best in the world, and pointed to the De-motivator poster behind his desk that talked about them shooting Somali pirates on Easter Sunday ftom the deck of a destroyer. Next thing I knew I was taking a practice ASVAB and peeing in a cup.”

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