I suspect that there are more romances about ex-navy seals than there are actual ex-navy seals in the world

[MovemberSucks]

I'm reading one at the moment (I'm a cliché, I know, navy seals and gruff ranchers are my weakness), and I suddenly thought that, for a supposedly elite group, there are an awful lot of them in fiction.

But I don't know how to work it out, are there hundreds of active seals or thousands? Do they mostly survive and leave the navy to become freelance govt agents/secret black ops/bodyguards/hermits or does it come with a high mortality rate?

What are my chances of actually being seduced by one, or should I concentrate on the gruff ranchers? (In real life I'm not at all drawn to that sort of personality, which is probably why I like them so much in fiction.)

[MuttonWasAGoose]

I don't think there's more than a few hundred ex-SEALS at any one time. I'm not sure how many are active but I think it's only a few dozen. I do know that the number of people falsely claiming to be SEALS is greater than the actual number. There used to a a website where you could check to see if the individual was lying.

SEALs are not normal people and they don't tend to do well with marriage. I've heard their divorce rate is close to 100%.

[MovemberSucks]

I can imagine that it would be extremely hard to transition to civilian life. Fortunately for the men in the romantic novels all it takes is meeting the right woman. It's extremely fictional fiction, but then most romances are.

I imagine that real-life gruff ranchers aren't much of a joy to live with either.

[caroldecker]

There are 2,500 active seals. Assuming a 10 year term, an average age of starting of 25 and a lifetime of 70. There are 11,250 ex navy seals around to provide seduction a plenty.

[DragonsToSlayAndWineToDrink]

No idea but just clicked on to this as have literally in the last hour started reading a random kindle book where the hero is... An ex-navy seal

[MovemberSucks]

Random Kindle books are awash with ex-seals and ex-special forces Dragons. Has the innocent heroine (who is unaware of her natural and unadorned beauty) been kidnapped or got caught in a crossfire yet? That will be the point that the rugged hero, who has previously sworn off relationships, suddenly realises that he can't live without her. [sigh]

[MovemberSucks]

11,250 is possibly more than the number of books carol. However the books only really deal with those who are nearing the end of their tour of duty or who have left but are in their 30s or 40s (romance novels shouldn't be so ageist, I really like the occasional book that I've read where the protagonists are a bit older). So let's say there are 250 seals per year by age, and a 20 year span for them to be a grand romantic, that would be only 5,000 men that fit the bill. All I need to do now is work out exactly how many books about seals there are and I'll have a definitive answer. (Then I'll need to work it out for ex-special forces too. )

Or, you know, I could just finish reading my book (the innocent heroine and her orphaned little brother have just been kidnapped so that the nasty villain can force her to sell her house).

[SoupDragon]

There are probably more ex SEALS then there are people willing to do the maths required to work out how many ex-SEALS there are :o

[SoupDragon]

They are also always the ones who were superb at their job. There is never a duff ex-SEAL/special forces in fiction.

[caroldecker]

Movember is it possible that some of them to be serial rugged hero's? I would suspect that a few years after the book, our more experienced heroine would kick them out, allowing him to become a loner sworn off relationships again.

[MovemberSucks]

at SoupDragon

[SoupDragon]

That's true - with the alleged 100% divorce rate, they must regularly become available again.

[MovemberSucks]

I don't think they get into the elite ranks if they are duff. Some of the books have the occasional one who goes rogue and works for the 'bad' guys, but even then he has the skills you would expect.

[MovemberSucks]

No caroldecker they are together for life - it's a romance novel for goodness sake! Occasionally a wife will die tragically young, and the death often needs to be revenged during the course of which the hero will save another innocent from the same evil forces (generally a few years after his wife's death), and fall for her.

[SoupDragon]

I realise that they are not duff by ordinary standards, but by the standards of special forces in general, they are alway top of the elite.

[Katymac]

TBH ex Navy SEALS can only be a force for good

However the number of Billionaire Alpha/Dominants is much more scary - who knew there were that many Billionaires in the world?

[MovemberSucks]

I don't read about billionaire dominants. They're no use in a kidnapping situation. They wouldn't save me, they'd just hire an ex-navy seal to save me. Plus, I have very delicate skin, all those restraints would chafe.

[minsmum]

Where's a like button when you need it

[caroldecker]

there are about 1,500 male billionaires at present, so rarer than a SEAL but probably less well equipped.

[SaltyGoodness]

I had a v torrid relationship with an ex-SAS Commander. Was in my 20's and fancied him rotten, he much older and v masterful and suave.

He turned out to be an arch Tory with some attitudes. And he had old man bad breath.

He is now v rich and powerful. But probably still has the repugnant views. And the bad breath.

[MovemberSucks]

I suspect that conservative attitudes might come with the territory, bad breath is a nasty surprise though. Did he ever rescue you from kidnappers/drug smugglers/terrorists? I might be prepared to put some effort into re-educating his political views for a bit of dramatic rescuing. Not sure the bad breath would be worth it though.

[SaltyGoodness]

TBH it's my views that have probably changed more since those days, I was rather a self-righteous little lefty swot back then

He didn't really rescue me from anything per se, but he did drive and ski and fling me onto the bed with consummate skill

[MovemberSucks]