EUREKA - Dangerous reconnaissance operations, covert missions in foreign countries - the job of a Navy SEAL is the stuff some boys dream of. Eureka native Nick Miller was one of them.

Miller's father and both grandfathers had been in the service.

"I knew right off the bat," Miller said during a recent talk to the Eureka Rotary Club. "When I was a kid, I wanted to be a SEAL. I was drawn to the special ops."

SEAL (Sea, Air, Land) training is a grueling, three-phase process that follows U.S. Navy boot camp. The first part is physical conditioning; then diving, specifically combat scuba; and land warfare training.

It's both physically and emotionally demanding as the trainees learn to work with 100 pounds of gear. Miller said one of the most surprising experiences is the water temperature.

"It is the shock of the cold," said Miller. "You would think that the water in southern California would be warm, but the water is 50, 40 degrees. It just takes the breath out of you."

As training gets harder, candidates quit. Miller's class began with 120 candidates, but fewer than 15 graduated.

His brother Michael, also a SEAL, was one of only seven men to graduate from an initial class of 270.

Their father, Roger, recalled a conversation about the training. "(Nick) told me that the 'SEAL program will break your spirit, physically and mentally, but there was no way I could have called home and told you I quit.'"

For Nick, it wasn't an option. "I never personally thought about quitting," he said. "I took it one evolution at a time."

After the initial training, candidates work on specific skills so they can operate on sea, air or land.

SEAL teams of 15 men - no women are allowed, since they aren't allowed in ground combat - train for another 1½ years before they are deployed. The Navy has about 1,500 active SEALs, based in California and Virginia. They can be assigned to duties anywhere in the world.

"We all share the same desires," said Miller. "We all want to get overseas and get to the enemy, to knock on their doors."

Miller spent six months in Southeast Asia and had three tours to Iraq.

Miller, now a SEAL instructor at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes Naval Station, appreciates the strict requirements for acceptance.

Besides aptitude, vision and fitness requirements, candidates also have to pass a rigorous background check.

"Every day, I have a kid coming to me who says they want to try out," said Miller, "but cannot because of a DUI or criminal background."

He advises potential recruits to stay out of trouble and stay on top of their academics and physical fitness.

"There is a lot of basic stuff that they take for granted," Miller said. "You never know where life is going to take you."