U.S. Navy SEALs

              Golden Anniversary of the 1962 commissioning was 2012!

                                When it was clear Unconventional Warfare was needed, the U.S. Navy SEALs
                                Were Authorized by President John F. Kennedy!!  In December of 1961; 
                                the U.S. Navy SEALs Were Officially Approved For Operations, via the Chief
                                of Naval Operations Admiral Arleigh Burke!  On January 8 of  1962 at 13:00
                                hours; the U.S. Navy SEAL TEAMs were Officially Commissioned to Service!!

Background of the commissioning of the U.S. Navy SEAL Teams:

On 11 December 1961, Admiral George W Anderson Jr. signed CNO Speedletter Serial # 697P30.
This letter activated SEAL Teams One and Two and UDT 22 on 1 January 1962.
The document also contained the intended mission statement for the SEALs as well
as a description of their organization, command, and logistical support.

On 27 December 1961, Rear Admiral Allan Reed issued "SEAL Teams in Naval Special Warfare," Naval Warfare Information Publication 29-1 (NWIP 29-1).
Based on the experience gained in South Vietnam and elsewhere during 1961, the report was the basic SEAL directive for operations during most of the Vietnam War.
The following is a declassified excerpt from the still-classified Naval Warfare Information Publication. This forty-plus page document listed for the first time the capabilities
of the new SEAL Teams and their mission statement.

The SEAL Mission Profile (NWIP 29-1) is the document setting forth the mission and duty description for the SEAL Teams:

(1) Primary: To develop a specialized capability to conduct operations for military, political, or economic purposes within an area occupied by the enemy for
sabotage, demolition, and other clandestine activities conducted in and around restricted waters, rivers, and canals, and to conduct training of selected U.S.,
allied and indigenous personnel in a wide variety of skills for use in naval clandestine operations in hostile environments.
(2) Secondary: To develop doctrine and tactics for SEAL operations and to develop support equipment, including special craft for use in these operations.
(3) Tasks: Tasks may be overt or covert in nature.
  (a) Destructive tasks-These tasks include clandestine attacks on enemy shipping, demolition raids in harbors and other enemy installations within reach;
destruction of supply lines in maritime areas by destruction of bridges, railway lines, roads, canals, and so forth; and the delivery of special weapons
(SADM) to exact locations in restricted waters, rivers or canals.
  (b) Support tasks-The support tasks of SEAL Teams include protecting friendly supply lines, assisting or participating in the landing and support of guerrilla
and partisan forces, and assisting or participating in the landing and recovery of agents, other special forces, downed aviators, escapees and so forth.
  (c) Additional Tasks:
    1. Conduct reconnaissance, surveillance, and intelligence collection missions as directed.
    2. In friendly areas train U.S. and indigenous personnel in such operations as directed.
    3. Develop equipment to support special operations.
    4. Develop the capability for small boat operations, including the use of native types.

Other information on how SEAL Teams were established and configured originally

Picture of the original 1962 SEAL TEAM 2!

A 50th anniversary of SEAL Teams - a historical post on SEALFIT web, by Dwight Jon Zimmerman, 12/28/11.

The Central Locations for the SEAL TEAMs were, and still are:
1.) East Coast SEALs at Little Creek, Virginia; and:
2.) West Coast SEALs at Coronado, California (Also the BUD/S HQ!)

One of the first SEAL leaders actively deployed to forge the "starting lineup" in his "Man-o-Warsman"
image was LCDR Roy Boehm, temporarily assigned to SEAL Team 2, who was READY and "Good-To-Go", especially in Unconventional warfare.  
He had a LOT to do in a SHORT time, and assembled his TEAM from the most able-minded and fitness qualified UDT 
men he could find, his very First Edition, "Plank Owning", TEAM of U.S. Navy SEALs!   LCDR Boehm was given
Presidential Priority One authority, and to work he quickly went.  Please read Roy Boehm's book "First SEAL"
to see how he did it, and also how he himself got to be a Frogman in UDT-21! (* See note below).
A most exciting story of a true "Man-o-Warsman"! He recently passed away Dec 30, 2008. RIP, Roy!

Eight weeks after SEAL Team 2 was formed, Capt John Callahan was assigned as Commanding Officer.

(*) NOTE: There was controversy over the "First SEAL" book assertion, and Capt Dave Del Guidice "set it straight" here:
Setting the record straight on SEAL Team origin!

East and West Coast SEAL Teams started within a few hours apart! See SEAL Captain 
Larry Bailey's Comment
on Who was First, Who was Second, and the differences as to 
who had the highest KIA list! And Why!

Related History leading up to the SEALs is found on the NWSA  website hosted by RD Russell.  
This very informative site is the Web "Curator for all of Naval Special Forces history! 
This well illustrated and very comprehensive archive site covers the histories of the Naval Special 
Warfare Teams which include the following groups that preceded the SEAL Teams:

1. Naval Combat Demolition Units: WW2  NCDU
2. Underwater Demolition Teams WW2 UDT   

A documentary produced by the History Channel: 
"The Complete History of the Navy SEALs"

First Full Admiral Rank SEAL in the Navy: Eric Thor Olson

Former Commander, United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).
ADM Olson is the first Navy SEAL ever to be appointed to the grade of a three-star and four-star admiral
as well as the first naval officer to be US SOCOM's combatant commander.

The second SEAL Admiral McRaven replaced ADM Olson to be the second SEAL to become a US SOCOM Commander.

Admiral William McRaven. 
He took over SOCOM in Aug 2011.
He later turned over command of SOCOM on Aug28/2014 to Army GEN Joseph Votel.
He came to SOCOM after completing his special mission as Joint Special Operations Commander (JSOC),
which was tasked to terminate OBL (AKA  "Geronimo"- a code name for that mission) and a few others at his
Afghanistan home, thus completing a 10 year delayed mission of Justice for the attack on America on 9/11/01.

The new Naval Special Warfare Commander is Radm Sean Pybus (Commands the Navy SEALs and and all
NSW Support members). He took over at the Coronado Naval Special Warfare Command Naval Base on Aug 8 2011,
according to the Tampa Tribune.  This base Command oversees all SEAL Teams, all Special Boat Teams, and all other
supporting NSW Missions globally.  All told, around 8300 work for Radm Pybus!  Radm Pybus came to his new assignment
after completing his duty as Commander of Special Operations Command-Pacific.

SEALs are the best trained warriors on the planet!
The main training levels to qualify include:
Conditioning Training (Approx. 2 weeks).
BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) course, approx 16 weeks).
Parachute Training (Ft Benning), 5 Qualified Jumps required to get the Jump Wings!.
SQT (SEAL Qualification Training). Very detailed advanced training.
This SQT is the final step before wearing the Trident. It's earned at completion of this training.
Predeployment Training, including "PRODEV", Professional Development Phase.

An excellent set of resources for reading about REAL SEAL training:

"The Warrior Elite: The Forging of SEAL Class 228" (Covers conditioning through BUD/S)
"The Finishing School: Earning the Navy SEAL Trident" (Covers SQT, Predeployment, etc)
"To be a US Navy SEAL" : a pictorial on getting through SEAL training!!
These three are all written by Dick Couch (Retired SEAL Team 1 Captain, BUD/S Honorman, Class 45, 1969)
Other good training accounts:
"Class 29: The Making of US Navy SEALs" by John Carl Roat (Graduate of that Class!)
"Hell Week: SEALs in Training", by Command Master Chief Dennis Chalker (former Team 6 Cofounder)

Men who do not complete BUD/S AND SQT are NOT (Repeat, NOT!!) SEALs, those people
claiming to have served SEAL Teams are "WANNABEs" who do a disservice and dishonor to the
real Teams, especially the fallen SEALs who paid the ultimate price!

REAL U.S. Navy SEALs with Websites
The first group of links below go to some Navy UDT/SEAL Sites that are put together by 
REAL SEALs. These valient men tell THEIR real stories, on THEIR Sites!!!

CyberSEALs Org

LOTI Group's SEAL Team's Website: Great Videos !
Brian “Rudee” Schad,  BUDS Training Class142
SEALs official Recruiting Website!
Capt Larry Bailey    NSWA  (Naval Warfare Archives)

Steve SEAL TEAM One BLOG on the Stolen Warrior Act
Jim "Patches" Watson, Chief  Platoon Leader,  ST2  Plank Owner
Brian Curle's Navy SEAL TEAMs site
Naval Special Warfare Command
ST-6 Founder: CDR Richard Marcinko, USN (Ret)
Families of UDT/SEALs
Erasmo "Doc" Riojas SEAL Corpsman ST2

"Interesting SEAL Stuff"  a Doc Riojas special!
SEAL Warbooks!
The SEAL TEAMS com   (Domain is Sale) From Dave Ferruolo 
Coronado California July 4 SEAL Demo
U.S. SOCOM
Frogman.com Special Stunt Divers TEAM:  REAL SEALs are on it!
Golden SEAL Enterprises: International Security Specialists

Extreme SEAL Experience by owner Senior Chief Don Shipley (retired) a master of SEAL training in the field!

Know the WHY before the WHEN in applying for BUD/S!
Let former US Navy SEAL Phil Black help you find out at Survivingbuds.com !!

The special SEAL Community:  The UDT-SEAL Association

The History of Frogmen is archived at the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Ft Pierce, Florida.

No Guts No Glory a new Expose of Phony SEAL warriors!  by Steve Robinson ST1

SEAL in Space!!
Profile of Capt William Shepherd

Special Sites with Mucho SPECOPS stuff!
Special Operations.com: Includes NAVSPECWAR of course!
Special Operations.com  SEAL site
Special Tactics.com

Controversial UNODIR (*) SEAL!!:
There was once a site on the "Rogue Warrior" CDR Richard Marcinko!!
The term *UNODIR* appears in his books. It is exactly how
he loves to operate-outside command or direction- "Unless
Otherwise Directed" was (According to his books)  usually 
specified on his Mission Orders, so when the going got tough, he 
supplied the "Otherwise Direction"!!  His popularity with the "regular"
SEAL community appears nonexistent.  He and they know what he did to
earn that "diStinksion".

Even a Rogue Warrior has to have Sea Daddies!! 
Here is an excerpt of his hospitality!

Terrorism is what RED CELL and SEAL TEAM 6 were set up
to counter AND neutralize! (Marcinko lead this effort from its
creation, and he trained and deployed them for ACTION).
Today's similarly deployed TEAMs are Top Secret and the 
name of the current TEAM is classified information, I was told. 
SPECDEVDRU in Dam Neck, Virginia, is the Navy Unit "officially".
This Team was credited by the White House for introducing Bin Laden
to his "Allah" directly, removing this world enemy #1 from the gene pool,
on May 1, 2011.

SEAL Tribute Pages by Non-SEALs:
Master Chief Rudy Boesch
SEAL Java Sites by Nightscribe!
Tracking Trainer Of SEALs: Tom Brown (Native American Non SEAL)
Whitet's SEAL Maritime Boarding Which Covers 3 kinds of Loadouts!
Whitet's Individual CQB Loadout
Whitet's Standard Breacher Operational  Loadout
Whitet's Airborne Sniper Operational Loadout
The First SEAL credits his men, and "takes the blame"
My site on Chief James D. Watson POINTMAN ("Patches")
James Janos is  Governor of Minnesota !!!!
My Book Review  of "Class 29 UDT/SEAL  by John Carl Roat
Some favorite Books I have on SEALs and SpecWar
"SEALs Even Needed Corpsmen!" by Nightscribe
Unofficial Navy SEALs Page
Unofficial SDV Page
Navy SEALs! Colin Woodcock's Shockwave version
My site on Ty Zellers as Skydiver

CyberSEALs
Three SEALs were awarded the Medal of Honor in Vietnam!
Pics of the Coronado Naval Amphibious Base (Home of BUD/S!!

A very tough guy that might have made it as a UDT/SEAL ,  but chose Army instead-
Red Adair: Oil well fire fighter extraordinaire!

Navy SEAL Merchandise!
Warning: Do NOT EVER wear the REAL Trident if you did NOT pass BUD/S 
(The "BUD/S" classes qualify Naval Personel for active service on Navy Special TEAMS, 
like SEALs, UDT's, or SBU SEALs.)  A lot of these men died valiantly in the service, and I am
told by those remaining, that it would be most dishonorable to wear a REAL Trident falsely.  

A Little Chuckle!
The author might be a Nam Vet! (either SEAL or Scout Ranger !!)
Check out this list of "Eight Rules for Dating" by a Man with Teen Daughters!

Yeah-Right!!! Show me Department:  Totally Humorous Fiction:
Hillary giving a Baby SEAL some CQC opportunities!
Mouse trained by a SEAL??
SEAL Java!

A Quote From The Misty Death Swamp:
"Thou hast not to like it, thou hast just to do it!!"
From "Demo" Dick Marcinko's  "10 Commandments Of SPECWAR"
And That Means Anything Required, to accomplish the mission!!

Nuke Bomb: Here is One of the things SEALs must prevent from happening!   

A Little But Important Disclaimer:
I Am NOT A SEAL!!  SO...Why Do A UDT/SEAL Page?? I respect
ANY TEAM that gets the job DONE WELL, that takes DOWN the
"Tango" (Terrorist) Counter-Americans, and doesn't operate under
political red tape!!   Here is My Dedication Statement for this section!!!:
This page and the linked subsections are Truly and Simply Dedicated
to those Special Elite Superdefenders Of Freedom Described Here!!
Their Web Pages tell their stories of true "Been There Done That" ACTION!
This website is for HONORING them, And celebrates Their "Supremacy"
in matters of Clandestine Military Achievements under Pressure:-)

Please visit my WANNABE SEAL site  to learn about what they are and what sites
are posted on the web regarding their presence as imposters!

Miscellaneous:
Want To Really Be a SEAL?
SEAL Recruiting Website (Official)  "Meet the SEAL Challenge"
UDT/ SEALs are called "Frogmen"; to see Real Frogs, Here's a"Frogs" link!
The Origin of TAPS Played by Bugle in honor of the Fallen in the Military.
SEAL Personality Profiles taken by NHRC

ADM Hyman G. Rickover was No SEAL, But His Work Ethic was Super Professional!
Here are his "Basic Principles  for Doing Your Job".  My Opinion of Military Attrition?
 I think a lot of this work ethic Americans in Military Service is getting lost in the shuffle
of getting tickets punched on short term assignments.  If this trend continues in the next
decade of the 2nd Millennium, SEALs and other critical mission capable organizations
especially in SPECOPS will go Kaput as more and more senior people leave Military Service!