United States Navy SEALs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids United States Navy SEALs |
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Special Warfare insignia known as the "SEAL Trident"
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| Active | January 1, 1962 – present (63 years, 1 month) |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Navy |
| Type | Special operations force |
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| Garrison/HQ | Naval Amphibious Base Coronado Joint Expeditionary Base–Little Creek |
| Nickname(s) | "Frogmen", "The Teams", "Team Guys", "The Men with Green Faces" |
| Motto(s) | "The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday" "It Pays To Be A Winner". "Never Out Of The Fight". |
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The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the United States Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the United States Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting small-unit special operation missions in maritime, jungle, urban, arctic, mountainous, and desert environments. SEALs are typically ordered to capture or kill high-level targets, or to gather intelligence behind enemy lines. SEAL team personnel are hand-selected, highly trained, and possess a high degree of proficiency in unconventional warfare (UW), direct action (DA), and special reconnaissance (SR), among other tasks like sabotage, demolition, intelligence gathering, and hydrographic reconnaissance, training, and advising friendly militaries or other forces. All active SEALs are members of the U.S. Navy.
Contents
History
Although not formally founded until 1962, the modern-day U.S. Navy SEALs trace their roots to World War II. The United States Military recognized the need for the covert reconnaissance of landing beaches and coastal defenses. As a result, the joint Army, Marine Corps, and Navy Amphibious Scout and Raider School was established in 1942 at Fort Pierce, Florida. The Scouts and Raiders were formed in September of that year, just nine months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, from the Observer Group, a joint U.S. Army-Marine-Navy unit.
Personnel
Selection and training
Before getting accepted into Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training, a prospective candidate must pass a certain number of both mental and physical requirements. These tests include: Pre-enlistment medical screening, ASVAB, AFQT, C-SORT, and PST. Then, the candidate must get a SEAL contract by passing the SEAL Physical Screening Test: 500-yard swim in 12:30, 50 push-ups in 2 minutes, 50 sit-ups in 2 minutes, 10 consecutive pull-ups in 2 minutes, and a 1.5-mile run in 10:30. Candidates receiving a passing score may then be admitted into training to become Navy SEALs. SEAL training is extremely rigorous. The attrition rate fluctuates, but averages at about 80 percent.
The average candidate spends more than a year in a series of formal training courses before being awarded the Special Warfare Operator Naval Rating and the Navy Enlisted Classification (NEC) 5326 Combatant Swimmer (SEAL) or, in the case of commissioned naval officers, the designation Naval Special Warfare (SEAL) Officer.
Navy SEAL training pipeline:
- 8-week Naval Recruit Training
- 8-week Naval Special Warfare Prep School (Pre-BUD/S)
- 3-week BUD/S Orientation
- 24-week Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training (BUD/S)
- 3-week Army airborne School
- 26-week SEAL Qualification Training (SQT)
Upon graduation from SQT, trainees receive the U.S. Navy SEAL Trident, designating them as Navy SEALs. They are subsequently assigned to a SEAL Team or SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) Team and begin 18 months of predeployment training before they are considered deployable. This training consists of:
- 6-month Professional Development – Individual Specialty Training (ProDev)
- 6-month Unit Level Training (ULT). ULT is unit training conducted by each Groups Training Detachment. Core unit training blocks are Air Operations, Land Warfare, Maritime, Urban and Special Reconnaissance.
- 6-month Squadron Integration Training (SIT)
Those enlisted SEALs with a medical rating will first attend the Special Operations Combat Medic Course for 6 months in Fort Bragg, North Carolina before joining a team in order to become a SEAL/Special Operator Corpsman. Those pursuing officer positions first attend the Junior Officer Training Course (JOTC) to learn about operations planning and how to perform team briefings. In total it can take over two-and-a-half years to completely train a Navy SEAL for his first deployment.
Women
Until December 2015, female sailors were barred from becoming Navy SEALs by naval regulation; however, this prohibition no longer exists. As early as August 2015, it was reported that the "Navy is planning to open its elite SEAL teams to women who can pass the grueling training regimen." In that same month, Admiral Jon Greenert, the Chief of Naval Operations at the time, said that "he and the head of Naval Special Warfare Command, Rear Admiral Brian Losey, believe that if women can pass the legendary six-month Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training, they should be allowed to serve." On 3 December 2015, it was announced that there are now "no exceptions" to all military roles in the U.S., and women can become U.S. Navy SEALs.
Since the Navy opened up special warfare jobs to female sailors in 2016, 18 women have attempted to pass Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC) and SEAL training.
The Washington Examiner reported on 10 August 2017: "A woman aiming to become the first female Navy SEAL officer quit about a week into the initial training".
In 2019, the Navy announced that an unnamed female officer was the first to successfully complete the SEAL Officer Assessment and Selection program (SOAS). She was one of a group of five female candidates to enter the program. She opted not to start BUD/S afterwards, instead choosing another assignment in the Navy.
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The total number of personnel, including SEALs and SWCCs assigned to Naval Special Warfare Command is approximately 8,195 out of a total 8,985 military staff, and 10,166 including civilian support staff, as of 2015.
Naval Special Warfare Command is organized into the following configuration:
- Naval Special Warfare Group 1 – based at the Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in California
- SEAL Team 1
- SEAL Team 3
- SEAL Team 5
- SEAL Team 7
- Naval Special Warfare Group 2 – based at the Joint Expeditionary Base–Little Creek in Virginia
- SEAL Team 2
- SEAL Team 4
- SEAL Team 8
- SEAL Team 10
- Naval Special Warfare Group 4 – based at the Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek in Virginia
- Special Boat Team 12
- Special Boat Team 20
- Special Boat Team 22
- Naval Special Warfare Group 8 – based at the Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek in Virginia
- SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1
- SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2
- Special Reconnaissance Team 1
- Special Reconnaissance Team 2
- Logistics Support 3
- Training Detachment 3
- Mission Support Center ("organize, train, educate, equip, deploy and sustain specialized intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and preparation-of-the-environment capabilities")
- Naval Special Warfare Group 11 – based at the Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in California
- SEAL Team 17 (formerly Operational Support Team 1)
- SEAL Team 18 (formerly Operational Support Teams 2)
- Naval Special Warfare Development Group (also known as DEVGRU or SEAL Team 6) – Based at the Dam Neck Annex, NAS Oceana, Virginia Beach, Virginia, assigned operationally to JSOC
- Red Squadron
- Blue Squadron
- Gold Squadron
- Silver Squadron
- Black Squadron
- Grey Squadron
Deactivated Groups:
- Naval Special Warfare Group 3 – previously based at the Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in California; deactivated in 2021
- Naval Special Warfare Group 10 – previously based at the Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek in Virginia; deactivated in 2021
SEAL Teams
The original SEAL Teams were separated between West Coast (Team One) and East Coast (Team Two) SEALs. Likewise current SEAL Teams are organized into two groups: Naval Special Warfare Group One (West Coast) and Naval Special Warfare Group Two (East Coast), both of which come under the command of Naval Special Warfare Command at NAB Coronado, California. As of 2006[update], there are eight confirmed Navy SEAL Teams. The current SEAL Team deployments include Teams 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 10. The most recent active-duty teams are SEAL Team 7 and SEAL Team 10, which were formed in March and April 2002, respectively. However, two reservist support teams were reorganized into SEAL teams in 2008.
The Teams deploy as Naval Special Warfare Squadrons or Special Operations Task Forces and can deploy anywhere in the world. Squadrons will normally be deployed and fall under a Joint Task Force (JTF) or a Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force (CJSOTF) as a Special Operations Task Force (SOTF).
Each SEAL Team (or "squadron") is commanded by a Navy commander (O-5), and has eight operational SEAL platoons and a headquarters element. Operationally, the "Team" is divided into two to four 40-man "task units" (or "troops"). Each task unit consists of a headquarters element consisting of a task unit commander, typically a lieutenant commander (O-4), a task unit senior enlisted (E-8), a targeting/operations officer (O-2/3) and a targeting/operations leading/chief petty officer (E-6/7). Under the HQ element are two to four SEAL platoons of 16 men (two officers and 14 enlisted SEALs, and sometimes assigned non-NSW support personnel); a company-sized combat service support (CSS) and/or combat support (CS) consisting of staff N-codes (the Army and Marine Corps use S-codes); N1 Administrative support, N2 Intelligence, N3 Operations, N4 Logistics, N5 Plans and Targeting, N6 Communications, N7 Training, and N8 Air/Medical.
Each 16-man platoon can be task organized for operational purposes into two eight-man squads, four four-man fire teams, or eight two-man sniper/reconnaissance teams. The size of each SEAL "Team", or "squadron", with two to four task units (containing a total of eight platoons) and support staff is approximately 300 personnel. The typical SEAL platoon has an OIC (officer in charge), usually a lieutenant (O-3), a platoon chief (E-7/E-8), and two squads commanded by a LTJG (O-2) and a squad leader (E-6). The remaining members of the squad are operators (E-4 to E-6) with their specialty skills in ordnance, communications, diving, and medical. The core leadership in the troop and platoon are the commander/OIC and the senior enlisted NCO (Senior Chief/chief).
Platoon core skills consist of: Sniper, Breacher, Communicator, Maritime/Engineering, Close Air Support, Corpsman, Point-man/Navigator, Primary Driver/Navigator (Rural/Urban/Protective Security), Heavy Weapons Operator, Sensitive Site Exploitation, Air Operations Master, Lead Climber, Lead Diver/Navigator, Interrogator, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Technical Surveillance, and Advanced Special Operations.
Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, a naval base in Virginia Beach, Virginia, is home to SEAL Teams 2, 4, 8, 10, and 18. Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, a naval base in Coronado, California, is home to SEAL Teams 1, 3, 5, 7, and 17. There are also two SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) units, SDVT-1 and SDVT-2, located in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and Little Creek, Virginia, respectively. SDV Teams are SEAL teams with an added underwater delivery capability. An SDV platoon consists of 12–15 SEALs.
| Insignia | Team | Deployment | Number of platoons | HQ | Notes |
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SEAL Team 1 | Worldwide | 8 platoons | Coronado, California | |
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SEAL Team 2 | Worldwide | 8 platoons | Virginia Beach, Virginia | |
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SEAL Team 3 | Middle East | 8 platoons | Coronado, California | |
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SEAL Team 4 | Worldwide | 8 platoons | Virginia Beach, Virginia | |
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SEAL Team 5 | Worldwide | 8 platoons | Coronado, California | |
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Naval Special Warfare Development Group (SEAL Team 6) |
Worldwide | Classified | Virginia Beach, Virginia | SEAL Team 6 was dissolved in 1987. The Navy then established the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, also known as DEVGRU. While DEVGRU is administratively supported by Naval Special Warfare Command, they are operationally under the command of the Joint Special Operations Command. |
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SEAL Team 7 | Worldwide | 8 platoons | Coronado, California | |
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SEAL Team 8 | Worldwide | 8 platoons | Virginia Beach, Virginia | |
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SEAL Team 10 | Middle East | 8 platoons | Virginia Beach, Virginia | |
| SEAL Team 17 | Worldwide Reserve |
2 platoons | Coronado, California | Formerly Operational Support Team 1 | |
| SEAL Team 18 | Worldwide Reserve |
2 platoons | Virginia Beach, Virginia | Formerly Operational Support Team 2 | |
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SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1 | Indian and Pacific Oceans, Middle East | 4 platoons | Pearl Harbor, Hawaii | |
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SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2 | Atlantic Ocean, Europe and the Americas | 4 platoons | Virginia Beach, Virginia |
Special warfare ratings
The Special Warfare Operator rating (SO) and Special Warfare Boat Operator rating (SB), were established in 2006. Special Warfare Operators (SEALs) and Special Warfare Boat Operators (SWCCs) are no longer required to maintain the original rating they qualified in upon joining the Navy.
The following ratings are specific to Navy SEALs:
| Navy rating | Abbreviation | Pay grade | Special warfare rating | Abbreviation | Rank insignia |
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| Master chief petty officer | MCPO | E-9 | Master chief special warfare operator | SOCM |
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| Senior chief petty officer | SCPO | E-8 | Senior chief special warfare operator | SOCS |
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| Chief petty officer | CPO | E-7 | Chief special warfare operator | SOC |
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| Petty officer first class | PO1 | E-6 | Special warfare operator, first class | SO1 |
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| Petty officer second class | PO2 | E-5 | Special warfare operator, second class | SO2 |
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| Petty officer third class | PO3 | E-4 | Special warfare operator, third class | SO3 |
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The primary mission of the Navy Parachute Team (NPT) is to support Naval Special Warfare recruiting by gaining access and exposure to appropriate candidates through aerial parachuting demonstrations. The U.S. Navy Parachute Team is a fifteen-man team composed of U.S. Navy SEALs. Each member comes to the team for a three-year tour from one of the two Naval Special Warfare Groups located on the east and west coasts. On completion of the tour, members return to operational units. The parachute team began in 1969 when Navy SEALs and Frogmen volunteered to perform at weekend air shows. The Team initially consisted of five jumpers: LCDR Olson, PHC Gagliardi, SK2 "Herky" Hertenstein, PR1 Al Schmiz and PH2 "Chip" Maury. Schmiz and Maury were members of the original "Chuting Stars." When LCDR Olson was transferred to California, PHC Gene "Gag" Gagliardi (D 546) of UDT Eleven introduced him to the local jumping elite with the San Diego Skydivers, one of the nation's first sports parachuting clubs. He convinced the Commander Naval Operations Support Group, PACIFIC to create a small demonstration team consisting of a cadre of highly qualified freefall jumpers. Its activities were to be conducted on a "not to interfere" basis with other military duties and at no cost to the government, other than utilizing normally scheduled aircraft. This group eventually adopted the "Leap Frogs" name.
The team was officially commissioned as the U.S. Navy Parachute Team in 1974 by the Chief of Naval Operations and assigned the mission of demonstrating Navy excellence throughout the United States. The East Coast-based "Chuting Stars" were disbanded in the 1980s with the "Leap Frogs" taking on all official parachute demonstrations within the Navy.
A typical Leap Frogs' performance consists of six jumpers leaping out of an aircraft at an altitude of 6,000 feet. After freefalling sometimes using smoke or streamers, the Leap Frogs fly their canopies together to build canopy-relative work formations. After performances, the Leap Frogs make themselves available to the public to answer questions about the Navy and the Naval Special Warfare community, as well as to sign autographs.
Influence on foreign units
From its predecessors, the Underwater Demolition Teams, to its current form, the SEALs have influenced the training and formation of several foreign units. In 1955, the Underwater Demolition Teams provided funding and training for the Republic of Korea Naval Special Warfare Flotilla, who are also known as UDT/SEALs. This was followed in 1956 by providing funding, training and formation of the Philippine Navy Underwater Operations Team (UOT), patterned on the training and implementation of the US Navy SEALs and the UDTs. In 1966, United States Navy SEALs established Pakistan's Special Service Group based on a mutual security understanding and the training provided under the IMET program until the 1970s. U.S. Navy SEALs provided initial training to the Indian Marine Special Force, which later became known as the MARCOS.
Due to their reputation as being one of America's premier special operations forces, SEALs (particularly operators from DEVGRU) will often do exchanges with allied SOFs.
The National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum, in Fort Pierce, Florida, was founded in 1985 and was recognized as a National Museum by an act of Congress. The museum is dedicated to preserving the history of the Navy SEALs and their predecessors. The SEAL Museum stands on the training site of the first Navy frogmen. There through World War II, thousands of service members were trained as members of Naval Combat Demolition Units and Underwater Demolition Teams. The Museum houses rare historical artifacts from the founding of the UDT to present day, including weapons, vehicles, equipment, and most recently added, the Maersk Alabama lifeboat aboard which Somali pirates held Captain Richard Phillips hostage.
According to the Navy SEAL Museum, 298 UDT and SEALs were killed in action and died during training accidents as of March 2018:
- World War II and the Korean War (1941–1953):
- 96 personnel
- Vietnam and the Cold War (1954–1989):
- 104 personnel
- Desert Storm and the war on terror (1990 – March 2018):
- 98 personnel
Gallery
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SEAL Tridents
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SEALs prepare for a training mission aboard the USS George Washington.
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A SEAL "Leap Frogs" parachute team high above San Diego
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Two SEALs aiming their weapons
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SEALs during a VBSS training in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom
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SEAL team members participate in a tactical warfare training.
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SEALs climb a caving ladder during a VBSS training.
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A SEAL Team coming out of water
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A SEAL at sunset
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US Navy Basic Underwater Demolition-SEAL (BUD-S) students wade ashore on an Island during an exercise.
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A SEAL takes up a defensive position in a village in northern Zabul province, Afghanistan, 10 April 2010.
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SEALs demonstrate winter warfare capabilities.
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A SEAL platoon performs a land warfare demonstration.
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See also
In Spanish: SEAL para niños
