Military History

The DEVGRU files: Dick Marcinko on SEAL Team Six’s Red Cell being a victim of its own success

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Russell Rhodes Jr./Released)

Years ago we had a chance to sit down for an interview with Richard “Demo Dick” Marcinko when he was in town for an event in New York City. For the first time in more than three years, this content is now free for your viewing pleasure.

During this portion of the interview, Dick Marcinko shares how Red Cell became a victim of its own success. People and organizations became embarrassed and were caught off guard by the Red Cell infiltration tactics. Instead, of reacting positively and trying to fix the exposed vulnerabilities, they became defensive and supported the reduction of the Red Cell to only staff positions. Ultimately, Red Cell lost their operational capabilities. Dick Marcinko continues in this segment of the interview by explaining how the current president and military leadership are misusing the special operations community.

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Years ago we had a chance to sit down for an interview with Richard “Demo Dick” Marcinko when he was in town for an event in New York City. For the first time in more than three years, this content is now free for your viewing pleasure.

During this portion of the interview, Dick Marcinko shares how Red Cell became a victim of its own success. People and organizations became embarrassed and were caught off guard by the Red Cell infiltration tactics. Instead, of reacting positively and trying to fix the exposed vulnerabilities, they became defensive and supported the reduction of the Red Cell to only staff positions. Ultimately, Red Cell lost their operational capabilities. Dick Marcinko continues in this segment of the interview by explaining how the current president and military leadership are misusing the special operations community.

Be on the lookout for more great content like this, courtesy of the Spec Ops Channel.

About Nick Coffman View All Posts

Nick is a former United States Marine. He primarily writes about Marine Corps Special Operations as well as digital privacy and security. In his spare time he enjoys hunting and fishing.

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