Military History

The DEVGRU files: Founder Dick Marcinko on turning SEAL Team Six operators into pilots

(U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Eugene Oliver)

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 recalls one of the most controversial moves during his time developing SEAL Team 6: turning his operators into pilots. He leased commercial aircraft and sent his operators to flight school. Due to obstacles related to jurisdiction and bureaucracy, having the in-house capability of flying was paramount to the team and their counterterrorism mission.

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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 recalls one of the most controversial moves during his time developing SEAL Team 6: turning his operators into pilots. He leased commercial aircraft and sent his operators to flight school. Due to obstacles related to jurisdiction and bureaucracy, having the in-house capability of flying was paramount to the team and their counterterrorism mission.

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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