Navy SEALs

Do you have what it takes to make it through SEAL training? BUD/S is a demanding course that requires extreme physical fitness.

With the death of Osama Bin Laden (OBL) at the hands of some secret squirrel frogmen in Pakistan, there came a nationwide interest in who killed OBL. The phrase “Navy SEALs” was quickly released to the public, whether via the White House or the Department of Defense. But it was those “subject matter experts,” including […]

The year was just shy of 2008, it was two weeks until Christmas and I was a month into the winter rotation in Mosul, Iraq with the 5th Special Forces Group. My team and I were a part of a unit known as A/1/5 CIF, or the Commanders In-extremis Force, and we were young. A/1/5 was […]

According to the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), “Special Forces Noncommissioned Officer and CIA officer Wilfred “Squeak” Charette (nicknamed after the squeak his jump boots made when he walked) who was a pioneer in the development of the High-Altitude Low-Opening (HALO) parachute capability. Charette participated in training the first HALO class from SEAL Team Two […]

The legal adventures of Special Warfare Operator Chief Eddie Gallagher are far from over. Last year, the Navy SEAL was accused of obstruction of justice, attempted homicide, and murdering a teenage Islamic State detainee in Mosul, Iraq, during a combat deployment in 2017, among other things. After a legal saga that lasted for almost a […]

In the spring of 2000 our eighteen-month work-up concluded with an Operational Readiness Exam (ORE), conducted off San Clemente Island, in which a small group of us simulated a covert tagging and tracking op on an enemy vessel. There were some tricky issues with water currents on the way back in, and things got sketchy. […]

In 1989, NATO published a set of requirements that requested a new type of firearm with rounds capable of penetrating body armor. Called the Personal Defense weapon, or PDW, it was meant to replace weapons, such as pistols and submachine guns, whose caliber was found wanting against ballistic protection. Several companies went on to design […]

A member assigned to Naval Special Warfare Group 2 conducts military dive operations off the East Coast of the United States. Naval Special Warfare (NSW) invests in the training and development of sustainable capabilities, capacity and concepts to sharpen the competitive advantage of U.S. Navy Special Operation Forces (SOF).

One of the greatest advantages of Special Operations Forces (SOF) is their inherent flexibility and their ability to excel in the unknown. Whether we’re talking about a Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha (SFODA), a Marine Special Operations Team (MSOT), or a Navy SEAL platoon, SOF units can operate behind enemy lines with little or no […]

The Navy surely knows how to do recruitment.  Going back to Top Gun and Navy SEALs, starring Charlie Sheen, Navy recruiters have had an easier time finding people than their Marine Corps, USAF, and Army brethren. Act of Valor and the SEALs’ popularity since Bin Laden’s death have made that task even easier. To be […]

After 21 years of illustrious service to the nation, Master Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Edward Byers Jr. retired on September 19. As a member of the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) – another designation for SEAL Team 6 – Master Chief Byers participated in a hostage rescue operation in Afghanistan in 2012 that […]

Despite a series of misconduct and unprofessionalism incidents, the Trump administration continues to put faith in the Navy SEAL community for the top defence and intelligence positions. According to a report by Politico, President Donald Trump is considering former Navy SEAL Lou Bremer for the position of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and […]