Unit Profile
The United States Navy SEALs are the U.S. Navy's Special Operations Force (SOF). The force specialises in Basic Underwater Demolition (BUD) and SEa, Air, or Land (SEAL) operations. SEALs (Sea, Air, Land) teams go through a tough military training. This training or Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) is conducted at the Naval Special Warfare Center in Coronado. Students encounter obstacles that develop and test their stamina, leadership and ability to work as a team.
On January 1st, 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed documents to expand the use of unconventional warfare. In response to the changing military role, the Navy commissioned SEAL Teams One and Two. Formed entirely with personnel from the UDTs, the SEAL Teams were established to conduct counter guerrilla warfare and clandestine operations in maritime and riverine environments.
In January 1962, the first SEAL Teams were commissioned to conduct unconventional warfare, counter- guerrilla warfare, and clandestine operations in maritime and riverine environments. These Teams were SEAL Team One on the West coast and SEAL Team Two on the East coast.
The teams were sent on deployment almost immediately after they had come operational. THeir first deployment was during the Cuban MIssile Crisis in 1962. During that same time they were sent to Vietnam where they stayed until 1973.
The first large operation after Vietnam, the SEAL's took part in was Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada in 1983. In that same year all remaining Underwater Demolition Teams were redesignated as SEAL or SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) Teams. In 1989 they came into action in Panama during Operation Just Cause, The Gulf war in 1990 and 1991. In 1992 and 1993 the unit operated in Somalia as part of Task Force Ranger during Operation Restore Hope. More recent they hunted war criminals in the Former Yugoslavia.
SEAL Team Seven and SEAL Team Ten were formed in March and April 2002. They used personnel from the other six teams. Each of the eight teams now in the force includes six platoons, compared to eight platoons earlier. The eight teams allow a more stable continuous deployment cycle.
Mission
- Primary mission: Unconventional warfare
- Secondary mission: Counter Revolutionary Warfare
Raised and Disbanded
- Raised: January 1962
Units
- SEAL Team One
- SEAL Team Two
- SEAL Team Three
- SEAL Team Four
- SEAL Team Five
- SEAL Team Six (Disbanded 1995)
- SEAL Team Seven
- SEAL Team Eight
- SEAL Team Ten
- Development Group or DEVGROUP (Raised 1995)
Headquarters
- Naval Special Warfare Command Centre, San Diego, California, United States